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. Book w/Budget Now and Save Up To $20!
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 Hawaiian Airlines, go! (which is part of the Mesa Air Group) 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). Flights through Honolulu are usually the cheapest.
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. But hey if it makes a big difference in your budget and you have no problem with long travel times, take your time and shop around. Of all the online travel agencies with comparison charts of flight times, carriers and prices I prefer Travelocity.com, because they seem to give me the best prices and they have the most easy-to-use forms. (Always check "flexible dates", because one day difference could save you literally hundreds of dollars!) Book w/Budget Now and Save Up To $20!
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. (But usually the times between rental drop-offs and departure times are very close.)
Even though it is very convenient to stay right in Hilo, you might want to consider a B&B in Keaau, because prices are quite a bit lower. But sometimes vacation packages including hotel, flight and car are reasonable and sometimes even cheaper than staying in Puna, organizing your own car and flight. Two really affordable hotels in Hilo are Castle Hilo Hawaiian Hotel and Hilo Bay Hotel (Uncle Billy's Hawaiian Family Resorts).
If you prefer to come to Puna via Kailua-Kona, prepare yourself for a 3 hours car ride. We usually recommend flights to Hilo, though.
