East Coast to Hawaii Ideas

moericus

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So we have a relative that lives in Hawaii. She invited us out there for sightseeing. Hawaii is not exactly an easy trip for us. We would have to fly halfway across the world with two young kids. But I think we are willing to give it a go in 2018...

We are brainstorming about possibilities right now. One idea I like is taking two weeks off and spending couple days in California before and after the flight to Hawaii. My wife wants to see Disneyland and I want to see Northern California (never been to either). Room and board in Hawaii isn't going to cost us much so we'd have some more to spend on this.

Anyone done something similar? Is a 7-month reservation at DGC a pipe dream? Another option would be to pay out of pocket for random hotels in Cali. and use those points on Aulani. Aulani isn't exactly a must for us but it would be really cool to see.
 
VGC is a possibility at 7 months but be online booking right when the online booking opens. I'm not certain when you want to go but there are times it will be a little easier and a few where it's unlikely such as around DL races or a few holidays.
 
If you can't book GCV at seven months, Anaheim has PLENTY of reasonably priced hotels.

I'd do it. Its often cheaper to fly out of LA or San Francisco.
 
Moericus, I also live on the east coast (Orlando area) and agree it's a LONG flight to Hawaii. We go at least every couple of years to Hawaii but I'm one of those people that just wants to get on a plane and GET THERE. That said, I have tons of friends and acquaintances here that do precisely what you are thinking of doing… fly to the west coast and spend 2 or 3 days to acclimate and pretty much evenly break up the flight time to Hawaii. Lots do it and it works well for them. I say go for it!! Happy planning!

Oh, as an aside our oldest grand-princess flew all the way from PHL to Hawaii as a little one. She actually turned one year old while we were there. And we did not break up our trip. Flew to DFW and then nonstop to Hawaii. She was a pretty good flier for a little one!
 

So we have a relative that lives in Hawaii. She invited us out there for sightseeing. Hawaii is not exactly an easy trip for us. We would have to fly halfway across the world with two young kids. But I think we are willing to give it a go in 2018...

We are brainstorming about possibilities right now. One idea I like is taking two weeks off and spending couple days in California before and after the flight to Hawaii. My wife wants to see Disneyland and I want to see Northern California (never been to either). Room and board in Hawaii isn't going to cost us much so we'd have some more to spend on this.

Anyone done something similar? Is a 7-month reservation at DGC a pipe dream? Another option would be to pay out of pocket for random hotels in Cali. and use those points on Aulani. Aulani isn't exactly a must for us but it would be really cool to see.
I would not just to break up the flight. Just plan a good flight that minimizes your time. There are direct flights out of major hubs that are not that much worse than each leg by itself. You'll essentially turn a 12-14 hr process into a 22 hr process each way by the time you have to get to the airport early and go through security twice. You'll also increase your risk of having flight issues. The other issue is that while most airlines will give you one "stopover" as part of your ticket, the returning flight crossing over the day may count for that. They will usually fix it but you'll have to do it by phone rather than on the internet in many cases but to do it both ways you'd likely have to get separate tickets of some type. It makes more sense returning though since otherwise you're flying overnight though that might be good with the kids as they may sleep.
 
WE are from Upstate NY and have done this atleast three times going to Hawaii. We usually just spend one or two nights on our way there so we are rested and ready to go once in Hawaii. Then on the way back we usually plan atleast 5 days in California. We have also flown out of different locations. We have flown thru LAX, San Francisco and Seattle. our kids have enjoyed it that way also. My one daughter did fly back thru San Diego and stayed a few days there with her fiancee.
 
I agree with Dean that the extra packing, transportation, and airport time involved in breaking up the trip can be more annoying and exhausting than "pulling the bandage off" and flying directly to Hawaii. Once you're there, Aulani is a lovely place for families and children, much nicer than most of Waikiki and filled with activities. In your shoes, I would make Aulani, your relative, and Oahu the focus of a first trip to Hawaii. If you want a bit of adventure, add an excursion to another island for a couple of days instead of stopping over in California--I'd recommend the Big Island for contrast to Oahu.
 
I have been several times from east coast but never direct. I normally fly into Vegas for one night , take in a show or just relax and then get on a direct flight from there. On the way back i again stop vegas for a short stay to break it up. If I was going with young children i would definitely do a couple days in disneyland to acclimate. I do not find it a hassle at all and long flights are very dangerous for older adults . My limit is a 6 hr flight anywhere. I have been many places but my rule is to break up flights and pick mid range destinations to explore.
 
We go non-stop from Newark, NJ. Nowadays, it's a morning flight, which I find better for transitioning...arriving early afternoon in Honolulu.
 
We go non-stop from Newark, NJ. Nowadays, it's a morning flight, which I find better for transitioning...arriving early afternoon in Honolulu.
Exactly. The idea of breaking it up creates the extra flight time, extra airport time, additional risk of flight issues and if one has to leave the airport, even more airport time and security hassles. It can be cheaper to do non direct flights and there may be other reasons to do so but just to break it up over a couple of days as the only reason doesn't make sense to me going, maybe coming back but the flights are about an hour less this way.
 
Being a 4 Million miler on Delta my thoughts are:

I have friends in LA, so, I routinely would fly through LAX on my way to Asia or Australia to spend some time with them.

1) As a general rule you will get cheaper flights going through LAX, SFO or SEA. There are just more flights available from those airports to Hawaii and the increased competition lowers costs.
2) That being said - if you have never been to LAX - keep it that way. If I were to break up a flight, I would try to go to Orange County (SNA), spend a few days at DL and then go up to LAX. But, I avoid LAX more then JFK as it is a hot mess!
3) While I just told you to avoid LAX - if you plan to break up the trip: I am never as concerned flying through a Major Hub and missing flights. The Airline will usually accommodate you in some manner even if that means getting you on another airline. I just looked and there are 19 flights a day from LAX to Honolulu (7 from San Fran and 6 from Seattle). If you go through Dallas, Phoenix or San Diego with one or two flights a day - there is less that can be done if you miss a flight.

Another consideration is how the kid's will deal with it - one 10 hour flight or 2 five hour ones?

One thing I am always mindful of is insuring a 1 hour layover minimum. Travel Agents will give you the 25 minute layover. That is a recipe for missed flights and lost bags.
 
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2) That being said - if you have never been to LAX - keep it that way. If I were to break up a flight, I would try to go to Orange County (SNA), spend a few days at DL and then go up to LAX. But, I avoid LAX more then JFK as it is a hot mess!

Is LAX really that much worse than ORD? My wife flies through O'Hare and Midway regularly. I myself am pretty laid back. About the only thing I need from the airport is guaranteed fresh donuts for morning flights. I get a little aggravated if the terminal doesn't have anything but a greasy McD's breakfast.

If I wanted to see Northern California on the return... what airport/city is the best to fly to? I want to see the fairly untouched wilds and parks (untouched from a eastern seaboard point of view).
 
Is LAX really that much worse than ORD? My wife flies through O'Hare and Midway regularly. I myself am pretty laid back. About the only thing I need from the airport is guaranteed fresh donuts for morning flights. I get a little aggravated if the terminal doesn't have anything but a greasy McD's breakfast.

It depends upon the time of the day, but getting in and out of LAX can be an issue. For Northern Cali I would suggest San Fran or Oakland. I looked and there are 6 flights a day from Honolulu to Oakland (3 Alaska Air, 2 Delta and 1 Hawaiin Airlines). Living in Atlanta, I am somewhat a slave to Delta. But, I hear about how good the service is on Alaska and Hawaiin. Go to Flightaware.com and you just type in the Cities and you can see a complete list of airlines and times.

I cannot tell you much about the Oakland airport - never been there. But, from there it is probably 2 hours to Yosemite and maybe 3 up in to the Lake Tahoe area - very scenic countryside.

I also saw that Hawaiin Airlines has one flight a day to / from Sacramento. That would get you one hour closer to the mountains. I would also assume it is a much easier airport to deal with.

The other options are: Seattle or Vancouver. Very nice cities with lot's of great day trip's.
 
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I really am not a fan of the Los Angeles area. Every time I am there I yearn to drive over 40 miles an hour - just congestion everywhere. I did however go to Disneyland once, and, if you like WDW, it is very much worthwhile to see it. My daughter and I stayed 2 days and I wish we would have had more time.
 
We connected in Newark then non-stop to Honolulu. When we checked in at the counter the morning of we were able to upgrade to 1st class relatively cheaply and it made all the difference in the world on a flight that long. On the way back we were unable to get the 1st class seats. I guess what I'm saying is don't rule it out before looking into it.
 
We are going to Aulani in June and visiting Yosemite on the way there and Disneyland on the way home. I think it will help with jet lag and am really looking forward to the California portion of the trip!
 
We are going to Aulani in June and visiting Yosemite on the way there and Disneyland on the way home. I think it will help with jet lag and am really looking forward to the California portion of the trip!

This is pretty much exactly what I want to do!
 
I managed to get reservations at VGC and Aulani at 7 months; it was somewhat stressful and I had to get a 1 bedroom at VCG. Last year we went to Disneyland and Sequoia NP before the Arizona/Utah ABD, with a couple of days in Colorado after. That was our best trip ever but this year's could top it! You may want to consider opening new credit cards, etc. to get air miles. I am using air miles from American to get to and from Cali, and miles/perks from Hawaiian to go Cali-Hawaii (and between Maui and Oahu - yes, I know I am insane). Also, if you are considering staying in Yosemite, you need to book that about a year in advance.
 
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I tend to agree with what others have posted. Stopping in LA, just to stop wouldn't really be worth it. Given the choice of taking my kids on 2 short flights vs. one long one, I would take the long one every time.

That being said, if you have your heart set on Disneyland then by all means you should go!!! Maybe just make the stop one way, as opposed to both. Coming back from HI, you will most likely have an overnight flight. Probably would be best to have that be your long one, hopefully your kids will sleep!



How old are your kids? We live on the East Coast also and a while back took our then 5 month old to HI. No direct flights from our airport, so we flew into Atlanta and it was an 11 hour flight from there.
 



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