Hawaii-How late can we arrive at the airport and get to the cruise terminal on time?

[notjaded]

I would call Delta back and ask what their official minimum connect time is at that airport. United's timetable, for example, says its MCT is 45 min.

 

Even so, you should come the day before.....

[klfrodo]

It might be worth taking the chance, assuming you are touring the islands. You would miss a day on the ship, but flying to the next stop wouldn't be all that expensive. Insurance should cover it.

 

Insurance isn't going to cover this. OP knows or should have known they would most likely run the risk of missing the ship. For trip interruption to cover, the delays must be at least 4 hours, sometimes 12 hours, depending on the policy, for coverage to be considered. With this thread, it is now well documented that OP has the opportunity to mitigate any potential loss.

 

Inter island travel by air is no longer as cheap as it used to be. Back when Aloha was still flying, you could fly inter island for $50. Now,,, $100 - $150 one way last minute if you can find seats available.

[CruiserBruce]

It might be worth taking the chance, assuming you are touring the islands. You would miss a day on the ship, but flying to the next stop wouldn't be all that expensive. Insurance should cover it.

 

Insurance isn't going to cover this. OP knows or should have known they would most likely run the risk of missing the ship. For trip interruption to cover, the delays must be at least 4 hours, sometimes 12 hours, depending on the policy, for coverage to be considered. With this thread, it is now well documented that OP has the opportunity to mitigate any potential loss.

 

Inter island travel by air is no longer as cheap as it used to be. Back when Aloha was still flying, you could fly inter island for $50. Now,,, $100 - $150 one way last minute if you can find seats available.

 

I agree. It is quite likely insurance isn't going to cover this. Besides what klfrodo said, if you book connections or your arrival such that you are causing a very high likelihood of missing your connection or cruise, insurance may not pay.

[Keith1010]

I hope that you are getting the idea that this is really not a good situation.

 

In the end you'll have to figure out what to do.

 

I would call Delta and I would ask for a supervisor. I would say that you never would have booked this flight if you knew that the time would be pushed out. I would not settle for a connection of 35 minutes either.

 

What I would ask in a nice way is that given all that happened with the later flight could they kindly waive the fee to change to the day before. If they don't do that if it was me I would pay the fee. But you will have to decide.

 

Please let us know what you end up doing.

 

Keith

[paul929207]

You are comparing the $300 fee to the cost of a hotel in Hawaii, flight to the first port, meals, ground transport. Throw in all the stress over making it and to me it is a no brainer. Pay the fee.

[gooch47]

I agree. It is quite likely insurance isn't going to cover this. Besides what klfrodo said, if you book connections or your arrival such that you are causing a very high likelihood of missing your connection or cruise, insurance may not pay.

 

Sorry. Of course this is right.

[Darstime]

Are you on the May 15 Raidance by any chance?

Edited December 10, 2014 by Darstime

[SadieN]

If you do not want to go a day earlier---

 

Take the earlier flight and do carryon only.

 

If you do not want to change at all then do not check luggage on your original flight.

[BlueRiband]

1) Pay the $300 change fee to fly in the day before, or

2) cancel the cruise and use the flight to take a land based vacation in Hawaii.

 

The second option - with a 37 minute connection in LA, sounds even worse. You flight to LA is late and you miss that connection.... :eek: Quite frankly I don't know how it is you flew often enough to acquire this many frequent flyer miles and not know this.

 

Everyone here, based on their own airline and/or cruise experience, has sincerely tried to help and warn you that flying in the same day is very risky. Even more so considering the distance involved. Are you balking about paying $300 because it will severely stretch your budget for this trip? You seem to be trying to make this work with a same day flight even if you have to move a mountain to force it. Can you afford a long haul trip if things are that tight?

 

In the end it's your time, money, and vacation. You will have to evaluate the cost/risk ratio. But given the information you provided I don't think anybody here is going to assure you, "Don't worry you'll be just fine."

Edited December 10, 2014 by BlueRiband

[searoses]

Call delta back....this week they changed our return flight from fll to maine stopping in atlanta to stopping in Detroit in jan!....there was only a few minutes difference but who wants to go to Detroit in jan?....they changed it to another flight via lga politely and professionally...I do think the time in LA is a setup for no luggage when you board...good luck!

[alcpa1]

Only for the highest Medallion members would Delta even consider a free change. The 40 minute differential does not meet the minimum standard for free change.

Insurance will not cover a missed connection with 37 minutes at LAX.

If you can somehow get to Seattle there is an 8 am flight that gets in midmorning Hawaii time. You can try using miles on a multi city itinerary. It's going to take some creativity in addition to the change fee but that seems to be the only alternative from ATL to HNL if you want to arrive on embarkation day.

Good luck.

[donaldsc]

Let me tell you what can happen if you talk nicely to the airlines and you also bump it up to a supervisor.

 

For reasons that are unimportant, I had to fly from Las Vegas to Juneau in the winter. There are not a lot of airline options at that time. I also had a lot of airline points. I could get a flight from Vegas to Anchorage using points but I could not get a flight from Vegas to Juneau or a flight from Anchorage to Juneau using points. What I did was to use my points to buy the Vegas to Anchorage leg and then booked the the Anchorage to Juneau leg as a separate flight that I paid for with money.

 

What happened is that they changed the time of my Vegas to Anchorage leg so that I could not make my Anchorage to Juneau leg. Remember, they were separate flights w different booking numbers. When I called the airline and explained my problem, they said that the best they could do was to halve the change fee which was still a good bit of money.

 

I did not yell. I did not scream. I did not call the airline rep names but calmly asked if I could talk to a supervisor. The supervisor decided to waive the change fee because both flights were on their airline and in the end he realized that it was their fault, regardless of the legalities.

 

You get a lot more with honey than vinegar. Try it.

 

DON

[SPacificbound]

WHAT WILL THE REDEPOSIT FEE BE IF I CANCEL AN AWARD BOOKING?

 

The Award Ticket redeposit fee is $150 USD. This fee is waived for Diamond and Platinum Medallion members. Award Tickets not canceled at least 72 hours prior to the originating flight departure time are nonrefundable.

 

This is certainly better then booking a cruise and then missing it.

[Corby114]

After reading each post there is absolutely no way for you to travel from Georgia to Hawaii and be able to reach the cruise terminal on time. I would just fork over the three hundred dollar change fee and realize that I made a mistake and move on. If there is the slightest delay you can kiss this cruise goodbye. I would never take a chance like this. The odds are definitely against you!

[nana541]

After reading each post there is absolutely no way for you to travel from Georgia to Hawaii and be able to reach the cruise terminal on time. I would just fork over the three hundred dollar change fee and realize that I made a mistake and move on. If there is the slightest delay you can kiss this cruise goodbye. I would never take a chance like this. The odds are definitely against you!

 

 

Even with luck the OP will not make the cruise.... He will however be able to see the sail away from afar!

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

[BlueRiband]

The OP has found the NCL board and revived two old threads to ask if somebody with a 2:35PM arrival came in the same day as their cruise and did they make the cutoff.:confused: For who knows what reason he/she is determined to find a way to fly in the same day and no sooner despite being warned this is very risky.

 

To fly across the US and one third of the Pacific, collect luggage from a carousel, and get to port on such a tight schedule is something I would never attempt. But that's just me. This would have to work with military precision - or the plane needs to be Air Force One.

 

I just hope whatever the OP decides to do works out for them. One way or the other the OP will indeed pay that $300 change fee - to move up the return flight back to Atlanta because they've missed the ship.

Edited December 14, 2014 by BlueRiband

[zoncom]

What about Delta partners? Delta cannot be the only alliance partner going over Pacific International lines.Find some alternative routes, have them ready for another go round. Have your partner or cabinmate try also. Sometimes good to try the night shift. They sometimes have more time and empathy.Was in HNL OCT. airport jammed, Maybe 40 min. in line for checkin United Denver. Plane oversold. Airport way too small for the crowds, poor signage.Plead your case: Senior citizens needing more time, Disabled? 25th anniv. cruise, Military? We had to stay an extra nite to get seats 6 mos. out. Friend found a hostel near beach and zoo for $33.pp. night.Very pleasant.

[nana541]

The OP booked his flight with Delta miles and that is the real issue... He is desperately trying to justify saving his "Free" flight. And he is just lain out of luck.... Sad but true :(

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

[NMLady]

I spoke to a Delta Rep this morning. They will not change the flight to a day earlier without a change fee even though they changed the arrival time on the original non-stop booking. They are willing to change us to a flight that gets in at 1:10 on the day of the cruise. This flight has a connection in LAX of 37 minutes. They assured us the luggage would make the connecting flight as they would not sell it as an option if it wasn't possible. They also advised if the initial flight was delayed they could utilize other carriers to get us into Hawaii in time for the cruise. I haven't made the change yet. Any advice?

 

A connection time at LAX of only 37 minutes? Yikes!

Pay the change fee! The cost of a change fee plus cost of hotel and meal is cheaper than the cost of missing the cruise.

And peace of mind: priceless.

[nana541]

37 minutes in LAX... Not even a legal connection and even if the OP was able to connect, bags would never make it even if the planes are parked side by side!

 

Crazy, I would never risk an expensive cruise on this plan :(

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

[Corby114]

My personal, comfortable connection time from any US airport is a minimum of two hours. Whoever said a thirty seven minute connection time was possible along with the fact that you would actually have you luggage was lying! The Delta representative was trying to get rid of you on the telephone by telling that this arrangement was possible.

[notjaded]

OP: All these helpful posts. Where are you? What did you decide?

[BlueRiband]

My personal, comfortable connection time from any US airport is a minimum of two hours. Whoever said a thirty seven minute connection time was possible along with the fact that you would actually have you luggage was lying! The Delta representative was trying to get rid of you on the telephone by telling that this arrangement was possible.

 

The OP's original plans were to fly nonstop from Atlanta GA to Honolulu, arriving a 3:05PM for a 5PM check in cutoff. If you go back to the earlier posts you'll see the responses.

 

The OP probably saw a good deal on a Hawaii cruise and decided to use their SkyMiles to get there for a low cost vacation. I'm speculating that he or she doesn't have much money to spend and hence their reluctance to pay the change fee and fly in the day before.

 

I've seen a passenger get turned away 20 minutes before sailing. It's got to be a horribly depressing feeling to see the ship right there but all the security and checkin agents are gone.

 

In the US a cruise line must give Homeland Security a final passenger manifest at least one hour before sailing. If somebody is dropped as a no show, and shows up late, the clock would have to be restarted if they were added back on. (And my then Mr. and Mrs. No Show's cabin will have been reallocated or given to somebody on standby.)

[SadieN]

37 minutes in LAX... Not even a legal connection and even if the OP was able to connect, bags would never make it even if the planes are parked side by side!

 

Crazy, I would never risk an expensive cruise on this plan :(

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

 

 

Wonder if both legs are on the same plane?

[slidergirl]

Wonder if both legs are on the same plane?

 

There is a change of planes in LAX. Another thing to add into the mess - DL operates out of two terminals in LAX. So, there's a possibility that you'll have to do the T5/T6 hustle...

 

I was thinking she should try to get the ATL to SLC to HNL flights, but the flight to HNL arrives at 2:35pm. Too bad; SLC is the airport where you can make a connection in 30 minutes from one end of the terminal to the other without a hassle.