Hi, I've spent ages here cruising the web and talking on the phone and I don't have a complete picture yet of how a transfer from an interisland flight to a mainland flight works in HNL.

I've got a return flight booked leaving HNL on Alaska at 9 am. Now I want to book a side trip to Lihue while I'm in Hawaii and I figure I'd save the most time by booking a flight from LIH that connects in HNL in time to make the Seattle flight. I will have checked bags and a toddler.

I know I can do ag inspection for the checked bags in LIH, but do I have to go back through TSA in HNL to get on the mainland flight? This blog: http://gbjorn.wordpress.com/2009/09/...island-flight/ says no. I just talked with Mokulele Airlines, and they said Yes. Honolulu airport visitor information thinks no, but it may depend on the airline and where they arrive. So in order to minimize hassle in HNL, I'd use another airline if it didn't mean leaving the secure area. But I can't get hold of anyone at Hawaiian Airlines who's actually in Hawaii and knows the answer for them.

Summary: Arriving at HNL from LIH, can I go to a mainland flight without having to go through security again? If so, what airline do I need to fly from Lihue on? It takes a long time to go through TSA with a toddler.

Last month we took a Hawaiian Air flight from Kona to Honolulu and then took a United flight on to Denver and we did not have to go through TSA security in Honolulu--just had to do the ag screening for carry on bags again.

Just took the wiki wiki bus from the interisland terminal to the terminal United flies out of. Hope this helps.

Hmm, so maybe Mokulele is saying I have to go through TSA again because they arrive at the commuter terminal? Thanks for the reply.

I haven't had the exact experience you have had, but I have taken a flight that departed from the commuter terminal in Maui and arrived in the commuter terminal in Kona.

For that flight, the commuter terminal was entirely separate from the main terminal. There was also no TSA at the commuter terminal. The pilot for our flight was also the baggage handler and he checked the boarding passes...and he did the in-flight safety speech as well (in terms of how to operate the seat belt, etc.).

My guess is that you will not go through TSA for your commuter flight but that you will for your flight to the mainland. You might want to call Mokulele back and ask more detailed questions. You would probably also have to transfer your bags from the commuter terminal to the main terminal.

One more note...when I say "transfer bags from commuter terminal to main terminal," it is likely a very short walk away (as it was in Maui). But that walk might also be unpleasant with a toddler and all of your baggage.