15 Things I Wish I’d Known Before Flying 12 Hours to Hawaii

My job is pretty cool!

For work, I have traveled all over the world, including California, Hong Kong, Tokyo, and now Hawaii! Although traveling is a perk of the job, I just got back from flying 12 hours to Hawaii, and you should know these 15 tips before you tackle a flight this long. 

For some background, I flew from the Orlando International Airport (MCO) all the way to Daniel K. Inouye International Airport (HNL) in Honolulu, Hawaii, to visit Aulani, a Disney Resort and Spa in Ko Olina, Hawaii.

 

There are No Direct Flights from MCO

Orlando is on the very opposite side of the country from Hawaii, and because of this, there was no direct flight for me to take. So, I ended up taking a flight with a connection in Dallas. Sage ended up taking a connecting flight to Atlanta, where we met each other after our second flight to HNL.

Be Prepared for a Long Travel Day

Since Orlando is so far from Hawaii, it took me 12 hours in total to make it to my destination. My first flight to Dallas was three hours and 11 minutes long. Then, my next flight was a whopping eight and a half hours to Honolulu.  Depending on where you are located, your trip may be shorter, but being all the way on the East Coast made my travel day super long. 

There is a Time Change

For me, there was a five-hour time difference between Eastern Time and Hawaii-Aleutian Standard Time. Depending on where you travel from within the United States, you could have anywhere between a two and five-hour time change. 

You May Want to Travel Early

My flight from Orlando left at 5 AM, and MCO was pretty empty. Shockingly enough, my plane was also empty. Although it was brutal to leave my house at 2:30 in the morning, I liked that I did not have to deal with the busyness and stress that is usually part of the MCO travel experience. 

Plan to Sleep on the Plane

As I mentioned, I had to leave my house pretty early to catch my 5 AM flight. Due to this, I was pretty tired. I technically “went to bed” around 5 AM, which is about midnight in Hawaii. I did this in the hopes that my body could start to adjust to Hawaii time and to help with the jetlag. 

Your Plane Could Have Either an International or Domestic Vibe

Since my flight to Honolulu was over eight hours, my plane had more of an international vibe, even though this was a domestic flight. I flew on an American Airlines Flagship route to Hawaii. Those in business class had lay-flat seats. There was also seatback entertainment for all seats and a meal. The most shocking part was that beer, wine, and spirits were complementary for all seats, no matter which class someone was booked in. The plane for my long-haul flight was a pleasant surprise!

Familiarize Yourself with Your Connecting Airport

Sometimes, connections can be tight, and it is a good idea to have a general understanding of the airport where you are connecting to be able to catch your next flight. Lucky for me, The Dallas Fort Worth International Airport (DFW) was pretty dead since it was about 7:30 AM when I landed, which made it easier to navigate. 

Luckily for me, my connection was not too tight, and I was able to leave the airport to meet Fry Bucket and her pup at the drop-off area outside of the airport!

Remember to Pack These Essentials

For my eight-and-a-half-hour flight to Honolulu, I was grateful to have:

• Eye mask
• Bluetooth adapter to connect my headphones to the in-seat entertainment screen
• Neck pillow
• Small blanket
• Compression socks
• Lotion
• Tissues
• ChapStick
• Reusable water bottle

While all of these are my usual travel essentials, they really came in handy during the second half of my trip.

Remember to Download Your Entertainment

While I was lucky that my plane to Honolulu had an in-seat screen, I also made sure to download some entertainment before I left. I knew I would have time to kill, but I had no idea that I would be able to watch three AllEars YouTube videos and enjoy entertainment on the plane, including half of Coco, which is one of my favorite movies!

You May Want to Pick a Seat Based on the View

While people have their preference on the best seat to pick on an airplane, I sat on the left side of the plane in a window seat. As we made our approach to Honolulu, the right side of the plane got to see Hawaii. This is something to think about when picking your seat.

Be Prepared to Fill Out a Form

Although Hawaii is a state, since it is an island, you will need to fill out the Agricultural and Animal Declaration form. It only needs to be filled out once for your party. The flight attendants will pass it out and collect it on the plane. During this time, there is a video that plays that tells visitors to respect the island, be careful with marine life, and stay on marked trails. 

Be Familiar With Your Final Destination Airport

Just like familiarizing yourself with the airport of your connecting flight, having a basic understanding of your final destination airport can make traveling easier. This can help you know where baggage claim is as well as where the car rental area is.  HNL is a beautiful indoor and outdoor area, and you really start to feel like you are on vacation once you arrive!

Plan How You Will Get to Your Hotel in Advance

Whether you plan to travel via rideshare or renting a car, you should have your arrangements made in advance. Sage and I chose to rent a car to drive to Aulani since we also wanted to check out the island of Oahu outside of the resort. 

Be Prepared for Traffic

As if our travel day was not long enough, we had the added bonus of about a 45-minute drive to Aulani. On average, it takes about 30-45 minutes to get to the resort from HNL, but for us, we hit traffic, which made our travel time fall in the longer end of the estimated travel time. 

Resort Parking is Expensive

While renting a car was best for us, we were surprised that parking was $40 a night, which can really add up. Oddly enough, it also cost $40 to valet. 

Although it was a very long travel day, it was so worth it to get to visit Aulani! I got to check out everything at this beautiful resort, so make sure to stay tuned to AllEars to see and learn more about my visit!

A BIG Change Is Coming to the Orlando Airport in 2027

Have you ever visited Aulani? Tell me about it in the comments!

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