best air route to Hawaii?

[Blackpuddin]

Anyone flown from the UK to Honolulu? What's the best (ie shortest in time/least inconvenient) route?

[Blackpuddin]

I looked at that site but found it somewhat bamboozling. They seem to be offering mainly stopovers in Atlanta but I can't find an aggregated journey time that's sensible. I thought it might be possible to go via LA, or maybe HK/Singapore going the other way, but I can't find a website that just lists routes.

[Blackpuddin]

It's a work trip so basically just want to check out which carrier offers the quickest trip from London with the shortest stopovers.

Edited by Blackpuddin on Monday 12th March 22:38

[Blackpuddin]

Nobby Diesel said:

If you want to do the journey straight, only taking in transit stops, then look at Air New Zealand. The same aircraft right through; London-LA-Honolulu. It's a killer though.

Thanks for this Nobby, I'll have a look at that option. Time is of the essence, annoyingly.

[Blackpuddin]

Nobby Diesel said:

Now I think about it, we may have overnighted in LA.
Worth a look at ANZ though.

Yep, you will have done on the way out, the ANZ one arrives in LA at around 8pm and the Honolulu connection is next morning.

[Blackpuddin]

This is fantastically helpful, the best I'd found was Virgin + Hawaiian via Las Vegas, which although it says 'overnight stay required' it's actually just hanging around LAS from 3pm to midnight or so:

Sat 24 Mar 2012
11:20 LGW London Gatwick Virgin Atlantic VS43
15:05 LAS Las Vegas Mccarran 10h 45
Overnight stay required 9h 50
00:55 LAS Las Vegas Mccarran Hawaiian Airlines HA17
05:15 HNL Honolulu Internat'l 6h 20

Fri 30 Mar 2012
22:35 HNL Honolulu International Hawaiian Airlines HA8
07:10 LAS Las Vegas Mccarran 5h 35
Connect in airport 9h 30
16:40 LAS Las Vegas Mccarran Virgin Atlantic VS44
10:30 LGW London Gatwick 9h 50

Similarly long airport wait coming back. Your plan looks a lot better! Many many thanks.

[Blackpuddin]

miln0039 said:

I would go option 2 as it offers a little more time at LA to get complete immigration and customs without having to worry about missing your onward flight as LA can get very busy.

Do I have to go through Customs at LA then, not Honolulu, assuming I'm staying airside for the connection? What with it being part of the US and all that.

Edited by Blackpuddin on Tuesday 13th March 14:40

ETA - apparently the answer is I do have to go thru LA customs, Honolulu is regarded as a domestic destination. This makes me slightly concerned as I know there can be problems there. Anybody know if Vegas customs are any more efficient?

Edited by Blackpuddin on Tuesday 13th March 14:47

[Blackpuddin]

You guys are amazing, I can't thank you enough for all this.

[Blackpuddin]

Cheib said:

Blackpuddin said:

This is fantastically helpful, the best I'd found was Virgin + Hawaiian via Las Vegas, which although it says 'overnight stay required' it's actually just hanging around LAS from 3pm to midnight or so:

Honestly think hard about that....3pm LA time is 11pm our time.....so in reality you will be hanging out at LAX from 11pm until 8am in the morning London time.

It'll be a horrendous journey.

Yes, I see what you're saying there. I'm just concerned about leaving enough time between connections so that nothing can go wrong as a result of (say) late arrival from London and/or (perhaps more likely) long processing times at LAX immigration. Am quite uneasy about any gap of less than 4 hours. The Las Vegas option takes away that worry. Means I would have to doss down in the airport but that might be a sacrifice I have to make. Will consider all these very kind PH suggestions and get something decided today. Many thanks again.

[Blackpuddin]

Du1point8 said:

Can you just not confirm that the bags don't need to go through and just get transferred from one flight to the other and then its just you that needs to get through and should be relatively simple?

To be honest it's the 'me getting through' bit that I'm worried about! My luggage isn't that important in the general scheme of things but it's LAX immigration that spooks me because of the time it always seems to take. I remember the first time I went to the States over 30 years ago when the immigration process was done in big black ledgers. The last time I went, computerisation didn't seem to have speeded things up at all. AFAIK you don't get any concessions from the airlines for any immigration delays, though I'd love to be told I'm wrong on that.

[Blackpuddin]

miln0039 said:

If you're om a whole route ticket then you will be fine with any airline who will bump you to the next flight if necessary without issue. Airlines will allow you to book with 2 hours to get through and one of the suggestions I made offered around 3.5 hours. You'll be through in that time without any issue. US Immigration gets a really bad rep on PH, but I'd be comfortable if the layover was around 2 hours.

I really think you'll be fine with 3 hours

That'll be your Option (2) Alex:
Leg 1 - Depart LHR: 12:00 Arrive LAX: 15:05
leg 2 - Depart LAX: 18:50 Arrive HNL: 21:50
Total travel time 20 hours 50 mins.

This feels like the best option to me, not just because of the comfortable 3hr 45min connection gap but also because it lets me flop straight into bed in Honolulu! The Virgin/Hawaiian route from LHR sounds good too but I'm just not comfy with a 2hr connection gap, my tum would be churning all the way over the Atlantic.
Thanks again to you, Du1point8, Chelb, Nobby Diesel and Deva Link for all the advice, this really is massively appreciated.

Edited by Blackpuddin on Wednesday 14th March 14:15

[Blackpuddin]

Deva Link said:

Three hours is a lot of time

Amazing how quickly three hours disappears when you're stood in Immigration looking at your watch though Two hours feels like no time at all in there. I've put both options up to the admin folk. I suspect the decision will be made on a financial basis.

[Blackpuddin]

miln0039 said:

Boooo...kick up a fuss until they send you business class minimum!

Ha ha, if only, it'll never happen, I'm hoping they'll take pity on my advanced years and spring for an extra-legroom seat.

[Blackpuddin]

More great advice here, I am properly blessed.
I have a bio passport. Do the US scanners work then? I understand the British ones are mainly used as teacup rests by UK immigration staff.

[Blackpuddin]

Turns out the flights are going to be booked by the Seattle office so let's see what they come up with. Apparently it's cheaper that way. I've given them the PH options!

[Blackpuddin]

miln0039 said:

Blackpuddin said:

Turns out the flights are going to be booked by the Seattle office so let's see what they come up with. Apparently it's cheaper that way. I've given them the PH options!

When do we collect commission?!

When I collect my First Class upgrade. Which reminds me of the one and only upgrade I ever got, which was on Garuda Air on a flight from HK to Jakarta many years ago. The flight was overbooked and they told me I'd have to get the next one. That was no good for me. In the course of explaining that, I was going through my various travel docs, cards etc. I had a Press card back then (not much point having them now). It fell out on the ticket desk. Suddenly, not only was I on the flight, but I was in First Class. Don't know if it was down to the Press card but everything changed quite radically from that point. It was most odd.

Edited by Blackpuddin on Wednesday 14th March 18:28

[Blackpuddin]

miln0039 said:

Can you describe this press card? I have scissors and sticky back plastic...

It won't work unless you look exactly like me. And only I do that.

[Blackpuddin]

Deva Link said:

When I went it was to Maui. I thought it was absolutely awesome, but most the guys from the Southern Califoria based company hosting it just moaned the whole time about how they'd rather have stayed in SoCal - they were really pissed about the 5hr flight! Took me 24hrs, Manchester to Maui on 4 flights.

I'm just going to Oahu, surprised to note the absence of ferries between the islands, a bit limiting for the tourist. I gather there was a plan to start a ferry service up a couple of years ago but it was squashed on (I think) eco grounds.

[Blackpuddin]

Just back. If I never fly United again I won't be too bothered, an oddly unattractive and grumpy lot and particularly rude at LAX if you have the temerity to ask them a question. Did that on the way out and again on the way back to see if the rudeness of the first lot was a one-off - it wasn't. No free food at all on the LAX-HNL leg, anything you want has to be paid for, quite poor for a five-hour flight.