Has anyone had any good or bad experiences to share on these routes? How is the AC MLL (In-transit/secure) at HNL? Where in the terminal is it located?
So, is there no MLL in the secure area or in the Ewa Concourse? I know the garden one is 'closed' and the UA one is available to AC pax, but AC claims there is one more somewhere!
I agree with scoop...
If you use a coupon to gain access to the MLL you will very unhappy.
I would buy a beer and relax in the gate area....It will only be 10 mins before your on the plane due to the aforementioned delays.
Ferrari - The "secure" area is after you've shown your boarding pass and passport for the sixth time. The "no-turning-back" area, where if you want to leave, you have to clear back through customs again by riding the Wiki-Wiki bus..
BTW, had friends pass through there two weeks ago and they had to claim and re-check their bags - so I think that process is back on - anyone else?
By the time you get through the rediculous customs and immigration checks you bearly have enough time to get a juice down your neck....the line ups can be horrid..especially if you arrive at the same time as the Toronto/Mel/syd Flights which all hub here....Its madness....Last trip I made you did'nt have to collect your baggage which was new....
I hate going through HNL...The custom people are complete ANAL MORONS....
I was asked after telling them I was transiting to Syd...
How long are you staying in the US
Do you know anyone in the US
Are you bringing gifts into the US...
Whats the purpose of your visit...
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Normal programmed questions...
Fine, but not when a 1000 people are behind you in the line up...
My other HNL MLL question would be this then: is it a true Air Canada operation that I could use a One-time pass to enter or is it more of a shared airport-run operation? Thanks for all your help.
Ohhhhh.
How secure is that.!
Bizarre....well in that case I only know of one Lounge, which is the little room between gates 26-27..
Its fine for the short time you are there, I wouldn't want anything more comfortable cause Iam hanging by that point....
My suggestion is take you time and try not to get stressed....If your not stressed when you arrive in HNL you will by the end of it...
Which reminds me, On my last trip I was so Pissed off with the custom guy, I just asked him to deport me, "Please I said..get me out of here, I hate it let me go"...He gave me a very strange look and then I had every bag searched...which was so much fun, I just hurled abuse for 15 mins....I felt so much better for taking it out on someone !
Sad I know, but a great feeling !!..I got back on the flight feeling very refreshed.!
I am thinking of have.." Honolulu Immigration sucks" t shirts made for the next flight and hand them out in the line up...well worth a few hundred bucks...
Can i be arrested for that?.
I was just in HNL. I was told that they are now sharing the united lounge. Apparently it is on the other side of the terminal so we never got there.
Plan to walk....
The process is a hastles and complete waste of energy and time, but one does work off a few callories and after sitting for 9 hours, a good brisk walk around HNL terminal gets the blood circulating: all at midnight! In the old days, it was bad enough they made you get off the plane and wait in the transit lounge. This added procedure is ludicrous.
Off the plane you head upstairs to take a shuttle bus to the main terminal and INS.
No problem with US INS, pleasant chaps all. Said I was transiting and they waved me right through. No bag to collect if you are going back on the same aircraft: YYZ-MEL, YVR-SYD. Otherwise, there is the collect bags and recheck them routine.
Then it is upstairs and through security, which can be a breeze or a terror. If DL is sending a flight off, this will take 30- to 45-minutes to clear. And if they do a full search, add another 5-minutes to your personal check. First time, it was the first scenario. Return, there were no lines and no detailed personal check either.
Then upstairs again to wait for another shuttle to return you to where you've just been. And either rush to catch you flight, or wait and wait at the gate.
There is a makeshift MLL next to gate 25, which is a converted bar. Quite dark so makes reading the Canadian newspapers difficult.
Better choice would be to fly ex-LAX on UA or TE [non-stops] and stay clear of AC and HNL!
The Americans have made it a nightmare transit, but it employs lots of people doing really useless jobs. Talk about drags on productivity. And AC really cannot be blamed for this, though they might consider flying non-stop from YVR to Fiji, refuel and then continue on to Oz, dropping NHL altogether. But the HNL connection makes ecomonic and other sense, so this is unlikely to change.
What secure area?
Oh... don't get me start on HNL customs... they've been doing stupid things even before 9/11. Always pull people aside and question them for a good 5-10 mins when you're just transiting thru HNL.
I was ready to tell you to ask "Ferrari" for such info since he flies that route often. http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/biggrin.gif http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/biggrin.gif
Ferrari, did you forget to mention about "employee class J" on this route? http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/biggrin.gif
Originally posted by hilton-gold:
So, is there no MLL in the secure area or in the Ewa Concourse? I know the garden one is 'closed' and the UA one is available to AC pax, but AC claims there is one more somewhere!
There was the lasttime I was in HNL. It is basiaclly a bar/lounge near the gates, staffed by a bartender offering complimentary drinks and some chips, cookeies, etc. Nothing fancy though, and it can be quite crowded since most of the flights on AC and NZ depart at roughly the same time.
But, if you can get a seat, it's okay and free. Does the RCC in HNL offer complimentary drinks?
Yes, the HNL RCC offers free drinks to international C/F passengers, using the lovely 'coupon' system. It is a LONG walk to the AC/Int'l gates, however. I did it and was mad at myself for doing so and wasting all that time. When I was there last week, the receptionist was excited that I was an AC passenger (Y-class) but then upset that I used Priority Pass! Strange. It's better to go to one of the garden courts for some real serenity!
Originally posted by hilton-gold:
My other HNL MLL question would be this then: is it a true Air Canada operation that I could use a One-time pass to enter or is it more of a shared airport-run operation? Thanks for all your help.
Don't waste a certificate, especially because you'll only be there for a few minutes if you're in transit. Use it in Vancouver instead, or save it for somewhere else. While the Empress lounge is nice and cosy, I've stopped bothering to go there (someone said it was closed now?) because it was always impossible to find a sofa to yourself.
The old Empress Lounge near gates 24/25 is a true MLL lounge, so you would be able to use an MLL pass. I've always found it very cozy, even though the lighting is dim in spots and it can get crowded. My experience has always been that the staff there are very helpful
Have to say I agree with shareholder that going via LAX is much easier, anyways NZ (or TE if you remember back that far) service is much better in all classes, and of course they share T2 at LAX.
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