Hawaii Island hop flight questions...
 

On a Thursday at 3:10 we arrive in Honolulu. Is it realistic to catch an Island hop that is scheduled at 4pm to Kauai? Never been to that airport, so don't know if 50 minutes is enough time. If we buy tix in advance, they are not transferrable or refundable if we miss the plane. If we wait to buy tix till we get there, how likely is it that we would be able to get a ticket? And would the time it takes to buy a ticket there take too long? There is another one at 5pm, but I hate to have a 2 hour layover instead of 1 hour if we can avoid it. Any advice appreciated. Thanks!

It's a hike over to the inter-island terminal, plus you'll want your luggage to make your flight.

Take the 5pm flight and have a mai tai or one of those other foo foo drinks while waiting. ((b))

I don't understand how much this has changed since 911 even though I have flown interisland almost yearly since.
In the past if you got to an earlier flight than what you had your ticket for you could just hop on. There is no waiting for people not scheduled, you get on line before someone with a scheduled ticket and you are good to go. I have made it in 40 minutes with carryon only but its not something you can count on, sorry to say.

Not sure when you are going but chances are if you are going to further in future they will add more flights.

I'm no expert on inter island flights, but I don't think 50 mins. is sufficient time to make a transfer at Honolulu airport, particularly if checked luggage is involved.

Just to add my $.02 - 50 minutes is cutting it close, especially if you have checked luggage. Can it be done - maybe. Is it a wise move - maybe not. Remember the 50 minute layover is the maximum time between your scheduled arrival time and the scheduled "push back" time of the departing flight. In reality you probably won't "have" the full 50 minutes. What happens if your in-bound flight is delayed? Even if your in-bound flight lands exactly on time it maybe 5 to 10 minutes before the plane taxis around and actually arrives at the gate. Depending on where you are sitting you might not actually deplane until 15 or 20 minutes after touchdown. Add to that the time to walk between gates. Another factor to consider is that your connecting flight will probably begin boarding 20 minutes or so before it's scheduled departure and if you are not checked in by 10 or 15 minutes before departure you run the risk of having you reservation cancelled. There's nothing more streeful than sprinting from one end of the termnal to the other (Murphy's Law will insure that the shorter your connecting time the further back you will be sitting in your inbound plane and the further apart your gates will be) dragging your belongings behind you while you try to catch that plane that's taking off in a few minutes.

Personally, I'm not sure you'd want to start your trip with that type of stress. Why not book the later flight and, if you happen to arrive at the departure gate in time for the earlier flight, ask the Gate Agent if they can accomodate you. If so, you are ahead of the game. If not, you've lost nothing and have about an hour to relax with a drink or read a few chapters from a good book.

I arrive HNL at 1:20 and booked a 2:55 flight to Hilo. I was actually a little concerned if that was rushing it a bit. My question is....can you get your mainland-Hawaii airline to check you bags all the way through so your bags would be transferred to Aloha or Hawaiian for you rather than having to handle them yourself? I know you can do it in the other direction. i.e Hawaiian will transfer your bags to American in Honolulu so you don't have to touch them until your final destination.

dfarr -
I suspect you can. I would sure ask. Last summer I took AA to Seattle and Alaska Air from Seattle to Ketchikan. AA had no trouble booking my luggage on through...

book the 5:00 flight to play it safe. if you make it to the gate by the 4:00 flight, and the flight isn't full, they'll announce if anyone wants an earlier flight, no charge. if you get to kauai early and your bags don't, you can beat the crowd at the rental car agency and when your bags make it, off you go. buy your ticket before you go, some flights are sold out and then you'd be stuck. a two hour layover in honolulu isn't bad. go to stinger ray's in the inter-island terminal and have your first mai-tai :)

dfarr interisland has checked my bags through when I used Hawaiian. I think this is standard for most interisland flight but of course this is a question for your carrier. And I don't think landing at 1:22 and taking off at 2:55 is too close I think about 90 minutes is what the airlines suggest.

ALOHA PEOPLE,,,,,jealous!

Last fews years have flown Hawaiian and they always check my bags through to the interisland flight to Kauai. Also used to fly Continental and they also would check your bags through. However the one time I used Aloha rather than interisland, my bags did not get to the hotel until the next day (went to Maui) because Aloha said I did not allow 1.5-2 hours between flights which they recommended. Take the later flight.

I will book the 5pm flight and be safe. I just love this forum. Thanks all!