21 thoughts on “Inescapable Hawaii Flight Delays. Here’s What To Do.”
Keith B
6 days in a row of baggage handling system failures are likely the main cause. We really need the HNL airport authority to get it together! It’s not just the airlines. And with the way HNL is run, the airlines are likely pressuring the airport authority to upgrade. Time for those of us in HI to expect more from our airport!
“….That has been going on for some time, and if it were the issue, then flight schedules would have already been revised to accommodate that.”
Not true. Reducing a carrier’s schedule in response to a runway closure allows a different carrier to actually increase their#of daily flights, and profit, whilst delays continue. So, no- airlines won’t do that. Additionally, runway closures at hub airports like HNL have vast effects on other island airports-think gate availability. These are facts, not just uneducated observations or speculation.
For decades, when traveling to the Mainland, I have packed sandwiches, mixed nuts, sliced apples/cheese, beef jerky, etc. I have not done this for Neighbor Island flights … but maybe I should consider this going forward. We also travel with empty plastic water bottles that we fill at the fountains once past security screening; this is cheaper then buying bottled water at exorbitant prices.
I may be in trouble then. I fly Southwest into PHX, and then Hawaiian into HNL. I usually stay a couple days in PHX to and from Hawaii, but this time, I booked it so that I fly into PHX late and onto HNL early the next morning (meaning I spend the night in the airport or a nearby hotel). Won’t be a problem on the way TO Hawaii, but on the way back, I could miss my Southwest flight if Hawaiian is delayed. And it’s 3 days before Thanksgiving, so I’m basically screwed… 😑 Thanks for the heads up tho!!
There’s a profound labor shortage everywhere including Hawaii. That is the issue But the delays affect HA more than Southwest because SWA pays employees considerably more. It’s no different in all island service jobs.
from my recent delays and interaction with the new HNL terminal, Hawaii is presenting a good case for being classified as a “third world country”. We seem to be moving backwards instead of forwards.
Thank you for all your great information. I share your site with anyone traveling to Hawaii.
Last Tuesday I flew Hawaiian Airlines from PHX to HNL then OGG. Our flight from PHX was delayed an hour because of mechanical difficulty. The flight from HNL to OGG was delayed half an hour because baggage was not able to be rerouted to the flight in a timely matter. Maybe because HNL has a runway down? I was surprised at the lack of food choices and the long lines at the paces that do serve food.
RE: Food options. D Inouye, I observe that the long haul terminal is either busy or empty. I would it would hard to staff with such long stretches of low traffic. Maui: agree, choices are sparse but the place in the middle was ok and there was bar on the gate concourse. Kauai: The food place in the middle nothing to brag about but it has become better with a better approach to pre-packaged and cooked to order. We’ve never used that bar. Kona-Kailua has always seemed sparse. For us, when traveling coach, it often seems better to buy pre-packaged. We recently flew through St Louis, Denver, and then Orange County in California. Denver seems well thought out with food outlets in the center of each concourse. St Louis is ok, Orange County poor.
Start checking out Mexico! Closer to mainland, much much cheaper airfare, food, drinks, hotels, golf, and they offer loads of all incluesives (that hawaii does not) and the most diverse concentration of marine life anywhere in the world in the especially in the Sea of Cortez.Great whale watching. Don’t let the news scare you away. Great people in the tourist destinations. And cheap.
6 days in a row of baggage handling system failures are likely the main cause. We really need the HNL airport authority to get it together! It’s not just the airlines. And with the way HNL is run, the airlines are likely pressuring the airport authority to upgrade. Time for those of us in HI to expect more from our airport!
“….That has been going on for some time, and if it were the issue, then flight schedules would have already been revised to accommodate that.”
Not true. Reducing a carrier’s schedule in response to a runway closure allows a different carrier to actually increase their#of daily flights, and profit, whilst delays continue. So, no- airlines won’t do that. Additionally, runway closures at hub airports like HNL have vast effects on other island airports-think gate availability. These are facts, not just uneducated observations or speculation.
Wow!!! Really makes me not want to come back to Hawaii ever again!!!
For decades, when traveling to the Mainland, I have packed sandwiches, mixed nuts, sliced apples/cheese, beef jerky, etc. I have not done this for Neighbor Island flights … but maybe I should consider this going forward. We also travel with empty plastic water bottles that we fill at the fountains once past security screening; this is cheaper then buying bottled water at exorbitant prices.
You packed apples??? how does that work with agricultural?
I may be in trouble then. I fly Southwest into PHX, and then Hawaiian into HNL. I usually stay a couple days in PHX to and from Hawaii, but this time, I booked it so that I fly into PHX late and onto HNL early the next morning (meaning I spend the night in the airport or a nearby hotel). Won’t be a problem on the way TO Hawaii, but on the way back, I could miss my Southwest flight if Hawaiian is delayed. And it’s 3 days before Thanksgiving, so I’m basically screwed… 😑 Thanks for the heads up tho!!
There’s a profound labor shortage everywhere including Hawaii. That is the issue But the delays affect HA more than Southwest because SWA pays employees considerably more. It’s no different in all island service jobs.
from my recent delays and interaction with the new HNL terminal, Hawaii is presenting a good case for being classified as a “third world country”. We seem to be moving backwards instead of forwards.
Thank you for all your great information. I share your site with anyone traveling to Hawaii.
Last Tuesday I flew Hawaiian Airlines from PHX to HNL then OGG. Our flight from PHX was delayed an hour because of mechanical difficulty. The flight from HNL to OGG was delayed half an hour because baggage was not able to be rerouted to the flight in a timely matter. Maybe because HNL has a runway down? I was surprised at the lack of food choices and the long lines at the paces that do serve food.
RE: Food options. D Inouye, I observe that the long haul terminal is either busy or empty. I would it would hard to staff with such long stretches of low traffic. Maui: agree, choices are sparse but the place in the middle was ok and there was bar on the gate concourse. Kauai: The food place in the middle nothing to brag about but it has become better with a better approach to pre-packaged and cooked to order. We’ve never used that bar. Kona-Kailua has always seemed sparse. For us, when traveling coach, it often seems better to buy pre-packaged. We recently flew through St Louis, Denver, and then Orange County in California. Denver seems well thought out with food outlets in the center of each concourse. St Louis is ok, Orange County poor.
Are the delays in or out of Hawaii, or both? We leave the first of December so just checking. Thank you!
Hi Dianne.
They are both.
Aloha.
Start checking out Mexico! Closer to mainland, much much cheaper airfare, food, drinks, hotels, golf, and they offer loads of all incluesives (that hawaii does not) and the most diverse concentration of marine life anywhere in the world in the especially in the Sea of Cortez.Great whale watching. Don’t let the news scare you away. Great people in the tourist destinations. And cheap.