BlaakLane.com offers chauffeur service in Kailua-Kona and on the Big Island's west side, with Kona International Airport (KOA) transfers to Kailua town, Keauhou and the Kohala Coast resorts, plus full-day drives to Hawaii Volcanoes National Park and Hilo. Enter your flight or address, date, time and vehicle and see a fixed fare before you confirm. A vetted Big Island affiliate drives each trip, and the confirmation names the operator and chauffeur.
How to book a Kona chauffeur
Book at /book/ or through the engine on this page. Enter the flight number for a KOA arrival, or the resort or house address for other trips, choose a vehicle, and the engine shows a single price including the chauffeur, fuel and included waiting. There is no meter, and the price does not rise during IRONMAN week.
Our Toronto desk handles reservations 24/7 and assigns each trip to a vetted Big Island affiliate held to the BlaakLane.com written standard. Incentive groups on the Kohala Coast, multi-car weddings and film or event crews are planned by a coordinator and confirmed in writing.
Kona International Airport (KOA): open-air terminals and pickup
Ellison Onizuka Kona International Airport at Keahole sits on the lava fields about seven miles north of Kailua-Kona. Its terminals are low open-air buildings, with walkways and baggage claim under cover but open to the breeze, so arriving here feels different from a mainland airport. There are two main terminal buildings; bags come off at the claim area for your airline. Pre-arranged ground transportation picks up at the airport's designated commercial area, and drivers are not permitted to wait or circle at the terminal curb. Your chauffeur waits in the permitted area and texts the vehicle and position as you collect your bags. A meet and greet at baggage claim with a name board or lei is an add-on; add-ons are only available in selected locations. Airport rules are posted at airports.hawaii.gov/koa.
Arrivals are tracked, so the chauffeur works to the real landing time. Mainland and interisland flights are domestic, with 30 minutes of waiting included. International arrivals include 60 minutes, and other pickups 15 minutes, then 15-minute blocks.
Drive times on the west side
| Route | Typical distance | Typical time |
|---|---|---|
| KOA to Four Seasons Hualalai and Kona Village | 3-6 miles | 10-15 min |
| KOA to Kailua-Kona town | 7-9 miles | 15-25 min |
| KOA to Keauhou | 14-15 miles | 25-35 min |
| KOA to Waikoloa Beach Resort | 18 miles | 25-35 min |
| KOA to Mauna Lani | 22 miles | 30-40 min |
| KOA to Mauna Kea and Hapuna resorts | 28-30 miles | 35-45 min |
| Kona to Hilo (Daniel K. Inouye Highway) | 75-80 miles | 1.75-2.25 h |
| Kona to Hawaii Volcanoes National Park | 95-100 miles | 2.25-2.75 h |
The Queen Ka'ahumanu Highway (Highway 19) links the airport with every Kohala resort and is the main road on the coast. Your fare stays as booked if roads are slow.
The Kohala Coast resorts
North of the airport, resort developments sit on white-sand coves carved out of black lava flows. Closest are the Four Seasons Resort Hualalai and Kona Village, a Rosewood Resort. Waikoloa Beach Resort includes the Hilton Waikoloa Village and the Waikoloa Beach Marriott, and the Mauna Lani area holds Mauna Lani, Auberge Resorts Collection, and the Fairmont Orchid. Furthest north are the Mauna Kea Beach Hotel and the Westin Hapuna Beach Resort. Many guests stay in private homes within the gated communities around these resorts; include the gate name and code in the booking notes so security can wave the car through.
Kailua-Kona town and Keauhou
Kailua-Kona is the historic town on Kailua Bay, with Ali'i Drive running along the seafront past Hulihe'e Palace and Moku'aikaua Church. Hotels in town include the Courtyard King Kamehameha's Kona Beach Hotel beside Kailua Pier and the Royal Kona Resort, and further south Keauhou holds the Outrigger Kona Resort and Spa and the Sheraton Kona at Keauhou Bay. Coffee farms line the slopes above Holualoa and South Kona. For an evening of dinners and stops, the hourly chauffeur service keeps the car with you.
IRONMAN week and the Kona calendar
The IRONMAN World Championship is the island's defining event. It is held in Kailua-Kona in October, and from 2026 the professional men and women again race on the same day. Race day closes Ali'i Drive and long sections of the Queen Ka'ahumanu Highway toward Hawi, and hotels fill for more than a week. Book early, and expect drops to be made at agreed points outside the closures. Details are at IRONMAN.
- November: the Kona Coffee Cultural Festival celebrates the harvest with farm tours and events.
- December to April: humpback whale season off the Kohala Coast.
- All year: manta ray night snorkels from Keauhou and Honokohau harbours, weddings and golf.
Volcano, Hilo and island days
A full day to Hawaii Volcanoes National Park usually goes south around the island through Ka'u, with a stop at Punalu'u black sand beach, and back via the Daniel K. Inouye Highway through Hilo, or the reverse. Volcanic activity and park access change, so check the park's current conditions before you go. Other favourites include the Waipio Valley lookout, the ranch town of Waimea, and the Pololu Valley lookout at the north end of the Kohala peninsula. Visits to the Maunakea Visitor Information Station at about 9,200 feet are possible by car, but the summit road above it requires four-wheel drive, so chauffeured trips are planned to the visitor station level. Book island days as city tours and day trips.
Cruise calls and harbours
Cruise ships visiting Kona anchor offshore and tender passengers to Kailua Pier in the middle of town, so the chauffeur meets you at the pier. Ships at the Big Island's east side dock at Hilo. For Honolulu sailings, see Honolulu Harbor cruise terminals.
Picking the right vehicle
Couples usually book a Luxury Executive Sedan. Golf bags, snorkel gear and a family's luggage fit an executive SUV. Standard Black SUVs and Sprinter Vans move groups between resorts together, and minicoaches or motorcoaches serve incentive programmes, planned by a coordinator. The full line-up is on the fleet page; rates shows what a Kona fare covers. Child seats are available on request, free.
Arrival rules and driving notes
Arrivals from the mainland complete Hawaii's plant and animal declaration, and bags going to the mainland pass a USDA agricultural inspection before security, so allow extra time on the way home. Big Island traffic keeps to the right. The coast is dry and sunny, but vog, the haze from volcanic emissions, can drift over the Kona side, and the upland roads can bring rain and fog. Interisland flights link Kona with Honolulu and Maui in well under an hour.
Other Hawaiian cities
Island-hopping travellers also book in Maui and Honolulu; see the Honolulu airport and Kahului Airport guides.
Cancellation terms
More than 72 hours before pickup, no charge. Within 72 hours 10 %, within 48 hours 50 %, and within 24 hours or for a no-show 100 %.
