Getting to Maui: Kahului Airport (OGG), the Free CONRAC Rental Car Tram & Inter-Island Flights

Unlike the Big Island (which has two major airports on opposite sides), 99 percent of travellers to Maui land at a single central hub: Kahului Airport (OGG), conveniently located on the northern coast of the central valley isthmus just 25 to 30 minutes north of Kihei and Wailea, 10 minutes west of Pa'ia (start of the Road to Hana), and 45 minutes east of Ka'anapali and Kapalua.

1. Arriving at Kahului Airport (OGG): Direct Flights & The 90-Second Rental Car Tram

• Nonstop Mainland Flights & 35-Minute Inter-Island Hops: Hawaiian Airlines, Alaska, United, Delta, American, Southwest and WestJet operate daily nonstop flights into OGG from Los Angeles, San Francisco, Oakland, San Jose, San Diego, Sacramento, Seattle, Portland, Phoenix, Las Vegas, Denver, Dallas, Chicago and Vancouver. Combining Maui with O'ahu, Kaua'i or the Big Island? Hawaiian Airlines and Southwest Airlines run over 30 daily inter-island flights between Honolulu (HNL) and Kahului (OGG) that take 35 minutes in the air. For a scenic commuter prop flight straight into West Maui, Mokulele Airlines also flies into tiny Kapalua Airport (JHM).
• Easy Rental Car Pick-Up (The Free OGG 'CONRAC' Tram): walk out of Baggage Claim and step onto the free automated electric airport tram. In 90 seconds it carries you and your suitcases straight inside the multi-level Consolidated Rent-A-Car (CONRAC) building housing Alamo, Enterprise, National, Hertz, Avis, Budget, Sixt, Dollar and Thrifty.

2. The Smartest First Stop Outside the Airport + Departing Agriculture Inspection

1. Stop at the 'Kahului Food Truck Lot' & Supermarkets Before Driving to Your Hotel: three minutes outside the OGG rental-car exit (at Haleakala Hwy & Dairy Rd) sit two food-truck parks (for garlic shrimp or poke right off the plane), plus Costco, Target, Walmart and Whole Foods Market, where you can buy mineral reef-safe sunscreen, snorkel gear, beach chairs and snacks for far less than resort gift shops in Wailea or Ka'anapali.
2. Rule When Flying Home from OGG: before checking bags or going through TSA security at OGG, every bag must pass through the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Plant Quarantine X-Ray Scanner (fresh un-inspected mainland-bound fruits, mangoes, avocados and plants are confiscated; roasted coffee, macadamia nuts and commercially sealed pineapple boxes with a USDA stamp are allowed).