The True Way to Fly Aloha
Written: Jul 21 '00 (Updated Jul 21 '00)
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Product Rating:
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Pros: great service, good local food, great frequent flyer program
Cons: not always the cheapest option, but then again, it is relatively inexpensive
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| IntegraRacer's Full Review: Hawaiian Airlines |
When I’m traveling between Honolulu and Los Angeles, I like to hear the words “mahalo” (which means “thank you” in Hawaiian) and “aloha” (which is a Hawaiian greeting similar to “hello,” but with many other meanings). That is one of the reasons why I love to fly on Hawaiian Airlines, which somewhat reduces the homesick feeling in the transition between Hawaii and the Mainland.
In my past experiences, Hawaiian Airlines has been relatively on time; I have never experienced any problems with the airline, and there have only been few instances of delays. To be honest, the only delays I have experienced were only about 15-30 min delays, with the longest one being 1 hr long. I have never experienced any 2+ hour delays with this airline. The lines for the ticketing counter at the Honolulu airport are long for Hawaiian Airlines, usually extending way beyond the normal waiting area. In contrast, the lines for the LAX Hawaiian Airlines ticket counter are short. And just for reference, the flight time between HNL and LAX is roughly 5 hours.
Routes
Hawaiian Airlines covers a focused market, but provides enough routes to be friendly to the Hawaii traveler.
Between the “Neighbor Islands”, there are routes between:
-Honolulu (on Oahu)
-Lihue (on Kauai)
-Ho’olehua (on Molokai)
-Lanai City (on Lanai)
-Kahului (on Maui)
-Kona and Hilo (on the Big Island)
And between Honolulu (HNL) and the Mainland:
-Seattle
-Portland
-San Francisco
-Las Vegas
-Los Angeles
On-Board Service
The flight attendants are friendly and helpful. I was thirsty before my last flight, and the attendant brought me out a cup of water. The food is great too; they will provide two selections for their customers, one that is a local dish (usually, not always) like teriyaki chicken, and the other being a Mainland dish. And the dessert is always a local delicacy, like an ice cream sandwich from Maui or a large cookie from a local bakery.
There are six bathrooms total; four in the back, two in the front. The soap is cool; it’s coconut-ty… =P The atmosphere is wonderful, and I really do feel like the aloha spirit is around me. The seats are evenly spaced, with the coach section being a 2-4-2 or 2-5-2 arrangement. The movies are always fairly current, and the music is wonderful; there are a lot of local Hawaiian songs on the various channels. And lastly, they always provide In-Flight entertainment videos showcasing Hawaiian culture and sightseeing. What I like the best is that they provide the breakfast/lunch/dinner menu on a folded postcard, with a real postcard on the other side.
Past Experiences
Well, I won’t go too deep into these, but here’s two instances. A few years ago, when flying on Hawaiian airlines from Honolulu to Los Angeles, the UH (University of Hawaii) men’s basketball team was on my flight. Both Riley Wallace (the head coach) and Robert Kekaula (a popular local sportscaster) were on the flight (in First Class, of course), and I got to talk to Robert Kekaula while bumming around the kitchen (whatever it’s called) area.
The other instance I can really remember was when I flew on Hawaiian Airlines to come back to Hawaii for the USC (Univ. of Southern California) vs. UH (Univ. of Hawaii-Manoa) football game. The whole flight was full of USC alumni. I was in good company. =)
On this trip
I just took Hawaiian Airlines yesterday to return to Los Angeles. At Honolulu Airport, I was confronted with a long line. Very long. I bypassed this by using the Hawaiian SkyCap, which are basically workers of Hawaiian Airlines who help carry people’s baggage at curbside. The only difference is that they go the extra mile. They get your bags, process them through the Agriculture Inspection, get your baggage checked in, and check you into the computer as well. Basically, I was so happy to get past the line that I tipped the SkyCap $5.
From the ticket counter, you ride the WikiWiki from the ticket counter area (after going through security, metal detectors, etc.) to the boarding gate. However, not only was the flight delayed a half hour due to maintenance, but I still did not have a seat assignment. I was promised a seat, but I was still worried. Well, thirty minutes later, I still did not have a seat assignment, and everyone was about to board. So guess what? They started asking for volunteers, and maybe someone who gave up their seat had first class tickets, because I got 15C.
Anyway, 15C turned out to be First Class. =) I had wide leather seats, double armrests (so that I wouldn’t have to share with the person next to me), and it is a 2-3-2 seating arrangement. And it even has a footrest, like a reclining chair. I had the aisle seat, but to be honest, in that section, it wouldn’t have mattered. I had an extra foot of space between my knees and the seat in front of me, so I was not worried about space at all.
Lucky, huh? I was impressed. Anyway, this trip cost me about $270, which was not the cheapest that I could have gotten, but cheap nonetheless. In general, Hawaiian Airlines is never the cheapest airline, but maybe the 2nd or 3rd cheapest when comparing flights.
Frequent Flying, are you?
Hawaiian Airlines has its own frequent flyer program, of course. It’s called HawaiianMiles. You earn miles every time you fly, and the Makana Checks are given to you every time you hit 5,000 miles. Makana Checks are redeemable for a one-way interisland coach flight, or you can apply them towards other travel awards. However, Makana Checks will be discontinued as of October 1st, 2000; instead, “E-Awards” will be given in place. Miles will not expire as long as you have mileage activity within the past three years.
In addition, having your HawaiianMiles card allows you to get discounts from local vendors, like Hungry Lion and Hy’s Steak House. I even recall seeing it at the popular KC Drive-In along Kapahulu Ave. Most vendors will give you 5 miles per dollar spent; others will give $10 for each dollar spent. Award Partners like this will provide everything from hotel rooms, rental cars, gift certificates and luxury cruises.
There is even a HawaiianMiles Mastercard, so technically, if you eat at these restaurants and charge it on your HawaiianMiles Mastercard, you can double the miles. =P You get 10,000 bonus miles just for signing up, and you get one free mile for every dollar that you spend.
Lastly, HawaiianMiles members that accumulate 30 segments (i.e. a round-trip is 2 segments) or 20,000 miles during a calendar year will qualify them for Pualani Gold status, giving them 50% bonus miles on all flights and a special ID card entitling them to Premier Club privileges. I am not in the Premier Club, but my girlfriend’s cousin is; they have a luxurious lounge to hang around and relax before the flight, and they get to board before anyone else. What a deal.
Tips
-Arrive for check in about 2 hrs prior to departure from Honolulu, 1 ½ hours when leaving Los Angeles.
-Use the services of the SkyCap whenever you’re in a jam. Even if they did not pick up your bags from the curb, you can always approach them afterwards nonetheless.
-Use your HawaiianMiles; it can lead to good rewards.
Finishing Touches
Well, you can see why I love Hawaiian Airlines. It is a good way for a “local boy” like myself to get back and forth between the islands, as well as to the mainland. Not only is the flying experience wonderful, but the deals are great with their HawaiianMiles. If you haven’t flown on Hawaiian, then give it a try. You won’t regret it.
Reference
Website:
http://www.hawaiianair.com
Reservations:
(808) 838-1555
(from the Neighbor Islands)
(800) 882-8811
(from the US Mainland)
(800) 367-5320
Air Cargo:
(877) 422-2746
HawaiianMiles Service Center:
877-HA-MILES
(877) 426-4527
Recommended:
Yes
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Epinions.com ID:
IntegraRacer
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Member: Willis
Location: Los Angeles, CA
Reviews written: 32
Trusted by: 46 members
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