Are you thinking about using Uber when you arrive at Daniel K. Inouye International Airport aka Honolulu International Airport (HNL)?
Well, you’ll be happy to hear that it’s a pretty simple process and recent changes over the past few years have made it even easier to secure yourself a ride via Uber.
In the article below, I’ll walk you through how to use Uber at the airport and provide you with some helpful photos so that you know exactly what to look for.
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Uber or Lyft rideshare pick-up at HNL overview
HNL has now set up three separate pick up areas for Uber and other rideshare services like Lyft:
- Terminal 1 – pick up area #1 on level two outside lobby two.
- Terminal 2 – pick up area #2 on level two outside lobby five.
- Terminal 2 – pick up area #3 on level two outside lobby eight.
Pick up area number two is the newest pick up zone and was introduced after traffic started getting kind of bad. Its location is much more central in the airport than the other two.
If you’re wondering what terminal you will be arriving in keep this in mind:
- Terminal 1 at Honolulu Airport is only used by Hawaiian Airlines domestic and US mainland flights.
- Terminal 2 at Honolulu Airport handles international flights and some US domestic destinations
Finding your pick-up zone
Something to note is that all of the pick up zones are on level two.
This means that you will probably go down to the first level to pick up your baggage and then you will need to head up escalators, stairs, or an elevator to get back up to the second level.
The elevators should be marked which will help you know which floor you need to go to for rideshare pick up. They refer to it as “Ride App Pickup.”
You’ll then just need to proceed to the lobby area where the pick up zone is located which you can find using the map above.
When we arrived in January 2022, I don’t know that the middle pick up area (#2) was set-up or open.
As we exited from Terminal 2, the personnel we spoke with directed us towards the lobby 8 area, so it’s possible that this pick up station #2 is not available at all times?
Anyway, as you approach the pick up zones you should see a sign indicating that you are at the rideshare pick up zone. It’s basically impossible to miss.
Also, if you look on the curb it should also be marked for rideshare pick up.
In our case, we stopped at the pick up zone outside of lobby eight which was directly across from the rental car center. It was later in the evening (around 7:30pm) so there were not any other vehicles waiting and it was a very low-key experience.
If you share your location on Uber the driver can see where you are but you might also message them and let them know which pick up station you are at. For example, “waiting at lobby 8.”
Uber pick-up costs from HNL
If you’re getting picked up from HNL chances are you are headed to one of the main spots in Oahu.
Here are some of the prices that you can expect to pay. We listed prices for both Uber and Lyft just to make things a little bit easier. And keep in mind that these prices always fluctuate.
| Destination | Uber | Lyft |
| Holiday Inn Express Waikiki | $20.12 | $23.93 |
| Pearl Harbor | $12.85 | $12.99 |
| Dole Plantation | $40.04 | $43.99 |
| Punchbowl Crater | $16.81 | $19.87 |
| University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa | $22.89 | $22.76 |
| Kualoa Ranch | $44.43 | $48.75 |
| Aulani, A Disney Resort & Spa | $41.84 | $45.82 |
| Bishop Museum | $12.95 | $13.72 |
| Honolulu Zoo | $22.94 | $26.78 |
| Diamond Head State Monument | $25.93 | $29.93 |
Just be aware that we did pick up some pretty dramatic surge pricing from HNL during certain times of the day such as morning rush-hour.
At one point, the cost to get from HNL to Waikiki was around $70 for UberX! So be on the lookout for some ridiculous surge pricing at times.
You might even want to reserve your Uber ride to lock in the non-dynamic pricing.
Related: Dole Plantation Review (Worth it or Tourist Trap?)
Uber or rental car?
Finally, one more thing you may want to consider is if you should even take Uber in the first place. You might be better off renting a vehicle or utilizing Turo.
In fact, we did an article on whether or not you should take an Uber or Turo in Hawaii.
We arrived at a few pretty clear conclusions on when one is better than the other and so I would recommend you to check out that article.
Our Uber experiences in Hawaii
We took a number of Uber rides during our 10 night stay in Hawaii. I was pleasantly surprised by the quality of the drivers in Hawaii.
They definitely seemed to take Uber driving pretty serious and offered good service like helping you pack your bags or take them out of the vehicle.
So be ready for some good experiences and consider offering an adequate tip.
Uber drop-off
If you’re getting dropped off at HNL just let your Uber driver know what airline you’re flying and they should be able to drop you off near the check-in desk.
If you’re flying Hawaiian Airlines, be sure to let them know whether or not you are flying to a neighbor island/international or if you’re flying to the mainland because they are at separate ends of the terminal.
The check-in desks are not that far apart though so even if your Uber driver mistakenly dropped you off at the wrong check-in area (which ours did) it’s not a big deal.
Final word
Using Uber at HNL is very easy due to all of the signs that you can find both in the airport and outside in the pick up areas. Also, airport personnel was very helpful in helping us find our way.
I’m not sure what was going on with one of the pick up zones as it could’ve been temporarily closed so just be ready for something like that.
Daniel Gillaspia is the Founder of UponArriving.com and creator of the credit card app, WalletFlo. He is a former attorney turned full-time travel expert covering destinations along with TSA, airline, and hotel policies. Since 2014, his content has been featured in major publications such as National Geographic, Smithsonian Magazine, Forbes, CNBC, US News, and Business Insider. Find his full bio here.
