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Guess we have had very different experiences at places like EWR, PHL, IAD, ORD, SFO...
HNL is great - did you visit the gardens?
Never flown out of EWR, though I'm not a fan of New York's other two major airports. PHL isn't bad, though it certainly could be better. (Their Achilles Heel is the fact that their two main runways were built too close together, so they cannot both be used in IFR conditions. Makes for some really fun delays when the snow or fog sets in.) I'll agree with you about IAD; it's woefully undersized for the volume of passenger traffic it gets. ORD is tolerable, and I actually think SFO is pretty good.
I saw some gardens at HNL from the overhead walkway heading towards Gate 10. They looked lovely. Too bad I couldn't figure out how to actually gain entrance to them.
The problem with the airports in Hawaii is they were constructed prior to the jet age (like Honolulu) and/or a boom in tourism (for instance, Kona).
Some airports are getting a significant makeover - others less so. For instance, HNL will getting a large/modern brand new terminal - and in addition, the commuter terminal (where Island Air is) will get torn down and relocated to a new facility.
The entire program is about $2.7 Billion - if you'd like to read up on all the things happening - read here:
That explains a lot, I wondered why Honolulu in particular had a somewhat primitive airport!
Quote:
Originally Posted by Jungjohann
And that's where anyone from the Mainland is inevitably going to **** off long time Hawaii residents and locals. It's ALRIGHT for US to ***** about it, but when an outsider does so, it's just friggin rude. I know it makes little sense to mainlanders, but the logic from this side is indisputable.
Hope this,,, uuuurrrrppp, scuze me, helps
Very few people that come here to vacay or to live are overly concerned about opinions, facts are facts, it is 2015, it is the USA, freedom and all that. No one cares about folks that are **** off, such an old, old story this 'it is all Ours, stay away carpetbagger, yankee, easterner, southerner, continental, mainlander, etc etc etc' borrring!
General Lyman Field/Hilo International Airport
On February 25, 1925, Speaker of the House Norman K. Lyman of Hilo introduced a resolution requesting the governor to set aside 50 acres of land at Waiakea for a landing field. This was amended to 100 acres the following day by the Aviation Committee. A resolution was also introduced authorizing Territory officials to use convict labor to level the land for the landing field.
1. We in Kona happen to love our airport just the way it is.
2. If you lived here you would realize that a lot of things are "convoluted" in Hawaii. the little Kona airport is the least of our concerns.
Quote:
Kona Airport at Kailua
The first airplane landing in Kailua-Kona was on August 21, 1935 by Hilo aviator Alfred W. Smith. Smith landed his Aeronca single-seated monoplane on a cleared area about a mile north of Kailua, the first airplane ground landing ever made in Kona. Previous flights to the Kona district of the Big Island were made by seaplanes.
Smith landed and let off his passenger Charles A. Okuna of Hilo, one of his flying students, then took off and landed again. He landed at a site he had cleared of rocks the previous week.
1. We in Kona happen to love our airport just the way it is.
I always loved the Kona airport, but I mostly just flew interisland, which was super quick and easy and efficient. Print my ticket out ahead of time (or at the kiosk), get into the security line with my carry-on, and wait. Always plenty of room, and my flights were almost always at 6:30 am or so, so no worries with the sun. I loved the ease and accessibility. I've flown O'Hare often enough that Kona feels like a dream. I really like never being in a building (most of the time- if the sun is out, I'm not as fond, but most of the seating is covered).
I do agree that the system to go through 3 lines when you fly to the mainland with checked baggage is kind of a pain. First the line where you get your ticket and tags for your bags, then TSA, then load your baggage.. oh yeah, then the fruit check when you finally get to go into your gate.
I loved the open air, but I can understand how it might be stifling if you're coming from another state where it's cooler and perhaps less humid. I honestly don't think it's stopped any travelers, however. Since they stopped using stairs and use the ramp to get on the planes, that's also been easier for a lot of people (like my mom).
Honolulu is also super easy when you fly inter-island. Even flying to the mainland through that airport beats most of my experiences in other airports, unless you fly Go! (does that still fly? It's been a while, but that was a pita).
I can't remember the last time I flew into Kaua'i, so I can't speak to that or Maui or any other island.
I saw some gardens at HNL from the overhead walkway heading towards Gate 10. They looked lovely. Too bad I couldn't figure out how to actually gain entrance to them.
I guess the signs (like the one pictured below) that say "Garden Court Area" are a little too cryptic.
I love the Kaua'i airport; it's simple and easy to get through even though most of it is outside. Although, that could be because I don't travel with checked luggage - if it doesn't fit into my carry-on then it doesn't go. I can't remember the last time I didn't get a pre-checked boarding pass either. We call the inside of the Lihue departure lounges "the saddest place on earth" because everyone there seems so glum about leaving.
The Honolulu airport has been pretty easy to figure out when I've been departing, but I will say that arriving from overseas has been less than ideal. U.S. Customs seems to dump you outside at ground level, which would be OK if I were staying in Honolulu, but getting over to the inter-island terminal from there requires a fairly long walk, not fun when you are tired. If there is a quicker way I haven't found it. Plus, since boarding passes are printed overseas, you don't get to go through the pre-check line, so once I enter the inter-island terminal I have had to deal with long, regular TSA departure lines and more glum visitors who aren't happy about leaving.
Best part about the Hawai'i airports (for me) though is arriving and knowing I am home!
I guess the signs (like the one pictured below) that say "Garden Court Area" are a little too cryptic.
To be fair, I think that sign is actually located on the lower level by the edge of the garden. So it wouldn't do much good for someone trying to get down there. The elevators are a bit strange, as I recall. And some of the koi are monsters!
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perhaps it's more about personality then the airports.
