There is a good chance that this station contains affiliate links. If you click on any of these links, I might earn a small commission at no extra cost to you ( which I in truth appreciate, thank you ! ) The full disclosure policy can be found hera.

Table of Contents

How to survive the flight to Hawaii

thus you ’ re going to Hawaii, and you ’ rhenium super excited. You should be ! Hawaii is one of the most perplex places on land. It ’ second besides a long means aside from where you live, and you may be wondering how to survive the flight to Hawaii .
Okay, “ survive ” might seem a act extreme, but it is a very long escape .
Before we get to how to survive the flight to Hawaii, let ’ s spill about rental cars in Hawaii.

Reading: How to survive the flight to Hawaii and how to fight jet lag once you arrive

You ’ ll decidedly need a rental car upon arrival ; I recommend Discount Hawaii Car Rental. You ’ ll find the best prices on rental cars in Hawaii .
You can check out why you need a lease car in Hawaii if you ’ re not convinced .

How far is it to Hawaii?

In a word : far .
The hawaiian Islands are the most disjunct population center in the worldly concern. That is equitable a fancy way of saying that Hawaii is the most isolate place in the world where people live .
No count where you live, it ’ south going to be at least 5 hours to Hawaii and most often more. It ’ s about 5 hours to Hawaii from the West Coast .
If you live in the Midwest or on the East Coast, you ’ rhenium looking at least 8-12 hours. I ’ ve fly non-stop to Hawaii from both Dallas and Chicago, and it was about 9 hours for each escape .
If you don ’ thyroxine live in a large city or live on the East Coast, you ’ re likely looking at at least one stop .

Should I get a flight with a layover going to Hawaii?

I ’ ve had many people ask if they should have a stop on the means to Hawaii .
The answer is complicated. I don ’ triiodothyronine think you should have a day-long stop ( why take away from clock time in Hawaii ? ), but a stop/layover on the flight to Hawaii can be a dear or regretful thing .
On the one hand, stopping means that you can stretch your legs, grab a nosh, and get off the herd plane .

On the other hand, having flights with stops means more of a opportunity for something to go amiss. As person who has had to drive 5 hours after missing a connection, I wouldn ’ t say I like taking that luck .
The fledge to Hawaii is long, but it ’ sulfur worth it once you arrive !
ultimately, choosing a flight with or without a stop is up to you. therefore consider the pros and cons before making a decisiveness .
nothing is easy about flying to Hawaii, but there are a few tips on surviving a long flight to Hawaii that will undoubtedly help .
If you missed it, you ’ re going to need a rental car once you arrive in Hawaii. I recommend Discount Hawaii Car Rental. Trust me ; you ’ re going to want a car to explore the beautiful islands .
Keep read for tips on how to survive the flight to Hawaii and how to fight coal-black lag in Hawaii .

1. Buy tickets early

The earlier you purchase tickets, the better find you will choose a good seat .
Waiting until the seats are the least expensive international relations and security network ’ thyroxine always the best option because lone the “ undesirable ” seats will be available at that bespeak .
Getting a good seat can actually help make a long trajectory a little easier. It may even be worth it to upgrade to premium economy or business classify for region of your trip .

2. Purchase a Kindle Unlimited Subscription

If you read fast, as I do, one book international relations and security network ’ triiodothyronine going to cut it. Besides, many airlines are switching to app-based entertainment services, so you might equally well have a Kindle or iPad with you .
indisputable, you can use your phone, but who wants to stare at a bantam earphone for 8+ hours ?
I don ’ deoxythymidine monophosphate keep my Kindle Unlimited subscription year-round, but I use it when traveling a lot. I like to read on the flat or the beach, so I get a lot of reading done on vacation. You can try Kindle Unlimited for 30 days for free .
If you prefer audiobooks, you can try Audible for 30 days and get two books absolutely free. You can besides check out the Libby and Hoopla apps, which you may be able to connect to using your local library for free .

3. Bring a Travel Pillow, Headphones, and a Sleep mask

I don ’ t worry if they look dorky and are bulky ; I don ’ thyroxine like traveling without a travel pillow .
even though I have a hard time sleeping on flights, I however feel more comfortable with a pillow. Memory foam is excellent and makes an uncomfortable induct good a little more bearable .

I have the Bose QuietComfort II headphones, which do an excellent job at blocking “ flat noise. ”

A estimable sleep mask is another must-have. I love to use an app like iAwake or Insight Timer for meditation or calming sleep music. Just make sure to download your prefer mediation or music before you leave .

4. Bring a good water bottle

Some experts advise drinking arsenic much as 8oz of urine per hour on a plane. Yes, that means a lot of bathroom trips, but hey, you need to move around anyhow !
I always bring a Hydroflask and fill it up at the airport or on the plane. There is a massive measure of fictile waste on planes, and I don ’ thymine want to contribute to it .
recently, I ’ ve besides been using my Berkey Sport bottle for change of location. I have a Berkey at home, so I ’ ve gotten used to identical clean water .
The Berkey Sport filters the water right in the bottle, which is great for some of the arrant airport water .

It ’ s besides authoritative to drink your water before you get on the plane. once you get athirst, you ’ re credibly already dehydrated .
As tempt as it might be, alcohol is dehydrating so, it ’ second best to save your drinks for happy Hour once you arrive in Hawaii .

5. Wear a comfortable outfit

We ’ ve all hear that you can get an promote by dressing nicely, but I ’ ve never seen it happen. Personally, I had an invitation to pay for a first class upgrade days before my flight .
When excellent seats don ’ deoxythymidine monophosphate sell, airlines typically offer them to existing passengers at a reduce price before the trajectory .
I ’ megabyte not saying that upgrades at the counter don ’ metric ton find ; I ’ molarity equitable saying I ’ ve never seen anyone offered an upgrade entirely based on what they are wearing. I think that ’ s a thing of the by. 🙂
One exception : If you ’ re in the military and wear your uniform, you do have a luck to be upgrade if there is room .
otherwise, leave your occupation clothes at home or in your baggage.

Remember that Hawaii is generally very casual so that you can bring a decent equip or two, but the majority of people will be wearing shorts, t-shirts, tank car tops, and sundresses. You can find out more in my what to pack for Hawaii post .
On the airplane, keep it casual and comfortable !

6. Bring moisturizer and chapstick

Your clamber is going to get dehydrated, precisely like the remainder of your body. Make indisputable to bring a well chapstick and moisturizer for the plane. I like All Good chapstick because it works well and has SPF .
All Good besides has my darling sunscreen brand ; check out my post about the best sunscreen for Hawaii. This moisturizer by Andalou Naturals is my darling and little adequate to be carried in your carry-on baggage .

7. Avoid heavy meals and alcohol

It can be tempting to have a drink in on the flight to help you relax/sleep, but the truth is, that will dehydrate you even faster .
Eating a fleshy meal before boarding doesn ’ metric ton spirit effective when you have to sit for hours. Try to eat alight while traveling and have a more substantial meal upon arrival .
I find it better to bring your own snacks to enjoy throughout the flight anyhow. I like things like granola bars, yield, pretzels, and lots and lots of water .
If you are sensitive to caffeine, it ’ south best to avoid it vitamin a much as possible when adjusting to a newfangled agenda .
Most hark back flights from Hawaii are redeye, so you will want to try to sleep on the way home. If you use any sleep aids like melatonin, CBD, and so forth, you should probably bring them along .

8. Bring a blanket

I constantly have a ” blanket ” with me because planes are cold ! I used to always use a Sand Cloud towel because it ’ s so versatile. however, you can now get quality Turkish towels from Amazon and they are much less expensive so I recommend that alternatively .

The turkish towels double as a coverup or plane blanket. You can besides use a sarong. Or a towel ; that ’ s an choice besides .
If you ’ d like to get a “ real ” Sand Cloud towel, you can use the code AmyFil25 for 25 % off your purchase .

9. Carry some deodorant

Do I have to explain this one ? Your seat “ neighbor ” will appreciate this one .
I love native deodorant. It ’ second all-natural, it smells good, and best of all, it works .

10. Download the Timeshifter App

Yes, there ’ s an app that helps with jet slowdown ! If you want to know how to fight jet stave in Hawaii, download this before you leave .
This app has all kinds of features, including pre-travel allowance, practical tips, and it even works in flight .

How to avoid jetlag in Hawaii

Another tip to avoid jetlag is to try to stay up when you arrive in Hawaii. It will seem a few hours subsequently ( because at home plate, it is ) but try to stay up for at least a couple of hours .
differently, you ’ ll be up at 2 AM. Great for a sunrise hike or seeing Haleakala at sunrise, but credibly not something you want to do every day !
Sunrise on Haleakala in Maui .
hawaii does not observe daylight savings time, so the sunday sets around 6:30 for most of the class. This surely isn ’ thymine going to help with how run down you feel !
fortunately, Hawaii doesn ’ deoxythymidine monophosphate have a set of nightlife unless you ’ re in Waikiki. So, watch the sunset, have dinner, and go to bed early if you have to but try to make it a couple of hours late than you would at home .
I like to wake up early when I ’ m in Hawaii anyhow ( and when I ’ thousand not ) and get the day started .

How to survive the flight to Hawaii

One last tip on how to survive the flight to Hawaii is to make sure you ’ re taking care of yourself before your vacation. There is nothing worse than feeling inert and megascopic on the plane .
Moving your torso, choosing healthy foods, hydrating, and getting plenty of sleep before your vacation can do wonders to improve your flight to Hawaii .
I take supplements like vitamin C, vitamin D, zinc, and elderberries to keep me healthy earlier and during my vacations. My favorites are linked, but you can check with your repair or dietician to see what will work for you. 🙂
I hope that these 10 simple tips were helpful on how to survive the flight to Hawaii and how to fight jetlag. If you have any other tips, I ’ vitamin d love to hear about them in the comments ! No matter how many times I fly to Hawaii, it ’ second never easy .
If you ’ re planning a Hawaii vacation, I have plenty of web log posts to help you along the way. You can find out which Hawaii island is best for you, the worst clock to visit Hawai one, things you should never do in Hawaii, and then much more .
If you ’ re still in the plan stages, check out my hawaii itineraries :

Things to do in Hawaii

Ready to plan your Hawaii vacation?

Although I am a Hawaii Travel Agent, I am entirely taking on a few clients for 2022 and 2023. You can contact me if you ’ d like more information. I would recommend starting with my Hawaii locomotion template if you plan to DIY your vacation !
The best means to get Hawaii travel tips and the most stream travel data is to sign up for my electronic mail list. I send out one weekly electronic mail with the latest news program, travel deals, and more. If you have questions, you can reply to the emails at any time. Sign up below .