Hawaii-based Airlines - First Class from West Coast to OGG

So i am ready to start planning a first class trip to hawaii next spring for a total of 3 people. I have American miles (which it shows books from sacramento on Alaska Airlines for 75,000 Rt ) and I have Delta which shows as 80,000 RT

Although i dont have the 200,000 plus miles needed I can get there but i really need to know who has the best product. I've never flown first class and i know there are lots of people who believe certain carriers are far superior, but Its only about a 5 hour flight from here.

I have 75,000 AA
40,000 Delta
50,000 USair
100,000 SPG (which i can convert to i think 125 t most carriers?)

I plan on getting more USair if theres a grand slam for both myself and MR and i will pursue cards if needs be. I'd appreciate any guidance as to who should be the carrier i should choose for a better first class experience.

Thank you!!

I've not flown Alaskan first class so can't really comment. However, I have flown Hawaiian FC a few times and have to say while I love flying FC I don't think the distance of the flight would justify blowing that amount of points.

Personally I do not feel as if the Hawaiian FC cabin is anything exceptional. Don't get me wrong, I have always enjoyed the service. The seating itself is nothing outstanding, the food and onboard service I find are normally the highlight.

Of course I would always rather fly FC than up the back, but I would think long and hard about redeeming that amount of miles on what is only a short trip and not likely to be a life changing experience. For not that much more you could travel Business Class on Cathay to Hong Kong.

If you can fly AA's 767 out of LAX, I believe that's their international business product. That might be worth it. All the others, as far as I know, are basically domestic F products, which are definitely better than coach seats, but not by much. The service is also domestic F service, not international F service, which is generally much better.

I would check prices, maybe do a mixture of coach award tix and one or two paid tix depending on price if you can afford it. If not, try for all coach tix. Most people are pretty happy with Hawaiian's service in coach.

I use my SPG points for hotels, especially cash & points awards or 5th night free awards. I get more value out of them when using them for hotels.

-David

Thank you both for they replies. In scanning availability its actually easier to find the first class awards on the route than the cheaper coach awards. I am planning an international flight in a few years so it sounds as though id be better off saving my miles for that. I also have 180,000 marriott that i was planning on using for hotels if i needed to use the starwood- but i would much prefer to use the spg at a hawaii property.

Maybe as time goes on i will see better award availability. Does any domestic carrier allow you to use miles for hawaiian air? I only saw USair but i want to save those miles.

Thanks again!

If you can fly AA's 767 out of LAX, I believe that's their international business product. That might be worth it. All the others, as far as I know, are basically domestic F products, which are definitely better than coach seats, but not by much. The service is also domestic F service, not international F service, which is generally much better.

I would check prices, maybe do a mixture of coach award tix and one or two paid tix depending on price if you can afford it. If not, try for all coach tix. Most people are pretty happy with Hawaiian's service in coach.

I use my SPG points for hotels, especially cash & points awards or 5th night free awards. I get more value out of them when using them for hotels.

-David


the AA flight is domestic config.

I fly two to three or more times to Hawaii business and pleasure. Hawaiian and Alaska, Hawaiian is a bigger bird but more points. I actually prefer Alaska Airlines.

enjoy and Mahalo

Maybe as time goes on i will see better award availability. Does any domestic carrier allow you to use miles for hawaiian air? I only saw USair but i want to save those miles.


Hawaiian has a partner page that lists which partners you can redeem through. Mainland to HI it looks like AA is the only domestic carrier you can redeem on: Hawaiian Airlines: Airline Partner Programs (http://www.hawaiianair.com/HawaiianMiles/airline-partners/)

Redeem: AAdvantage members can redeem their AAdvantage miles for tickets on all Hawaiian Airlines flights. Contact American Airlines to make arrangements

I've only flown UA and HA First to Hawaii. They are both domestic first. Nothing to write home about. Of the two I preferred UA.

If you are saving miles for your international flight you might consider picking up the Alaska Airlines Visa Signature card. You get a $99 (plus taxes and fees) companion discount code to use every year. The card has an annual fee of $75 I think. You can use the companion code on first class fares which almost cuts your first class fare in half for two people. It doesn't work for your third person. You can also use the discount code for coach travel (actually any itinerary bookable on Alaska Airlines web site on AS metal) but it doesn't have as much value for cheap coach fares.

You can now book flights on HA on AA's website using AA miles, which is nice. Consensus seems to be that AA's 763 from DFW to HNL is the best F product from west of the Mississippi to HI and US's planes to HNL and OGG are the worst, with everything else in between roughly the same.

I personally have only flown F to Hawaii on AA on a 757 from LAX and on HA. Both were fine with HA a little nicer. I would fly whichever makes the most sense schedule and miles-wise. I think they all are fairly similar; at least that is my impression.

I ran into this same dilemma last year. I have 3 people to fly to Hawaii. Last year I decided to use my miles to fly first class. We flew over first class and back coach! We did this to save our miles for this years trip!

I debated long and hard about going first class again this year. I have the points, but decided to hold onto them. I signed up for the Alaska Airlines card and got 2 tickets (coach) on Alaska Airlines for 20K each out of San Jose. I also used AA miles for my 3rd coach ticket. Even though I could have either used my $99 companion fare or even used my AA miles for FC, it didn't seem worth it. We also signed up for the Hawaiian cards. We are using Hawaiian miles to get back to the west coast. We found coach tickets for 17.5K! So the 70K we got together gave us our flights back AND gave us our interisland flights.

I ran into this same dilemma last year. I have 3 people to fly to Hawaii. Last year I decided to use my miles to fly first class. We flew over first class and back coach! We did this to save our miles for this years trip!

I debated long and hard about going first class again this year. I have the points, but decided to hold onto them. I signed up for the Alaska Airlines card and got 2 tickets (coach) on Alaska Airlines for 20K each out of San Jose. I also used AA miles for my 3rd coach ticket. Even though I could have either used my $99 companion fare or even used my AA miles for FC, it didn't seem worth it. We also signed up for the Hawaiian cards. We are using Hawaiian miles to get back to the west coast. We found coach tickets for 17.5K! So the 70K we got together gave us our flights back AND gave us our interisland flights.



The best deal if you go to Hawaii is the AS Visa card, $99 companion fare once a year, great deal for Hawaii.

We do confirmed first going over and coach ( stand by first) coming back. Coming back your tired and just want to sleep!

Alaska's product is betting better

the AA flight is domestic config.


The AA 763s are angle flat international business class seats. They are currently running them on LAX-OGG and DFW-OGG. They are seasonal on LAX-OGG. When they are 757s, they are likely to be the domestic variants.

-David

When we fly to Hawaii it is in first. We either purchase the coach ticket and then use our miles along with paying that silly fee to use our miles. Or, we use miles. I have flown in or out of Hawaii on AA's 763 and 752. In additon we recently flew on DL's 752 on the OGG-HNL route. Apparently this is a former Song aircraft. The pitch in first was over 45" and the seats had foot rests, if they worked. IFE is provided by overhead screens.

I prefer the 763 experience over either 752. As for the 752, the flights are between 4 1/2 and 5 1/2 hours. I didn't find either of them uncomfortable but the DL 752 did show it's age.

That said, if you are flexible with your dates, I would convert some of your Starpoints to AA, wait for a cheap coach ticket, use miles and pay the fee. It will cost you money versus beiing almost free (award ticket). Plus, you will use less miles.

I know people HATE US Airways service to the Islands. The ONLY reason I would consider them over AS is because US's F seats (old style comfy) re a LOT more comfortable than AS F seats...

I know people HATE US Airways service to the Islands. The ONLY reason I would consider them over AS is because US's F seats (old style comfy) re a LOT more comfortable than AS F seats...

Just like you said their service and the fact that the planes are old smelly and poorly maintained Inside!!

i fly to hawaii 5 to 6 times a year always in coach out of las the flight time is about 5:30 to 6 hours so i would think long and hard about frist class. with the price or miles diff. any way have a nice trip.

I know people HATE US Airways service to the Islands. The ONLY reason I would consider them over AS is because US's F seats (old style comfy) re a LOT more comfortable than AS F seats...

I can think of another reason to fly US. They fly NONSTOP from PHX-HNL. Why on earth would I fly from PHX-SEA/PDX-HNL. Plus, AS is not that superior to US to spend 6 extra hours enroute. I've found US to be on-time and the crew friendly between PHX and HNL. Oh yes, and US shows a MOVIE and has IFE unlike AS.

I know people HATE US Airways service to the Islands. The ONLY reason I would consider them over AS is because US's F seats (old style comfy) re a LOT more comfortable than AS F seats...

Well having a *nonstop* flight SMF-OGG is pretty nice too- no connections in LAX, SEA, ATL, or even HNL...so I'd weight that heavily into the equation unless one is trying to build miles.

I can think of another reason to fly US. They fly NONSTOP from PHX-HNL. Why on earth would I fly from PHX-SEA/PDX-HNL. Plus, AS is not that superior to US to spend 6 extra hours enroute. I've found US to be on-time and the crew friendly between PHX and HNL. Oh yes, and US shows a MOVIE and has IFE unlike AS.

there you go ! Enjoy

I can think of another reason to fly US. They fly NONSTOP from PHX-HNL. Why on earth would I fly from PHX-SEA/PDX-HNL. Plus, AS is not that superior to US to spend 6 extra hours enroute. I've found US to be on-time and the crew friendly between PHX and HNL. Oh yes, and US shows a MOVIE and has IFE unlike AS.

Then again if you are going via Phoenix, HA has non stop from PHX to HNL too.

I'm in the early stages of planning a trip to OGG and was hopping for some feedback about the two options most likely I'm considering.

Option 1: FC OAK-OGG (non-stop) $200 less than option 2
Option 2: FC SFO-HNL-OGG

I see the point of perhaps not spending the money for FC indeed, but it's a trip with parents and want it to be that special. The 767 is used for the OAK flight and the A330 for the SFO flight. I'm getting the impression most folks are preferring the FC on the airbus right?

Thanks!


Ps. Other option might be to send folks to JFK for the flight on HA and I meet them in Hawaii. (They are in PHL area.)

the AA flight is domestic config.

I fly two to three or more times to Hawaii business and pleasure. Hawaiian and Alaska, Hawaiian is a bigger bird but more points. I actually prefer Alaska Airlines.

enjoy and Mahalo

If it is American's 767-300, the seating is AA's internaitonal business class seat. it is not international quality service by any means but it is an international style lie flat (albeit not horizontal) seat. Their 757 services are typical domestic configuration.

Option 1: FC OAK-OGG (non-stop) $200 less than option 2
Option 2: FC SFO-HNL-OGG


I can't imagine paying $200 more and add a connection, just for a slightly better seat.

If it is American's 767-300, the seating is AA's internaitonal business class seat.

I know, but somebody else decided since they fly to Hawaii what they think is a lot, that they know better. :) And since this is the internet, it must be true, right?

AA is currently flying 763s with lie flat (angle flat) international business configuration between OGG-LAX and OGG-DFW. OGG-LAX is seasonal, it switches to domestic 757 configuration at some point (probably end of summer?)

-David

I know, but somebody else decided since they fly to Hawaii what they think is a lot, that they know better. :) And since this is the internet, it must be true, right?

AA is currently flying 763s with lie flat (angle flat) international business configuration between OGG-LAX and OGG-DFW. OGG-LAX is seasonal, it switches to domestic 757 configuration at some point (probably end of summer?)

-David

I'm flying LAX-OGG on Thursday and it is a AA 757 config

I'm flying LAX-OGG on Thursday and it is a AA 757 config

ok, ok.

Checked the schedule. They still have a nice pdf file.

June 14 they switch from 763 to 757 on LAX-OGG and LAX-HNL. You missed it by one day I guess. Sorry.

DFW to the islands is still 763. Maybe you can fly back via DFW? :)

-David

I think what to ask yourself is not so much how much the flight will cost but what aircraft that HA will be flying on that route. As LIHPrem posted, AA just switched once again all of their LAX/HNL and OGG flights back to the 757. They had been flying the 767 on these routes since, I think, May. Airlines switch aircraft all of the time.

With all of that said, maybe some folks with experience on HA can offer their advice/knowledge regarding HA swapping out aircraft on routes. I am not talking about MX issues, I am just talking about general schedule changes. Just because the schedule states a 330 it could turn into the 767 or vice versa.

Another option would be to fly the 767 on the outbound and the 330 on the return.