First of all, there are no direct (non-stop) flights to Hilo when you come from another country, and only since April 2006 ATA offers a non-stop flight from Oakland to Hilo. If you want to go to Puna, you will want to come in through Hilo International Airport. Puna is basically just 10 minutes away from the airport. There are a variety of discount flight deals to Hilo offered online. Up to $200 instant savings off your next trip to Hawaii! Book by June 5th.
The name is a little misleading when it says Hilo International Airport because there are no international airlines actually landing there! All flights to Hilo are provided either by Aloha Airlines, Hawaiian Airlines, Pacific Wings or Island Air. The stop-overs (if you are lucky enough to have only one stop-over) are either in Honolulu (Oahu), Kahalui (Maui) or Kailua-Kona (Big Island).
The flight duration for the connecting flights to Hilo
Honolulu – Hilo
50 minutes
Kahalui – Hilo
40 minutes
Kailua-Kona – Hilo
20 minutes
The flights from the mainland to these destinations takes about the same amount of time. From Los Angeles it takes just under 6 hours.
There are flights offered that have 2+ stop-overs. I’ve even seen flights that would land in Kailua-Kona (Big Island) first – then go to Honolulu (Oahu) – and from there go back to the Big Island to Hilo! Pretty ridiculous. Avoid those kind of arrangements whenever possible because they will just cause unnecessary stress and can increase the chance of a bad jet lag. I always suffered from jet lag, when I traveled between the mainland and Hawaii. Fortunately I found some help: a unique plan to cure jetlag. Click here if you ever suffer from jet lag!
The Hilo airport is a sleepy little place. However, the main waiting room is very clean, friendly and uncrowded. Large, comfortable seating is a welcome change from that available in the average airport. There are only a very few shops and places to get a bite so there are not a lot of distractions to keep you occupied while you wait. If you have a long wait you may want to bring along a book or deck of cards.
