Delta to Hawiian Airlines baggage transfers and other.......
 

I am trying to book interisland flights for out trip to Hawaii next month. We are flying in on Delta Skymiles award tickets and get into Honolulu around 2:00 (time has changed 3 times). We want to go directly to Maui from Honolulu and am trying to determine how long in between the flights we should leave in order to ensure our timely baggage transfer as well as avoid any "change fees" Hawaiian Airlines might want if we miss a flight or something. I have a couple of questions:

1) Is it possible to somehow get the luggage transferred from the Delta to the Hawaiian Airlines flight without gathering it at baggage claim and re-checking it? This is our 1st trip into HI and I really have no clue. How long would we need to leave in between flights if there is a transfer option and how long if we have to claim the bags and re-check?

2) Regarding our Hawaiian Airlines tickets (Oahu to Maui to Big Island to Oahu), my boss has told me that when they travelled a similar trip that the airline was very accomodating regarding changing flights with no fees and flying standby. Is that the case still? I called and the representative I talked to told me that there are now change fees and no standby if changes should occur.

Thanks for your help

Kevin

<i>in order to ensure our timely baggage transfer </i>

there is no such thing in Hawaii. We flew into Kauai via Honolulu last year. Our bags didn't. Half the people waiting at baggage claim had been on earlier flights. Just the way it is. They will deliver the bags to where you are staying. After waiting for three more flights to arrive (without our bags), we left and our missing bags were delivered late that night.

You can probably check your bags straight through. Check with Delta to see if they have an agreement with Hawaiian Airlines to do so.

I think sf7307 has it right on the second part. Even if you were able to get on an earlier flight, your bags would probably show up on a different flight.

Give yourself about 1 1/2 - 2 hours between flights & you should be OK

I'm not sure I'm following this. Are you saying that for an interisland flight (without baggage transfers), there is a good chance that your bags won't be on the same flight as you? We are taking an interisland flight in the middle of our trip (so we're not arriving in Hawaii and then jumping right on an interisland flight, for example) so I'm wondering if I need to build in signficant baggage claim time or be prepared to be without our luggage for that day. And, are there limitations to where the airline will deliver? We're staying in the normal resorts, but I'm just wondering if there are any quirks. Thanks.

Good grief - if Hawaiian Airlines do that to us, while waiting for our luggage, we'll miss our flight back to the UK! You're scaring me.

I've moved this to the top, in hope that somebody will reply re Hawaiian Airlines baggage policy (ie does it go on the same plane as its owners?!) Thanks.

These are questions I would be asking your airline carrier directly. I say that because this is a case where the answers we give or previous experience doesn't necessarily matter. You need to be sure about YOUR flights, your baggage arrangements, etc.

Hi suze
I find it staggering that there's any doubt about this! When BA had the luggage problems with the opening of Terminal 5 at Heathrow, they were (righly) ridiculed. But it's ok if it happens because 'it's Hawaii'? Our flight with Hawaiian Airlines, leaves Kona at 03:00pm, landing at Honolulu at 03:42pm. I cannot see any reason why our luggage shouldn't be on the same flight as we are, so that we can transfer it to American Airlines for our 07:40pm flight for Dallas (en route to Heathrow). I wouldn't even have thought to question it!

We flew Delta two years ago to Kauai via Honolulu and interisland flights were with Hawaiian and had no problems, BUT be sure and allow enough time between arrival of flight into HNL and Hawaiian flight to whatever other island you are going to. I would go for at least two hours in between flights, and Hawaiian themselves told me more than one hour, but that was at least four years ago. We only had a problem with my checked bag one year, it went to Maui for some reason but Hawaiian delivered it to the Marriott by 11am next morning.

Hi jamie99
We're flying into Honolulu (AA) and staying on Oahu for a week. Then we fly (HA) to Big Island. So that shouldn't be a problem. It's just the coming back that scares me - even though there's 4 hours between our HA flight landing and our AA taking off - I'm beginning to think perhaps we should've returned to Oahu the day before, just to be sure (too late now; flights and condo paid for!) Glad you didn't have a problem; that's heartening, thanks.

Well, Delta will check them through I just have to call and sync the connecting HA flight to my Delta itinery. I only left an hour and ten minutes between flights as I got impatient and judging for the comments so far, am going to need to cross my fingers.

I'm assuming if the bags don't make it they will deliver them to our vrbo in Lahaina?

Oh well

Get a carryon bag with enough clothing for a couple of days and all of your essentials, like medication so if your bags are late getting there you can survive.

Flying interisland for us has been noneventful. One time we checked in a little early and had one checked bag. Since we were early, our bag went on the next flight out (were boarding the plane when we checked in) When we arrived at the destination airport we didn't have to wait on the baggage handlers, our bag had gone out on the plane before us

Rex