I'm looking at booking some inter-island flights, specifically a flight from Kona to Lihu'e in September. There are no non-stops on Hawaiian, so it must go through HNL. The website offers me a flight with only a 20 minute layover in Honolulu. It appears to be two separate flight numbers. We will have checked baggage. Normally I would never book a flight with that short of a connection....unless its the same plane. If its just a stopover, and we (and more importantly, our luggage) don't have to get off the plane, then it would be fine. But I can't tell. Is there any way to know? does anybody have any experience with this flight?

You'll have to call them to be sure but I can tell you that we made the trip and two flight numbers turned out to be two separate flights. Twenty minutes is asking for trouble.

The planes are very close together and they are very fast at transferring luggage. If your bags don't make it, they'll likely come in within the hour and be delivered to your hotel

thanks, both of you.
I agree, GBC, 20 minutes IS asking for trouble. But my only choice is to book the same flight from Kona to HNL, and then a later flight from HNL to LIH. So why not book the 20 minute connection, which if I miss it, I'll end up on the later flight anyways? is this a bad idea?

I'm mostly surprised that their website even lets me do it.

lcuy, I'm not staying in a hotel, I'm staying in a house rental in Hanelei. I suppose they might deliver my luggage to the house, but I hate to have to trust them. I've heard of folks waiting around at the airport for their baggage to catch up to them. I suppose that could happen to me too.

Anybody else have experience with this particular route?

Call Hawaiian, I have had very good customer service from them and they will give you the best advice. It's not like calling most US airlines!

Our luggage didn't arrive when we did, but it was delivered very promptly that night to our hotel (I'm sure they deliver whereever you are, my point is, you can trust them to deliver it, they do it every day and night)