HONOLULU -- The last of the stranded Aloha Airlines passengers made their way back to the mainland Wednesday night on board a special free-of-charge flight on Hawaiian Airlines.

Flight 1002 departed for Los Angeles at 3 p.m. on Wednesday.

Hawaiian Airlines said the flight for the stranded passengers was the fastest they've put together, as they rounded up a plane and crew within 24 hours.

The stranded travelers said relief was the overwhelming reaction when they were told they were finally going home.

Debbie Desimone said she thought it was an early April Fool's joke when she got the news Sunday that her Aloha flight back to California was cancelled.

Although she bought a ticket on Hawaiian Airlines on a later flight for Wednesday night, she said she ditched it to get on the special l flight without knowing if she'll get her money back.

"It's a good place to be stranded, but it's very unsettling. You just want to know for sure you're going to get home," Desimone said.

Ricardo and Cristina Guiterrez, who were stranded in Hawaii for three days, said it was an expensive vacation as their luggage was already sent ahead of them.

"We have to buy our necessities -- hygiene, to get another rental car and, of course, we have to eat outside," Ricardo Guiterrez said.

They said they still need to find a way home to San Diego once they get to Los Angeles.

Hawaiian Airlines said the feedback from stranded Aloha passengers was overwhelmingly positive.

"Many of them are coming up to us today and thanking us for being able to do this," said Kina Sai, Hawaiian Airlines Senior Manager of Customer Service.

While passengers' plans may have been turned into chaos, operations at the airport were smooth, airport officials said.

"I think all the airport stakeholders have been kind of pitching in, trying to make this run as smoothly as possible," Hawaii Department of Transportation spokesman Scott Ishikawa said.

After spending 12 hours at Honolulu Airport on Tuesday trying to catch a flight, the Siegler family said they were grateful to finally get home.

"We love the island. We just think businesses need to run themselves like businesses, and that's part of taking care of the customer," Richard Siegler said.

A total of 125 passengers were on board Wednesday's flight, and 80 were displaced Aloha travelers, officials said.

Hawaiian Airlines said it plans to ferry the plane back to Honolulu empty.