Hawaii-based Airlines - Hawaiian inter-Island boarding process

I searched the board but was unable to find the answer for this question

What is the boarding process for Hawaiian inter-Island flights? Perhaps a silly question but as well will have carry on it would be nice to be one of the first groups on board to insure space overhead.

Do they board front to back? Window to Isle?

...Isle?

Yes, except of the ex-mainland flights. ;) :D

I'll let others who have more current experience actually answer your question :)

IIRC:

First Class
Hawaiian Pualani Elite
Y - Cabin, starting from the front of the plane back

I don't think window or aisle makes a difference, just the row.

I've been flying a lot between HNL and the big island recently, and they have been boarding back to front after all the pre boards.

Depending on day of week and time of flight, don't be surprised if half the plane pre boards. Many people purchase the premier club that provides priority boarding.

I've been flying early mornings and mid afternoons. On all flights except one overhead access was not an issue in the front part of coach. If you're traveling during the holidays though this may change as there will be less one-day business travelers and more folks carrying gifts.

I searched the board but was unable to find the answer for this question

What is the boarding process for Hawaiian inter-Island flights? Perhaps a silly question but as well will have carry on it would be nice to be one of the first groups on board to insure space overhead.

Do they board front to back? Window to Isle?

In HNL they have been boarding as follows:
- Wheel chair, people traveling with infants 2 and under, people who need assistance.
- first class, pualani plat, gold, premier card holders
- rows 4 - 26 (sometime they board rows 18-26, then 10-26, then 4-26, then final call), though lately they've just made one call for all rows

In HNL they have been boarding as follows:
- Wheel chair, people traveling with infants 2 and under, people who need assistance.
- first class, pualani plat, gold, premier card holders
- rows 4 - 26 (sometime they board rows 18-26, then 10-26, then 4-26, then final call), though lately they've just made one call for all rows

mainland to islands same way. i see all the time wheel chair there well be 4-5 people with each wheel chair. infants 2 and under i have seen up to 7 people with each infant. dont know whay it takes so many people.

They are very inconsistent. On my last trip HNL - LIH they did the preboards/First/etc then called the entire coach class. On the return they boarded the back half of coach before the front half.

They are very inconsistent. On my last trip HNL - LIH they did the preboards/First/etc then called the entire coach class. On the return they boarded the back half of coach before the front half.
Really depends on whether they're trying to get the flight out on time, whether the flight is relatively empty, etc. Generally, when the flight is on time and relatively full, it's pre-boards, boarding by rows (from back to front), boarding by all rows, and the final boarding call. The agents at HNL can bypass the boarding by rows prerecorded message and go to the all rows call if necessary.

In the past week, I have experienced HA's boarding process in ITO, HNL (twice,) and LIH. Of course they all did the special needs, F, and elite pax first. For the Y pax, ITO boarded from the back by rows 18-26 first, then 10 and above, and finally all rows. Both times in HNL it was the pre-board group followed by all rows 4 though 26. LIH did the pre-boards followed by Y from the back in increments of four rows. My partner and I noticed a pattern in all this. HNL had the most pre-boards (seemed like over half the plane) and the least breakdown in the Y boarding by rows. LIH had the fewest pre-boards I have ever seen on an HA flight and the most Y boarding groups. ITO was in the middle, both in terms of pre-boards and Y boarding groups. This is certainly not scientific, but perhaps it does indicate some sort of system. Maybe it doesn't make sense to board Y in small groups when most of them are already on the plane.

Most HA flights I travel on make one announcement for all rows