Review: IASS Lounge Honolulu Airport

This lounge is dreadful! Too bad you didn't go to the Delta Sky Club instead, it's by far the nicest of the US Majors with the best food and drink offerings.

From Andrew's review:

"Keep in mind that Hawaiian grants Premier Club access to all its First and Business Class passengers"

Of course, from his review, it seems that lounge is just as bad as the IASS one...

Frequently the Pre-Check lines at DFW can be longer than the Premium lines. We've found that going to the Premium lines, if eligible, is almost as good as Pre-Check. You have to take your liquids/laptops out, but you don't have to take your shoes off and they send you through the magnetometer and not the nude-o-scope.

I was just there last month. One of the worst lounges I have ever been to, even worse than #66 lounge in Shanghai Pudong. Nothing to eat, no where to sit, and we had to wait 15 minutes for the lounge to open at 2pm.
I was trying to convince my wife to keep the CSR for the lounge access, but this experience didn't help.

I transited LAX-HNL-OGG this year and also found the airport incredibly confusing. It looks straightforward on a map (all gates post security, 3 terminals, etc.) but is quite a different story once you're there. Most of the gates/terminals were empty (no one to ask questions) and the signage was lacking, as you mention. And there were customs machines everywhere but we were never asked to put our carry ons thru.

The one good thing was I researched ahead of time to learn that the Plumeria is the best PP lounge, hands down. But even finding that was a hassle since it said 2nd floor so we went down a level from the wiki stop (isn't that 3rd floor?) but it was actually up there all along (had to climb the stairs and ask the customs guy).

And anecdotally the TAs in Hawaii are ruder than mainland agents... YMMV

Paying for pre-check makes sense if you're flying inter-island even once a week and many do it more often than that. Hawaii is pretty unique in how dependent they are on air travel to travel within the state.

That so-called wiki wiki shuttle experience at HNL is so bad, I usually opt out and walk instead, even when my gate is in the Diamond Head wing, which is the farthest walk from the inter-island terminal. I recommend walking to anybody without mobility issues.

"wiki wiki" translates to speedy in Hwaiian (literally fast-fast), but in my experience it's anything but speedy and the agent working the waiting room has no information on when to expect the next bus for your gate. I don't think it's the fault of the minimum wage person working that room, it's basically the crappy way that HNL operates and treats passengers. There's no accountability from that state agency and they just don't give a s-h-i-t about anything. Look at the condition of OGG. As they spend $750M on a car rental facility, the terminal itself has ripped up torn seats and is in terrible condition, even as they attempt to renovate the public areas, which is more about creating more retail for the fee income it generates and not necessarily about making it nicer for pax. (I have not seen any renovation going on in the gate areas, which are a nightmare, though we have no idea if that will come later or not.)

but the gardens are beautiful

As for pre-check, I think you were probably flying at peek times. The line at OGG is usually not that bad. Last time we went through around 8pm or so, the pre-check line was pretty long and basically moving very slowly until they opened the second scanning belt. noonish - 2pm is probably the other peak time at OGG.

I think there's two entrances at HNL interisland terminal with pre-check, so you can try the other one if the first one is too long, but they need to do some work there to fix the security checkpoints to add more line space and more scanners/belts. That's the meta problem there and it goes back to the horrible way the airports are run in Hawaii.

Sounds just like the PP lounges at Narita. I'd rather have a $5 voucher to 7-11.

Sadly, our experiences with Hawaii in general are that it is just not worth the hassle. The fellow travelers seem to be especially rude and entitled. Everything seems to unravel into a cluster.
Seriously, Mexico can give a better, more gracious experiences at 1/4 the distance and price.
Enough is enough.

I don't quite understand why you took a shuttle rather than just walked? Have been a few times and didn't even know there WAS a shuttle! Always just walked from security to mainland-bound gates.

I might have a candidate to best the IASS lounge though, try the Priority Pass offering at Venice - it is *before* security (very unhelpful, esp as no fast track pass now provided), has no snacks and only has a tiny soft drink selection if you ask the lounge host. Basically it's some seats. Can't believe they get a lounge entry fee for this!

HNL is very dated and one almost expects Jack Lord to appear, but I love the announcements in Hawaiian

I had a nice meal at one of the restaurants and the garden area is a blessing

Btw the Hawaiian word for quick is wiki Very quick is wiki wiki , hence Wikipedia:)

It is a very easy walk from the inter island terminal to the main terminal! No need to take a shuttle for most passengers.

If the queues are long you also have the option of walking to the other terminal landslide and ducking through the far end security point, which has much shorter queues.

That brings you out nearer the agreeable Tequila Bar (no point in going to a lounge at HNL).

1) The guy in the last picture looks like he's walking the catwalk. #workitgirl #toosexy

2) I would think a lot of leisure travelers to Hawaii have Pre-Check for their "real life" travels

3) The lounge furniture reminds of of Blanche's bedroom on the Golden Girls

HNL worked great for us when we departed on UA for the mainland this summer. Short and easy check-in line, very short pre-check line, and then a nice five minute walk to the United Club with great views of the tarmac.

One fun fact about the IASS Lounge is that it's against the rules to bring in and consume outside food (the lounge doesn't offer anything to eat).

Accurate review of the facilities at HNL.
The interisland terminal is finally getting the long-awaited expansion and redesign that is needed to accommodate the growth of their hometown airline into the international long-haul carrier it has become.

Hawaiian's inflight service is top notch. Wonderful crews and excellent service.

In First/Business Class, the lie-flat seats have fitted mattress pads in the overhead bins... definitely make the seat very comfortable for sleeping. Auckland to Honolulu I slept for a solid 6 hours of a 10-hour flight.

I couldn't agree more regarding the insolent attitude of the Hawaiian Airline gate people I've dealt with for more than 20 years. I haven't visited their lounge but the description matches what I would expect.

I agree with this person's review of Honolulu Airport, as it is chaos at the Hawaiian check-in area every time I come (I think the airport in Lihue on Kaua'i is actually more efficient). Signage is terrible and the employees don't display the "aloha spirit." Time to update the airport. I'm glad I didn't try the IASS Lounge, looked bad in the review. But the Hawaiian Airlines Premier Club Lounge and The Plumeria Lounge wasn't really that much better.

In the nearly two years since this review was published, they haven’t changed the WiFi password.

This lounge is possibly the worse lounge in the world. Been to over 80 countries and aside from the lounge in Casablanca, Morocco. This is the worse. $25.00 for water and soda. Such an outright rip off.

The IASS lounge at HNL was the worst lounge I have visited. If you’re at HNL don’t waste your time here. Our visit was yesterday, Sept 9, 2023 and it hasn’t changed at all from the review written. The Plumeria Lounge at HNL in much better but a long walk from E gates.

Just to update: went here yesterday and same furniture and wi-fi password as Ben’s review