World Traveller 73 
Hawaiian Airlines operates a substantial international route network from it’s home base at Honolulu Daniel K Inouye International Airport. As it’s not affiliated with any international airline alliance, it has to operate its own lounge network in order to stay competitive against the other international carriers. As part of our Hawaiian inter island flights, we would get the opportunity to visit their Hawaiian Airlines flagship lounge offering in the lounge network: the Hawaiian Airlines Plumeria Lounge.
This post is one chapter on our trip on the United Island Hopper and to Oahu & Kauai, Hawaii, United States. This trip was redeemed through Alaska Mileage Plan, United Airlines Mileage Plus and Marriott Bonvoy. It was further enhanced through Marriott Bonvoy Elite Status. For more information on how this trip was booked, please see our trip introduction here. For other parts of the trip, please see this index.
If you enjoyed this post, please follow us here or on social media through Facebook, Twitter or Instagram for more travel tips and hacks on how to “Upgrade Your Travels”.
Read more from this trip:
- Introduction: The United Island Hopper via Honolulu & Kauai, on United Airlines and Alaska Airlines First Class
- Alaska Airlines First Class: Vancouver – Seattle
- Alaska Airlines First Class: Seattle – Honolulu
- The Sheraton Waikiki, Honolulu, Hawaii, USA
- The United Island Hopper – Flight #1: Honolulu – Majuro
- The United Island Hopper – Flight #2: Majuro – Kwajalein
- The United Island Hopper – Flight #3: Kwajalein – Pohnpei
- The United Island Hopper – Flight #4: Pohnpei – Chuuk
- The United Island Hopper – Flight #5: Chuuk – Guam
- The United Island Hopper – Top 5 Tips and Tricks
- The Sheraton Laguna Guam Resort, Guam
- The Sagan Bisita VIP Lounge, Guam
- United Airlines: Guam – Honolulu
- Bill’s Sydney, Honolulu, Hawaii, USA
- Hawaiian Airlines The Plumeria Lounge, Honolulu, USA
- Hawaiian Airlines First Class: Honolulu – Lihue
- The Sheraton Kauai Resort, Poi’pu, Hawaii, USA
- Visiting Kauai Coffee Estate, Kauai, USA
- The Views at the Waimea Canyon State Park, Kauai, USA
- Sailing the Napali Coast, Kauai, USA
- Alaska Airlines First Class: Lihue – Seattle
- Alaska Airlines First Class: Seattle – Vancouver
Review: Hawaiian Airlines Plumeria Lounge, Daniel K Inouye Honolulu International Airport, United States of America.
Hawaiian Airlines operates two lounges at Honolulu International Airport. The Hawaiian Airlines Premier Club, and the Hawaiian Airlines Plumeria Lounge. This review is of the Hawaiian Airlines Plumeria Lounge.
The other half of our United Island Hopper Pacific adventure was located on the island of Kauai, Hawaii, United States of America. We needed to transfer from Oahu to Kauai which meant a short inter island flight on Hawaiian Airlines. I ended up just booking a paid first class fare on Hawaiian Airlines since the difference between Economy and First Class a checked bag was minimal (less than $30 USD +/-). The additional inclusions into Hawaiian Airlines First Class would offer complimentary checked baggage, access to a Hawaiian Airlines Lounge, a better First Class seat and Priority Boarding.
Checking into Hawaiian Airlines First Class:
On the morning of our flight to Kauai, we left The Sheraton Waikiki hotel around 11 AM. We stopped for gas at a very disorganized Shell near the airport to tank up the rental car. I dropped MrsWT73 at the Honolulu inter island terminal while I went to return the car. At the time of our visit, Honolulu was constructing a brand new rental car center and the old one is a little disorganized at the moment due to the construction around it. Forgoing the wait of the shuttle bus, I ended up having to do a quick jog back to the inter island terminal.
We had done online check in via the Hawaiian Airlines app. MrsWT73 had taken care of bag drop by the time I had arrived. Our bags were tagged with Hawaiian Airlines priority tags and sent on their way. We met up and we wandered through the Tsa-Pre Check at the North End and eventually into the secure side of the terminal.
We didn’t have a lot of extra time before our flight, but we were able to get in a quick visit to the Hawaiian Airlines Plumeria Lounge.
Locating the Hawaiian Airlines Plumeria Lounge:
Hawaiian Airlines operates two lounges at Honolulu International Airport. The lounges are tiered, in that they are branded in a different manner.
The Hawaiian Airlines Premier Club is designed for those travelling inter island in First Class, or for those with credit card or annual memberships. We visited the Hawaiian Airlines Premier Club Honolulu on our last Hawaiian Airlines First Class Honolulu – Maui flight.
This time around, we headed for the Hawaiian Airlines Plumeria Lounge. The Hawaiian Airlines Plumeria Lounge is designed for Hawaiian’s International Business Class travellers. The Hawaiian Airlines Plumeria Lounge is designed as Hawaiian Airlines Flagship International Business Lounge as is their higher lounger offering.
Making matters more confusing, the Hawaiian Airlines Plumeria Lounge for international flights, is located in the domestic terminal, whereas many of their Hawaiian Airline International flights seem to leave from a different terminal.
Map Courtesy of Hawaiian Airlines
On the Honolulu “A” Concourse, the lounge was easily marked through Hawaiian Airlines branded pop up signs. The lounge is located one level above the departures concourse. Access to The Plumeria Lounge is by convenient escalators, so there are no waits for any cramped elevators in order to access this lounge space.
Accessing the Hawaiian Airlines Plumeria Club:
There are several ways to access the Hawaiian Airlines Plumeria Club:
If you are travelling on Hawaiian Airlines, you are entitled to access if you meet one of these conditions
- Business Class guest departing Honolulu on Hawaiian Airlines to one of our international destinations.
- First Class guest departing Honolulu to New York, Boston, or Orlando.
- Hawaiian Airlines Pualani Platinums departing Honolulu to one of our international destinations. Platinums may bring up to 1 guest.
- A day pass can also be purchased at the lounge through an agent.
The Plumeria Lounge Pass (Price Per Person)
| General | $40 USD* |
| Pualani Gold | $30 USD** |
| Pualani Platinum | $25 USD** |
If you are travelling on Hawaiian Airlines Inter Island First Class, you’ll be directed to the Hawaiian Airlines Premier Club for access on a complimentary basis.
The Hawaiian Airlines Plumeria Lounge is also a member of Priority Pass. We gained access to the lounge through Priority Pass Select, provided courtesy of the American Express Platinum Card.
We had quite a line up to get into this lounge that was about ten people deep. My initial impressions were that the place didn’t seem to be all that exclusive as a result of the lines and volume of travellers trying to enter. For what is supposed to be the more exclusive lounge, the quantity of travellers didn’t help with that impression.
Inside The Plumeria Lounge:
Once we had gotten past the entry process, we set ourselves up in The Plumeria Lounge. It’s always exciting to be able to see an airlines’ flagship lounge. First off, the lounge is pretty similar in decor to the Hawaiian Airlines Premier Club although it is situated in a slightly larger space.
The first thing that was obvious to notice was that the lounge was pretty full. While there were a split space of loungers and tables and chairs, most of them were fully occupied.
The lounge itself wasn’t overly large as all seating was in one place. There were a few daylight windows at one end of the lounge, which was probably the nicest feature about the space.
Food and Beverage:
The Plumeria Lounge offered some light snacks. I wasn’t super impressed with the food offering for an international business lounge. The food level was more consistent with a domestic first class lounge.
While some lounge offer a fresh food section, most of the snacks at the Plumeria Lounge were of the packaged variety.
The primary difference between the Plumeria Lounge and the Premier Club seems to be available house wine and alcohol.
The wine offering at The Plumeria Lounge were Stone Cellars white and red wines. This retails for about $6.99 USD so its not exactly a top shelf decanter experience.
While it’s usually pretty neat and exciting to experience an airlines flagship lounge, this one is pretty much a let down. While the seating was perfectly functional, the space was compact and the food and beverage program was straightforward and without much excitement. I’d mark this up as a place to visit time permitting, but not somewhere I’d rush to visit well in advance of your outbound flight. We’d only stop briefly here prior to heading out on our Hawaiian Airlines First Class Honolulu – Lihue flight.
The Bottom Line: The Plumeria Lounge
The Plumeria Club is supposed to be the more exclusive of the two Hawaiian Airlines Lounges. However, it appeared to be just another Hawaiian Airlines Lounge space that is brightly coloured. Although it offered some house wine, this is about the only differentiating feature of this place. It’s pretty much the same lounge offering that’s in the more mainstream Premier Club.
If you have visited the Hawaiian Airlines Plumeria Lounge, how did you find it compared to a regular international business lounge ?
As part of my journey, I visited Bills Sydney in Waikiki Beach for a celebratory dinner after completing the United Island Hopper. This review is especially poignant as Bills Restaurant did not survive the pandemic health restrictions and closed permanently in September 2020. If there is any silver lining to this story, is that Bills operates restaurants in Sydney, Australia, throughout Japan and in Seoul Korea. Perhaps this report will inspire you to visit one of their other international locations.
This post is one chapter on our trip on the United Island Hopper and to Oahu & Kauai, Hawaii, United States. This trip was redeemed through Alaska Mileage Plan, United Airlines Mileage Plus and Marriott Bonvoy. It was further enhanced through Marriott Bonvoy Elite Status. For more information on how this trip was booked, please see our trip introduction here. For other parts of the trip, please see this index.
If you enjoyed this post, please follow us here or on social media through Facebook, Twitter or Instagram for more travel tips and hacks on how to “Upgrade Your Travels”.
Read more from this trip:
- Introduction: The United Island Hopper via Honolulu & Kauai, on United Airlines and Alaska Airlines First Class
- Alaska Airlines First Class: Vancouver – Seattle
- Alaska Airlines First Class: Seattle – Honolulu
- The Sheraton Waikiki, Honolulu, Hawaii, USA
- The United Island Hopper – Flight #1: Honolulu – Majuro
- The United Island Hopper – Flight #2: Majuro – Kwajalein
- The United Island Hopper – Flight #3: Kwajalein – Pohnpei
- The United Island Hopper – Flight #4: Pohnpei – Chuuk
- The United Island Hopper – Flight #5: Chuuk – Guam
- The United Island Hopper – Top 5 Tips and Tricks
- The Sheraton Laguna Guam Resort, Guam
- The Sagan Bisita VIP Lounge, Guam
- United Airlines: Guam – Honolulu
- Bill’s Sydney, Honolulu, Hawaii, USA
- Hawaiian Airlines The Plumeria Lounge, Honolulu, USA
- Hawaiian Airlines First Class: Honolulu – Lihue
- The Sheraton Kauai Resort, Poi’pu, Hawaii, USA
- Visiting Kauai Coffee Estate, Kauai, USA
- The Views at the Waimea Canyon State Park, Kauai, USA
- Sailing the Napali Coast, Kauai, USA
- Alaska Airlines First Class: Lihue – Seattle
- Alaska Airlines First Class: Seattle – Vancouver
Review: Bills Sydney Restaurant, Waikiki Beach, Honolulu, United States of America.
I arrived into Honolulu Hawaii on United Airlines Guam – Honolulu. After completing the United Island Hopper, which was a complete bucket list item for me, a celebration was in order. I was famished from the flight, which left pretty early. There wasn’t much on the plane itself aside from buy on board, so i was pretty hungry by the time I had arrived.
I picked up MrsWT73 from The Sheraton Waikiki and walked the five to seven minutes up to Bill’s Restaurant.
Bills Sydney’s was an Australian farm to table restaurant concept. It’s was most known for its breakfasts and ricotta pancakes as one of Waikiki’s Best Breakfast spots. It’s a place that had escaped me the last time I had visited.
The restaurant itself was located in the Hard Rock Café building on the second floor. The interior dining space had tall arched ceilings in a wood themed decor. On arrival, we managed to sit outside on the Veranda, which offered a limited seating space.
The Menu at Bill’s was full of contemporary and fresh farm to table cuisine. Almost all of it looked delectable. There was enough on the menu to satisfy a repeat visit as there were many items I would have liked to have tried.
Tonight’s dinner was Flat Iron Chicken with tomato, pomegranate and coriander along with some extra vegetables of a butter lettuce salad and avocado. The avocado was super fresh. They do much better on the produce rotation than I do at home… simply outstanding.
MrsWT73 went light with dinner, having a Bills’ salad with add on avocado. She gave it high reports for quality, describing it as a “ A bowl of goodness”. The salad dressing was of high marks as well. The meal was paired with a McArthur Russian River Valley Pinot Gris that was very tasty.
The saddest part to this story is that Bills Sydney in Waikiki Beach temporarily closed in September 2020 as a result of the pandemic restrictions. The last time I passed through Waikiki Beach, it had not re-opened.
Bills Restaurants operates several other locations around the world, including several restaurants in Japan (Tokyo, Osaka, Fukuoka, Kanagawa), two restaurants in Gangnam and Jamsil Seoul, South Korea) along with several locations in Sydney, Australia.
My Thoughts on Bills’ Sydney Restaurant:
Bill’s Restaurant was a great stop for dinner. The atmosphere was nice despite a late dinner (8PM to close at around 10 PM). It was simple, uncrowded and warm with excellent food. We’d easily visit again if we could. Bill’s was a great place to celebrate the end of the island hopper circuit; a bucket list complete.
If you have visited the Bills Sydney in Waikiki Beach, did you have great memories of the place ?
With one of the most bizarre routes connecting the United States and a United States Overseas Territory, United Airlines offers regular wide body service between Honolulu, Hawaii and the Island Territory of Guam. The distance between these two places is 3,801 miles, making it beyond the comfortable reach of most narrow body United Airlines Boeing 737 products. I would test out this long haul flight on their Boeing 777-200 product on my return trip to Honolulu.
This post is one chapter on our trip on the United Island Hopper and to Oahu & Kauai, Hawaii, United States. This trip was redeemed through Alaska Mileage Plan, United Airlines Mileage Plus and Marriott Bonvoy. It was further enhanced through Marriott Bonvoy Elite Status. For more information on how this trip was booked, please see our trip introduction here. For other parts of the trip, please see this index.
If you enjoyed this post, please follow us here or on social media through Facebook, Twitter or Instagram for more travel tips and hacks on how to “Upgrade Your Travels”.
Read more from this trip:
- Introduction: The United Island Hopper via Honolulu & Kauai, on United Airlines and Alaska Airlines First Class
- Alaska Airlines First Class: Vancouver – Seattle
- Alaska Airlines First Class: Seattle – Honolulu
- The Sheraton Waikiki, Honolulu, Hawaii, USA
- The United Island Hopper – Flight #1: Honolulu – Majuro
- The United Island Hopper – Flight #2: Majuro – Kwajalein
- The United Island Hopper – Flight #3: Kwajalein – Pohnpei
- The United Island Hopper – Flight #4: Pohnpei – Chuuk
- The United Island Hopper – Flight #5: Chuuk – Guam
- The United Island Hopper – Top 5 Tips and Tricks
- The Sheraton Laguna Guam Resort, Guam
- The Sagan Bisita VIP Lounge, Guam
- United Airlines: Guam – Honolulu
- Bill’s Sydney, Honolulu, Hawaii, USA
- Hawaiian Airlines The Plumeria Lounge, Honolulu, USA
- Hawaiian Airlines First Class: Honolulu – Lihue
- The Sheraton Kauai Resort, Poi’pu, Hawaii, USA
- Visiting Kauai Coffee Estate, Kauai, USA
- The Views at the Waimea Canyon State Park, Kauai, USA
- Sailing the Napali Coast, Kauai, USA
- Alaska Airlines First Class: Lihue – Seattle
- Alaska Airlines First Class: Seattle – Vancouver
Review: United Airlines B777-2 Guam Agana Antonio B Won Pat International Airport – Honolulu, Daniel K. Inouye International Airport Honolulu
At the time of writing, this was the only non stop flight between Guam and Honolulu for the day. Most irritatingly, at the time that I booked this trip at about three months before travel, United was showing Business Saver availability at 45,000 miles for this segment, or economy saver reward availability at 27,500 in economy.
To pay for this trip, I had transferred points in United Mileage Plus from Marriott Bonvoy. Thanks to the Marriott Bonvoy and United Mileage Plus preferred relationship, they offered a 30% bonus with an additional fall promotion promise of an additional 30% bonus. Unfortunately, United must have calculated the bonuses in batch processing and although the regular 55,000 United Mileage Plus miles arrived in my account almost immediately, the 30% bonus equaling 16,500 miles (that would have allowed me to qualify for the business fare) did not arrive for another 2 months.
Naturally that business class rewards saver availability evaporated by that time and I didn’t fancy spending 102,000 miles for Business “Anytime” Award space. I set an expert flier seat alert but the saver availability never came back for my date, even up to the date of travel with one seat left in the cabin.
Thanks to Micronesia being a specific zone, United Mileage Plus Unlimited Domestic Upgrades don’t qualify in this part of the world as a United Airlines Mileage Plus Premier. That left me with my best outcome in this scenario was an economy plus seat redeemed at the 27,500 United Mileage Plus award price point, before the change to United Dynamic award pricing. It turned out that there were over 6 passengers boarding with 1K status anyway, making any operational upgrades unlikely.
Boarding the Plane:
I had an overnight stay at the Sheraton Laguna Guam Resort and a visit to the Sagan Bisita VIP Lounge at the Guam International Airport. The Sagan Bisita VIP Lounge visit was brief, but a better alternative than waiting out on the Guam Departures Concourse which was pretty uninspiring.
A boarding time was posted as 6:50 AM on the boarding card. However, it was already starting when I walked by the gate at 6:30 AM. After the briefest of lounge visits, I boarded through Gate 7 during Boarding Group 2.
Immediately after our boarding cards were scanned at the podium, we queued up for an additional screening before the jet bridge by US Customs and Border Protection. I am not sure on the whole Guam being part of the US or not for US Customs / Immigration.
I initially though that this was considered a domestic flight between a USA Territory and the United States. We then had a border screening prior to getting on and a customs card to fill out in flight. My United Airlines boarding card also read “INTL”.
United Airlines
UA 200 – Economy Class (XN)
GUM – HNL (Agana – Honolulu)
January 31, 2020
7:40 AM – 6:55 PM – 1
Booked: Boeing 777-200
Flown: Boeing 777-222A
On Board United Airlines:
After the US Customs and Border Protection agent stamped my boarding card with the US CBP stamp, I boarded directly onto the jet bridge and onto the flight.
It’s been a while since I’ve been on a wide body United wide body jet. The United Airlines Boeing 777-200 has five different versions and configurations. The configurations vary between having a 3 – 3 -3 across in economy class up to a 3 – 4 – 3 configuration in economy, which is much tighter in the seat. The version I was flying today was set up in a 3 – 4 -3 configuration in economy class.
I crossed through the galley and located my economy plus seat near the back at 39J. I was able to get myself assigned to the bulkhead seat at check in, courtesy of United Mileage Plus Silver status that allowed free economy plus upgrades at 24 hour prior to the flight.
The plane slowly filled up. Most of the passengers were older retiree travellers or younger islanders with short military styled haircuts who all looked like the new version of the current Magnum PI.
I chatted with my seat mates and learned that they were returning to Arizona in United States from the Philippines via Guam and Honolulu. That seems like a long way around, but perhaps it was more of a comfort thing by flying an American carrier.
Rarely and unusually, I was wearing Teva Sandals for today’s flight. It’s something I never get to do in Canada. Despite my comfortable leg room, the views of the crew station and the washroom aisle consisting of three washrooms wasn’t all to aspirational. The advantage was that there was no other passengers reclining into your space as a result of no seat in front of you.
Departing Guam:
We were underway fairly quickly from Guam International Airport. I didn’t get a look out the window being in the aisle seat. As we were underway, US Customs and Border Services cards were passed out, along with the announcement that passengers would have to pass through Customs on arrival into the United States and prior to any subsequent connecting flights.
Food and Beverage: Buy on Board
I wasn’t sure whether United would consider this to be an international flight where meals were provided as complimentary, or whether it would be a buy on board experience, as it seemed to be a pretty hybrid approach to everything else. The crew eventually came around with buy on board.
Given that I hadn’t even had a coffee or snack this morning before getting on the plane, I ended up taking a coffee and an $8 USD egg white flatbread with chicken sausage with a red pepper hummus that was reasonably tasty for buy on board.
This was paired with a Pacific Daily News newspaper (proudly part of the USA today network) that I picked up from the Sheraton Laguna Guam Resort on my way out.
A Biscotti cookie was also provided on a complimentary basis.
In Flight Entertainment:
Courtesy of the United App on your Smartphone
There were no in seat screens on this flight. The entertainment was provided through the united app. I eventually got into some older movies such as Pretty Woman running in the background.
Throughout the flight, the crew offered regular tap water service in the usual United cups. I had two small glasses. It’s never enough but at least it’s something.
Arriving to Honolulu:
After we touched down, I had a very brief entry process into the USA. I used Global Entry without issue. The US CBP officer asked if I had been to China due to the Coronavirus-19 (which was in it’s infancy at this point) and waved me through collecting my stub after I had replied in the negative.
I picked up a Hertz rental car from the Honolulu depot for the evening and drove myself to The Sheraton Waikiki. We were driving back to the airport the very next day to head over to Kauai on Hawaiian Airlines First Class Honolulu – Lihue so i figured we would take a car rental instead of two Ubers or two taxies. I got a nice Hertz President’s Circle upgrade to a Chrysler 300 in gangster white with black rims which was waiting in an assigned stall.
My Thoughts on the United Service between Guam and Honolulu:
The United flight from Guam to Honolulu was a pretty straight forward experience. There wasn’t much to report on, although I was surprised at how little food I found outside and inside the airport prior to getting on the plane.
There isn’t much on board in the form of economy food so I’d be prepared (as always) to pack food in advance or eat before you leave the hotel. The most exciting part of this journey is flying through one of the more remote air corridors in the world as you cross the Pacific Ocean.
If you’ve flown United Airlines between Guam and Honolulu, did you connect onwards to the mainland on United Airlines ?
There are limited lounge options when departing from the US Territory of Guam. With an early morning departure, I had the opportunity to visit the Sagan Bisita VIP Lounge in the departures concourse of the Guam International Airport. The Sagan Bisita VIP Lounge is the priority pass independent lounge offering. While you won’t be blown away by this particular space, it did offer a friendly environment to hang out in as an alternative to an industrial airport space.
This post is one chapter on our trip on the United Island Hopper and to Oahu & Kauai, Hawaii, United States. This trip was redeemed through Alaska Mileage Plan, United Airlines Mileage Plus and Marriott Bonvoy. It was further enhanced through Marriott Bonvoy Elite Status. For more information on how this trip was booked, please see our trip introduction here. For other parts of the trip, please see this index.
If you enjoyed this post, please follow us here or on social media through Facebook, Twitter or Instagram for more travel tips and hacks on how to “Upgrade Your Travels”.
Read more from this trip:
- Introduction: The United Island Hopper via Honolulu & Kauai, on United Airlines and Alaska Airlines First Class
- Alaska Airlines First Class: Vancouver – Seattle
- Alaska Airlines First Class: Seattle – Honolulu
- The Sheraton Waikiki, Honolulu, Hawaii, USA
- The United Island Hopper – Flight #1: Honolulu – Majuro
- The United Island Hopper – Flight #2: Majuro – Kwajalein
- The United Island Hopper – Flight #3: Kwajalein – Pohnpei
- The United Island Hopper – Flight #4: Pohnpei – Chuuk
- The United Island Hopper – Flight #5: Chuuk – Guam
- The United Island Hopper – Top 5 Tips and Tricks
- The Sheraton Laguna Guam Resort, Guam
- The Sagan Bisita VIP Lounge, Guam
- United Airlines: Guam – Honolulu
- Bill’s Sydney, Honolulu, Hawaii, USA
- Hawaiian Airlines The Plumeria Lounge, Honolulu, USA
- Hawaiian Airlines First Class: Honolulu – Lihue
- The Sheraton Kauai Resort, Poi’pu, Hawaii, USA
- Visiting Kauai Coffee Estate, Kauai, USA
- The Views at the Waimea Canyon State Park, Kauai, USA
- Sailing the Napali Coast, Kauai, USA
- Alaska Airlines First Class: Lihue – Seattle
- Alaska Airlines First Class: Seattle – Vancouver
Review: Sagan Bisita VIP Lounge, Guam Antonio B Won Pat International Airport, Guam, United States of America.
I loaded up the car at the Sheraton Laguna Guam Resort and headed to the airport at about 5:45 AM. Since I hadn’t left the property during my time in Guam, I took a drive through the water front area along Pale San Vitores Road near Tumon Bay. Unfortunately, I didn’t see too much other than darkness and tall white hotel skyscrapers. There weren’t any fabulous beach views worth stopping to take a look at.
I bought replacement gas for the rental at a Mobil for $4.14 a gallon for regular and headed towards the airport. I had some bad luck getting to the airport in hoping for a coffee shop along the way. In my short time on the island, there were stacks of advertisements for unhealthy food (KFC, McDonalds) that never materialized on my drive when I needed them the most.
I checked the car in at the roving Hertz agent and proceeded inside where my contract was closed out. I had only logged 10 miles on the car, but the $40 USD rental was apparently cheaper than two taxi rides and I at least had some freedom, if I had wanted it.
I headed upstairs where the United desks were quite busy checking everyone in. Aside from a stir fry place, there didn’t seem to be many food and beverage outlets on the public side of the Guam airport. I was headed on United Airlines Guam – Honolulu today, which was their first Honolulu bound flight of the day.
There was no TSA Pre-Check for me on the boarding card today for some reason. As a result, I ended up queuing at security with a bunch of other holiday travelers that seemed really lost at the process. Once I was already committed into the line, I spotted a business class priority line at the other end of the maze near the TSA-PreCheck. Given that there were only about 7 ahead of me in the security line, I chose to stay put.
Once on the secure side, we were immediately dropped into an Asian duty free showcase. There was a particular Guam Cultural Center which turned out to be more of a souvenir shop with articles made likely in China than a center without any real cultural value.
As a result of it’s age, the Guam International Airport concourse is a pretty dated space. You won’t find a concourse with great day light views, inspiring art or other great features. This means that the lounge is likely the better place to relax before your flight.
Locating the Sagan Bisita Lounge:
United Airlines operates a United Club in Guam that started out life as a Continental Airlines President’s Club when the Island Hopper was run by Continental Airlines.
Since I missed the opportunity to book United Airlines business class reward space, and my ticket was not likely considered an international ticket, I didn’t have access to the United Club Guam.
By note having access to the United Club Guam, this left me with the opportunity to access the only other lounge in Guam, the Sagan Bisita Lounge. The Sagan Bisita VIP Lounge is located on the secure side of the Guam airport terminal. The Sagan Bisita Lounge was located immediately opposite Gate 7 on the long concourse of Guam airport.
Map Courtesy of Japan Airlines
The Sagan Bisita VIP Lounge has a pretty non flashy entrance on the outside. You’d likely miss it unless you saw all the Asian credit card banners outside the lounge.
Accessing the Sagan Bisita VIP Lounge:
Access to the lounge today was granted by Priority Pass Select which came with my American Express Platinum Card.
The lounge is also the contract lounge for almost every other carrier at Guam Antonio B Won Pat International Airport. At the time of our visit, this included Japan Airlines International, China Airlines, Eva Air, Korean and Philippines Airlines. Delta Airlines has also used this space for it’s occasional departures from Guam.
Inside the Sagan Bisita VIP Lounge:
After I was scanned in, the lounge host indicated that they were just in the process of packing up the food. This was a bit surprising since it was only 6:30 AM, but I guess there must not be many flights after the United Airlines Honolulu – Guam flight I was scheduled to be on.
The posted business hours are 12 AM to 10 AM. They offered to keep the food open for me while I loaded up the plate. They had the usual ham and cheese sandwiches but not much on offer. Wine and alcohol was being served at this hour although there weren’t many takers being 6:30 AM in the morning. The staff, like most other Guam residents that I had come into contact with, were warm and welcoming.
The Sagain Bisita VIP Lounge had a separate area reserved for Japan Airlines travellers, although it was completely closed on our visit.
The Sagan Bisita Lounge was a bit of a dated, but a hospitable space. I didn’t end up staying all too long as the flight looked as though it was getting ready to board. I had a quick download off wifi and headed off to the gate to depart on my United Airlines Guam – Honolulu flight.
The Bottom Line: The Sagan Bisita VIP Lounge
The lounge itself wasn’t too exciting; just a place to collect some average snacks, perhaps have a cheap drink and hang out somewhere other than a crowded airport bench. Still, the space may be your only option when flying out of Guam Agana airport so it may find it’s way into your travels in some way.
If you have visited the Sagan Bisita VIP Lounge, do you prefer it from the United Club Guam ?
After arriving into town on the United Airlines Island Hopper marathon day, I needed a one night stay at a hotel before my returning flight back to Honolulu. Since I had left my wife behind in Hawaii, I didn’t get the opportunity to check out Guam in the short time that I was there. I ended up at the Sheraton Laguna Guam Resort for a brief thirteen hour stay. I would end up being really surprised with my stay thanks to terrific upgrades and amenities for Marriott Bonvoy Elite Members.
This post is one chapter on our trip on the United Island Hopper and to Oahu & Kauai, Hawaii, United States. This trip was redeemed through Alaska Mileage Plan, United Airlines Mileage Plus and Marriott Bonvoy. It was further enhanced through Marriott Bonvoy Elite Status. For more information on how this trip was booked, please see our trip introduction here. For other parts of the trip, please see this index.
If you enjoyed this post, please follow us here or on social media through Facebook, Twitter or Instagram for more travel tips and hacks on how to “Upgrade Your Travels”.
Read more from this trip:
- Introduction: The United Island Hopper via Honolulu & Kauai, on United Airlines and Alaska Airlines First Class
- Alaska Airlines First Class: Vancouver – Seattle
- Alaska Airlines First Class: Seattle – Honolulu
- The Sheraton Waikiki, Honolulu, Hawaii, USA
- The United Island Hopper – Flight #1: Honolulu – Majuro
- The United Island Hopper – Flight #2: Majuro – Kwajalein
- The United Island Hopper – Flight #3: Kwajalein – Pohnpei
- The United Island Hopper – Flight #4: Pohnpei – Chuuk
- The United Island Hopper – Flight #5: Chuuk – Guam
- The United Island Hopper – Top 5 Tips and Tricks
- The Sheraton Laguna Guam Resort, Guam
- The Sagan Bisita VIP Lounge, Guam
- United Airlines: Guam – Honolulu
- Bill’s Sydney, Honolulu, Hawaii, USA
- Hawaiian Airlines The Plumeria Lounge, Honolulu, USA
- Hawaiian Airlines First Class: Honolulu – Lihue
- The Sheraton Kauai Resort, Poi’pu, Hawaii, USA
- Visiting Kauai Coffee Estate, Kauai, USA
- The Views at the Waimea Canyon State Park, Kauai, USA
- Sailing the Napali Coast, Kauai, USA
- Alaska Airlines First Class: Lihue – Seattle
- Alaska Airlines First Class: Seattle – Vancouver
Review: Sheraton Laguna Guam Resort, Tamuning, Guam, United States of America.
Booking the Sheraton Guam:
At the time of my visit, there were two Marriott properties in Guam; the Sheraton LAguna Guam Resort and the Westin Resort Guam. I ended up at the Sheraton Laguna Guam Resort, over the Westin, thanks primarily to the great rate at $159 USD for an base level Oceanview Room, 2 Twin / Single Bed(s).
At the time of my stay, it was a Marriott Bonvoy Category 5 hotel, so I felt that paying cash with the above rate was of better value versus 30,000 Marriot Bonvoy points (at a pre-variable pricing rate). I also considered the Hilton, but the property was wanting around the $350 USD mark for a night, I didn’t have enough Hilton Honors points, and I wasn’t going to be staying in Guam much more than 13 hours.
Getting to the Sheraton Guam:
I picked up a Hertz President’s Club Rental Car from the Guam Agana International Airport. I had a very friendly agent processed my rental and an offer of a staff member to walk me out to the lot. I ended up with a brand new 2020 Mazda 3 with less than 793 miles on the odometer. I drove myself over to the Sheraton resort, which was less than 12 minutes and 5 miles drive. I snapped a little sunset photo from the airport parking lot, as this would be the extent of my sunset in Guam.
The unfortunate part about the Sheraton Guam Resort is that it is a little ways out of the way from what appears to be the main beach area. The drive over seems a little shabby in comparison to Hawaii, although I can’t say for sure whether that’s just Guam itself. It was through a light retail area containing old hotels, some shops that appeared closed up, along with a main through fare of retail space that is no longer favoured.
Arriving to the hotel at about 7 PM, after a short and convenient 12 minute drive from the airport, I self parked the car. The hotel for some reason, possibly Chinese New Year week, was completely sold out.
The hotel parking lot was really full and I ended up at the back of the parking lot next to the employee entrance. I would later learn that the Hilton Hotel was having their Chinese New Year Staff party at the Sheraton maybe they wanted to get away from management?). As a result, the lobby and hotel grounds were a lively area with many people in their twenties and thirties having a great time in one of the convention areas.
I wheeled my way up to the hotel reception and got there without any challenges. There was a slight slope to the reception which is located above ground level but the ramps were perfectly navigate able and without much grade.
Checking into the Sheraton Guam:
After arriving at the check in desk, the check in was friendly and prompt. I was provided a typed letter explaining all the restaurants and room features. The front desk clerk had indicated that I had been upgraded to an Oceanview Suite, courtesy of Marriott Titanium status. I’ve come to take this news as “I’ll believe it when I see it”, but I’d later be blown away by this complimentary upgrade.
I also ended up taking the 1,000 points as the Titanium welcome amenity since the breakfast did not start until 6:30 AM and I needed to be on my way out on my return flight United Airlines Guam – Honolulu well before that.
The room hallways of the Sheraton Laguna Guam Resort are outside and face inwards into a courtyard of the hotel. While this is always appreciated, I found the humidity on Guam to be quite strong. It was a bit of a muggy walk to get to and from the room.
On my way to the room, there was an inflatable fifteen-foot whale beached in the hallway on the fourth floor. I found this particularly amusing since it’s not every day that you see a whale in a hotel hallway. I had a good chuckle about it with one of the other Sheraton staff members who saw me taking a photograph of it.
The Room: An Ocean Suite
True to my hosts’ word at the front reception counter, when I arrived to room #433, it was in fact a terrific ocean facing corner suite. Every now and then, Marriott Bonvoy completely surprises you with an outstanding upgrade. After probably half a year with no suite upgrades, they go and surprise you with one when you need it the least. Actually, it was great to spread out in the room after being in an economy seat all day. The room photos are a little dark, but that’s actually as bright as the room got with all the lights on once the sun went down.
Checking out the room, the property is due for a bit of a renovation. The color scheme is the usual Sheraton browns and reds, which looks a little tired by today’s standardsy. The room had a little wear and tear with a few marks in the carpets.
First off the entry way way was a small dining and living area. There was a flat screen television with a separate Bose speaker that needed an instruction manual to operate.
There was a refreshment center with free Lite Beer, orange juice, 7Up and Pepsi; all free with replacements subject to charge per the welcome letter. There was also a kettle with powdered freeze dried coffee and tea, which I didn’t end up using.
Surprisingly, there was a large wonderful hot tub on the balcony with a view of two oceans. It was just the thing any single guy traveler needs after a 14 hour flight, with his wife on his mind having the time of her life 4,000 miles away. The deck was pretty expansive and had two chairs along with two loungers. Unfortunately, this was the lightest I ever got to see the outdoor space since my stay was through the darkness and the night.
The hotel was kind enough to offer a complimentary bottle of Banfi red wine as a welcome amenity. It’s all too bad that I wasn’t here earlier or spending more time!! I didn’t end up opening it or taking it with me since I was travelling “carry on only”.
Marriott Bonvoy Elite Welcome Amenity
The hotel room also had a separate sleeping area. The bed didn’t appear to be the usual Sheraton Sweet Sleeper bed. It was quite firm like many Asian styled beds. I didn’t mind it at all.
The bathroom area was very spacious for one. It offered a separate bath tub and shower area, along with the usual Asian Toto heated toilet seats; which I am not an expert in operating.
Around the Property:
Sheraton Executive Club Lounge:
Having arrived to the property at about 6:50 PM and surprisingly, being away from food most of the day, I wasn’t all too hungry for dinner. I made it up to the Sheraton Club Lounge on the 10th floor. Access to the Sheraton Club Lounge was provided courtesy of Marriott Bonvoy Titanium Level status.
When I got there, I was a bit surprised to see a complimentary open bar for happy hour containing both sprits, Lite beer, and more Banfi red and white wine between 5 – 8 PM since most Sheraton’s in the America’s always have cash bar’s. I guess we are closer to Asia than the United States. For some reason, I was expecting more austere North American treatment.
The lounge was packed with Asian families and children feeding their family in the lounge. The food on offer was quite Asian based; deep fried ribs, sautéed stir fry vegetables, some limp tomatoes and salads. It didn’t appeal to be too much so I just stuck with a Lite Beer to decompress from the day’s travel (noise vibration and harshness) and worked on the trip report a little.
As the lounge closed down at 8PM, I started to look into options for a light dinner. I got distracted by the hotel souvenir shop. Looking through the usual “I Love Guam” coffee cups, I found one that proudly stated “Where America Starts its Day”; a typical slogan for this part of the world. I ended up with some small fridge magnets with plumeria flowers and turtles on them for souvenirs. After shopping, I was a bit behind the curve as most restaurants closed up at 9 PM. Not only did they close at nine, but as I investigated further, they stopped taking orders at around 8:30 PM. I didn’t get a resort map at check in so I wandered the property looking at the various options.
Outdoor Resort Pools:
As I wandered around, the property was in every way a resort. It was large and sprawling over several different areas. It appeared to have been built on a rock outcropping and as a result, had several different levels and layers. The whole place reminded me of a place that you would have thought was really elegant and deluxe when you were 12 years old. It reminded me of the Sheraton’s or the properties that were once over the top in Africa or Asia that are looking a little older for wear by today’s standards. The property had a very large atrium that dominated the space. It also featured a variety of pools, some for swimming some for decoration. In true “K-Pop” style, some of them were blue and purple tinted with neon.
The one thing that the property didn’t seem to have was access to an actual beach with sand on it. Due to it’s location on the top of an ocean point, there isn’t much natural beach around this particular resort.
It was a pretty muggy evening in Guam. The weather was such that condensation was forming on the outside of the windows of most of the air conditioned rooms. I eventually found the Surfside Bar, which was by the pool. It was mostly deserted and there weren’t many eating there. The menu was a cross between Asian delights and an attempt at bar food. Perhaps it was the picture presentation of the menu items but between the humidity and the heat, it didn’t look all too appealing.
I later located the Japanese restaurant which was mostly teppanyaki based. They did have a $25 steak / tonkatsu special that included a small udon, rice, and Japenese appetizer that I unfortunately didn’t get the opportunity to try since they were closed / or in the process of closing when I got there at 8:40 PM (last orders 8:30 PM). I didn’t fancy a $40 buffet dinner at the main restaurant and the lobby bar appeared to be closed or closing. As a result, I ended up bypassing dinner altogether which was surprising since I thought I would be starving after the Island Hopper. I did check out the room service menu but it was mostly larger meals which I wasn’t feeling up for.
I entered up retiring to the room. I contemplated having another glass of beer or cracking open that bottle of wine but decided that fatigue would win me out. Being midnight Hawaiian Standard Time, I would hit the hay just after 9 PM for the night in favour of some much needed sleep. With the knowledge that I’d be up at 4:45 AM for a 5:45 AM hotel departure for my United Airlines Guam – Honolulu flight, the sleep was ever more dear.
The next day, I had a 4:45 AM wake up in order to catch the flight. After a great hot shower with strong water pressure, I checked out of the hotel. In an old school manner, the front desk printed off a paper bill for me and presented in with Japanese flair with a small bow and two hands side by each on the envelope. It was complete darkness and a stark quiet outside when I rolled to the car. It was very much a contrast from the rowdy train of New Year parties of when I had arrived.
The Bottom Line: The Sheraton Guam Laguna Resort
I had a great one night stay at the Sheraton Guam. I wasn’t expecting much more than a bed coming in, but the hotel surprised me with a great suite upgrade and a bottle of wine. The parking was free and the rate was reasonable without any silly resort fees. I might have chosen a nicer and newer property if I was staying with my wife, but for a quick stopover in Guam, this property fit the ticket nicely.
Editors Note: Since my stay in February 2020, the property was reflagged in May 2022 as the RIGHA Royal Laguna Guam Resort and is no longer affiliated with Marriott Bonvoy.
If you have overnighted in Guam, what is your go to property ?
The United Island Hopper flight is one of the worlds most legendary flights for aviation enthusiasts. It consists of a single flight that links some of the Pacific Ocean’s most remote islands carrying passengers, freight and supplies of the islands on a lifeline basis.
This post is one chapter on our trip on the United Island Hopper and to Oahu & Kauai, Hawaii, United States. This trip was redeemed through Alaska Mileage Plan, United Airlines Mileage Plus and Marriott Bonvoy. It was further enhanced through Marriott Bonvoy Elite Status. For more information on how this trip was booked, please see our trip introduction here. For other parts of the trip, please see this index.
If you enjoyed this post, please follow us here or on social media through Facebook, Twitter or Instagram for more travel tips and hacks on how to “Upgrade Your Travels”.
Read more from this trip:
- Introduction: The United Island Hopper via Honolulu & Kauai, on United Airlines and Alaska Airlines First Class
- Alaska Airlines First Class: Vancouver – Seattle
- Alaska Airlines First Class: Seattle – Honolulu
- The Sheraton Waikiki, Honolulu, Hawaii, USA
- The United Island Hopper – Flight #1: Honolulu – Majuro
- The United Island Hopper – Flight #2: Majuro – Kwajalein
- The United Island Hopper – Flight #3: Kwajalein – Pohnpei
- The United Island Hopper – Flight #4: Pohnpei – Chuuk
- The United Island Hopper – Flight #5: Chuuk – Guam
- The United Island Hopper – Top 5 Tips and Tricks
- The Sheraton Laguna Guam Resort, Guam
- The Sagan Bisita VIP Lounge, Guam
- United Airlines: Guam – Honolulu
- Bill’s Sydney, Honolulu, Hawaii, USA
- Hawaiian Airlines The Plumeria Lounge, Honolulu, USA
- Hawaiian Airlines First Class: Honolulu – Lihue
- The Sheraton Kauai Resort, Poi’pu, Hawaii, USA
- Visiting Kauai Coffee Estate, Kauai, USA
- The Views at the Waimea Canyon State Park, Kauai, USA
- Sailing the Napali Coast, Kauai, USA
- Alaska Airlines First Class: Lihue – Seattle
- Alaska Airlines First Class: Seattle – Vancouver
Review: United Airlines “Island Hopper” Top 5 Tips and Tricks for Getting the Most out of Your Day
The United Airlines Island Hopper is one of the worlds’ most unique airline routes. The United Airlines Island Hopper is a route between Honolulu and Guam that stops at several small islands in the Federated States of Micronesia and the Marshall Islands. The flight is flown between two and three times per week and is the only scheduled service for many of the islands on the route. I had already spent many hours over the course of several years glancing through the United Hemispheres in flight magazine in order to one day take this flight. As a result of it’s remoteness and isolation, the airline route is one of the world’ most unique air corridors and airline travel experiences.
The past posts set out my experience in flying the United Airlines “Island Hopper” flight that crosses the Pacific through some of the world’s most remote islands. For details on how I planned the United Island Hopper trip, please see our earlier post.
The flight sequence is so unique, there isn’t any way to really cover it in detail with just one sole post. As a result, I’ve split the flight up into one flight segment per post to allow for travellers that really want to get into the journey to read up to see what they can expect.
United Airlines Island Hopper Flights:
Having flown the entirety of the United Island Hopper, i took a little time to reflect on this travel experience. I don’t usually offer overt tips in this forum, generally allowing others to try and form their own opinions based on what I write. However, having been posting now for almost 10 years and over four thousand posts, several dozen trip reports, and having actually flown the route, I think I can easily offer up my Top 5 tips with some credibility for those considering the Island Hopper.
Tip #1: It’s a long day.
If you plan on doing all United Island Hopper segments in one day, it is going to be a very long day. This is always said but it bears repeating. My travel time from door to door was fourteen and a half hours. That’s the same time duration as a flight from Vancouver to Hong Kong or over 6,000 miles flown.
Despite this, the day is broken up quite a bit so the main pain is the stiffness in your arse from being seated in these seats and from your neck from craning out the window for so long. I couldn’t imagine doing this journey eastward, at least travelling west you are moving with the sun and have your shorter flights at the end of the day.
In addition to that, I don’t think I would enjoy doing the Island Hopper and continuing onto connecting flights to Palau or Yap on same day travel. I’d be looking to break up that trip a little if I were offering advice.
Tip #2: Bring water and food with you.
In addition to the small mountain of food I brought with me, I would recommend packing a large bottle of water with you that you would have gotten on the secure side of the Honolulu airport. I started feeling a little dry on Flight # 4 between Pohnpei – Truk. Although there is water on board, you don’t get a lot in the tiny cups and there isn’t much (if any at all) to pick up along the way. Your only options are buying from the souvenir stands in Majuro, Pohnpei or Chukk. Many of these locations don’t offer refrigeration.
If you’re starting in Honolulu, this likely means buying a big bottle of Ethos Water at Starbucks because I didn’t find much on the secure side that was open at 5:30 AM. I didn’t allow myself enough time to go exploring to other parts of the terminal. In my case, I purchased the largest sandwich I could find at the nearby ABC Store and kept it fresh in the hotel room fridge at the Sheraton Waikiki.
At the time of writing, there is no security check after you leave Honolulu, even if you get off the plane transiting the international countries of the Marshall Islands and the Federates States of Micronesia, so you could bring gallons and gallons if you could find it without having it taken away from you.
Tip #3: Pay for an economy plus seat.
If you’re going to travel for fourteen hours, you may as well be comfortable. I was initially a little hesitant paying $59 USD for a window seat. Having now flown this route, I would have easily paid double this amount.
By paying for an economy plus seat, you will be that much more comfortable and you’ll probably have access to one and a half windows for photographs. If you’re lucky like me, you may have no one next to you in the middle seat for the almost the entire journey. I’d probably pick the bulkhead 7F the next time around as the engine intruded on my photos a little bit from 8F.
Tip #4: You actually see less greens and blues in the atolls than what travel blogs and on line trip reports would have you believe.
There are dozens of trip reports about the UA Island Hopper. It is a famed and mythical route. The reality is most of these views are fleeting and quick. It isn’t like the Maldives where your resort propellor flight passes over thousands of lagoons. Instead, thanks to greater distances, the lagoons and coral reefs are quite a ways apart.
While most trip reports show the best photos, the reality is that most of these are within the first and last sixty seconds of an approach or climb to altitude. Much of the trip would be spent looking out the window at endless clouds and expanse of sea.
If you really want to experience this part of the world, book an excursionist fare and get off at one of the islands. I know that I will, the next time if I ever do this route. If you want to see beautiful corals and take pictures of green and blue seats, then a Maldives Sea Plane transfer is likely your better bet over the time investment required for this trip.
Tip #5. If traveling with another person, consider whether your partner would actually enjoy doing this
As a self processed aviation geek, I love travel. I’m lucky enough to have a spouse that works at the executive level in the Aerospace Industry.
We both love travelling together and are closing in on a million lifetime miles flown (each). Having said that, she would have absolutely hated this experience.
She would have found the seats too uncomfortable, the day too long and the rewards of isolation not worth the effort. I particularly enjoy staring out the window, looking at bizarre souvenir stands and visiting remote places.
I wouldn’t often say this, but I am actually glad my spouse didn’t accompany me on this trip. MrsWT73 was much happier staying at The Sheraton Waikiki with mai tai after mai tai in the infinity pool taking in some sun, rather than being wedged into a slimline seat breathing recycled air for 14 hours. If you’re going to take such a trip, consider whether traveling with your partner will do more harm than good. In my case, it was the right decision to travel solo.
Bonus Tip: The Best Souvenirs are in Pohnpei
Lastly, the best souvenirs on the United Island Hopper are at Pohnpei International Airport. Make sure you get to the souvenir stand first as some of the souvenirs only have one or two items of them. If you happen to be really unlucky, they’ll be out of Kosrae Chili Pepper by the time you get there.
United Airlines Island Hopper Flights:
If you’ve flown the United Island Hopper, do you have any tips worth sharing ?
The United Island Hopper flight is one of the worlds most legendary flights for aviation enthusiasts. It consists of a single flight that links some of the Pacific Ocean’s most remote islands carrying passengers, freight and supplies of the islands on a lifeline basis.
This post is one chapter on our trip on the United Island Hopper and to Oahu & Kauai, Hawaii, United States. This trip was redeemed through Alaska Mileage Plan, United Airlines Mileage Plus and Marriott Bonvoy. It was further enhanced through Marriott Bonvoy Elite Status. For more information on how this trip was booked, please see our trip introduction here. For other parts of the trip, please see this index.
If you enjoyed this post, please follow us here or on social media through Facebook, Twitter or Instagram for more travel tips and hacks on how to “Upgrade Your Travels”.
Read more from this trip:
- Introduction: The United Island Hopper via Honolulu & Kauai, on United Airlines and Alaska Airlines First Class
- Alaska Airlines First Class: Vancouver – Seattle
- Alaska Airlines First Class: Seattle – Honolulu
- The Sheraton Waikiki, Honolulu, Hawaii, USA
- The United Island Hopper – Flight #1: Honolulu – Majuro
- The United Island Hopper – Flight #2: Majuro – Kwajalein
- The United Island Hopper – Flight #3: Kwajalein – Pohnpei
- The United Island Hopper – Flight #4: Pohnpei – Chuuk
- The United Island Hopper – Flight #5: Chuuk – Guam
- The United Island Hopper – Top 5 Tips and Tricks
- The Sheraton Laguna Guam Resort, Guam
- The Sagan Bisita VIP Lounge, Guam
- United Airlines: Guam – Honolulu
- Bill’s Sydney, Honolulu, Hawaii, USA
- Hawaiian Airlines The Plumeria Lounge, Honolulu, USA
- Hawaiian Airlines First Class: Honolulu – Lihue
- The Sheraton Kauai Resort, Poi’pu, Hawaii, USA
- Visiting Kauai Coffee Estate, Kauai, USA
- The Views at the Waimea Canyon State Park, Kauai, USA
- Sailing the Napali Coast, Kauai, USA
- Alaska Airlines First Class: Lihue – Seattle
- Alaska Airlines First Class: Seattle – Vancouver
Review: United Airlines “Island Hopper” B737-8 – Flight #5, Chukk International Airport – Guam Antonio B Won Pat Airport
The United Airlines Island Hopper is one of the worlds’ most unique airline routes. The United Airlines Island Hopper is a route between Honolulu and Guam that stops at several small islands in the Federated States of Micronesia and the Marshall Islands. The flight is flown between two and three times per week and is the only scheduled service for many of the islands on the route. I had already spent many hours over the course of several years glancing through the United Hemispheres in flight magazine in order to one day take this flight. As a result of it’s remoteness and isolation, the airline route is one of the world’ most unique air corridors and airline travel experiences.
These next posts set out my experience in flying the United Airlines “Island Hopper” flight that crosses the Pacific through some of the world’s most remote islands. For details on how I planned the United Island Hopper trip, please see our earlier post.
The flight sequence is so unique, there isn’t any way to really cover it in detail with just one sole post. As a result, I’ve split the flight up into one flight segment per post to allow for travellers that really want to get into the journey to read up to see what they can expect.
United Airlines Island Hopper Flights:
Departing Chukk:
After our fourth flight on United Airlines Island Hopper Pohnpei – Chukk, and a transit of Chukk International Airport that consisted of chatting with other travellers, after about 30 minutes, we were called to board our last and final segment of the United Island Hopper.
The Chukk / Truk station was super casual and there wasn’t even a look or check of the boarding card once we exited the airport and boarded back onto the plane. We had an open air boarding with no air gates. With a short walk out to the plane, we were back on board before we knew it.
United Airlines
UA 154 – Economy Class (XN)
TKK – GUM (Truk – Agana)
January 31, 2020
4:20 PM – 5:55 PM
Booked: Boeing 737-800
Flown: Boeing 737-800
On Board the United Island Hopper:
Once on board, it was back to Seat 8F. As I had mentioned earlier, I paid for an economy plus seat at $59 USD for the entire Island Hopper duration and it was well worth the small added expense.
For the first time on our journey, the plane was completely full of passengers and carry on luggage. The overhead bins were completely stuffed and there were several bags being off loaded for checked baggage due to a lack of space on board.
I was joined by a larger local Pacific Islander seated in Seat 8E. Needless to say, out of five segments flown, with four segments without a seat mate, it was much more compact and tight fitting in the plane without having the seat next to you vacant.
Spotting the On Board Cargo Coolers:
While we waited, I happened to see all the igloo cooler containers that were being loaded on into the baggage hold and sent back to Guam full of fish. I had read that they would be returned by other family members back to Truk full of meat. There must have been at least thirty to forty of these coolers being loaded on and they dominated the cargo and baggage belt on arrival in Guam. It was evidence on how much a lifeline these flights are to this part of the world.
We had a small delay while the crew sorted out the standby list and they got the last of the bags on board. The flight crew proudly announced as we started to taxi that this was the last and fifth segment of United Airlines Flight 154 with service to Guam.
Taking Off from Chukk:
On our departure, we used the runway to taxi out to Runway 4 with a u-ball turn at the end. We had a departure immediately over the Chukk Lagoon. The Chukk Lagoon is supposed to be one of the world’s best dive sites. It has several shipwrecks, although I didn’t to any advance research to see where in the Lagoon that they were to allow for some possible aerial spotting.
The view of the large Chukk motu lagoon area from the air was pretty neat. The water was exceptionally still thanks to the motu surrounding the Lagoon. You could even picture how still it was based on these photos. It has a complete absence of waves or water crests.
The Chukk motu lagoon would be our last views of the beautiful coral reefs on the United Island Hopper. Dependent if you’re outbound from the Island Hopper or inbound doing the Island Hopper on an eastward trajectory, this will be the last or first time of spotting these spectacular ocean reefs.
Food and Beverage: A Surprise Sandwich!
The flight between Chukk and Guam was a shorter 1 hour and 35 minutes end to end. To my surprise, a small ham and cheese sandwich on a cheese bun was offered. It was accompanied by another package of almonds and a fruit tart. Having brought my own nuts, I ate the sandwich but skipped the calories with the almonds that tasted ever so familiar by this point.
Landing cards for Guam were also passed out. As a Canadian traveller, I didn’t realize that it was considered a completely separate area of the United States with it’s own border controls and customs / immigration protections.
Landing at Guam – Agana:
In the final minutes of our flight, we had a quick and sharp approach into Guam with a low altitude turn to line up with the runway Hong Kong Kai Tak style. Flying over the island at probably 2,500 feet, I got a look into the houses off the waterfront shores. They had a bit of a rough edge to them; the weather and the heat wasn’t too kind to a lot of the paint. It actually reminded me of looking down at houses in Tanzania or Nairobi.
We arrived into a deserted airport at Guam Agana Antonio B Won Pat International Airport. It was a dated looking airport. After we had disembarked the plane, we were corralled into a semi permanent maze towards immigration.
All in all, the last segment was among the quickest of the group. I was happy to get the legs moving again after all that cramped seating for the day. Looking back on it all, it was not too terribly bad but I was happy that did the whole trip on my own. I didn’t see or recognize any other travellers on this date doing the whole 5 segment journey with me. Aside from some adventurous standby’s exploring this part of the world, I was pretty much the only one on “through traffic” end to end Island Hopper today.
I cleared US Customs and Border Protection Immigration using Global Entry and navigated into the parking lot. The sun was just setting for the night so my Guam sunset experience would end up being from the airport parking lot.
After touching down after a five segment flight United Island Hopper, I would pick up a Hertz Rental Car and transfer myself over to The Sheraton Laguna Guam Resort prior to my returning flight home on United Airlines Guam – Honolulu. I’ll post my Top 5 Tips and Tricks for the United Island Hopper in a separate post that summarizes the whole experience.
United Airlines Island Hopper Flights:
My Thoughts on the United Island Hopper between Chukk – Guam:
The highlight of this segment between Chukk and Guam was the lagoon surrounding Chukk. It was among the larger lagoons that we’d see on the trip with the exception of the Majuro Atoll. I was a bit surprised to get a sandwich after all that way. Ultimately, this flight marked the end of a long day of flying; almost fourteen hours by the end of it. I was pretty happy to get to some still ground by the end of it.
If you’ve flown the United Island Hopper, which was your favourite stop ?
The United Island Hopper flight is one of the worlds most legendary flights for aviation enthusiasts. It consists of a single flight that links some of the Pacific Ocean’s most remote islands carrying passengers, freight and supplies of the islands on a lifeline basis.
This post is one chapter on our trip on the United Island Hopper and to Oahu & Kauai, Hawaii, United States. This trip was redeemed through Alaska Mileage Plan, United Airlines Mileage Plus and Marriott Bonvoy. It was further enhanced through Marriott Bonvoy Elite Status. For more information on how this trip was booked, please see our trip introduction here. For other parts of the trip, please see this index.
If you enjoyed this post, please follow us here or on social media through Facebook, Twitter or Instagram for more travel tips and hacks on how to “Upgrade Your Travels”.
Read more from this trip:
- Introduction: The United Island Hopper via Honolulu & Kauai, on United Airlines and Alaska Airlines First Class
- Alaska Airlines First Class: Vancouver – Seattle
- Alaska Airlines First Class: Seattle – Honolulu
- The Sheraton Waikiki, Honolulu, Hawaii, USA
- The United Island Hopper – Flight #1: Honolulu – Majuro
- The United Island Hopper – Flight #2: Majuro – Kwajalein
- The United Island Hopper – Flight #3: Kwajalein – Pohnpei
- The United Island Hopper – Flight #4: Pohnpei – Chuuk
- The United Island Hopper – Flight #5: Chuuk – Guam
- The United Island Hopper – Top 5 Tips and Tricks
- The Sheraton Laguna Guam Resort, Guam
- The Sagan Bisita VIP Lounge, Guam
- United Airlines: Guam – Honolulu
- Bill’s Sydney, Honolulu, Hawaii, USA
- Hawaiian Airlines The Plumeria Lounge, Honolulu, USA
- Hawaiian Airlines First Class: Honolulu – Lihue
- The Sheraton Kauai Resort, Poi’pu, Hawaii, USA
- Visiting Kauai Coffee Estate, Kauai, USA
- The Views at the Waimea Canyon State Park, Kauai, USA
- Sailing the Napali Coast, Kauai, USA
- Alaska Airlines First Class: Lihue – Seattle
- Alaska Airlines First Class: Seattle – Vancouver
Review: United Airlines “Island Hopper” B737-8 – Flight #4, Pohnpei International Airport – Chukk International Airport
The United Airlines Island Hopper is one of the worlds’ most unique airline routes. The United Airlines Island Hopper is a route between Honolulu and Guam that stops at several small islands in the Federated States of Micronesia and the Marshall Islands. The flight is flown between two and three times per week and is the only scheduled service for many of the islands on the route. I had already spent many hours over the course of several years glancing through the United Hemispheres in flight magazine in order to one day take this flight. As a result of it’s remoteness and isolation, the airline route is one of the world’ most unique air corridors and airline travel experiences.
These next posts set out my experience in flying the United Airlines “Island Hopper” flight that crosses the Pacific through some of the world’s most remote islands. For details on how I planned the United Island Hopper trip, please see our earlier post.
The flight sequence is so unique, there isn’t any way to really cover it in detail with just one sole post. As a result, I’ve split the flight up into one flight segment per post to allow for travellers that really want to get into the journey to read up to see what they can expect.
United Airlines Island Hopper Flights:
Departing Pohnpei:
After our third flight on United Airlines Island Hopper Kwajalein – Pohnpei, and a quick layover at the Pohnpei International Airport with the best souvenir stand on the trip and an unusual international phone, it was time to leave.
With our early boarding call, I ended up snapping off a few photographs by this point as I walked back out to the aircraft. Much like my past trip to Easter Island Chile and LATAM Business Class Easter Island – Santiago, the rural apron air ramp boarding seemed all that much more normal at this time in the sequence of flights.
United Airlines
UA 154 – Economy Class (XN)
PNI – TKK (Pohnpei – Truk)
January 31, 2020
3:05 PM – 3:20 PM
Booked: Boeing 737-800
Flown: Boeing 737-800
On Board the United Island Hopper:
We had boarded quite early in a surprising era of efficiency for such a tiny outpost. Unlike the earlier segments, this section of the flight was surprisingly full with few empty seats.
I was joined by a female seat mate in 8D whom had a traditional patterned wrap and a Micheal Kors handbag; most unusual for this part of the world. I would later discover that she was United crew, based on her interactions with others later in the trip.
Thankfully, middle seats in Economy Plus within Micronesia are not hot sellers so I had another empty middle 8E next to me for this leg.
While we waited to get underway, I had enough time to capture a photograph of the souvenirs from Pohnpei. It’s a great photo for the souvenir books…
The pilot came on with a public address announcement with the usual introductions and a repeat of the same Star Wars flight safety video. We departed on Runway 9 with peek a boo views of the hills amid the cloudy weather of this particular island.
Food and Beverage:
A Minute Maid Orange Juice
The crew came around with another pack of almonds and a beverage service. I had a Minute Maid orange juice for this leg. I figured that we were more than halfway through the trip, I would get into the last of my triple stacker sandwich which had survived about nine hours of flight by this point.
In Flight Scenery:
It was at this point in the journey that the clouds actually broke a little and I got some somewhat interesting scenery slipping by through the window. The atoll rings were among the most interesting of the entire journey on this Pohnpei – Chukk segment.
I also found this sole island to be particularly captivating. The sight of a small, isolated island surrounded by a coral reef with a small structure on it was the perfect world wide island hideaway.
The segment from Pohnpei to Trukk was only 1 hour and 15 minutes. The pilots offered the usual winds and weather updates by public address announcement just prior to the final approach at Chukk International Airport.
Landing at Chukk International Airport:
It was a pretty approach on the right hand side of the aircraft prior to landing in Truk. Much like Pohnpei Federated States of Micronesia, the topography was mountainous and tropical.
We landed on runway 4 and had a taxi to the terminal. As for the last time today, the Chuuk fire truck came out to meet us.
I had my first look at the terminal building at the Chuuk International Airport. It was another larger building that demonstrated some importance on the air link off the island.
Transiting Chukk International Airport:
On arrival into the Chukk International Airport Terminal, I kept my eye out for the last opportunity for a passport stamp. As you may have guessed by now, things aren’t as well marked as they should be. We didn’t have many arriving passengers with some that looked like they were headed off with staff members to other parts of the apron. I perhaps should have followed my gut a bit more and pushed the issue headed towards what appeared to be a service door. The area is so well marked, you need to use a little vanishing ink even to see the local airport sign.
Instead, I ended up headed with the crowds to the main transit building. The building was another old utilitarian facility with upright semi portable air conditioners. The hall didn’t have much charm to it. It was packed however and was the busiest hall of the group today. There were some Japanese and American Tourists, some locals in traditional attire.
I also spotted another group of older women who appeared to be on a small group holiday. I took a look at the older women closely and happened to spot United Crew ID cards on lanyards around their necks. On closer examination, they even had old Continental stock luggage tags on their rolling luggage tags. One of them sported a Blue Lagoon Dive Shop Truk golf shirt, the place to be when you come to Truk.
I used the local facilities and we were back to the land of waste basket(s) by the toilet for the used toilet paper. There was an odour to match with the same rural smell of sweat in the waiting room that you get when you travel through places like India or rural South America where people don’t have the same access to hot showers like we do in the west. The holding area had a real authentic feel to the place and was a hive of activity during the short time we were there.
Within the Truk holding area, there was a small gift shop and sundries store but it didn’t sell too many interesting things. It did happen to sell rolls of toilet paper that you could select by pointing through the counter glass, along with flower ceramic earrings. There were some wooden carvings for about $35 – 50 USD but they didn’t look all to interesting or authentic for that matter.
Without the ability to get any cell signal or Wi-Fi in the airport, it was a pretty stand- around-and-find-someone-to-chat-to type of layover. The military group tended to stick together, in addition to ordering Asahi beer at every airport opportunity. I’d probably be doing the same thing if I was stuck on a tiny island for months at a time.
After our layover here, we would depart on flight number #5 United Airlines Island Hopper Chuuk – Guam and our final flight of the day.
United Airlines Island Hopper Flights:
My Thoughts on the United Island Hopper between Pohnpei – Chukk:
The highlight of this segment between Pohnpei and Chukk were the sights of the atolls that surrounded the two islands. Since the flight was so short, and the atolls so beautiful it made for the most interesting atoll spotting on the whole Island Hopper. Regrettably, there weren’t any exciting souvenirs at the Chuuk International Airport, so make sure you go all out at Pohnpei International Airport.
If you’ve flown the United Island Hopper, which was your favourite flight on the journey ?
The United Island Hopper flight is one of the worlds most legendary flights for aviation enthusiasts. It consists of a single flight that links some of the Pacific Ocean’s most remote islands carrying passengers, freight and supplies of the islands on a lifeline basis.
This post is one chapter on our trip on the United Island Hopper and to Oahu & Kauai, Hawaii, United States. This trip was redeemed through Alaska Mileage Plan, United Airlines Mileage Plus and Marriott Bonvoy. It was further enhanced through Marriott Bonvoy Elite Status. For more information on how this trip was booked, please see our trip introduction here. For other parts of the trip, please see this index.
If you enjoyed this post, please follow us here or on social media through Facebook, Twitter or Instagram for more travel tips and hacks on how to “Upgrade Your Travels”.
Read more from this trip:
- Introduction: The United Island Hopper via Honolulu & Kauai, on United Airlines and Alaska Airlines First Class
- Alaska Airlines First Class: Vancouver – Seattle
- Alaska Airlines First Class: Seattle – Honolulu
- The Sheraton Waikiki, Honolulu, Hawaii, USA
- The United Island Hopper – Flight #1: Honolulu – Majuro
- The United Island Hopper – Flight #2: Majuro – Kwajalein
- The United Island Hopper – Flight #3: Kwajalein – Pohnpei
- The United Island Hopper – Flight #4: Pohnpei – Chuuk
- The United Island Hopper – Flight #5: Chuuk – Guam
- The United Island Hopper – Top 5 Tips and Tricks
- The Sheraton Laguna Guam Resort, Guam
- The Sagan Bisita VIP Lounge, Guam
- United Airlines: Guam – Honolulu
- Bill’s Sydney, Honolulu, Hawaii, USA
- Hawaiian Airlines The Plumeria Lounge, Honolulu, USA
- Hawaiian Airlines First Class: Honolulu – Lihue
- The Sheraton Kauai Resort, Poi’pu, Hawaii, USA
- Visiting Kauai Coffee Estate, Kauai, USA
- The Views at the Waimea Canyon State Park, Kauai, USA
- Sailing the Napali Coast, Kauai, USA
- Alaska Airlines First Class: Lihue – Seattle
- Alaska Airlines First Class: Seattle – Vancouver
Review: United Airlines “Island Hopper” B737-8 – Flight #3, Kwajalein Bucholz Army Airfield – Pohnpei International Airport
The United Airlines Island Hopper is one of the worlds’ most unique airline routes. The United Airlines Island Hopper is a route between Honolulu and Guam that stops at several small islands in the Federated States of Micronesia and the Marshall Islands. The flight is flown between two and three times per week and is the only scheduled service for many of the islands on the route. I had already spent many hours over the course of several years glancing through the United Hemispheres in flight magazine in order to one day take this flight. As a result of it’s remoteness and isolation, the airline route is one of the world’ most unique air corridors and airline travel experiences.
These next posts set out my experience in flying the United Airlines “Island Hopper” flight that crosses the Pacific through some of the world’s most remote islands. For details on how I planned the United Island Hopper trip, please see our earlier post.
The flight sequence is so unique, there isn’t any way to really cover it in detail with just one sole post. As a result, I’ve split the flight up into one flight segment per post to allow for travellers that really want to get into the journey to read up to see what they can expect.
United Airlines Island Hopper Flights:
Departing Kwajalein:
After the second flight United Airlines Island Hopper Majuro – Kwajalein, we spent about an hour on the ground at Bucholz Army Airfield base while the plane was turned around.
Shortly before it was time to get underway, we had a few thirty something military types board the plane. Based on the way that they were dressed, it seemed like they were about to start their leave.
United Airlines
UA 154 – Economy Class (XN)
KWA – PNI (Kwajalein – Pohnpei)
January 31, 2020
1:24 PM – 2:09 PM
Booked: Boeing 737-800
Flown: Boeing 737-800
We got underway and left confidential Kwajalein. I didn’t have any seat mates next to me for this leg of the journey and had the whole bank of 8D – 8E – 8F all to myself.
I was able to snap a few photos of the Kwajalein Atoll on the way out, although I was on the wrong side of the aircraft for the best and greenest looking atoll around the island. We took a hard left turn as we headed westward on our journey, meaning that I had a look at the outer reefs for this particular departure.
We rolled past the palm trees on Kwajalein Atoll and bid farewell to the manicured green grass.
Unlike flights around the atolls of the Maldives, flying in this part of the world is sometimes mostly an exercise in cloud study. There aren’t many islands or atolls to look at. Occasionally, you can see a series of atolls in the distance, but they are view and far between. Most of the atolls worth seeing are within 60 seconds of take off and landing. When they are, they are sure spectacular.
Food and Beverage:
With this segment between Kwajalein and Pohnpei being a 1 hour and 45 minute flight, there was an offer of alcoholic drinks available for purchase. Given that they started at about $9 USD, I ended up sticking with a free Minute Maid Cranberry and Apple Cocktail along with another serving of self-catered planters peanuts.
The drink sure went quickly, along with the package of nuts that was served with it.
Arriving into Pohnpei International Airport:
With our descent into Pohnpei, we landed into a place that was much larger than our last two stops. The weather here was a little cloudy on our visit, so it didn’t have that spectacular exotic hideaway island look to it. Instead of an airport perched on top of a skinny atoll surrounded by water, we passed over lush mountains in a tropically cloudy environment. There were also medium sized mountains with rock faces as we approached.
We had our first look into Pohnpei, of the Federated States of Micronesia. I saw a lush green island covered in trees with actual mountains. It was a stark contrast from the mostly flat topography we had seen so far from the Marshall Islands.
On our final approach, we had a good view of Paipalap, or Sokehs Rock. Sokehs Rock is over 100 vertical meters (328 ft) of exposed basalt form the upper portion of a gigantic volcanic plug that juts from the north end of Sokehs Mountain. It looms over Pohnpei’s harbor. It’s a unique feature to be spotting on it’s way into an airport.
Arriving to Pohnpei International Airport:
As we taxied to position, transit passengers were invited to remain on board or deplane. I took my belongings with me and disembarked into the largest airport that we had seen on this trip since Honolulu.
I was still looking for opportunities to get a passport stamp but none were really presenting itself at PNI either. I suspect that there weren’t any arriving passengers on today’s flight as we were all marshalled into a transit area. It would make sense that most passengers to this part of the world come eastward from Guam since we were more than past the halfway mark of the trip.
The holding area at Phonpei International Airport was quite spartan without a customs’ booth either in or out to be seen. I found the international phone that recommended that you wait 20 seconds for an operator in order to be connected to be quite amusing, although I didn’t see anyone use it.
Wondering through the two room Pohnpei airport, I eventually located the main restaurant concession. A bit of a hole in the hall, it was walled off from the main seating area by a wall and glass partition and not an elegant one if you know what I am talking about.
The Pohnpei Airport Concession:
At the concession, there was a full bar (not that you’d be expecting that), room temperature resting on the counter bento boxes containing what appeared to be nori and rice among other things, and a small souvenir stand.
I latched onto the souvenir stand and ended up purchasing a small “I Love PNI” wooden magnet for $10 USD and a small container of Kosrae chili salt; presumably organic for $7.50 USD. The Kosrae chili salt must have been popular as the military types that had boarded at Kwajalein came looking for some and I had bought one of the only two remaining bottles. I can certainly affirm having had it back home that it is mighty tasty. I also picked up an ice cold Signature lemon lime soda for $2. Asahi Beer was also available for $3, but I stuck with the non-alcoholic liquids for now. The Pohnpei stop was easily the best “in – airport” souvenir stand on this particular trip.
I was able to locate some weak WIFI within the terminal. Unfortunately, it took forever to sign in and by the time I had passed through that whole process, the first 5 groups of boarding had already been announced and it was time to get back on board. I only had about 15 minutes inside this particular airport. I was fortunate to get a quick email download of all the stuff happening today, which was the initial announcements of British Airways and Air Canada cancelling their flights into China as a result of the coronavirus; among the first flights in the world to be cancelled into the region at the time.
After our layover here, we would depart on flight number #4 United Airlines Island Hopper Phonpei – Chukk.
United Airlines Island Hopper Flights:
My Thoughts on the United Island Hopper between Kwajalein – Pohnpei:
The highlight of this segment between Kwajalein and Pohnpei was the Kwajalein Atoll and the views of arriving into Pohnpei International Airport. The basalt column of Paipalap, or Sokehs Rock were also pretty neat to see on final approach. The Pohnpei International Airport would also be the best souvenir store on the whole United Airlines Island Hopper journey.
If you’ve flown the United Island Hopper, what souvenirs did you end up collecting along the way ?
The United Island Hopper flight is one of the worlds most legendary flights for aviation enthusiasts. It consists of a single flight that links some of the Pacific Ocean’s most remote islands carrying passengers, freight and supplies of the islands on a lifeline basis.
This post is one chapter on our trip on the United Island Hopper and to Oahu & Kauai, Hawaii, United States. This trip was redeemed through Alaska Mileage Plan, United Airlines Mileage Plus and Marriott Bonvoy. It was further enhanced through Marriott Bonvoy Elite Status. For more information on how this trip was booked, please see our trip introduction here. For other parts of the trip, please see this index.
If you enjoyed this post, please follow us here or on social media through Facebook, Twitter or Instagram for more travel tips and hacks on how to “Upgrade Your Travels”.
Read more from this trip:
- Introduction: The United Island Hopper via Honolulu & Kauai, on United Airlines and Alaska Airlines First Class
- Alaska Airlines First Class: Vancouver – Seattle
- Alaska Airlines First Class: Seattle – Honolulu
- The Sheraton Waikiki, Honolulu, Hawaii, USA
- The United Island Hopper – Flight #1: Honolulu – Majuro
- The United Island Hopper – Flight #2: Majuro – Kwajalein
- The United Island Hopper – Flight #3: Kwajalein – Pohnpei
- The United Island Hopper – Flight #4: Pohnpei – Chuuk
- The United Island Hopper – Flight #5: Chuuk – Guam
- The United Island Hopper – Top 5 Tips and Tricks
- The Sheraton Laguna Guam Resort, Guam
- The Sagan Bisita VIP Lounge, Guam
- United Airlines: Guam – Honolulu
- Bill’s Sydney, Honolulu, Hawaii, USA
- Hawaiian Airlines The Plumeria Lounge, Honolulu, USA
- Hawaiian Airlines First Class: Honolulu – Lihue
- The Sheraton Kauai Resort, Poi’pu, Hawaii, USA
- Visiting Kauai Coffee Estate, Kauai, USA
- The Views at the Waimea Canyon State Park, Kauai, USA
- Sailing the Napali Coast, Kauai, USA
- Alaska Airlines First Class: Lihue – Seattle
- Alaska Airlines First Class: Seattle – Vancouver
Review: United Airlines “Island Hopper” B737-8 – Flight #2, Marshall Islands Majuro Amata Kabua International Airport – Kwajalein Bucholz Army Airfield
The United Airlines Island Hopper is one of the worlds’ most unique airline routes. The United Airlines Island Hopper is a route between Honolulu and Guam that stops at several small islands in the Federated States of Micronesia and the Marshall Islands. The flight is flown between two and three times per week and is the only scheduled service for many of the islands on the route. I had already spent many hours over the course of several years glancing through the United Hemispheres in flight magazine in order to one day take this flight. As a result of it’s remoteness and isolation, the airline route is one of the world’ most unique air corridors and airline travel experiences.
These next posts set out my experience in flying the United Airlines “Island Hopper” flight that crosses the Pacific through some of the world’s most remote islands. For details on how I planned the United Island Hopper trip, please see our earlier post.
The flight sequence is so unique, there isn’t any way to really cover it in detail with just one sole post. As a result, I’ve split the flight up into one flight segment per post to allow for travellers that really want to get into the journey to read up to see what they can expect.
United Airlines Island Hopper Flights:
Departing Majuro:
After the first flight United Airlines Island Hopper Honolulu – Majuro, the stopover at Majuro was really quick. We had moved forward a day with the date line change.
We repeated the usual United Boarding process when Boarding Group 2 actually equals group 7; which is still funny to me. The sun was shining on us as we left and the photographs came out all that much more brilliant. I passed by the famous YOKWE sign, pausing for a few photographs.
In true small town charm, a family of kids was shrieking good bye at their family member as they boarded the ramp jet bridge. I guess some things, even all this way deserted in the middle of the ocean, are the same as back home.
United Airlines
UA 154 – Economy Class (XN)
MAJ – KWA (Majuro – Kwajalein)
January 31, 2020
11:40 AM – 12:35 PM
Booked: Boeing 737-800
Flown: Boeing 737-800
On Board the United Airlines Island Hopper:
Returning to my seat, I was still on the right hand side of the aircraft in Seat 8F which was an economy plus seat that I had paid for in advance.
We were joined by the United maintenance engineer who typically rides the flight in the event of any mechanical problems. He was seated in 7C in uniform, ball cap and N95 face mask. I think that last part was a personal choice on his part as, at the time, mask wearing wasn’t quite widespread. He wasn’t overly chatty with those around him for the duration of this and the other flights. I had a new seat mate in 8D in my row, but with good luck, the middle seat next to me in 8E remained empty for flight number two.
Taking off from Majuro:
They played the Star Wars featured United Airlines safety video one more time as we taxied down the runway. There was a dilapidated hanger that seemed to house an ATR72 that was backed into it, among other random aircraft lying around.
I was able to spot the Air Marshall Islands Dornier 228-212 aircraft parked on the apron. Air Marshall Islands is the flag carrier of the Marshall Islands and is government owned.
We had a departure on the sole runway at Majuro; heading out on the runway itself with a U turn at the end. The views across the Majuro Atoll were pretty spectacular. It had a pretty special and unique shape to it that I hadn’t seen in many other corners of the world, despite having been fortune enough to have been to French Polynesia, the Maldives and similar places.
Viewing the Majuro Atoll:
The Majuro Atoll consists of a ring of 64 islands around the Majuro Airport. The size of the atoll is about 295 square kilometres and consists of narrow land masses around the Atoll. It’s a pretty amazing natural feature. Assuming you had access to a boat, there are countless islands and beaches that could be explored.
Spotting the islands and areas over the Majuro Atoll was pretty spectacular on it’s own. I could hardly imagine what it would be like if you had access to a boat.
Food and Beverage: Just a drink
Departing from Majuro, it was a short 45 minute flight over to confidential Kwajalein. As a result, only an offer of water or orange juice was served.
At this point in my day, it was now 2 PM Hawaiian Time. I thought it was proper to start to dig into the ABC Stores Mega Sandwich that I had purchased the night before. The flight attendant was so excited when he saw it, he actually said “I am going to have to take that away”. I had a mini heart attack before I realized that he was just kidding. It must be a familiar gag on this particular route.
The Kwajalein Atoll is part of the Republic of the Marshall Islands. It’s the most southern most island of this particular atoll and hosts about one thousand people at the local air force base. It has been used for missile testing of all sorts over the past fifty years as part of the Ronald Regan Ballistic Missile Defence Site.
Arriving into Kwajalein:
We had a very quick descent into Kwajalein Bucholz Army Airfield, likely because there was no other surrounding air traffic.
In my earlier research, I had previously read that photography wasn’t allowed on this island. Having had no announcement about it, I kept snapping away until the plane rolled to a stop. We passed by the golf course on the south side of the Island and runway; a strange thing to see greens among manicured palm trees.
As we stopped, an announcement was made that “… due to US regulations…” that no photography was permitted. The crew on and off didn’t appear to enforce this, although I didn’t see many seated around me willing to test this rule.
Killing Time Chatting with My Seat Mates:
As we taxied to a stop, my Seat mate in 8D indicated that he had spent 10 years here, without specifying exactly what he was doing. I didn’t ask him nor put him in an uncomfortable cover story position. Surprisingly, he also didn’t ask me about my picture taking. . .
I asked him how life was here and he indicated that there were no cars on the island and that most got around by bicycle. He was an older man in his late fifties and seemed to be very comfortable with the pace of life here; dressed in polo golf shirts and silver and grey peppered hair… He commented almost stoically that he didn’t know if raising his teenager kids here during that time period had helped or hindered them out in the real world. I bid him farewell and he gathered up his things and headed off to return home on the base.
We had about an hour and ten minutes on board layover parked on the ground. I stood up and stretched while they serviced and fuelled the plane. Crawling over to an empty seat on the left hand side of the plane, I happened to spot an entry sign “US Army Garrison Kwajalein Atoll – A Community of Excellence”.
Eventually making it back to the right hand side at 8F, I was able to see most of the cargo being off loaded. There was a surprising collection of bicycles, golf clubs and other square card board boxes. As a point of amusement, almost every checked bag coming off the Island Hopper had a bright orange United Priority Tag on it signifying the number of the frequent travellers of this odd ball airline route.
The ground crew serviced the plane; closing the bathrooms. There were one or two confused standby passengers; I am supposed to get off to get my new boarding card, but I’m not allowed to get off? Of a route to fly stand by on, what are the chances of survival if you get stuck somewhere without a planned hotel? They eventually announced that boarding cards would be brought on board and to self-identify yourself to the agents. The lead ground agent came and did an onboard inventory of checked bags. He only seemed interested in the overhead bin ones. My laptop bag and bag of cafeteria snacks were of no interest to him.
After our layover here, we would depart on flight number #3 United Airlines Island Hopper Kwajalein – Phonpei.
United Airlines Island Hopper Flights:
My Thoughts on the United Island Hopper between Majuro and Kwajalein:
The highlight of this segment was the Majuro Atoll and the surrounding islands around the Majuro Atoll which made for some spectacular scenery. Spending some time at confidential Kwajalein was also interesting. It’s not every day you fly into a secret United States Military base located thousands of miles from the mainland United States of America. The stores of my seat mates were also interesting and personable considering where we were.
If you’ve flown the United Island Hopper, did find confidential Kwajalein interesting ?
The United Island Hopper flight is one of the worlds most legendary flights for aviation enthusiasts. It consists of a single flight that links some of the Pacific Ocean’s most remote islands carrying passengers, freight and supplies of the islands on a lifeline basis.
This post is one chapter on our trip on the United Island Hopper and to Oahu & Kauai, Hawaii, United States. This trip was redeemed through Alaska Mileage Plan, United Airlines Mileage Plus and Marriott Bonvoy. It was further enhanced through Marriott Bonvoy Elite Status. For more information on how this trip was booked, please see our trip introduction here. For other parts of the trip, please see this index.
If you enjoyed this post, please follow us here or on social media through Facebook, Twitter or Instagram for more travel tips and hacks on how to “Upgrade Your Travels”.
Read more from this trip:
- Introduction: The United Island Hopper via Honolulu & Kauai, on United Airlines and Alaska Airlines First Class
- Alaska Airlines First Class: Vancouver – Seattle
- Alaska Airlines First Class: Seattle – Honolulu
- The Sheraton Waikiki, Honolulu, Hawaii, USA
- The United Island Hopper – Flight #1: Honolulu – Majuro
- The United Island Hopper – Flight #2: Majuro – Kwajalein
- The United Island Hopper – Flight #3: Kwajalein – Pohnpei
- The United Island Hopper – Flight #4: Pohnpei – Chuuk
- The United Island Hopper – Flight #5: Chuuk – Guam
- The United Island Hopper – Top 5 Tips and Tricks
- The Sheraton Laguna Guam Resort, Guam
- The Sagan Bisita VIP Lounge, Guam
- United Airlines: Guam – Honolulu
- Bill’s Sydney, Honolulu, Hawaii, USA
- Hawaiian Airlines The Plumeria Lounge, Honolulu, USA
- Hawaiian Airlines First Class: Honolulu – Lihue
- The Sheraton Kauai Resort, Poi’pu, Hawaii, USA
- Visiting Kauai Coffee Estate, Kauai, USA
- The Views at the Waimea Canyon State Park, Kauai, USA
- Sailing the Napali Coast, Kauai, USA
- Alaska Airlines First Class: Lihue – Seattle
- Alaska Airlines First Class: Seattle – Vancouver
Review: United Airlines “Island Hopper” B737-8 – Flight #1, Daniel K. Inouye International Airport Honolulu – Marshall Islands Amata Kabua International Airport Majuro
The United Airlines Island Hopper is one of the worlds’ most unique airline routes. The United Airlines Island Hopper is a route between Honolulu and Guam that stops at several small islands in the Federated States of Micronesia and the Marshall Islands. The flight is flown between two and three times per week and is the only scheduled service for many of the islands on the route. I had already spent many hours over the course of several years glancing through the United Hemispheres in flight magazine in order to one day take this flight. As a result of it’s remoteness and isolation, the airline route is one of the world’ most unique air corridors and airline travel experiences.
These next posts set out my experience in flying the United Airlines “Island Hopper” flight that crosses the Pacific through some of the world’s most remote islands. For details on how I planned the United Island Hopper trip, please see our earlier post.
The flight sequence is so unique, there isn’t any way to really cover it in detail with just one sole post. As a result, I’ve split the flight up into one flight segment per post to allow for travellers that really want to get into the journey to read up to see what they can expect.
United Airlines Island Hopper Flights:
Planning to Fly the United Island Hopper on the Day of Travel:
In terms of the strategic planning for this flight, I read all the CNN, Conde Nast Traveler articles and Flyertalk threads for the flight. It became apparent some travellers (or should I say bloggers / content creators) hadn’t even flown the routes and were copying each other’s information.
All to say, the advanced research was quite insightful as to what to expect for the day. I read about tips that indicated that you should call around to have the United reservations agents split the segments / tickets so that you could get access to upgrades, different seats and the like; I didn’t bother following up with much of that since the experience was more about the route, instead of trying to game the system into upgrades.
I also read stories about United agents pro-actively moving you off the Island Hopper route in favour of the non stop United Airlines Honolulu to Guam; this was also not my experience although I did keep a regular eye on the itinerary to make sure that this didn’t lead to disappointment.
The tip that was most useful was to pack substantial food to bring along with you on the flight. United Airlines only caters the Honolulu – Majuro segment with a light meal. I ended up stopping at the ABC Stores the night before where I picked up some take away sandwiches (which got sent into secondary and swabbed by TSA at Honolulu), some Clif bars and Stanley nuts to snack on through the journey.
Overall, the preparation was a wise idea and gave me a great idea on what to expect.
Heading to the Airport:
I started the day like many other early morning flights. It was up at 4:30 AM Hawaiian Standard Time and out the door of The Sheraton Waikiki at 5:10 AM, leaving MrsWT73 to enjoy her $50 USD food and beverage credit by the pool for the next 2 days. I grabbed an $23 Uber over to Honolulu airport. The older Japanese driver was quite chatty for the early morning hour. If there was any saving grace, it was that 4:30 AM HST was actually 6:30 AM Pacific Standard Time, making the early rise feel a lot less early than it actually was.
I had attempted on line check in through the United Airlines app but the Canadian Passport I was travelling on didn’t seem to jive with the United Airlines reservation system. It suggested that I upload the document through the camera within the app but it didn’t work in the end, despite accurately grabbing all my document information and expiry dates. As a result, I had to turn up for a document verification at the airport. The system did automatically offer to select different seats for each leg of the journey. It may have been in my nature to jump around to different seats just ten to fifteen years ago. But these days, I am more of a sucker for consistency than experiencing a new economy seat position that you’ve probably already tried several times before.
Since I couldn’t get a boarding card through the application, and I was checking my rolling suitcase, I had to get to the airport before the check in cut off time. United had a check in cut off time of 75 minutes before flight for all flights departing Honolulu. My research recommended to check your carry on luggage, instead of deplaning with it at each stop. As a result, I had to get to the HNL counters by 6:10 AM at the latest.
Checking into the United Island Hopper:
On arrival to the Daniel K. Inouye Honolulu International Airport at the rosy hour of 5:40 AM, I tried again at the kiosk on arrival but ended up getting sent into the short Premier Access line in order to get the final paperwork completed. I indicated to the friendly agent that I was headed on the Island Hopper to which she responded that I “would be on the plane for a long time today”. While I was at the airport at the Premier Access desk, I couldn’t help but overhear an Australian man checking about 6 suitcases to Melbourne via Los Angeles. I guess there are people that take dog leg connections all over the world in order to save a few bucks on a fare.
Despite entering all available personal information into my reservation profile, and a Global Entry Pass ID number, the TSA Pre-Check status did not turn up on the boarding card. As a result, it was the regular security line for me.
There wasn’t much left in terms of Free Economy Plus at check in for United Mileage Plus Silver Elites so I was really happy that I paid for the Economy Plus window seat well in advance. For some reason, Seat 7C that is typically occupied by the on board flight engineer was not blocked out and was available for seating; perhaps as this below was showing for the HNL-MAJ flight.
Passing through over to the secure side, there wasn’t much open at this early hour. There was lonely Starbucks and a Burger King that were offering coffee. There were no Priority Pass Lounges open at this hour, so I settled for a Burger King Ham and Cheese Croissant sandwich “gut bomb” to fill me up for a long travel day ahead.
The United Island Hopper flight boarded from Gate F1, which had a special passport check for all travellers. As the flight passes through both The Marshall Islands and the Federated States of Micronesia before arriving in Guam, it seems to be considered both a domestic and international flight at the same time. They must have a special “cabotage” exemption to allow service from Honolulu (US) to Guam (US).
Several weeks before my travels, the Coronavirus outbreak started in Wuhan China. On the day I travelled on the Island Hopper, the World Heath Organizational declared COVID-19 a Public Health Emergency of International Concern. The World Health Organization had declared it a pandemic on March 11, 2020; just 41 days after I took this trip.
On January 30, 2020, COVID-19 cases had already reached the United States and Canada. As a result, there were several early stage screening and inoculation checks for The Marshall Islands and the Federated States of Micronesia. In order to get into the holding area, we had a queue of inoculation checks with confirmation of measles, mumps and other ailments. Passengers were having to produce certificates of measles inoculations “within the past 2 years” and there was quite a bit of confusion over what was acceptable and whether original documents or scanned copies were allowable.
After the rudimentary vaccination checks, once in the holding area, I had a first glimpse of the plane to be my home for the next 14 hours.
This is along with a souvenir boarding card photo with the hopper all on one card.
On Board the United Island Hopper:
When Boarding Group Two is not Group “2”, I boarded in the seventh group after the 6 other pre-boarding clients; those with disabilities, military, children, Global Services, 1 K, and Group 1.
I found myself the Economy Cabin and Economy Plus seat that I had carefully selected for the entire flight. It was easily worth it to pay the extra $59 USD for the 14 hour journey. As mentioned, there were only 1 or 2 economy plus window seats open at the check in window at 24 hrs and I was happy to not have chanced it.
I was in seated in 8F which had a split window with double the views. This made the flight photography a little difficult, but as long as you’re flexible and willing to adjust, it’s something that’s manageable.
In terms of picking the seat and side of the plane, I had picked seat 8F; mostly ahead of the wing and engine for unobstructed photo shots. It was also on the northern shady side of the westward bound plane, with the sun coming in from the south; preventing some glare into the cabin.
Next time, I would have probably picked 7F in the bulkhead as I still got the engine creeping into my photos more often than I would have liked, and the extra row forward may have made a difference. I was fortunate that no one ended up in 8E for this leg, so I had a little shoulder extra room to stretch myself out. I was also happy that the United Airlines B737-800 cabin was refreshed with in flight seat power (rows 1-21 only) that actually worked. I had packed a power bank with me anyway.
On board, the flight started among like any other. Despite what I had read, there was a lot of bin space available for the flight and it was probably only about 60% full. The usual flight announcements consisting of a 4 hour and 24 minute flight time to Majuro. There was also a stern advance public address warning by the pilot surrounding for those travelling to Majuro or Kwajalein to ensure that inoculations had been received so that you would be permitted entry into the country.
There was a lot of general chit chatter amongst the travellers; more so than on other narrow body flights. Overhearing the conversations, the passenger ahead of me worked for the US Air Force, where as some of the other passengers appeared to be contractor types headed to Kwajalien (KWA) Air Force Base. They finalized the load, much of which appeared to be cargo headed to Majuro and Kwajalein.
We departed on the coral runway out of Honolulu. There was the usual interesting plane spotting on the way out of HNL. It’s interesting to see US Air Force jets parked at the nearby Hickham base, along with Jetstar B787’s.
As we climbed out of Honolulu, we had a gradual right turn towards The Marshall Islands and we were on our way.
The Meal: A Hot Breakfast Sandwich
The only meal served on the flight was presented almost immediately after we got airborne. It was a Jimmy Dean Sausage Egg and Cheese on a Muffin, along with a Chobani Greek Yoghurt with a Mixed Berry. I don’t usually go for pop on the plane but they seemed to be giving out full cans so I went with a can of Sprite over ice in order to keep me hydrated for the long trip.
The meal was also collected almost immediately after it started. I hadn’t even gotten through the McMuffin prior to them coming through to collect the trays.
In flight Entertainment:
There was a light amount of content on the Direct TV with in seat back entertainment screens so you didn’t have to rely on a tablet. There were about 7 Hollywood movies and the moving map. Unfortunately, the News & Information, Entertainment and Music Channels, Family & Kids Channels were all blacked out and not viewable as a result of not being over the Continental US. Most of the early chatter between passengers subsided pretty quickly as the shades went down for most people and they drifted off to sleep.
After breakfast, there was nothing to see but miles of expansive ocean. Much like a trans-continental flight, there wasn’t much to do but relax and enjoy. If you’re going to nap to rest after an early morning wake up, this is certainly the flight segment to do it on.
The monotony was broken up by some turns over what appeared to be the Johnston Atoll. I wouldn’t have even noticed it but we had a large S turn at 36,000 feet, despite no other aircraft traffic on view.
Viewing the Johnston Atoll:
The Johnston Atoll was claimed by the United States in 1858. It appears to be presently under the control of the United States Fish and Wildlife Service as an unincorporated territory.
The Johnston Atoll included at one time being a refuelling stop for the B29 Enola Gay as it transited the Pacific Ocean, in addition to military rocket and launch testing sites over the years. The United Island Hopper used to stop on the atoll between 1969 and 1970 but was discontinued after they started storing chemical munitions on the atoll.
After the Johnston Atoll, there wasn’t much more to see for several hours until we arrived to the Majuro Atoll.
On Final Approach to the Majuro Atoll:
It took a while before we had anything to look at but eventually we started the approach into exotic Majuro Atoll. The islands and atolls themselves are changed in a flat U shape. Our approach took us over the eastern portion of these islands. We had a fairly quick approach and descent into Majuro in the Marshall Islands
Landing at Majuro International Airport:
As we approached, there was the first public address announcement to indicate what transit passengers could and couldn’t do, with respect to staying on the aircraft. In this case of travel during the pre-pandemic world, transit passengers had the option of getting off, or staying seated on board for 45 minutes. As with past reports, passengers disembarking had to carry off and take all their carry on items with them off the aircraft. I was really happy I checked my bag.
The landing cards were also passed out. In unusual customs declaration oddities, it seems you have to declare more than $300 worth of clothes if entering the country.
Marshall Islands Declaration Cards
We had a short landing on the sole runway at Amatua Kabua International Airport at Majuro Atoll. After we landed, the local fire department came to pace the aircraft.
As I got off the plane, we stepped onto a ramp jet bridge out into a cloudy space. The first sight to see was the small red terminal building with the famous YOKWE arrival sign, welcoming travellers to The Marshall Islands.
Thanks to the early developing Coronarvirus situation, passengers were split into two lines; transit and arrival. I was tempted to line up at the arrivals desk for a passport stamp, but wasn’t able to make it past the screeners as they were all looking for documentation and stamps. The staff I talked to had no sense of humour about the whole thing, making it difficult to be where you weren’t supposed to be. Relegated to the transit lounge, I headed over to a small dark space.
Once in the transit lounge, I arrived to the reality of a new day. We had crossed the international date line and it was a day after we had taken off.
There was a small “Snack Time” concession stand selling everything from over the counter Duty Free, sandwiches, tinned soft drinks, to Newspapers to Hard Boiled Eggs out of a carton. I picked up a local copy of the Marshall Island Journal for “$1 on Majuro” proudly printed on the cover. Surprisingly to me, the paper was printed +1 day in advance, even with the time zone and international date line change
I happened to locate the exit immigration booth which happened to back onto the arrival booth. I flagged down the officer when he was done to ask to see if he could stamp my passport. Unfortunately, even with a souvenir patch to offer for him from my home country of Canada as a courtesy, he declined to stamp it; “only if you’re entering”. As with the case in many of these small airports, there is no way to enter the country to get the stamp, since once you enter, there is no way of getting back airside as all the security screeners and immigration people have left their posts. Reluctantly, passport stamp collection luck was not on my side today with the stamps.
While I was at tha Amata Kabua International Airport on Majuro, I was able to connect to the free wifi. Despite the wifi, there was no cellular service the entire time I was on the island. I was able to send a quick hello back to MrsWT73 who was comfortably set up at The Sheraton Waikiki Edge Infiniti pool enjoying a mai tai.
United Airlines Island Hopper Flights:
My Thoughts on the United Island Hopper between Honolulu and Majuro:
The first flight of the United Island Hopper between Honolulu and Majuro admittedly isn’t much different than an early morning flight that happens to travel over an ocean. It’s almost similar to a Hawaiian flight to the mainland. The flight really gets interesting towards the end of it starting with the first views of Johnston and Majuro Atolls. Fortunately, the best of the flight is yet to come.
If you’ve flown the United Island Hopper, did you stay awake after the early morning departure from Honolulu ?
The Sheraton Waikiki is among the most legendary mega hotel properties in the Waikiki Beach area of Honolulu, Hawaii in the United States. The Sheraton Waikiki offers a renovated hotel experience that is well located in the heart of Waikiki and also offers a compact resort footprint with an assortment of loungers. How would our experience at the Sheraton Waikiki fare for a Waikiki Beach holiday?
This post is one chapter on our trip on the United Island Hopper and to Oahu & Kauai, Hawaii, United States. This trip was redeemed through Alaska Mileage Plan, United Airlines Mileage Plus and Marriott Bonvoy. It was further enhanced through Marriott Bonvoy Elite Status. For more information on how this trip was booked, please see our trip introduction here. For other parts of the trip, please see this index.
If you enjoyed this post, please follow us here or on social media through Facebook, Twitter or Instagram for more travel tips and hacks on how to “Upgrade Your Travels”.
Read more from this trip:
- Introduction: The United Island Hopper via Honolulu & Kauai, on United Airlines and Alaska Airlines First Class
- Alaska Airlines First Class: Vancouver – Seattle
- Alaska Airlines First Class: Seattle – Honolulu
- The Sheraton Waikiki, Honolulu, Hawaii, USA
- The United Island Hopper – Flight #1: Honolulu – Majuro
- The United Island Hopper – Flight #2: Majuro – Kwajalein
- The United Island Hopper – Flight #3: Kwajalein – Pohnpei
- The United Island Hopper – Flight #4: Pohnpei – Chuuk
- The United Island Hopper – Flight #5: Chuuk – Guam
- The United Island Hopper – Top 5 Tips and Tricks
- The Sheraton Laguna Guam Resort, Guam
- The Sagan Bisita VIP Lounge, Guam
- United Airlines: Guam – Honolulu
- Bill’s Sydney, Honolulu, Hawaii, USA
- Hawaiian Airlines The Plumeria Lounge, Honolulu, USA
- Hawaiian Airlines First Class: Honolulu – Lihue
- The Sheraton Kauai Resort, Poi’pu, Hawaii, USA
- Visiting Kauai Coffee Estate, Kauai, USA
- The Views at the Waimea Canyon State Park, Kauai, USA
- Sailing the Napali Coast, Kauai, USA
- Alaska Airlines First Class: Lihue – Seattle
- Alaska Airlines First Class: Seattle – Vancouver
Review: Sheraton Waikiki – High King Oceanfront Guest Room, Honolulu, Hawaii, United States of America.
Booking the Sheraton Waikiki:
When looking to see properties to book, I located the large monolithic Sheraton Waikiki. On our last trip to Honolulu, we had last stayed at The Moana Surfrider by Westin in the historic wing. While it was quaint, it wasn’t charming enough to call us back again for another repeat stay.
We ended up deciding to stay at the Sheraton Waikiki. The Sheraton Waikiki is a large mega hotel resort in the middle of the Waikiki Beachfront featuring 1,636 hotel rooms and 136 suites. The hotel was originally built in 1971, but has undergone several recent upgrades and renovations to make it more relevant in today’s mid – luxury resort environment.
Like many Marriott Bonvoy hotels in Hawaii, the Sheraton Waikiki remains a terrible value on a Marriott Bonvoy Points redemption as a Category 7. A standard night during our January stay was over 50,000 points for a base level city view back street room. As a result, we opted for a paid cash rate. I searched around and the best one that I could find was the American Auto Mobile Association (AAA rate) for $282 USD that included a $50 food and beverage credit per night.
As Marriott Bonvoy Titanium level members, we would also be entitled to the best available room, including select suites, access to the Sheraton Executive Club Lounge, and a welcome amenity including breakfast, additional Marriott Bonvoy points or a local welcome gift.
Getting to the Sheraton Waikiki:
The Sheraton Waikiki is located in central Waikiki at one of the best locations in Waikiki Beach. It’s located almost dead center on the area west of the canal. It’s within easy walking distance from a number of off property restaurants in the immediate area.
The hotel is also very close to a strip of Waikiki Beach that is mere steps from the hotel property. Although some parts of the hotel aren’t beach front being right up against the water break, the Waikiki Beach strip starts immediately to the east of the property and runs onwards for several miles.
The hotel couldn’t be any more convenient for spending a few days within Waikiki Beach and it’s probably the most convenient hotel property for those looking for a short stay in Waikiki Beach. About the only thing the hotel isn’t conveniently located near to is an area to park your car for free; something that can be said of almost every Waikiki Beach hotel.
Checking into the Sheraton Waikiki:
After arriving off of Alaska Airlines First Class Seattle – Honolulu, we took an Uber Comfort from the Honolulu International Airport to the Sheraton Waikiki. Our Uber fare was approximately $35 USD. We arrived curb side at the Sheraton Waikiki. We were offered assistance from the Sheraton valet with the bags. There weren’t too many arrivals at this time of night. Surprisingly absent during our arrival was the Hawaiian lei presentation. I think the Sheraton Waikiki is too high volume a hotel to offer a lei arrival for each traveler. Despite guests being charged a $40 USD resort fee per day, you would think they could work something in for that fee. We declined bag assistance and wandered up to the check in counters which were totally empty and line free at 11 PM.
Trying to get the Best Possible Upgrade at Check In:
When you’re staying on a longer personal stay at a beach resort, it’s always more important to get the best possible room. With this objective, we had applied Marriott Bonvoy Suite Night Awards to the property for the Ohana Suites; the only category available in the Suite Night Award pool during our stay. The Ohana (family) Suites are the largest suites available at the property, beginning with the Malia Suites (smallest suit category) and Kai Suites (intermediate sized suites) which are of smaller size than the Ohana family suites.
Unfortunately, our Suite Night Awards hd failed to clear at the usual five day mark. As Marriott Bonvoy Titanium level members who had access to the best available room including select suites, at check in, we were then pro-actively upgraded before check in into the High King Oceanfront Guest Room, from the base level City View room that we had booked.
Playing strictly by the numbers, in a property with 1,636 rooms and 136 suites, there is a somewhere between a good to very good opportunity to getting an upgrade on a Marriott Bonvoy elite level upgrade to a better room. Such a soft upgrade seems to be usually from a base level city view room, to an ocean facing room of the same category.
However, it’s a little more elusive in getting upgraded into a proper suite category and my success on this at the Sheraton Waikiki has been hit and miss. If travelling to this property as a Marriott Bonvoy Elite member, I’d plan (and hope) for an upgrade to an Ocean facing room and set expectations accordingly. Anything higher than this is an extreme bonus.
With this in mind, the pleasant but efficient check in reception agent assigned us room #3127, an Ocean Facing High Floor King Bed, which was situated on the very top floor and ocean facing according to its description.
I asked about the possibility of selecting the Marriott Bonvoy elite breakfast to be enjoyed in the Kai restaurant, but the only offer / Titanium Welcome Amenity was 1,000 welcome bonus or a box of chocolates. When I directly asked about breakfast in the restaurant, I was met with polite decline and a brief “we don’t offer that anymore”. I didn’t push the issue since I wasn’t actually going to be around for most of the stay; taking off on the United Island Hopper in 2 days. This property seems to beat to its own drum at times, even if it’s contrary to the Marriott Bonvoy Terms and Conditions. MrsWT73 prefers the short and sweet lounge food anyways over the proper sit down breakfast.
During the check in, we were presented with the usual hotel information sheet and restaurant / lounge timings.
We were also provided the regular Club Leahi (lounge) card that stated the hours of operation and the public cash upgrade price of $125 for 2 adults and 2 children under the age of 12. We were given free access to the Club Leahi lounge courtesy of Marriott Bonvoy Titanium status.
We also received a letter outlining the conditions of the resort fees. Surprisingly as mentioned, there was no included Lei arrival; something that you might expect as an inclusion a resort fee at $40 USD per day.
The resort fee covered 2 bottles of local water and the usual junk you don’t need; use of the games room area, a photo session, go pro rental and Wi-Fi. It unfortunately did not cover parking which was chargeable at $35 for self park or $45 for valet. I didn’t locate any cheaper nearby options that didn’t involve a major walk or a 7 AM wake up in order to re-position the car.
The AAA rate $50 food and beverage credit that came with our special room rate came with a letter outlining the terms and conditions. The credit was only valid at the four food and beverage outlets in the Sheraton Waikiki which included Kai Market, Rum Fire, The Edge Bar and Hapa’s Pizza.
The credit was applied to food and alcohol and was thankfully inclusive of tax and gratuity. The unused balance was not able to be carried over to another day nor applied against room rate or resort charge.
There was nothing like passing quizzes of all the information presented to you at this late check in hour. I ended up scooping most of it up to read the next morning.
The Room: A High Oceanfront King
We navigated ourselves to the assigned Room #3127. We used the elevators of the main lobby that offer eleven cars of elevator speed goodness with minimal waits. The elevators are programmed for speed efficiency, with a touch of a central button to express floors.
Arriving to the Ocean Facing High Floor Room, the room was one of the newer recently renovated rooms. The full property refurbishment has added a nice modern touch to a dated hotel. The room consequently, was in great and new shape.
The room had a small occasional chair for resting. The room itself did not offer a lot of extra space. We often ended up using the chair as a storage location as there wasn’t a lot of counter space in the room itself.
The room itself is a little compact. On the whole, it was a pretty good soft upgrade for a 1,656 hotel room that likely had over 50 – 100 platinum’s+ staying during our visit. During our visit, the renovation had not fully completed and the hotel had a large chunk of rooms closed for ongoing renovations.
In the room, the bathroom was tiny but fully refreshed. As can be expected, given the heavy amount of Japanese tourists to Hawaii, US it offered Japanese toilets.
The bathroom featured a small tub and shower combination in the same room as the toilet.
The entry space was also fully refreshed with useful storage conveniences.
There was a small deck out on the 31th floor, with a great sunset view. The small deck offered two chairs with minimal space on the outdoor balcony.
After arriving to the room on the first night, I couldn’t get the air conditioner to work. It was impossible to sleep as a result of warm temperatures. It was a warm and toasty 80 degrees Fahrenheit (27 Celcius), which is a bit hot for my tastes.
In order to try to fix the situation, I had the thermostat cranked down to 65 for about an hour with no luck. After being unable to fix it, and unable to sleep, I bit the bullet aiming to call Guest Services for the hotel maintenance man. I was expecting a bit of a wait to get it fixed while they sent someone near 1 AM. Guest Services indicated that it was broken for the night hotel wide (say what?!?). We had apologies that it would be fixed as soon as possible but likely the next day. Much to my horror, we slept with the patio door open all night (on the 31st floor) just to cool off the room.
Thankfully, the issue was fixed the next day by mid morning. There wasn’t any goodwill compensation offered for the issue and we didn’t follow up and address it on check out.
Around the Resort Property:
Sheraton Club Lehani Lounge
After the first hot evening with no air conditioner, we headed up to the Lehani Lounge for breakfast.
The Sheraton Lehani Lounge occupies a very large area with impressive window views over Diamond Head and the bay. The design of the space is completely enclosed. Unfortunately, it does not feature an outside deck like the Moana Surfrider Club Lounge.
The deluxe continental breakfast included scrambled eggs, sausages, Texas fries along with a miso soup station, white rice, croissants, cakes, mango / orange juice and Kona Coffee that wasn’t all too strong.
The evening happy hour featured similar snacks, meatballs, breads and house wine and Kona Brewing bottled beer over ice. While it was not as exotic as the lounges in Asia or Europe, it was nice to have access to beer and wine at happy hour at a lounge in the United States.
Ultimately, despite the chaos of a busy lounge, the views from the 30th floor were pretty inspiring. The views over the skyline towards Diamond Head were among my favourite. It has to be among the best Sheraton lounge views out there in the Sheraton system.
The Edge Infinity Pool:
We spent the next day lounging by the pool. The property features two pools: The Edge Infinity Pool for Adults, and the family-friendly Helumoa Playground pool.
The property features many more sun chair loungers than the Moana Surfrider and we were able to get a lounger for the day in the adult Edge Infinity Pool at 8:30 AM without any issues or reservation payment. The first bank of chairs by the pool with the best views are paid at $30 for the day, whereas the other chairs are free on a first come first serve basis.
We had a full day of sun. We ended up taking a few pictures from the excellent infinity pool on a deck that had full sun exposure from 8:45 AM right to quitting time at about 4:45 PM.
The combination of bobbing in the pool, Tom Clancy books, followed by a perfectly cooked mahi mahi burger and a mai tai or two using our daily $50 USD food and beverage credit made for a great relaxing day.
Mid way through the afternoon, I took a break from the pool and wandered down to look at the resort area.
The Helumoa Playground pool (family pool):
The other pool on the property is the family-friendly Helumoa Playground pool. The Helumoa Family Pool would be more than enough for a few days of entertainment with a waterslide, two large whirlpools, an interactive fountain area, luxury poolside cabanas, and poolside food and beverage service.
The Helumoa Playground pool was under the shadow of the imposing Sheraton Waikiki Towers. While the pool is larger, I found that it typically had more shade exposure than the Edge Infinity Pool. This is not necessarily a bad thing if you’re visiting with younger family members.
The family area is a little mayhem oriented, as can be expected. It was typically very busy on this side of the property with large Asian groups taking over most of the seats.
Most of the lounger seats with a water view were fully occupied, although there were a number of high density loungers between the Sheraton Waikiki and the Royal Hawaiian hotel that were typically available. I wouldn’t exactly call this aspirational resort seating, although it’s nice to have the option. There isn’t a lot of real estate around the hotel, so in a hotel nearing two thousand rooms and three thousand guests, it translates into high density seating like this.
There was also immediate foot access to Waikiki Beach adjacent to the Royal Hawaiian next door. Unlike the Royal Hawaiian Hotel next door, the Sheraton Waikiki does not maintain a reserved area of beach lounge chairs on Waikiki Beach. There was an outdoor shower and foot shower near the gate that typically saw heavy use.
Viewing the Royal Hawaiian Hotel Next Door:
Around the property, I also located a charming but brief walkway to the Royal Hawaiian lobby next door. It featured some gorgeous mature growth trees.
After the sun tanning session ended, we had sunset and sundowner cocktails up from the 31st floor from our hotel room. The view from the room was a nice spot and pleasant sunset views over the water.
Around the Hotel:
While there are a number of on property restaurants at the Sheraton Waikiki, one of the hotel advantages are the sheer number of restaurants located within the Waikiki Beach area.
Duke’s Waikiki
After sunset, we ended up walking down to Duke’s for dinner at about 7:30 PM. There was not much of a wait and we ended up on the outdoor lanai after about 15 minutes. There is nothing like an all American Duke’s Cheese burger and fries when you’re in the USA along with a Kona Blonde Ale. MrsWT73 treated herself to nachos and a Duke’s Mai Tai in the usual Duke’s Tiki glass.
I would only have a two night stay here, before heading off on the United Airlines Island Hopper. Although it was a quick stay for me, I really enjoyed the property and would be keen to return.
The Bottom Line: The Sheraton Waikiki
Our time at the Sheraton Waikiki and around Waikiki Beach was absolutely fabulous with a sunny first day. I was a bit hesitant to leave on my adventure after having such a nice time.
While it was a bit disappointing to check into a room with no working air conditioner, this issue wasn’t specific to the room we were in. We would have likely experienced the same issue in any other room. What was more disappointing was that there was no pro-active good will about the problem, which indicates to me it likely occurs more often than the hotel might care to admit.
Overall, we had a really nice stay here aside from all the hidden fees. The $50 food and beverage credit was a nice way to add value to the stay and we’d easily stay here again if the same sort of rate presented itself.
World Traveller 73 
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