Car Rental at Kona International Airport

Airport travel guide

Kona International Airport is one of two airports on the island of Hawai’i (the Big Island). Located on the western side of the island, it is much busier than Hilo Airport on the eastern side. The Big Island is a great island to spend some of your vacations on and with connections to both other Hawaiian islands and cities on the mainland of the United States, Kona Airport makes getting to it very easy.   

The largest island of the group is also the most southerly too. Given its size, there is, of course, much to explore. The Kailua-Kona serves as a great base with all of the amenities of a resort destination available. Don't miss spending time under the sun at gorgeous Hapuna Beach. The real adventure, however, lies in the rural parts of the island. Hawaii Volcanoes National Park hosts the island’s most famous landscape with the Crater Rim and Chain of Craters Roads. Visitors shouldn’t miss the Green Sand Beach even though a short hike is required to reach it. The most southerly point of any U.S. state is also nearby the beach and there is a spot where many dive off the cliffs there which is great for watching if you aren’t brave enough to take the risk.

You can find more of what to see and do in this guide to Kona. 

Top international routes

• Honolulu
• Los Angeles
• San Francisco
• Kahului
• Seattle
• Phoenix
• Sacramento
• Lihue
• Las Vegas
• Salt Lake City
   

Main airlines

Hawaiian Airlines is the main airline serving Kona with connections to Honolulu, Kahului, and Lihue in Hawaii along with Los Angeles and Tokyo. All major American carriers also fly to and from the airport. This includes Alaska, America, United, and Delta. Southwest Airlines will begin service at the airport in January of 2020 with flights to and from Honolulu along with Oakland, San Jose, Los Agneles, and Las Vegas.

Terminals

The airport is a small island airport but has three terminals. The two main terminals have just five gates. There's also a third commuter terminal.

Location

Kona Airport is located on the northwestern part of the island of Hawai’i (the Big Island). It is a few miles north of the town of Kailua-Kona, but the rest of the island is within easy reach (for example, Hilo is about an hour and a half away).

Most popular types of rental car

• Small cars - from $72 per day
• Medium cars - from $62 per day
• Large cars - from $63 per day
• SUVs - from $79 per day
• Convertibles - from $281 per day
• Vans - from $94 per day

Car rental desks

Unfortunately, none of the rental companies have desks in the terminals. Instead, customers must board a shuttle which can be found in the center median of the road outside the baggage claim areas. Fortunately, the shuttle ride will only take a few minutes as all of the rental companies are located on the grounds of the airport.

Services and facilities

Though the unimaginative pun for it may have long ago lost its humor, the lei greeting is still a popular, culturally relevant tradition in Hawaii. Visitors can organize, or someone can organize for them, a lei greeting service to welcome them to the islands. Alternatively, there are flower shops and lei stands in each terminal where travelers can purchase leis.

Being a smaller airport, there is not as large of a selection of dining and shopping as there would be in larger airports. Each terminal has newsstands and gift shops. A snack shop can be found in the center between the terminals. Terminal 1 has the Laniakea Cafe and Terminal 2 has the Laniakea Restaurant.

There are ATMs but there is no currency exchange available at the airport. Currency can be exchanged if transiting through the Honolulu Airport, but using an ATM or paying with your card most often provide better rates.

Visitor Information desks are located throughout the airport and provide visitors with all of the information they need regarding travel and accommodation.

Nearest gas station

Multiple stations can be found south of the airport. The closest one to the airport is an Ohana Fuels station located at the intersection of Queen Ka’ahumanu Highway and Hulikoa Drive. If you have a Costco membership, then the Costco on Maiau Street is the best station; even though it is farther away, its prices are significantly lower. Note that if traveling to the airport from the northern part of the island, you will have to pass the airport and make a circle as there are no gas stations within 30 miles of the airport to the north.