If you’re planning to travel to Hawaii this summer then you’ll be in good company. The number of travelers visiting Hawaii this year is expected to exceed 2019 pre-pandemic levels.
Hawaii is a notoriously popular vacation destination and for good reason. Offering sun, sea, sand, and amazing sites, there’s no better place to relax and unwind.
But when a destination is popular, that inevitably means that you will encounter crowds during your trip. Particularly at the airport.
Anticipating high passenger volumes, The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) is offering some key advice to travelers departing from Hawaii’s airports this summer, to make your journey go as smoothly as possible.
Here’s everything you need to know:
Leave Plenty of Time For Security
When airports are busy, it takes more time for TSA to process travelers efficiently.
The TSA are advising that, during peak travel periods, there may be times when the number of passengers who need to be screened is greater than the capacity of the security screening checkpoint.
In these circumstances, you may be asked to wait upwards of 30 minutes before you are invited to pass through the security screening checkpoint.
To avoid missing your flight, therefore, you should arrive at the airport earlier than you might normally, leaving plenty of time to pass through security.
This will be easier if you plan ahead: Think about how you will get to the airport, know your flight information, and be ready for each step of the airport travel process.
Think About When You Travel
The busiest times at the Daniel K. Inouye International Airport (HNL) checkpoints are between 10 am and 2 pm, and then again between 5 pm and 8 pm.
If you are keen to avoid the queues and the crowds then try to plan your flight so that you travel outside of these times.
As an added benefit, very early morning and late-night flights tend to be a little cheaper than their peak-time counterparts.
You might also wish to consider flying out of your chosen Hawaii airport on either a Tuesday or a Wednesday. This is because the busiest days to travel both locally and nationally are Thursday, Friday, Sunday, and Monday.
Register For TSA PreCheck
If you don’t want to wait around in the regular security check line, you might consider enrolling in TSA PreCheck.
This is a program that speeds up the airport security checkpoint screening process by allowing travelers to keep on their shoes, belt, and light outerwear. They can also keep their laptop and travel-sized liquids in their carry-on bag.
More than 15 million Americans are enrolled in the TSA PreCheck program and children up to the age of 17 can use the TSA PreCheck lane when they are traveling with a parent or guardian who is registered to the scheme.
Visit www.tsa.gov/precheck to start enrolment into the program.
If you are already registered and eligible to use TSA PreCheck then make sure that you know your Known Traveler Number (KNT) and that your airline profile is up-to-date with this information.
You can then pass through the TSA PreCheck lane at the airport security checkpoint. TSA agents aim to process travelers using this lane within 5 minutes.
Be Prepared
If you’ve passed through airport security before then you’ll already know the drill: remove your shoes and belt, take your electronics and liquids from your bag, and empty your pockets.
Don’t wait until you’re at the front of the queue to start this process: be prepared before you enter the queue so that you can get through as quickly as possible.
If you’re unsure about what you can and can’t take through security in your carry-on, advice from the TSA is that you download the MyTSA app and use the ‘What Can I Bring?’ feature to assist with your packing.
If you need real-time assistance then @AskTSA is available on Twitter for advice.
