Let’s face it. There is a whole lot that can go wrong when you’re traveling abroad. Weather delays and cancelled flights. Mechanical problems. Teething babies. High airfares. With so much beyond our control, savvy travelers know that taking care of the things we do have control over is our only defense against those forces that, seemingly willfully, keep us from hassle-free travel. This begins with knowing the ins and outs of airport you are using.
Honolulu International Airport (HNL) can be tricky for the uninitiated, and current construction there has added more complexity to getting to your gate or leaving the airport. The Hawaii Department of Transportation is reminding travelers to use the International Parking Structure (Lot A) during the spring break travel season. Lot A is the first structure on the left, across from the overseas terminal.
Parking and parking access are limited at HNL due to the construction. The Overseas Parking Structure (Lot D) is accessible only from the upper, Departures level. Knowing this ahead of time will save precious minutes that will be lost when you have to make a loop around the airport because you missed your parking structure entrance. It can take up to ten minutes to walk to check-in from further reaches of HNL’s parking lots.
“Get to the airport early” is a mantra all over the world because it’s good advice. Long lines at check in and security are no longer the exception, but the rule. We begrudgingly accept this, and most of us make an effort to allow time for serpentine lines that snake through forests of stanchions and thin blue straps.
So, keep the DOT’s reminder in mind when traveling to or from Honolulu International Airport. Allow a further few minutes for parking in addition to getting there early. At worst, you’ll have a few extra minutes to shop at Duty Free, grab a bite, or brace yourself with a beer or cocktail for when that teething baby starts crying.
