Months of planning unraveled in minutes when Hawaiian Airlines told us at Lihue Airport that we could not board our connecting flight in Honolulu to The Cook Islands despite having all the proper documents. What followed was a travel fiasco we will never forget. For seasoned travelers like us, this was surprising and frustrating, given that an airline mishandled something this basic.
Hopefully, our experience will help future travelers who are on a triangle trip to the South Pacific. That’s flying Hawaiian to Rarotonga, then continuing to French Polynesia on another carrier, and returning on the Hawaiian nonstop from Papeete to Honolulu.
Denied boarding chaos at Lihue Airport.
We arrived at Lihue more than two hours before our short flight to Honolulu, thinking that was plenty of time. At the priority check-in line, things immediately went wrong. Hawaiian Airlines agents flatly told us we could not be checked in because we did not have a visa for The Cook Islands.
For the record, according to the government of The Cook Islands, no visa is required if you stay 31 days or less.
The issue for Hawaiian was that our itinerary was not a round-trip. It continued to Papeete in French Polynesia. We showed the agents a copy of our reservation on Air Tahiti from Rarotonga to Papeete, which was within the 31 days, but that didn’t change the situation.
They insisted a visa was required even though it is not. For decades of flying, going back decades, neither of us has ever run into anything like this. Their initial response was, “you are not going anywhere,” and, “we denied boarding another passenger to Rarotonga before you.” (for reasons we do not know).
At the same time, we began hatching a backup plan on the spot, buying refundable one-way tickets from Rarotonga back to Honolulu, so we would have something the Hawaiian system might recognize and accept. Turning around and going home was never an option.
Finally, a supervisor was summoned from the back. She also informed us that a visa was required, even after reviewing our Air Tahiti reservation, showing our departure from Rarotonga two weeks later. As five different agents fumbled with the reservation, we were on the phone with officials in The Cook Islands who then talked to the supervisor.
The supervisor spent another 10-15 minutes working out a solution and told us we would be going. Still, the process had dragged on for about an hour, and the tone throughout was none too gracious, we are sad to say. By the time our boarding passes were printed, our collective nerves were wrecked. Other passengers have reported similar confusion on Hawaiian’s international connections, suggesting this may be a broader training issue.
While waiting to board the flight, one of the agents who tried to help came up and apologized. She said they have not received enough training on Hawaiian Airlines’ international reservations and check-in procedures.
Bottom line: If Hawaiian agents ever reject your documents for The Cook Islands, which must include proof of your departure flight from Rarotonga within 31 days of arrival, immediately request a supervisor and have this post handy to show. It can make the difference between missing your flight and making it.
Finally on board, we hoped the rest of the trip would redeem the chaos. It did not.
Row 11: the best seats on Hawaiian’s A321neo.
Unlike most international journeys that stretch through the night, Hawaiian’s flight to the Cook Islands is an evening run. It departs Honolulu at 4:40 p.m. once a week on Saturday, and lands in Rarotonga around 11 p.m., still in the same time zone. When the gate opened in Honolulu, we upgraded to row 11 because of our Platinum status. Those turned out to be arguably the best seats on the aircraft.
Row 11 features a bulkhead with approximately six to eight inches more legroom than standard economy seats. Across Hawaiian’s A321neo fleet, this configuration is consistent and available on Hawaii to mainland and South Pacific routes. The premium cabin, by comparison, feels tight and claustrophobic. We actually prefer the bulkhead row for both comfort and space. If you book Hawaiian’s A321neo to the Cook Islands, row 11 is the one to request.
Boarding itself was unusually casual, just a quick passport scan and straight onto the plane. It felt worlds apart from our Honolulu to Papeete flight last year, where every passenger was interviewed by immigration officers and asked about cash declarations.
Minimal service and a disengaged crew on a six-hour flight.
Nearly three hours into the flight, the first water service finally appeared, followed by a second pass about an hour later. Meal service consisted of a cold roll, followed 30 minutes later by a small bag of potato chips. That was it. For a nearly six-hour international flight, the service felt bare bones. The crew seemed disengaged and distant. There was no warmth, no sense of Aloha, just polite smiles when absolutely required. They mostly spoke among themselves and rarely checked on passengers.
First class also got a dose of the service irregularity. They were not given their arrival documents to complete until the aircraft door opened. That meant economy passengers like us, who completed documents in flight, were able to exit the aircraft before first class passengers.
The Airbus A321neo itself is a capable but tight aircraft. We counted roughly 50 empty seats out of 189, or about a 74 percent load factor. According to information we later learned from Cook Islands’ Tourism, 20 of those seats remain unsold to ensure enough fuel on board in case of a diversion.
Starlink Wi-Fi: Hawaiian Airlines’ saving grace.
If there was one standout, it was the Wi-Fi. Hawaiian Airlines has rolled out SpaceX Starlink across nearly all of its A321neo and A330 aircraft, making it one of the few airlines offering high-speed Wi-Fi on every Hawaii flight. Connection started working the moment we boarded, with no sign-ins or delays.
Our mid-flight speed test showed 322 Mbps down and 27 Mbps up, which is faster than most hotel Wi-Fi in Hawaii. Streaming, video calls, and remote work all functioned flawlessly. For travelers flying to or from Hawaii, this technology is Hawaiian’s most impressive upgrade in years.
By the time we landed late that night in Rarotonga, the damage had already been done. Hawaiian had made a simple check-in nearly impossible, service felt stripped down, and only Starlink Wi-Fi redeemed the journey. For an airline that once embodied the spirit of Aloha, this flight left us wondering how much more passengers can expect to lose.
In the end, it was worth the hassle to be in The Cook Islands for the first time. Later this week, we will be sharing our experiences on the islands of Rarotonga and Aitutaki and why they rank as a must-see destination.
One further note on how to access the Cook islands from the U.S. west coast:
- Via Honolulu on Hawaiian Airlines.
- Via connection in Papeete, Tahiti on Air Tahiti and Air Rarotonga.
- Via Auckland on Jetstar and Air New Zealand.
Have you ever had Hawaiian Airlines reject your travel documents or faced issues on an international flight? Share your experience in the comments below; your insights could help other travelers avoid similar problems.
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Starlink Wi-FI on Hawaiian is great. The terms and conditions prohibit audio and video phone calls.
The conditions are clearly displayed during the connect process.
Enjoyed your news of late regarding Hawaii tourism going way downhill, but the story on Lihue-HNL-Cook Islands took the cake. Not only is Hawaii falling short “on the ground in the islands” but now that last hope with HAL is gone. I fly to Lihue several times annually to visit Ohana. The flight from Salt Lake City to HNL is convenient however its service is lacking. It is a 5.5 hour flight direct and leaves at 0700 Mountain Time. The service crew spends much time on their smart phones or talking to each other. All in all Hawaiian Air is now disappointing. Back to the legacy airlines I guess.
Hello
Sorry to hear your flight wasn’t as expected.
My question is, from L.A. to Hawaii, are there any other airlines that fly to the Cook Islands besides Hawaiian ?
Hi Robbie.
We just updated the article with that detail (check near the bottom). Thanks for asking.
Aloha.
Just another experience to damage Hawaiian airlines reputation. Soon nobody will fly this Alaska owned train wreck. Slowly and IMO surely this airline and credit card problem will cement a nail in the coffin for Hawaiian airlines.
Looking forward to your detailed Cook Islands review- hoping your adventures there & then your return flights will redeem your far from ideal outbound from LIH experience.
This is confusing, as when I travel anywhere internationally they will ask for my passport. It is the destination point – customs that will ask for my appropriate documents, otherwise I cannot get through customs. Why would a Hawaiian Airlines employee become the gatekeeper for customs? To your point about the crew, that has been an issue for some time. They chit-chat together, and I get the sense I am bothering them in their conversations with each other. The food has always been gross. “The Aloha” has been long gone for some time. The only reason I like flying Hawaiian is Starlink. It rocks and allows me to immerse myself in my work.
The airlines, in this case Alaska (dba: Hawaiian) is responsible for checking to see that the passenger has all the proper documents and authorizations to enter the destination country. Otherwise the airline could be fined and the passenger must be immediately removed on the next available flight out of the country. In this case since the aircraft and crew remain there on a layover, the passenger would have been required to be placed in a secure location during that time until the flight departed the next night.
Now that doesn’t excuse the training issue mentioned by the Lihue Customer Service Agents, nor the poor service received during the flight. Lack of training is the easy fix. Poor service is the challenge and unfortunately is the result of the unwillingness of Alaska Airlines to continue what inflight procedures were customer pleasing and instead is using cost cutting measures to boost profitability. ALK stock value has dropped over 20% over the past month.
While I can understand, but not excuse, the initial boarding problems, there is, in my mind only one reason for the poor service provided. That reason being Alaska. The lack of a “meal” is bad enough, but I truly believe the lack of aloha from the flight attendants is due to being unhappy with job situations. Having taken probably40-50 flights on Hawaiian in the last 8 years, I can count only ONne flight attendant who seemed to be having a bad career. I hope that your experience is not a trend!
Hawaiian Airlines…stealing Aloha from the Islands one flight at a time!
Had the same experience on Hawaiian from HNL to RAR in 2024 (luckily not the denied boarding part). The service was next to nothing, and the flight attendants seemed angry and were unhappy to be there. Was easier to get to the Cooks before Covid when Air New Zealand had a direct flight from LA with great service.
I grew up going to Hawaii as a kid and loved it, but made the switch about 20 years ago to primary travel to places like Moorea, Cook Islands, and Fiji. In the same 2024 trip, I spent a week in Oahu, and enjoyed taking the kids to places I went to when I was young. I’m glad I went, but would not make Hawaii a regular destination due to the changes. Diamond Head requires a timed reservation. In Rarotonga, you can hike the needle with no reservation, no parking fee, and no crowds.
Different airline (Delta) but same idiocy. We were booked Seattle-Jo’Burg-Botswana. At the time Botswana required a (very) recent Covid test which we had scheduled in Jo’Burg prior to our flight. Delta would not let us board even though we could show the appointment. Fortunately, our travel agent was able to re-book us as two separate flight, not “continuous” and it worked. While training helps, functioning reasoning would help too.
None of this sounds worth it. It’s why roadtrips, train trips, and cruises are so popular. Flying sucks, especially into and out of Hawaii.
I wonder if because LIH was your origin was the cause for the document confusion. Probably not too many people originate at LIH for a flight to RAR. On our first trip to RAR, we originated at HNL and everything went smooth as it could be. We also had one way tickets because we were going on to PPT from RAR as you did and there was no issue at all at check-in. This was just a few weeks after HA started serving RAR, so maybe the training was a bit better?
Your report on the service on HA was also the complete opposite of our experience. We sat up front and service was very good and constant. Again, maybe this was because it was still a relatively new route?
We’ll be flying HNL -> RAR again in 3 weeks (also up front) so it will be interesting to see how it compares to your experience.
Aloha BOH.