Flights with layover in Honolulu

We have flights from Indianapolis to Los Angeles to Honolulu and on to Maui. The last flight to Maui, although made through Delta, is on Hawaiian Airlines. Does anyone know: (1) Do you have to pick up your luggage at Honolulu and take it to the interisland terminal for the flight to Maui, or does it automatically get switched to the Hawaiian Airline flight? (2) If we have to pick it up at Honolulu ourselves, is it possible when you are at the interisland terminal to have Hawaiian Airlines change your flight so that you go to Kauai instead of Maui? Has anyone done this recently?

We're your flights booked together? Usually when you check in you give your ticket and tell them your final destination and that is where your luggage will go.

I'm not 100% sure but I think if your flight goes to Maui you can't change destination mid flight. If you want to to go to Kauai, not Maui, you should make the change ahead of time.

Thank you both for your answers. I remembered that years ago when we went to Kauai we did have to pick up our luggage in Honolulu and then transfer them ourselves to the interisland terminal. However, the last trips we flew directly from LA to Kauai so we didn't know if this was still the case.

ouaifer said:

If you booked through Delta, then the HA flight is a Delta codeshare. Your luggage will be checked through to Maui; you will not have to collect your luggage in HNL.

If you want to go to LIH, why did you book to Maui? If you want to go to LIH, you can change your ticket with a change fee penalty, unless you booked with miles. If you still want to go to LIH, call your airline and see what your choices are.

Click to expand...

This trip there are four couples who are traveling together. Three of us have flights directly to Kauai again from LA; however, the fourth couple due to financial reasons found it was cheaper to go by way of Honolulu to Maui and then make separate reservations to go to Kauai. We were just trying to help them out by seeing if they could eliminate that extra flight and time. I think from your answers that they are stuck with Maui first!

I have a similar question. I have a direct flight from Chicago to Maui on united on miles then from Maui to Hilo the same day on Hawaiian airline with American miles, can I check bag all the way from Chicago to Hilo? Do I have to pay bag fee twice? My first destination is the big island but united has no free seats Chicago to kona or Hilo for the summer. Inter island fares for 3 islands are adding up

Most Airlines will transfer your luggage to the interisland terminal. You do not exit the secure area to get to the interisland terminal. I think if you are flying on a "low cost" airline like Alliegient though you may want to verify at check in. But if you're flying American, United, Delta and all the major carriers I believe you will be fine.

Lily80, I had a similar situation a couple years ago -- separate reservations, with one from LIH to HNL on one rez w/ one airline and another rez from HNL to my home state on a different airline.

They picked up on this at the LIH airport and checked the bags all the way through.

lily28 said:

I have a similar question. I have a direct flight from Chicago to Maui on united on miles then from Maui to Hilo the same day on Hawaiian airline with American miles, can I check bag all the way from Chicago to Hilo? Do I have to pay bag fee twice? My first destination is the big island but united has no free seats Chicago to kona or Hilo for the summer. Inter island fares for 3 islands are adding up

Click to expand...

Many airlines changed policies in the last few years and no longer check bags thru via another airline (especially when not ticketed together). This means picking up your bag and rechecking it just as if that was your only flight of the day, paying the bag fee if needed, etc. Also note that the later flight won't make courtesy changes to your flight if your initial flight of the day is delayed which causes you to miss your connection.

I haven't had this issue in a while but know to always check with the airlines before purchase as it seems it is not consistently the rule, but common enough now to likely be the case. For instance, I'm currently considering flying to San Jose or Oakland to catch a less expensive flight to Maui. If I do this on another carrier I will have to make time to get my bag and check it again on the next flight. It's a definite negative when considering these options.


Sent from my iPad

Depending on the airline, the flight from OGG to LIH may not be direct and may be via HNL.

lily28 said:

I have a similar question. I have a direct flight from Chicago to Maui on united on miles then from Maui to Hilo the same day on Hawaiian airline with American miles, can I check bag all the way from Chicago to Hilo? Do I have to pay bag fee twice? My first destination is the big island but united has no free seats Chicago to kona or Hilo for the summer. Inter island fares for 3 islands are adding up

Click to expand...

When you check your bags, there will be one charge for your luggage and it should be checked through to your final destination. If you are ticketed and show the agent everything...it will be your final destination. You know you can try to use miles for interisland air, as well. Most of the airlines have codeshare with HI. And most airlines mileage "cost" is less than HI.

LUV2TRVL2HI said:

Thank you both for your answers. I remembered that years ago when we went to Kauai we did have to pick up our luggage in Honolulu and then transfer them ourselves to the interisland terminal. However, the last trips we flew directly from LA to Kauai so we didn't know if this was still the case.



This trip there are four couples who are traveling together. Three of us have flights directly to Kauai again from LA; however, the fourth couple due to financial reasons found it was cheaper to go by way of Honolulu to Maui and then make separate reservations to go to Kauai. We were just trying to help them out by seeing if they could eliminate that extra flight and time. I think from your answers that they are stuck with Maui first!

Click to expand...

Yes, Maui it is. And if he is already ticketed in advance on HI to LIH, they will check luggage through to LIH. However, if there is a long layover in OGG, they will have to claim luggage and re-check. But, if there's not a lot of luggage, why doesn't someone check the Maui passenger's luggage through to LIH and then the Maui passenger doesn't have to worry about that detail? since you're all ending up on Kaua'i. He can just go with carryon...no checking.

ouaifer said:

But, if there's not a lot of luggage, why doesn't someone check the Maui passenger's luggage through to LIH and then the Maui passenger doesn't have to worry about that detail? since you're all ending up on Kaua'i. He can just go with carryon...no checking.

Click to expand...

How would someone other than the passenger do this? Don't you have to show your boarding pass? Or are your talking about someone else paying for the person's luggage. Can you explain this a little more?

Luanne said:

How would someone other than the passenger do this? Don't you have to show your boarding pass? Or are your talking about someone else paying for the person's luggage. Can you explain this a little more?

Click to expand...

2 people flying, both with boarding passes...A is going to LIH and B is going to OGG and then on to LIH. A takes B's luggage and checks it as his own to LIH. B travels to OGG and on to LIH without any checked luggage. A and B meet in LIH and B gets his luggage from A.

ouaifer said:

2 people flying, both with boarding passes...A is going to LIH and B is going to OGG and then on to LIH. A takes B's luggage and checks it as his own to LIH. B travels to OGG and on to LIH without any checked luggage. A and B meet in LIH and B gets his luggage from A.

Click to expand...

So A is taking two pieces of luggage (his own and B's) instead of just one piece? And who is paying for the second bag? You'd also have to assume (maybe) that A and B are both leaving from the same airport at approximately the same time. Or that B will somehow get his luggage to A ahead of time. Starting to hurt my head.