Inter-island flight checkin?
 

We all know about the crazy lines at airports and people missing their flights because they were standing in line for 2 or more hours. . . . . is this the case in the Hawaiian islands? I am visiting 3 islands for my honeymoon which means taking 2 inter-island flights. Do I need to get there rediculously early? Are the lines bad in the airports? Would it be any benefit to pay the extra money to get first class so my check-in line will be smaller?

Just got back this week from 2 weeks in Hawaii. We took 3 inter-island flights... Maui to BI, BI to Kauai and Kauai back to Maui. 2 were Hawaiian and one was Aloha. The only times we had long lines was on our flight from BI to Kauai and that was because we had to change planes in Honolulu... Honolulu airport was packed. Security wasn't bad at either airport on BI (although they searched ALL our bags in Hilo) or either Kauai or Maui. When we got back to Dulles in DC the lines for security were huge... luckily we were arriving, not leaving so it didn't matter to us. <BR> <BR>I wouldn't worry about 1st class on the inter-islands... the only people that seemed to have any problems were those on standby in Honolulu.

thanks for the reply John. You didn't say how long the lines were for check-in or how early you got there. How early would you recommend? Airlines are saying 2 hours, but is that necessary for a 45 minute inter-island flight?

Thee weeks ago the lines were about twenty minutes long, so when we arrivd two hours before our flights, we were always sent on an earlier plane, and they left and arrived on time. This was on Aloha. Security was tight-even to being patted down. Skip first class.

marc-- <BR> <BR>just back to honolulu from 2 weeks on maui. same story on aloha both ways--35-40 minutes in line at checkin (w/ luggage--u can go straight to the gate to check in w/o luggage, or wait a couple minutes if u're in first class), couple minutes to go thru security screening on the way to the gate. at the gate today at both kahului and honolulu, tho, there was a new step. passengers are being randomly selected for a "secondary pat-down," so those whose boarding passes are marked in red go to a separate part of the gate, while those w/ green on their boarding passes line up normally. red-pass holders have their handcarries opened and inspected and have a wand waved all over their bodies. wherever it beeps, u're required to produce the cause. <BR> <BR>meanwhile, both tonite's flight and the flight over to maui were delayed bc the plane was late. got to hnl 50 minutes late tonite, to maui 20 minutes late 2 weeks ago. <BR> <BR>bro-in-law flew hawaiian air maui-hnl-maui last week and said that while passengers were being called up for second inspections at the gate, the flights were on time both ways. <BR> <BR>but bc of the post-sept 11 tourism slump, both airlines have cut back their flight schedules (and laid off staff), in addition to implementing new security procedures, but both my flights were absolutely full. so i think it's a matter of time before flight schedules readjust and aloha at least finds its groove again--maybe by the time u get here! meanwhile, yes, u shd plan on getting to the airport 2 hours in advance.

Why would anyone want to go first class for a half hour flight?

We got to each airport about 90 min. prior to the flight... never had a problem.