Hawaii-based Airlines - HNL-Haneda recent experience in Business

I was supposed to fly HNL-GUM-NRT on a paid CO business ticket. But the HNL-GUM flight was delayed 6 hours, making making my business in Guam moot. So I decided to reroute directly to Tokyo. The options were:

A) wait until the next day and fly UA, DL, or NH
B) fly JAL the same evening into Haneda
C) Fly HA the same evening into Haneda

The problem with Haneda was that I need to get to Narita for my hotel. But I thought that transportation between the two shouldn't be too hard.

I decided to try the HA flight. In retrospect, I think any of the others would have been better.

Lounge: The HA lounge in HNL is pretty pathetic. Truth is, none of the lounges in HNL are all that great. But I suppose I expected more from the home-town carrier!

Aircraft: the A330 was fresh and clean!

Seat: I was in the first row. Leg room was more than the other seats, but at 46 inches, it doesn't compare to being in an true internationally configured aircraft. Recline was small. Foot rest was negligible. Reminded me of business class in 1985 on many airlines.

Amenities: the amenities kit consisted of a cardboard box with an eye-shade and earplugs. Noise cancelations head sets were handed out. At the end of the flight, we all got a box of chocolate covered macadamia nuts wrapped in a HA branded scarf. That was a nice touch.

Food: I liked the food and the presentation. The menu included photos of the courses, a really nice feature. I won't go into the food itself, but it was tasty and well presented. I skipped the second service.

Entertainment: good AVOD system with many choices.

I'm glad I tried HA, but in retrospect I should have taken another carrier for more comfort.

Thanks for sharing! Sorry to hear it wasn't better than you expected.

HA A330 seats in business class are incompatible with A330 of other airlines, Delta (NWA), for example, which business seats in their A330 fleet adopt an electronic seat system controlled either by passengers or by IFE system from VCC. On the contrary, HA uses mechanical seat controlled mechanism to adjust the seat recline and footrest to save the weight and maintenance cost. It is so shame that a new state of the art fleet but using out of date interior equipment. :(

It is so shame that a new state of the art fleet but using out of date interior equipment. :(

+1 ^
I agree in regards to the F product. The new A330 seats on HA are way below the standard for long-haul intenational business or first. Elsewhere on this forum, however, it has been pointed out that HA's business model has been based on hauling lots of tourists in Y, often in group tour mode. I guess this has worked for them up to now, but one has to wonder how this will do with the expansion into markets in Asia where better business seats are the norm. Time will tell.

This isn't relevant to the OP, but aren't HA's business class fares cheaper than the competition? Truly, HA's business product is equivalent to Premium Economy on, say, QF.

This isn't relevant to the OP, but aren't HA's business class fares cheaper than the competition? Truly, HA's business product is equivalent to Premium Economy on, say, QF.
Unfortunately, HA's international business class and coach fares are often higher than the competition. If I had to fly as a revenue passenger from Honolulu to Japan, HA would probably be one of the last airlines I would consider. :o

In retrospect, I think any of the others would have been better.



he said, understatedly. :)

Great post. Thanks.

Everybody here seems to rave about those HA A330s.

-David

he said, understatedly. :)

Great post. Thanks.

Everybody here seems to rave about those HA A330s.

-David

In all fairness, the front cabin on the HA A330 is superior to the UA front cabins on the HI-mainland routes. But flying international is a different animal!

In all fairness, the front cabin on the HA A330 is superior to the UA front cabins on the HI-mainland routes.

Better than Row 1 on the UA 772? :o

I understand what you mean. Most people are judging their aircraft on domestic routes, not on the international routes, which fly exactly the same planes in the same configurations.

-David