It was the trip of a lifetime. At least it was supposed to be. Instead, it ended at Maui’s Kahului Airport, where two elderly travelers told us they were shut out of security before their delayed flight could depart. Their plane to Vancouver finally left after 1:00 a.m., but they never made it on board. Along with other passengers, they said they watched their long-awaited, prepaid road trip through the Canadian Rockies vanish before their eyes.
What makes this story even more troubling is how unclear we found TSA’s hours to really be. Depending on the source, Maui’s security checkpoint may close at 11:00 p.m., 11:30 p.m., or even midnight. Or at 10:30 as this senior couple alleges.
The travelers insisted it was earlier that Thursday at 10:30 pm, but we could not verify their claim. The conflicting information alone leaves passengers guessing whether they will even be able to reach their flight if it runs late. One thing is for sure: we won’t be cutting it tight next time a red-eye Hawaii flight is delayed.
A stranded couple’s ordeal.
Carol, one of the 85-year-old passengers, said she arrived at Maui’s Kahului Airport at 10:20 p.m., more than two and a half hours in advance and seemingly right on time for the already rescheduled departure of WestJet flight 1853 to Vancouver. They had been notified of the delay and had followed the rules, arriving at an appropriate time. However, she said that by 10:30 p.m., TSA had already locked its doors for the night. No waiting for delayed flights.
The aircraft finally departed at 1:03 a.m., more than two hours behind the scheduled time of 10:45 p.m., but with security already closed, they missed their flight, and so did six Canadians. As the travelers said in their email, “Please make this knowledge public. TSA waits for no one, not even delayed flights.”
For them, the cost was far greater than just a missed flight. Their Canadian Rockies road trip had been prepaid in full. Carol reports that much of it had disappeared in an instant. They closed their message with a line that captured the heartbreak: “2 disappointed 85 year olds foiled by TSA.”
Another report regarding Lihue Airport on Kauai.
Brenda left us a note regarding a LIH-SEA redeye, saying, “TSA closed so we had nowhere else to ‘sleep’ except the concrete benches outside the terminal when no hotels were available… I’ll never take another red eye.”
Thanks for this heads up when inbound airlines are delayed.
A system built to fail.
Airlines are notorious for delays, and Maui is no exception. Normal delays, weather, mechanical problems, crew rest requirements, air traffic hiccups, and more can push a departure back by hours. Passengers are generally advised to adhere to the two-hour check-in rule.
But what happens when that careful planning collides with a TSA checkpoint that shuts down before the plane ever boards? And honestly, who ever thinks of that?
That is exactly what seems to have happened here. The closing time at Maui TSA is not a secret, but it is hardly advertised or clear. Most travelers assume TSA adjusts its schedule to match airline operations. The truth may be different, and the result can be stranded passengers and ruined trips.
Murky TSA hours add to the problem.
Trying to confirm Maui’s TSA hours seems almost impossible, as we said at the beginning. The Hawaii Airports website said the checkpoint closes at 11:00 p.m., while the MyTSA app hints it might be open until midnight. Other government pages show 11:30 p.m. Yet our readers reported finding the doors closed earlier, even though their delayed flight did not depart until after 1:00 a.m.
That leaves travelers in a difficult position. The airline advises arriving two hours before departure, the app suggests later hours for TSA, and the reality on the ground may be something entirely different. If three different sources cannot agree on when security actually shuts down, how can passengers plan with any confidence?
This inconsistency is not just frustrating. It is what stranded two 85-year-olds on Maui, and it can happen again easily.
Travelers sound off.
These flights are not exceptions; they are part of the regular red-eye Hawaii to mainland schedule that has become routine. This means the same risk repeats itself over and over again. When delays push those late night flights even later than scheduled, security could already be locked, and travelers may be left staring at their plane through the glass with no way to board.
This is not just one couple’s heartbreak. Other passengers have shared with us similar stories of airport chaos, which is often tied directly to the TSA’s hours. Travelers describe bag check grinding to a halt late at night, security lines that suddenly stop moving, and people missing flights even after arriving with what should have been plenty of time.
BOH editors recently encountered a similar problem in Honolulu, when USDA inspectors arrived after hundreds of passengers had already been waiting for an early morning mainland departure.
Together, these accounts reveal a clear pattern of bottlenecks, confusion, and missed flights. They also underscore how little transparency exists about TSA’s schedule. At many airports, the hours of the checkpoints are clearly published. In Maui, passengers are left to guess, and sometimes that guess costs them an entire vacation.
Airlines, TSA, and the blame game.
Who is responsible when passengers miss flights because TSA shuts down early or USDA opens late? Airlines say it is outside their control. The TSA and USDA cite limited staffing and fixed schedules. The airport authority shrugs that resources are tight. And in the middle of it all, the passenger pays—in lost money, lost time, and sometimes, as in this case, the lost chance for a final adventure.
This kind of finger-pointing is part of a much larger pattern in Hawaii’s travel industry. Visitors often encounter outdated systems that no longer meet modern expectations. From broken sidewalks to disappearing rental cars, the islands present a postcard image of paradise while quietly pushing the burdens and the consequences onto travelers.
The human cost.
It is easy to frame this story as a matter of logistics. But for two elderly travelers, it was far more personal, as Carol’s impassioned email made clear. Picture standing at a locked TSA entrance, passports in hand, boarding pass ready, while the plane that was supposed to carry you to your long-planned trip sits on the tarmac just beyond reach. That is not an inconvenience. It is heartbreak.
The couple described their trip as their “last fling vacay.” That phrase lands with weight. Hawaii promises aloha, but what they received instead was indifference.
What travelers can do.
If you have a late-night departure from Maui or another neighbor island, check the TSA’s posted hours well in advance of your flight.
If your airline pushes the flight past that cutoff, you need to know in advance and press the carrier for answers. Call ahead. Keep records. Do not assume anyone will step in to protect your plans.
Also, keep in mind that boarding times matter more than scheduled departures. Regular Maui travelers advise arriving even earlier than the standard two hours, because once TSA shuts its doors, it does not matter how punctual you were.
And finally, do not stay silent. Stories like this one only gain traction when travelers share them. That is the only way pressure builds on agencies and airlines to fix what has become an avoidable failure.
What needs to change.
At the very least, Maui’s TSA hours should be easily accessible and consistent across all platforms. Better yet, security staffing should stretch to match the schedule change, or passengers should be notified when TSA security ends for a delayed flight.
That is not an unreasonable request. Anything less leaves travelers stranded and Hawaii ending up looking careless.
Readers, have you faced this?
Hawaii travel is complicated enough without the added risk of being locked out of your own flight. Have you or someone you know ever been stranded by TSA’s closing hours on Maui or anywhere else in the islands? Would you have known that TSA does not wait for delayed departures?
Your stories can help bring problems into the open, and maybe, just maybe, push those in charge to fix them before they happen again.
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No I had no idea such a thing could happen! It’s almost shameful that this happened and even worse that nobody will take responsibility for this. As I posted in the past. This new idea that airlines offer these “Red-Eye” flights to accomodate their schedules & Not the customer is just plain stupid. I stated that, I would never take a Red-Eye flight. And if everyone boycotted these flights the airlines would stop offering them. Tell the airlines that you will not fly Red-Eye!!
I was flying out of Gillette Wyoming. Plane delayed 6 hours. We had to go through TSA no food. Waited behind TSA security for over 6 hours. We could not leave as TSA had gone home.
TSA and Ag inspectors know what is going on. The airport reports delayed flights and they should be open to accommodate those charges.
Also they both know early morning flights and should be there working atleast 2 hours before boarding time not departure time!
Someone needs to fix this issue and fast. That’s why we need an airport commission and not DOT running airports!
If an airline is opening early due to a delay from the previous day or just staying open late beyond their normal operating hours the responsibility shifts to the airline to make arrangements. Why? Because they are the ones that need the accommodation where multiple entities will incur extra staffing needs. The airport must approve and ensure staffing for maintenance, curbside security, custodial, screening checkpoint security, Sheriffs, etc. TSA has to ensure proper staffing for checkpoint and baggage operation, Fed Ag as well for mainland flights both baggage and CP.
So article says passenger is telling the airport and TSA. Oh? Where did the passenger get this info…the airline? Well author, go ask United to confirm what time the airport and TSA / Fed Ag said they would stay open. Put it in black and white for these passengers. Hint- they won’t, because they failed to communicate to their passengers what time they had to be through security.
Since the pandemic Maui wide closure in 2020 I have found little success in trusting the published hours of virtually any Maui business. Even published hours for county run offices often have people running to town to a arrive at a locked door. Closing early on Friday is customary and should always be known as a possibility to all as Aloha Friday is awesome and we collectively flex around what’s needed for our family and community on those days. That being said, beyond Fridays, everyone needs to take a good long look at the hours posted on their business door and then work to make their online hours match whatever their door says. The island is still figuring out what it’s complicated future relationship with tourism will be and struggling to brand itself as we’re not longer considered affordable, accessible or welcoming by mainlanders. Not sure how to fix the TSA but if they’re having fixed shift hours then they ought to have clearly posted/published hours of operation.
I’ve been flying since my mother was pregnant with me. She was a former TWA stewardess. I’m 59 now…Im Shocked to hear of TSA not adhering to plane departures! I understand shops and restaurants closing on time…but, TSA should ALWAYS adhere to actual departure times! Delay or no delay! This is unacceptable!! Buck up TSA!!!! Our pilots, flight attendants, ground crew and airport staff do!! TSA should work synonimously with flights….period! Accommodate those flights rather than leave them at the terminal! This was an unsettling article…however, I appreciate the insight to what TSA is empowering itself to do! Please let me know how i can help to change this around!
Thank you!
We learned a long time ago that if you’re going on a cruise or tour it is so important to fly in at least one day ahead of time for this exact reason.
I work for tsa and the reason this is happening is the administration cut overtime for all airports across the US we are no longer allowed to remain open that’s why if a plane is late tsa cant stay open. I know i feel horrible every night this happens but we don’t have any choice unless something changes. But budget wise it doesn’t seem likely. So show up for regular flight time don’t go by airlines delays and you shouldn’t miss it!
Sad and embarrassing, you would think TSA/Airlines would have a comm tool to check in and say hey, this plane is delayed for a few hours, we’ll need you stay open.
TSA is hourly so make them take overtime pay. I fly out of Maui often and it doesn’t surprise me to see our Local TSA say not our problem.
The airline is responsible for making all requests. They first ask the airport (State) if they say no, nothing else matters. The airport has to ensure everything from Custodial (keep bathrooms open), security (law enforcement should something happen, CP LE as TSA is not an LE organization, curbside security), control tower, etc will be able to support.
If they approve then the airline needs to request TSA. TSA will request a whole bunch of info (reason for delay, old ETD, new ETD, pax count, time counters closing) all needed as TSA will close their baggage and checkpoint based on it.
For each additional delay the airline must go through the same process.
Assuming it’s all approved it’s the airlines duty to tell it’s paying customers when they need to get to the airport by. Neither the airport or TSA have the passenger contact info.
Yes, the TSA similar encounter happened to us on our way back to the mainland from Lihue in Feb. 2025. We were supposed to fly out around 8:30 pm and arrived plenty early at the airport to drop off rental car, get through TSA, and enjoy a last sunset from the gate. No problem. The United flight was delayed due to a door securing issue (understood much later) and a missing part was going to come from HNL in about an hour. Departure then became 9:30 pm. However, no update really came until closer to after 10:00 pm. The update was no part would be coming until the next day from the mainland. After 10:00 pm notified, vague announcement that we could get our checked bags back, needed to get an email voucher for overnight in a hotel, or you could rebook on a different flight. By to 10:45 pm still in line to figure out next steps, no clear direction other than we had to leave the gate area, had to pick up luggage and TSA was closed, no emailed voucher had come, no car rentals, closed airport.
Question- While that all is terrible, the TSA is not responsible for your flight delay. They are not responsible for providing updates to you about your flight. They also have nothing to do with returning your luggage (TSA screens luggage and airline handlers get it back. that’s it, just like at the CP TSA screens bags but the passenger gets it right back.). TSA isn’t responsible for your voucher, car rental agencies or the airport closing as the State controls the operating hours.
Personally it sounds like your air carrier, the one you paid money to failed you.
This international flight opens their assigned check in counter 2 hours before the flight.
This flight was delayed and TSA chooses to close and does not accommodate delayed flights.
My friends got stuck in West Maui traffic, got separated in TSA . One made their flight and the other did not.
There is no Aloha or travellers representation at Maui (OGG) airport.
Airline is responsible for requesting the airport to stay open late (the State). If they approve the request it is the airline that must request TSA and USDA remain open. They must then decide if they will accommodate the request or not and until what time they will.
The airline knows what is agreed to and it is then their responsibility to ensure their passengers know how long they have to get through security.
If their airline fails to get approval or they fail to notify their own paying passengers they run the risk of the airport, security being closed.
Now if they make this mistake they could own it and deal with an upset passenger, pay out s voucher and potentially pay to put you in a hotel with transportation to/from. Or they could blame the airport / TSA for being closed. Which scenario seems more likely?
I am a Canadian, and have visited Maui three times prior to the fires and then Honolulu twice now. I have never experienced any difficulties at either airport but I like being at airports early to avoid any issues plus I am a senior and need time to walk the corridors. I can’t wait to visit Waikiki again soon. Hawaii is the best at any price.
But Westjet and Air canada only open their check in counters 2 hours before the flight departure.
When a flight is delayed , your airline could be opening for check ins as tSA is closing.
🌺💔
When you say TSA closes, are you talking about the line we go through that scans our carry-ons and us? I would have never known this if I hadn’t read this article.
Yes TSA is the people who scan your carry ons and your personal items. Then you stand in an xrsy scan before heading upstairs to your boarding gate & lounge.
I am sympathetic, but we all know to avoid booking a long-haul trip with no slack in the arrangements and connections. One or two slack nights at a less-expensive hotel before the main body of the trip builds in a buffer and makes the main body of the trip more enjoyable anyway.
This is how things run when incompetent people are in charge of everything. Typical Maui.
While what happened was unfortunate, and ideally should’ve been handled better (although it’s not clear as to whether the airline took the steps it should to notify the TSA of the delay), if you have a hard departure such as a trip like this or something similar like a cruise, if you don’t book with enough buffer to allow missing a flight (ideally with at least two additional options), you’re asking for trouble.
If the airline had needed to cancel the flight, it sounds like they would’ve had the same problem.
I IMO think this keep people from purchasing budget red eye departing flights. If you can’t afford the premium arrival or departure time slots then IMO Hawaii thinks you don’t have the extra cash to splurge on compulsive wasteful spending. Is this planned? A TSA move or plan by the governor to weed out the middle class tourist? Just like the Hawaii way. Come. Don’t Come. Open no Closed. Same as parks, attractions, and now the airports. Force the thrifty tourists to spend, rent another car all for one more day. IMO skip Hawaii. Skip the pain.
The two Canadian Airlines that offer direct flight to and from Canada, leave canada in the daytime. They land in Maui early evening. The planes are unloaded, cleaned, loaded with food, then passengers are seated and usually have take off times of around 8:30 – 10:00pm.
Yea, no one cares, they’ve got your money. We were on time for our return flight in 2021. It was delayed by four hours. First, they didn’t have enough crew. Then the weather started kicking up. Next the crew had to be replaced due to rest requirements. Would you believe we missed our connecting flight in Denver. And would you believe that United Customer Service would not help us? They gave us two vouchers for Chic Fil A and that was it. We ended up getting a rental car $800 to drive home because there were no more seats for connecting flights over the next three days. Did they help pay for the vehicle? Nope not even an apology, and that was the supervisor. The poor gal helping us just cringed. So, we drove back home and the next morning I canceled my United Miles Card. And haven’t flown with them since, because they just want your money and that’s all they care about. That said, trip insurance is always a good idea.
Flying WestJet, I arrived 3 hours early as instructed, after TSA and Customs I was just on time for boarding.
Then stuck on the plane for over an hour and a half while the plane was held up for about 20 “laughing” late arrivals.
Late arrivals should miss the flight, then they will learn.
” Maui’s security checkpoint may close at 11:00 p.m., 11:30 p.m., or even midnight. Or at 10:30 as this senior couple alleges.”
Don’t think so. It closes at “Island Time”. Everybody knows that.
Well not everyone knows that! This poor couple were in their 80’s, and going to their dream vacation in Vancouver, so they were from Hawaii. Maybe they don’t travel often and just followed the times posted that TSA closes. TSA should have stayed open until departure time, even though it was delayed or could have communicated with the airline if all passengers were checked in. No excuse. I hope they were compensated fairly.
The TSA is an enity of the federal government that is going through very difficult times. These sort of issues will continue and likely worsen in time.
Be prepared for much more of the same.
The elderly couple were not the only ones to miss this Canadian flight .
There are other example of other airline flights where tSA did not remain open.
We went and saw tsa assisting a wheelchair passenger . They told him to walk through the metal scanner because the scanner was not wide enough for wheel chairs.
Then I saw a rat running on the overhead beam .
This happened to us a few years ago. The plane coming from the mainland to Maui (which we were going to then take back home) had engine problems and turned around. By the time another plane was sent over, TSA had closed for the night and we had to sleep in the airport. However, the crew from Hawaiian Airlines could not have been more accommodating in a tough situation. With no hotel rooms available to send us to, they took the food off the plane, ordered pizzas from a local parlor, handed out blankets to everyone, and gave us food vouchers for when things opened up in the morning. Yes, it was a little uncomfortable, but the aloha spirit was amazing – – – and, yes, we still have the blankets.
I flew out of OGG on Sep 2. Scheduled departure time for the OGG-SAN flight on Alaska was 11:09pm. While waiting to board at the gate, heard airport announcement that TSA would be closed at 10:35pm, and we should Not leave the sterile area, or there would be No way to get back in to catch the flights.
On a side note, there was long TSA line that night, and at least 9 passengers missed their AA OGG-PHX flight.
There are two problems here…
1. TSA has regular but unposted hours of operation based on regularly scheduled flights.
2. A couple missed their flight due to a delayed departure time.
We had a recent Maui departure delay and were advised to not alter our arrival time and arrive for our flights original departure schedule. This is due to airport operation systems and a regular schedule of operations, which do not necessarily take into account every/late-night flight delay(s).
I’d bet your couple decided to spend an extra few hours enjoying Maui vs waiting in an airport for hours (it isn’t fun). Therefore, arriving after TSA closed for the day.
TSA needs to post regular operation hours and a phone number to contact in case of emergency.
Customers need to recognize that a regular system of operation exists, flight delays are outside of that system.
Fliers need to heed customer warnings and directions and accept responsibility for any deviation.
Aloha!
They live on Maui and we’re going to vacation in Canada.
Agree that the airline guidelines are to arrive well in advance of the Scheduled departure time as estimated delayed departure times can change. What wasn’t mentioned was if these passengers were allowed to check in / check luggage for their West Jet flight or if that desk was also closed. While I also agree that TSA checkpoint times should be well publicized these passengers should have gotten to the airport much earlier, not minutes before their scheduled departure time. It’s unfortunate but they bear some of the blame for what happened here.
I hope you guys would reach out to Department of Transportation (DOT) and ask for a response or let the local news know. This kind of issue needs to be made known so the public will be able to plan in case it happens to them. Please do follow up if you hear from DOT.
There is a recent article on “Maui Now” website dated August 31st stating OGG airport is hiring for multiple positions and shifts for TSA workers. Of course I can’t say for certain but I’d suspect things were shut down early due to lack of staff. Definitely not the correct thing to do but in recent years I’ve experienced businesses being closed early because someone didn’t come to work. I wouldn’t expect this of TSA but the TSA workers are local and Maui’s Aloha spirt is no more.
Unfortunately, as the TSA story points out, travel insurance is a necessary evil in today’s environment. It’s insanely expensive and one has to read the fine print, but it has salvaged more than one trip for us.
Some credit cards offer travel insurance. On a recent trip to Europe, we were offered travel insurance by Viking. I went on line and found a similar plan for half price. Never buy insurance from a travel agent or tour host.
Thank you BOH and Commenters. For years my wife and I took the earliest flights out to our destinations arriving late at night and losing a day. We started taking later flights out of ITO to HNL to the mainland and got there earlier in the day. Reading this couples nightmare experience was eye opening…. we’ll go back to earlier departures. The only solution is to Prepare for the Worst. Hope for the Best.
This is heartbreaking!
I’ve been stranded in Lihue after deplaning off a LIH/SEA red-eye. TSA closed so we had nowhere else to ‘sleep’ except the concrete benches outside the terminal when NO hotels were available. If they’d let us in, already TSA security cleared, at least we could have been out of the weather for our overnight. I’ll never take another red eye.
Thanks for this heads up when inbound airlines are delayed.
This is why I stopped taking Red-Eye flights a long time ago…if a day time flight is delayed, less problems. Or. if I’m on an afternoon flight to Nevada that connects in SFO or LAX then plan to get a hotel room at SFO/LAX as insurance for a delayed arrival….which is frequent.
An alarming and informational article. We have a 6 am return flight out of Lihue next month so I hope these issues don’t extend there. I usually pay more to avoid the red eye flights but will be even more careful out of Maui.
I’ve traveled a lot and notoriously show up to the airport in “just” enough time (with 10-20 minutes of buffer in case my estimate was off) and have only missed one flight (inter-island for work when my license had expired and Hawaiian closed their door 20 min early).
I would have assumed TSA would be open and adjusted my arrival for my flight time and been in the same situation as this couple. I feel for them and appreciate the info and will keep that in mind for any late night delays!!
Thinking operationally, it makes sense TSA would close versus requiring OT for their workers.
This sounds like a third world approach to an essential service. Instead of working in sync with flight operators to ensure that no passenger is left behind for as long as there are pending departures, these clowns treat this as a typical government run business. Clock out whenever their time is up and everyone else can just suck it up. Bureaucracy at its best. Shameless and shameful.
Although I’m not a big fan of TSA, they are supposed to be keeping us safe as who wants to be in a plane that blows up over the ocean or anywhere else for that matter? Please don’t forget that the TSA is federally funded. It has nothing to do with the state of Hawaii or the counties that the planes are arriving and departing from. Funding has been cut from TSA just like everything else has been cut by the current administration. Whether you are a Democrat or a Republican, you must have noticed that many services that we used to have are now curtailed including USDA, social security office hours, TSA hours, etc. I’m sure people that work for the TSA do not appreciate being called clowns when they are just employees and have to go home when their employer tells them to. They can’t choose to work late or go home early. It is not their call. The federal government sets their hours. You have the choice of contacting your Congress person or voting for a different administration. Aloha!
Just the latest indication that visitors are not welcome here anymore. Unfortunately not a surprise. The aloha spirit is alive and well and living very far away from the islands.
Did you even read the article?!? This has nothing to do with the locals and the “aloha spirit” you claim left the islands. Its the airlines and TSA not being on the same page and being mismanaged when it comes to unforeseen delays. While on the topic of aloha maybe if most of you haoles didn’t treat my home like Disneyland expecting us to grovel at your feet thinking the “dark skins” as I was called are the island mascots you’d feel more welcome. Get a grip lady!
Eō!
Thanks for that overflowing serving of so called ” Aloha ” !!
… lol
This situation has nothing to do with being a visitor or not! It has everthing to do with the TSA being mis-managed and having unclear hours. Remember, us locals do travel too, and believe me theres no magic 24/7 locals only TSA line accommodation for us.
MIs-Management, long a problem at Kahului. In the ‘90’s when Red-Eye’s were the Rule back to Arizona or LA, our habit was to go to Mama’s rather than wait in the Concourse for hours, the problem was, we weren’t allowed to Check our bags, more then 2 Hours before our Flight, so that meant, Car Return and Baggage Check had to be pushed back to after dinner, rather than before.
This is the type of failure that one would expect in a third world country. Literally. Nothing to do with Hawaii specifically. It’s a systemic failure of TSA, which btw, is one of those agencies that should either be shut down and privatized or completely redesigned.
Well said, agree completely. The TSA operates with the same incompetence as the United States Post Office, and the same insensitivity as the IRS!
It’s common knowledge that you arrive at the airport for your flight’s original departure time, not the delayed time.
Delays can shrink or disappear
That’s totally incorrect…if you are told by the airlines your flight is now scheduled to depart hours and hours later than originally scheduled you are not required to be at the airport during that ”dead” time, cmon man.
Then enjoy missing your flight when the delay gets reversed.
You absolutely still arrive as if your flight is on time otherwise you get to be out of luck like these people
For delayed flights that go beyond the normal operating hours of the airport and security it is the responsibility of the Airline to make the request and Validate that the State (airport), TSA and if flying to the mainland USDA approve it.
The airline must provide a reason for the delay, updated ETD, what time they will close their counters, if they will be issuing new boarding passes, passenger count.
Generally speaking these requests are met by all parties concerned but obviously not all the time.
If the airline was delayed they know how long TSA will keep their CP and Baggage open till…because they are the one making the request for how long everybody has to stay late for.
That closing time is the responsibility of the airline to communicate to their customers. Neither the State or TSA or USDA is going to communicate that because…none of them know who those customers are.
Source – former TSA
TSA has plenty of issues. I highly doubt this one is on them.
Very sad … Murphy’s Law at its worst, which is why I always plan for it on my trips. For example, I would have gone to Vancouver a day earlier so my planned trip had a built in margin of error that presumably would be corrected by flying the next day. I also would have gotten to the airport far earlier even if I had to wait an extra few hours. Let this story be a planning lesson. Account for the worst case in your planning because it does happen.
Exactly! We always fly in a day early when leaving on a cruise. There’s no way I’m going to watch that ship sail without me – even with insurance. 🌺
This was a very enlightening piece, and equally heartbreaking. I am both glad that I read it, and sad that I read it. May the heartbreak the couple endured, save others from the same fate.
The more stories I read about Hawaii just make me believe that no one is in control out there in any organization/government and what control and organization exists is soooo poorly managed.
Elections are rigged. How does one party dominate for so long?
No need to rig when you’re good at marketing and selling smokescreens to the dominant demographics. Guaranteed votes for life.
I would have never thought this possible.
Assummed if flights are boarding, TSA would be open.
Poor planning and lack of communication.