Your editors have been flying round and to and from Hawaii lots currently. And it’s good to see that, in a means, issues are much like earlier than Covid. However however, issues couldn’t be much less like earlier than, and to say it’s irritating is an understatement. Two BOH editors took 4 flights up to now two days, and right here’s what involves thoughts.
Flight delays are exasperating on interisland flights.
With the latest flight being probably the most irritating, editor Jeff flew between Kauai and Honolulu yesterday. Simple proper? Properly, in a phrase, no.
First, to attend a Honolulu occasion, he determined to fly practically 4 hours sooner than he would normally have. Why? As a result of it’s virtually unattainable to depend on interisland flights for punctuality any longer for numerous causes, together with the continued DOT runway outage at HNL that may proceed into subsequent 12 months. Living proof, there have been in complete 105 flight delays at Honolulu yesterday, of which Hawaiian suffered 87.
The problems at Lihue Airport.
Heading out to Honolulu, issues went fairly properly. The key problem was that the Southwest flight to Honolulu was utilizing gate 10A, which implies there isn’t any boarding gate at Lihue. Passengers are escorted down a flight of inside stairs to the bottom. Then stroll to the boarding ramp for the plane. We had the identical gate on a current Alaska Airways flight.
As a aspect notice, the situation and look of Lihue Airport is embarrassing. We skipped photographs within the antiquated, rusty restrooms. However it’s merely a ridiculous scenario for a state the place tourism is the one actual financial driver, and that is what guests see on arrival. Don’t get us began on the place did the resident and customer taxes go if to not this and the roads.
On yesterday’s Southwest flight to Honolulu, maybe a half-dozen wheelchair passengers wanted to board first. In third-world Lihue Kauai’s airport, solely a tiny previous elevator is accessible to take these passengers to the bottom degree. Which means just one wheelchair passenger at a time will be within the elevator. A couple of 10+ minute delay resulted from ready for the gradual elevator to get these passengers to the bottom. Had it not been for that, oh properly, you get the purpose.
Even regardless of the elevator-induced delay, the flight left promptly and landed on time in Honolulu. There was a slight delay ready for a gate agent to assist open the plane door. The Southwest purser-acting FA instructed jokes on the way in which to the gate, and when he found an additional delay, he continued to inform extra jokes. All-in-all, it was a pleasant contact.
Return from Honolulu to Lihue.
It’s price noting that Honolulu Airport continues to be within the midst of renovation. Some elements are higher than others, and for us, the center terminal the place Delta and Southwest depart has probably the most fashionable and enjoyable look, with extra issues to do and see. The one problem even there’s that there aren’t any good meals choices, largely as a result of the state’s chosen meals vendor does an terrible job. We additionally not too long ago reported on the new Hawaiian terminal and its shortcomings. The interisland terminal, too, has practically no distributors open previous 5 PM. It was shuttered at 7:30 pm when editor Jeff arrived. As a result of he’d simply been there not too long ago, he got here ready with meals, and it wasn’t a problem. Additionally, notice that there aren’t any restrooms in a major part (B gates) of the realm the place Hawaiian’s interisland flights arrive and depart.
Again to the flight. On the return from Honolulu to Lihue, editor Jeff’s Hawaiian Airways flight was delayed (no shock). That story has develop into a damaged document. Not solely that, however the Hawaiian Air app and the flight show boards at HNL continued to indicate that the flight was on time, whereas essentially, it was 45 minutes late. The one clue got here when Jeff used FlightAware and tracked the inbound flight, which was additionally about 45 minutes late. It could have been nice to have recognized that prematurely. Fail.
Extra minor points on the flight included the airplane not having the ability to method the gate for unknown causes when it arrived late. Plus, a catering truck obtained caught between the luggage trolleys and the airplane’s cargo ramp.
On checking FlightAware, there have been 87 Hawaiian Airways flight delays at HNL yesterday. It was simply not a cheerful affair, for both the staff or the shoppers. The lead photograph in at this time’s submit exhibits one of many HA service desks at practically 9 PM final night time. The road was lengthy, and the staff appeared much more sad than the shoppers. On this final flight of the day to Lihue, all seats have been taken, and it was introduced at boarding that these nonetheless desirous to journey however who didn’t have seats wouldn’t be going to Kauai final night time. Did they sleep within the airport or what?
As soon as on the airplane, Jeff observed one of many flight attendants was repeatedly checking her watch. In his thoughts, she, too, was pissed off about getting dwelling so late.
Once more, this may not seem to be a lot when it comes to a delay to you, however for us in Hawaii, airline workers and passengers alike, this is sort of a metropolis bus working 45 minutes late.
What have you ever skilled not too long ago in Hawaii at our airports?
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