Los Angeles to Sydney Australia via Hawaii Airlines

[fh2000]

I have some miles with Hawaii Airlines and I am looking into flying from LAX to Sydney. The first choice in their booking website is LAX to Honolulu, layover for 50 minutes, then fly from Honolulu to Sydney.

The first leg is domestic and the second leg is international. I guess I have to go thru TSA security checkpoint again in Honolulu with my passport? Do I need to claim luggage first before check in again for the second leg? It is not possible to do this in 50 minutes.

The next choice is to layover 14 hours in Honolulu. Why do they offer such inconvenient routes?

 

[levindb]

For going TO Australia, you check in once at LAX and then get your bags in Sidney. Not difficult to do with 50 minutes to change gates. You do NOT go through TSA again.

Coming back, however, you will have o go through customs and pick up your bags...so having a longer layover coming back to USA with be better.

 

[OldShooter]

We've been to over 40 countries and I have a stack of expired passports in my desk drawer. From that experience I would never book such a short layover. It may be "legal" from the IATA point of view, but any takeoff or headwind delay in the LAX-HNL leg and your 50 minutes is gone. Anything less than 90 minutes would make me nervous and two hours or more would be my desire.

Your luggage should check through (unless it misses the airplane due to tight layover, which is even more likely than your missing the airplane) and TSA will almost certainly not bother you as you are inbound from a major airport.

 

[jollystomper]

I agree with both of the above. You should not have to go through TSA security again. But even with that, 50 minutes is cutting it VERY close. Maybe do some quick sightseeing during that 14 hour layover?

 

[HarveyS]

I think you need to look at the Honolulu airport layout. Since it's all Hawaii Airlines you should be OK. But you need to double-check. Call the airline.

Just FYI, if you come into O'Hare (Chicago) on a domestic leg and xfer to an international flight on an international carrier you might fly out of Terminal 5, which would mean clearing security again.

 

[OldShooter]

... you should be OK. ...

Not if the inbound is 45 minutes late. That is the problem for the OP.

I will take a 50 minute connection when the inbound is a short flight, like DET to ATL, but it doesn't take much of an extra headwind to delay a six-hour flight that is westbound to boot. ... and then there are takeoff delays due to WX, rush hour congestion, etc.

 

[Bamaman]

We've been to over 40 countries and I have a stack of expired passports in my desk drawer. From that experience I would never book such a short layover. It may be "legal" from the IATA point of view, but any takeoff or headwind delay in the LAX-HNL leg and your 50 minutes is gone. Anything less than 90 minutes would make me nervous and two hours or more would be my desire.

Your luggage should check through (unless it misses the airplane due to tight layover, which is even more likely than your missing the airplane) and TSA will almost certainly not bother you as you are inbound from a major airport.

I also agree. Honolulu would be a great place for a day/night of rest prior to going the rest of the way going and coming.

 

[HI Bill]

Bags should be checked all the way through. Hawaiian's domestic gates and international gates (except for Japan) are pretty close to each other in Terminal 1 (formerly known as the Interisland terminal). Since you're going from a Hawaiian flight to another Hawaiian flight, they'll at least hold the Sydney plane for you if your first flight isn't too late. But I'm not sure your bags would make the connection with just 50 minutes. I'm guessing you'll need to check in with your passport for your first flight, and won't need to check in again in HNL. But to be sure, give Hawaiian a call!

 

[HarveyS]

Oh... and don't forget to get your Aussie ETA tourist visa several weeks before you go.

 

[brett]

We have been flying to Asia each winter for the past five years. Usually two to three legs. On several occasions we have also gone to Australia and come home on a one way Jetstar to HNL, layover for a few days in HNL, then home on a domestic carrier. Cannot count the number of times we have been delayed going into Narita or some other airport after a 12 hour flight.

We would never accept a 55 minute layover on any of these flights. We have traveled extensively for business and leisure travel. Sometimes the airline will hold a connecting flight IF there are a number of people connecting. But you cannot count on this.