Honolulu Airport (HNL) Flights & Flight Status

Honolulu is the primary gateway for most visitors to Hawaii, and it is the state’s busiest airport. From its runways, there are flights across North America as well as to parts of Asia and Australia. But, this is more than just a launching point for travelers. The airport also has beautiful gardens and al fresco terminals that are a favorite of aviation fans. Hawaiian music is often playing in the background. This is also the primary hub for Hawaiian Airlines, and you are sure to see plenty of its iconic aircraft tails around the airport.

A hub for the Pacific

As the principal airport for Hawaiian Airlines, from Honolulu you can fly to the mainland or to Asia and the South Pacific. It is the most important hub airport in the region. The biggest airline is Hawaiian Airlines, which is also one of the world’s most punctual.

There is also a significant number of inter-island flights, which is an important way for Hawaiians to get around the state. Some people even commute to other islands for work. Whether you are traveling just a short distance or a long-haul flight, Honolulu airport has plenty of options for how to pass the time.

Iconic terminals and gardens

The airport is modernizing with new terminals and a repaved runway project. While the latest terminal addition is beautiful, it lacks the distinctive Hawaiian touches you will find in other parts of the airport. Another important consideration is that walks between terminals can be lengthy, and many sections lack moving walkways.

Several areas of the airport are open-air, which means you can feel the island breeze and sunshine from the moment you step off the plane. I love snapping photos and even smelling the jet fuel as your plane pulls up to the gate. While you can walk between terminals, it can be a long way. Instead, you can hop the free Wiki Wiki bus that goes between them.

If you have some extra time on your hands, go down one level to find one of three cultural gardens spread throughout the airport. There are Japanese, Chinese and Hawaiian gardens, each with native flowers, trees and water features. The Hawaiian garden even has luau torches that illuminate the exotic ferns and bird of paradise once the sun sets.

I love spending time in the gardens before a long flight as a way to relax and get in the mood for a trip. If you have access to the lounge shared between Japan Airlines and American Airlines, you can enjoy a bonus bird's eye view of the gardens.

Lounges

There several airline lounges spread across the airport, but they vary in size and layout. The United Club has the best views while the Delta Sky Club and Hawaiian Airlines Plumeria Lounge are both shoe boxes with no views at all. Many people may prefer to relax in the open breeze rather than a windowless lounge.

The Premium Airport Service offered by Hawaiian Airlines is my favorite way to pass through the airport, but it is very pricey. It involves being greeted at your gate with a lei and escorted to the curb to collect your bags where a car is waiting. On departure, someone walks you through security and to a private lounge where a three-course meal, open bar and even an outdoor terrace await before boarding your flight.

If you want to surprise that special someone with a lei (but do not need all the personalized services of a greeter), the Hawaiian Airlines Concierge Service can organize one to be waiting for you at the gate when you land. It is a special way to start any trip to the Aloha State.

Interestingly, some hotels like the Four Seasons Resort Lanai have their own airport lounges with complimentary meals and beverages before and after a stay. Most guests then take a private luxury transfer flight from HNL to the resort on the island of Lanai.

Local flavors

You won’t go hungry or thirsty at Honolulu’s airport, and I love how many local brands have set up shop inside. This includes Kona Brewing Co., Lahaina Chicken Company and Lani Moos Tropical Treats. You can also buy everything from pineapple to floral leis to take home.

One thing to consider is that the Department of Agriculture will scan your bags to make sure you are not bringing some types of fruit, plants or other microorganisms back to the mainland. Eat that apple before it gets confiscated!

This also includes floral leis that are made from citrus-related flowers or leaves. I usually ask staff at the airport which flowers or fruit would be permitted (they sell delicious whole pineapples in gift boxes at the airport).

Getting to and from the airport

There are plenty of options for getting to the airport, which include standard taxis or rideshare services as well as a public bus service. There are three dedicated areas, all on the second floor, where services like Uber and Lyft, are allowed to pick up passengers.

The most economical way to get there is by using one of the shared shuttle companies that take travelers from the airport to their hotels. These can be reserved in advance or in the arrivals area of the airport. There are lots of magazines and tourism materials available in the arrival area. Bring these along for the ride.

All of the major car rental companies have an office at the airport, but these are not in the baggage claim area. Instead, you will need to take a shuttle to a dedicated rental car center.

For those driving their own car, there are several parking options at the airport. Some of the garages are farther than others with the cheapest options requiring the longest walk. Be sure to take a picture of the name and level of where you parked because the garages can be hard to navigate when you return after a long trip.

Security

The airport has dedicated TSA PreCheck lanes, which can still be long, but there are multiple entry points to the terminal. Sometimes, the security queues for one of the many inter-island flights can be quite lengthy. Walk to another checkpoint to save some time, but allow time to walk the long distances once past security.

In my experience the busiest time for security lines is midday as well as between 5pm and 8pm when most of the red eye flights take off for the mainland.

How to enjoy a lengthy layover near the airport

If the cultural gardens don’t impress you, there are several tourist and shopping venues that are a short drive from the airport. Just be sure to allow enough time because traffic can sometimes be a problem.

A consumer-friendly amenity is the airport’s luggage storage service. This is ideal for travelers with an especially long layover who might want to go into town for a bite to eat or some beach time. You can store luggage for a fee in a secured area and pick it up when you come back to the airport.

You can visit nearby historic sites like Pearl Harbor National Memorial, which is less than ten minutes by car from the airport. I like to do some shopping and visit the enormous food court at Ala Moana Center. There are food options ranging from Vietnamese to Hawaiian, and it is one of my favorite spots for fast and cheap Japanese ramen.

Other options for a long layover include visiting the Bishop Museum or the Honolulu Museum of Art. There are more shops and restaurants at Royal Hawaiian Center, where I go for delicious acai bowls every time I am in town.

Interesting features at the airport

You won’t have to wait as long for your checked luggage as in previous years now that the airport has upgraded its baggage handling system. It doubled the capacity of bags it can handle from 400 to 800.

One of my favorite shopping options at the airport is an aviation-themed store that sells model planes, bag tags, airline memorabilia and other gifts that will appeal to airline crew, families and anyone that likes the magic of air travel.

Before you even head to the airport, visit the airport’s website for updated flight information or to watch the flight tracker that shows all of the flights bound for HNL.

The airport has a conference center within the airport, which is convenient for those that need to hold a meeting and do not want to deal with traffic into town. They can be rented for as many as eight hours.