YOU'LL WANT TO ALIGHT BRIEFLY AT HONOLULU AIRPORT.

Byline: Eric Noland Travel Editor

HONOLULU - For visitors to Hawaii, it provides the least-pleasant experiences of the entire trip, and unfortunately, by its very nature, it is guaranteed to represent both your first and last impression of paradise.

The airport.

For the newly arrived, Honolulu Airport is a place of interminable walks, cramped rides on shuttle buses, steamy moments in traveling clothes ill-suited to tropical heat. If you have a condo or hotel room to reach, or an inter-island flight to catch, you can't get out of this place fast enough.

Conversely, for the homeward-bound traveler, the airport is a symbol - of a return to the noise and human press of civilization, of a necessity once more to wear long pants and socks.

Honolulu's airport at least does its best to mitigate this psychological and physical discomfort. The long walkways from the main terminal to the gates are open air, allowing the trade winds to waft through, and they're lined with palm trees. In the terminal itself, there are occasional performances of Hawaiian music and hula dances.

Also, given the high volume of travelers it gets from the mainland, and its heavy use as a connection point to Asia, it seems to handle the crush with minimal delays (perpetually mild weather undoubtedly contributes to that).

You might be on your own for finding your way around, though. There are 15 visitor-information booths at the airport, according to the Hawaii Department of Transportation. But on our visit to Hawaii this past spring, which involved three trips through the airport in the course of a week, we came upon six of the kiosks and found only one of them manned.

MAKING A CONNECTION: As with most modern airports, the overseas gate areas are built far from the main terminal so as to accommodate jumbo jets. Thus, if you choose to walk to baggage claim, you'll be afoot for about 20 minutes; 30 minutes to the inter-island terminal.

Most travelers opt for the WikiWiki Express, which is sure to provide the most depressing experience you'll have in the islands. On the welcome video they show on the inbound flights, you see a rider settled back in visitors' bureau comfort, a breeze in her face. That's rarely been my experience.

The buses are often standing-room-only, with people and carry-on luggage jammed together. On a recent ride, we even saw two people and their bags crowded into the stairway, and none of us could move. The windows were so smudged that you could barely see out of them.

At least the ride to baggage claim or the inter-island terminal is a short one.

Many visitors to Hawaii dispense entirely with Oahu and connect directly to an outer island. If this is you, here's a tip: Travel agents routinely build in a lot of cushion on connections to be certain you make yours. If you reach the inter-island terminal and see that you have an hour or more before your flight, check the monitors to see if your airline has another flight going earlier.

If you haven't checked any bags (easy to do on a trip to warm and fiercely casual Hawaii), head straight to the gate of the earlier flight. If the flight isn't full, the airline gate personnel will probably wave you on without a blink, since that will enable them to sell your seat on the later flight.

Regardless, make sure you're in the correct terminal. Aloha and Hawaiian airlines use the inter-island terminal for connections, while the smaller carriers (Island Air, Pacific Wings, etc.) use the commuter terminal, which is next to the inter-island terminal.

If you are stuck waiting for a connection in the inter-island terminal, don't fret. Stinger Ray's awaits with tropical refreshment and an extensive selection of local appetizer favorites (pineapple prawns, teriyaki beef skewers). It's a poor man's Duke's, with Japanese lanterns and ceiling fans (if you're a nonsmoker, you'll welcome the latter; people are allowed to smoke in bars and restaurants in this state). During our visit, Hawaiian folk music was playing on the sound system, and the bartender was singing along.

One final suggestion: A good way to hasten your transition to island time is to pack a set of casual togs (shorts, flip-flops, T-shirt, etc.) at the very top of your carry-on bag. Change into them in an inter-island terminal restroom, and by the time you reach your beach on Maui or Kauai a couple of hours later, you'll already feel like a local.

GETTING FROM HERE TO THERE: If you're picking up a car at the Honolulu airport for your stay on Oahu, you'll find all the major rental companies sharing a complex on the grounds of the airport. It lies on the other side of a massive parking structure, so it's wiser to take a very short shuttle ride than walk.

The route out of the airport maze is extremely well-marked, with signs at periodic intervals directing the way to H-1, the freeway that serves the airport. Signs also read ``Waikiki,'' the destination of the majority of Oahu visitors.

It's also easy getting back to the airport for your flight home. On H-1 west, there is an exit devoted entirely to the airport.

On the return, don't make the same mistake we did. We figured gas would be cheaper in town, and filled up at a station just off the Likelike Highway. Upon arrival at the airport, we were shocked to see that gas at Miyazaki Union 76 station right next door to the rental-car complex was a dime cheaper per gallon than we'd paid.

If you don't rent a car, you should be apprised of a peculiarity of island math: Waikiki is only nine miles east of the airport, but somehow, a cab ride for that distance will run anywhere from $22 to $30.

Another alternative is the Airport Waikiki Express Shuttle, which costs $8 per person (limit of two bags per person) and stops at the major hotels.

And for budget travelers, there is that fixture of the Hawaiian landscape: The Bus. It's $1 per adult, 50 cents per student, but your luggage must fit on your lap.

For transportation information, look for one of the information kiosks. The only one we found to be manned was at a strategic spot for new arrivals - at baggage claim in the main terminal.

WHAT'S DISTINCTIVE:

--A garland of flowers for that person picking you up back home? Or as a keepsake of your visit? Lei stands have been operated at this airport since its inception, and the tradition continues. Follow the signs on the way into the airport. Don't be alarmed that the rental-car return signs point left and the lei stand signs point right; the two are convenient to each other, and the way to rental car return is well-marked. There are a dozen lei stands at the airport, with 10-minute parking spots in front of each, and the array of flowers is incredible.

--It's a good idea to check in early for a homeward-bound flight, because your bags must be scanned by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (to make sure you're not carrying fruit, plants, live snails or other travel essentials), a process which is separate from the standard security check. If you should build in more cushion than you need and find you have some time to kill, you can't do better than the Japanese Garden Court, located between the main terminal and the gates. It's a sprawling island of tranquillity at this bustling hub, featuring waterfalls, koi ponds, pagodas, bridges, tropical plants - ideal for one last leisurely stroll.

--Another feature well worth a look is the Pacific Aerospace Museum. It's located in the second-level lobby of the main terminal (you'll probably have to ask directions) and is open daily from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. It features some impressive displays, including a flight simulator and a full-scale mock-up of the Space Shuttle flight deck. Three theaters also trace the history of aviation in Hawaii, with a great deal of time devoted to the attack on Pearl Harbor.

--Honolulu International is an important connection point on long hauls between the U.S. and Asia. As such, it's not unusual to get stuck here for an extended layover. One of the airport's most intriguing features is A- Mini-Hotel, which is next to the museum. Tiny, cell-like rooms with showers are rented out for short periods. For $38, you can zonk out for eight hours, take a shower and be on your way refreshed. For a shorter layover, you can pay $23 for a nap and shower (two hours). Although the airport brochures say no double occupancy is allowed, proprietor Dallas Dunn said he lets couples share a room, but they have to squeeze onto a twin bed. It operates 24 hours, and advance reservations are recommended: [phone].

CAPTION(S):

2 photos

Photo:

(1 -- color) Passengers with time to kill can stroll through the serene Japanese Garden Court at Honolulu International Airport.

(2) On Honolulu International Airport's row of lei stands, Erlinda Agoto, left, and Melinda Ibarra assemble the flower necklaces purchased by arriving and departing travelers.

Eric Noland/Travel Editor