Car rental companies often run out of available cars. Hilo is also accessible by inter-island air carriers from any other Hawaiian island. No mainland or international carriers fly directly to Hilo. International travelers will need to see their baggage through customs at Honolulu and then take it to the inter-island terminal. When you arrive in Honolulu, exit the main terminal and wait outside at one of the several Wiki Wiki Shuttle Bus stops.
Shuttles arrive approximately every fifteen minutes.
The shuttle will take you to the inter-island terminal, which serves both Aloha and Hawaiian Airlines with frequent flights to Hilo. The flight to Hilo takes 45 minutes. Hawaii time is two hours behind the West Coast USA, five hours behind the East Coast, and 19 hours behind Japan. Seriously, please allow yourselves time to relax, adjust to the climate, and recover from jet lag before the conference begins. We suggest arriving a day or two early, if at all possible, in order to fully enjoy the conference sessions and field trips.