eileen

Coming home, we plan to travel from Maui to HNL on Aloha Air, then get on a Continental Flight to Newark. I assume we have to claim our bags, transfer to the Continental terminal, check our bags, go through security. Is this an easy process, getting from terminal to terminal? How long should we allow (since we have a choice of Aloha flights) and is there anything else we should know about the process? Thanks!

Rusalka

1hr15mins is the absolute minimum connecting time at Honolulu but allow more time for delays/unforeseen things.
For transfers between terminals there is a wiki wiki shuttle bus outside the terminal. How do you book your flights, if online then the minimum time will be calculated in the flights displayed and if thru a travel agent they know this stuff anyway and will advise/book you accordingly.

JohnD

Aloha eileen,

You might consider connecting with Hawaiian Air from Maui(OGG) to HNL to EWR, because Hawaiian Air is a partner with Continental and they can Tag your checked luggage all the way through from Maui to EWR upon checkin with Hawaiian, without having to claim and recheck it for CO at HNL.
In the meantime you could relax at Stinger Rays in HNL terminal or CO's President's Club.

eileen

Thanks, this is very helpful. We were planning to go with Aloha Air because they are $140 less for a family of four due to the AAA discount. The trip is costing so much we are trying to save where we can! Anyone know how to get discounts from Hawaiian Air -- the cheapest we found is $612 for four, Aloha Air is $472. We already have our EWR - HNL tickets.

JohnD

Reply to Eileen,
We usually redeem Hawaiian Partner Frequent Flyer Miles (FF) to get our interisland flights (5000one way, 10000RT)e.g. CO, AA, NW.

Sometimes we have found better prices for interisland flights by booking flights through a travel agency located in Hawaii only if you happen to be booking any of your lodging (hotel or condo) using a Hawaiian travel agency.

pb_and_j

I think you should be able to check in your bags all the way through for either airline. Make sure that you bring receipts if you're using e-tickets.
If you check your bags through, you won't have to go through security again. There is a shuttle (Wiki Wiki) that you can take between terminals.

JohnD

Nonetheless, you do not want to make your connections too close together, as at least on one occasion the computers were down with Hawaiian Air and they were unable to check our luggage through HNL to the mainland and we had to claim and recheck the luggage at HNL-which can get crowded.

Another 02: we usually walk from the interisland terminal(2nd floor, same level as arriving interisland flight) to CO mainland flight, if the baggage is checked, rather than wait for the shuttle.