Introduction
Hawaii airport transfers are sold one direction at a time, and that shape decides how you book. Your ride from the airport to the hotel and your ride back to the airport are two different products on two different pages.
Two other jobs come up during a stay. One is a single journey between two places, the other is holding a vehicle and driver for a block of hours.
Blue Hawaiian Activities books all three across O’ahu, Maui, Kaua’i and Hawai’i Island. This guide walks sixteen of those bookings island by island, with the vehicles, capacities and hours as each page states them.
Key Takeaways
- Blue Hawaiian Activities books Hawaii airport transfers as separate arrival and departure reservations.
- Eight airport transfer pages cover four islands, two per island, one direction each.
- Ten transfer pages state a minivan for 7 passengers, 4 suitcases, 3 carry-ons.
- An hourly charter holds the vehicle and driver; a transfer covers one journey.
- Fifteen of these pages show no price, so call the desk for a quote.
Three Different Jobs, Three Different Bookings
The decision that matters is which of three jobs you are buying, because two look alike and behave nothing alike.
An airport transfer is one journey in one direction, either airport to lodging or lodging to airport. Eight of the sixteen bookings covered here do that, two on each island.
A point-to-point transfer is also one journey, but between any two places. Four of the sixteen do that, and their pages describe transport “between airports, resorts, harbors, restaurants, and other destinations.”
An hourly charter is different in kind. With Blue Hawaiian Activities you hold the vehicle and driver for a block of time and set the route as you go.
Four of the sixteen are hourly charters, one per island. One destination means a transfer, and five stops means a charter.
All four point-to-point pages state that “transfer pricing is for one-way service.” Of the four charter pages, only the O’ahu Private Charter Service states a minimum booking, at three hours.
Arrival and Departure Are Two Separate Reservations
There are four arrival pages and four departure pages, one of each on O’ahu, Maui, Kaua’i and Hawai’i Island. A round trip is two reservations on any of the four.
Arrival, like Maui Airport Arrival Transportation, runs airport to your destination. Departure runs your hotel or resort to the airport.
Neither covers the other leg, which is why Blue Hawaiian Activities lists them separately. Booking the arrival and assuming the return is attached is the mistake.
Two of the four island pairs name an airport. The O’ahu arrival page names “Daniel K. Inouye International Airport (HNL)” in full, and the Hawai’i Island pair carries KOA, the Kona airport, in the product name.
The Maui and Kaua’i pages print no code. Confirm which airport your route uses.
O’ahu: A Named Route Between HNL and Waikīkī
O’ahu’s airport pair is a specific route rather than an open island transfer. The Private Airport Arrival Transfer runs HNL to a Waikīkī hotel or resort, and the Private Airport Departure Transfer runs Waikīkī to HNL.
The arrival page states three vehicle options by guest count, a sedan for 1 to 3 guests, an SUV for 1 to 6, and a Sprinter Van for 1 to 14. It gives no suitcase or carry-on figure, stating only that “vehicle selection is based on passenger count and luggage requirements.”
Service on the arrival page runs “24 hours a day, 7 days a week,” wider than the 5:00 AM to 10:00 PM window the Maui, Kaua’i and Hawai’i Island pages state. Its stated inclusions are an air-conditioned vehicle, professional chauffeur service, and transportation “reserved exclusively for your party with no shared stops.”
Treat the departure page as its own booking, and ask Blue Hawaiian Activities to confirm its vehicles and hours rather than reading the arrival page across to it.
If you are staying outside Waikīkī, that pair is not your product. The Waikīkī Shared Express Airport Shuttle covers HNL and Waikīkī hotels, The Kahala Hotel & Resort, or the Honolulu pier, and its own page calls it a shared service and “not a private transfer.”
Maui: Airport Transfers Plus Point to Point
Maui gives you three one-way pages. The arrival page above runs airport to destination, Maui Airport Departure Transportation runs hotel to airport, and Point to Point Maui Transportation covers any two places on the island.
All three state the same vehicle, a minivan for up to 7 passengers with space for up to 4 large suitcases and 3 carry-on bags, and the same window, daily, 365 days a year, from 5:00 AM to 10:00 PM.
All three also state that transfers outside those hours “may be arranged at double the standard fare.” Blue Hawaiian Activities asks you to call directly for after-hours service.
The point-to-point page’s title tag reads “Maui Private Transfer Service” while its heading reads “Point to Point Maui Transportation,” so either name may surface in a search.
Kaua’i: Airport Transfers Plus an Island-Wide Transfer
Kaua’i mirrors Maui. Kaua’i Airport Arrival Transportation runs airport to destination, Kaua’i Airport Departure Transportation runs hotel or resort to airport, and Kaua’i Private Transfer Service handles transport between airports, resorts, harbors and restaurants.
The three state the same figures as Maui, a minivan for up to 7 passengers, 4 large suitcases and 3 carry-on bags. Service runs daily, 365 days a year, from 5:00 AM to 10:00 PM, with after-hours transfers at double the standard fare.
None of the three Kaua’i pages names an airport or an airport code. Blue Hawaiian Activities confirms pickup, travel times, passenger count and luggage after you book, which is when your terminal gets pinned down.
Hawai’i Island: KOA Transfers and Two Resort-Area Pages
Hawai’i Island’s airport pair is KOA Airport Arrival Transportation and KOA Airport Departure Transportation. KOA is Kona, on Hawai’i Island.
Both state a minivan for up to 7 passengers with up to 4 large suitcases and 3 carry-on bags.
These two carry a clause the Maui and Kaua’i airport pages do not. The arrival page states that “reservations for 3 guests or fewer may be serviced using a crossover sedan,” and the departure page states that groups of 3 or fewer “may be accommodated in a comfortable crossover sedan depending on availability.”
Among the eight airport pages, only those two name a crossover sedan, and only the O’ahu arrival page lists a sedan as a standard choice.
Hawai’i Island is also the only one of these four islands with two named point-to-point pages. Kailua-Kona Private Transfer Service runs from Kailua-Kona resorts across the island, and Mauna Lani Private Transfer Service runs from Mauna Lani resorts.
Both state the same minivan figures, service window, double fare and one-way pricing. Pick the page matching where you start, and ask Blue Hawaiian Activities about routes neither lists.
Hourly Charters: You Keep the Vehicle and the Driver
The Maui Private Charter Service and the Kaua’i Private Charter Service both state two vehicles, a Cadillac XTS sedan for up to 4 passengers with space for 3 pieces of luggage, and a Toyota Sienna or Honda Odyssey minivan for up to 7 passengers.
Both run daily, 365 days a year, from 5:00 AM to 10:00 PM, and both ask you to call Blue Hawaiian Activities to arrange a charter.
The Hawai’i Island Private Charter Service names three vehicles, a Cadillac Escalade executive SUV, the same 7-passenger minivan, and a Mercedes-Benz Sprinter executive van. Its page states no passenger figure for the Escalade or the Sprinter, so a group of nine should confirm that number rather than assume it.
O’ahu’s charter page is built differently. It names a Mercedes-Benz Sprinter or Ford Transit van “accommodating up to 14 passengers,” the highest passenger figure stated on any of the four charter pages, and it requires a minimum booking of three hours.
It is also the only one of the four publishing exclusions, naming attraction admission fees, meals and beverages, and driver gratuity, and the only one stating a cancellation rule, at 72 hours before service.
Its stated inclusions include a dedicated professional driver-guide, itinerary planning assistance and flexible pickup and drop-off. That is why Blue Hawaiian Activities points a group of ten or more toward a charter rather than stacked transfers.
What These Pages Leave to the Desk
Fifteen of these pages show no price. The four point-to-point pages state that pricing is for one-way service without printing a figure, so a quote comes from Blue Hawaiian Activities.
Duration is not listed on any transfer page, so ask for a travel time.
Luggage figures appear on twelve pages. Ten transfer pages state 4 large suitcases and 3 carry-on bags, and the Maui and Kaua’i charter pages state up to 3 pieces for the sedan only.
The O’ahu arrival page, the O’ahu charter page and the Hawai’i Island charter page state no luggage figure at all.
Fourteen say a transportation specialist contacts you after booking to confirm pickup, travel times, passenger count and luggage. That call is where oversized bags, car seats and surfboards get sorted.
Fifteen also carry the same sentence, that “all transportation services include a professional driver and are not self-drive rental vehicles.” If you want a car you drive yourself, none of these is it.
If you would rather not drive, what a concierge handles is the wider argument.
Conclusion
Hawaii airport transfers reward a little planning, because the catalogue is organised by direction and by job rather than by trip. Book arrival and departure as two reservations, use a point-to-point page for the moves in between, and book an hourly charter for a day you want the vehicle to wait.
If you are still deciding which island to visit, the shape is the same on all four. Send your flight numbers, party size and bag count to our transportation desk.
Ready to get the driving off your list? Book your Hawai’i transportation with Blue Hawaiian Activities and let us put a driver on your flight time.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do Hawaii airport transfers cover the round trip?
No, Hawaii airport transfers are booked one direction at a time. Blue Hawaiian Activities lists a separate arrival page and departure page on O’ahu, Maui, Kaua’i and Hawai’i Island, eight pages in total. Arrival runs airport to destination and departure runs hotel to airport, so a round trip means two reservations.
Which airports do these Hawaii airport transfer pages name?
The O’ahu and Hawai’i Island pages name their airports and the Maui and Kaua’i pages do not. Blue Hawaiian Activities names “Daniel K. Inouye International Airport (HNL)” on the O’ahu arrival page, and carries KOA, the Kona airport, in both Hawai’i Island product names. Confirm your terminal at booking.
What is the difference between a private transfer and an hourly charter in Hawaii?
A private transfer in Hawaii is one journey between two points, while an hourly charter holds the vehicle and driver for a block of time. Blue Hawaiian Activities books four point-to-point pages whose stated pricing is for one-way service, plus four hourly charter pages, one per island, of which only the O’ahu page states a three-hour minimum.
How many passengers and bags fit a Hawaii private transfer?
Ten of these transfer pages state a minivan for up to 7 passengers with space for 4 large suitcases and 3 carry-on bags. On the O’ahu arrival page, Blue Hawaiian Activities lists a sedan for 1 to 3 guests, an SUV for 1 to 6 and a Sprinter Van for 1 to 14, with no luggage figure.
How much do Hawaii airport transfers and private transportation cost?
Fifteen of these pages show no price, so a cost for Hawaii airport transfers comes from Blue Hawaiian Activities directly. Ten transfer pages state that service outside 5:00 AM to 10:00 PM may be arranged at double the standard fare. For wider budgeting, see what a Hawaii trip costs.
