KOA - Kona International Airport
You’d almost forget you were at an airport if it weren’t for everyone wheeling around luggage…well and, of course, the airplanes that are just a mere hundred feet away from you! Kona is easily the most chill and un-airport-like airport I’ve been too.
Layout
You drop your bags outside, go through a TSA checkpoint building and end up in a courtyard with roughly 10 huts spread throughout. I grew up in Minnesota, where everything is indoors, they even invented the skyway as to not need to walk outside. I imagine this layout and design is essentially what all high schools looked like in California. You pop-inside for the bathroom, class, grab your lunch, but lockers, hallways, hangouts, where you actually eat is all outside. I grew up watching Zoey 101 so assume all high schools are like that. Anyways, this airport gave the same vibe but on a small scale. They had two terminals with roughly 5 gates each. ‘Tis tiny!
Efficiency
We were still finishing up our Kona Brewery tour when we hit the 2 hour till departure mark. Paid the bill, stopped for gas, returned the car, and shuttled to the airport. We dropped our checked bags and made it through TSA (pre-check) and had time to use the restroom, change, and hangout for a bit. I have not experienced a more efficient airport in my day.
Food
Thankfully, we had the foresight to eat at Kona Brewery beforehand, or we would have simply perished from starvation. Truly, the food situation at Kona Airport is dire. I’d go as far as to say there are no food options—unless, of course, you count Laniakea by Centerplate, which offers some plate lunches. But let’s be real, one lone option in an entire airport barely qualifies as a “selection.” So unless you’re ready to make a meal out of whatever snacks you can scavenge from a convenience store shelf, do yourself a favor and eat before you get here. You’ve been warned.
Stores
They definitely understood the assignment—at least, partially. Unlike those soulless, fluorescent-lit terminals that just throw together a generic gift shop with the same sad selection of keychains and shot glasses, Kona International Airport (KOA) actually gets it by keeping things on brand with a lei shop right in the terminal. Because obviously, stepping off the plane in Hawaii without a fresh lei is basically a crime against vacation aesthetics.
That being said… let’s not get ahead of ourselves. Outside of that delightful little touch, KOA is lacking. Once you’ve admired the leis, you’re pretty much left to entertain yourself with the gentle sound of absolutely nothing happening. The airport is charming in a “tiny, open-air, island vibe” kind of way, but when it comes to amenities? Meh. So, while the lei shop earns them major points, the overall experience still leaves a lot to be desired. Let’s call it a solid B- effort—extra credit for the tropical ambiance, but they’re definitely not making the honor roll.
Vibes
Absolutely nails the Hawaiian vibe—chill, relaxed, and radiating pure Aloha energy. Unlike the cookie-cutter, stress-inducing airports of the mainland, KOA fully embraces its island setting. The open-air layout, complete with charming courtyards and tiny hut-style structures for shops and food stands, makes it feel less like an airport and more like a breezy tropical village where you just happen to catch a flight. It’s an experience, not just a stopover.
And let’s talk about the setup—because this isn’t your typical multi-level, maze-like terminal. With everything at ground level, you’re essentially just hanging out in a fenced-in section of the tarmac. It’s so open and close to the action that it genuinely feels like you could stretch your arm through the fence and give your plane a farewell boop on the nose. It’s that immersive. Watching aircraft taxi in from such an up-close-and-personal perspective adds a little thrill to the otherwise mundane airport waiting game.
Now, before you get too swept up in the island charm, let’s address one crucial survival tip: the heat. KOA is mostly outdoors, meaning you’re at the mercy of the Hawaiian sun. But fear not—some genius had the foresight to tuck away one gate inside that offers the most precious commodity at this airport: air conditioning. It’s the sole oasis of cool air, and if you’re about to embark on a long-haul journey home, do yourself a favor and camp out there for a bit. No one wants to board an overnight flight feeling like they just ran a beach marathon in flip-flops.
Cloud Score - 5.5
Wyatt: 6
Chantel: 5
Kona International Airport (KOA) definitely has its moments. The vibes? Immaculate. The efficiency? Surprisingly quick. But let’s be real—once you scratch past that breezy, island-chic surface, the options (or lack thereof) start to become glaringly obvious. Shops? Barely. Restaurants? Hope you like the one available option. Entertainment? Unless you count people-watching and sweating in the sun, good luck.
If you’re breezing through for a quick departure, KOA serves its purpose well. But if fate—or an unfortunate flight delay—forces you to linger for more than 30 minutes? Yikes. Suddenly, the charm of being in an open-air, hut-style airport starts to feel less like a tropical dream and more like being stranded in a really well-branded waiting room. There’s just nothing to do. No fancy lounges, no endless row of overpriced duty-free shops, no indulgent airport spa where you can kill time with a last-minute massage. Just you, the tarmac, and the slow realization that you should have brought a book.
That said, KOA is perfectly suited to Kona. It’s small, it’s laid-back, it doesn’t try to be anything it’s not. And honestly, that’s kind of refreshing. But if we’re stacking it up against the architectural marvels and over-the-top amenities of world-class airports, KOA lands somewhere in the “pleasantly above average” category. It’s cute, it’s functional, but it’s not exactly winning any “Best Airport to Get Stuck In” awards anytime soon.