Kona -- The "Armpit" of Airports

Avoid Kona Airport

In a half-century of flying on business or personal trips, I have flown from, through, and into 22 airports:

BUR Bob Hope (Burbank, USA)
BWI Baltimore/Washington International (Baltimore, USA)
DEN Denver International (old location) (Denver, USA)
DFW Dallas/Fort Worth International (between Dallas and Fort Worth, USA)
ELP El Paso International (El Paso, USA)
HNL Honolulu International (Honolulu, USA)
IAD Washington Dulles International (Washington, USA)
ITO Hilo International (Hilo, USA)
LAX Los Angeles International (Los Angeles, USA)
LGW London Gatwick (London, UK)
OAK Oakland International (Oakland, USA)
OGG Kahului (Maui, USA)
ORD Chicago O'Hare International (Chicago, USA)
PHL Philadelphia International (Philadelphia, USA)
PHX Sky Harbor International (Phoenix, USA)
SFO San Francisco International (San Francisco, USA)
SJC Mineta San Jose International (San Jose, USA)
YUL Trudeau International (Montreal, Canada)
YXE Diefenbaker International (Saskatoon, Canada)
YYC Calgary International (Calgary, Canada)
YYZ Pearson International (Toronto, Canada)

One airport stood out, however, for poor design and passenger service — Kona International Airport ((KOA) Kona, USA). Returning from a week in Maui, my wife and I recently changed planes at KOA, which is located on the west coast of the big island of Hawaii. With a long layover, we had plenty of time to study KOA and all its deficiencies.

As with many airports, the road past the terminals is one-way. All directional signs are oriented towards vehicles driving by. Passengers walking opposite the flow of cars from one terminal to another have to pass a sign and then turn back to read it. Terminals have no signs oriented towards persons who are walking.

Because of our long layover, we could not immediately check our luggage (a federal rule). Thus, we could not immediately go through terminal security. There are no seats outside security. We had to sit on a low rock wall, rough and very uncomfortable.

The only eating facility outside terminal security was across the street. Think of a lunch wagon, the type sometimes called a "roach coach". This so-called restaurant did not meet that standard.

When we finally checked-in and our luggage tagged for our flight, our luggage was then returned to us. We had to carry our luggage to the federal inspectors. At all other airports, the airlines handle this.

After clearing terminal security, we went to the one restaurant within the terminal. Think of McDonald's. This restaurant did not meet that standard.

Being in the tropics but with refreshing trade winds, the terminals are roofed but without any walls. Flies are annoying and even aggressive. (I saw no flies on Maui.)

KOA is an international airport, with service to various other places in the Pacific, including French Polynesia. Neither the airport itself nor the airlines are prepared to deal with foreign travelers who do not speak English. A woman from France who spoke little English could not get any help from airport and airline employees. She had to plead with other travelers for assistance.

Within the terminals, gate numbers are not visible until you are at the gate. There are no directional signs indicating where gates might be found.

Travelers to the mainland of the U.S. must have their luggage inspected by the U.S. Department of Agriculture to prevent the transport of insects and other pests. There are actually two inspections: one for checked luggage (to-be-checked luggage) before you check-in at the ticket counter and one for carry-on luggage at the boarding gate. The inspection station for carry-on luggage does not open until shortly before boarding begins, which means the line for inspection is longer than the line for boarding.

When I told my wife that KOA is the "arm pit of airports", she smiled and agreed. In the future, we might change planes in Hilo (ITO) or Honolulu (HNL). We will never fly from, through, or into Kona (KOA) again.

5 March 2009

Avoid Kona Airport

Copyright © 2009 by David E. Ross