Trip Reports - Hawaii from YVR on QF & AQ

Just back from Hawai'i and have been ty[ing up the report along the way. Here's the first installment - the trip from YVR-HNL:

4 December QF 4 YVR 1940 HNL 2345 763

Check in opens abnormally early at 1600 (conducted by CX staff in QF colours). Quick check in (no security questions up here) and am no. 13 in sequence. Asked desk agent for upgrade cost but they want too much. US$500 (C$750) each way while a confirmed discounted business class would have cost C$1,500 r/t (for those who don't fly QF, be aware that they will only upgrade on the pain of death). Ask the agent for a lounge pass as I am oneworld sapphire (AA Platinum). Check in agent has to check and I get a pass for the BA lounge. Not much of a wait through security so after paying the C$10 AIF, I go to the BA lounge. Not much on the way of food here other than biscuits. Self-serve bar focussing mainly on soft drinks and spirits. Wines are B.C. with only one choice in each colour.

Boarding starts at 1920 or so and it fairly fast with a 50-60% load (J appeared to be only 4/25) with much of the rear of the a/c empty. Didn't check J class but there were few elite/J boarders and most elites went to the back. Got 34J, an aisle emergency exit seat. Leg room is limited the toilet bulkhead but nowhere near as bad as CLT-LGW on a US 762. Seat comfort is quite good. The seats recline a lot for economy and my head doesn't nod forward like it does on the QF J seats (my least favourite). Doors closes at around 1939 with pushback at around 1942. After engine startup, head for 27 (or 26?)L with a quick takeoff roll (airborne at around 1955 in < 25 seconds). For those contemplating travel on QF 767-300s in the back, I'd recommend the center 3 seats on row 34 or the side row 35 seats (emergency exit but with a seat in front).

FAs offer preflight beverage (just packaged OJ) and distribute packets containing socks and eye shades followed by earphones. Quick beverage service before the meal, with a top-up when the meal is served. Choices are steak or salmon. Take the steak which is quite tasty and tender with possible roasted potato wedges (very puffy from whatever was done to them and a bit too cool) and julienned assorted vegetables. Accompanied by salad with squeezy dressing, fruit/cream dessert cake, bread roll and butter, Kraft cheddar cheese and 2 biscuits. Not bad food with portions better than US and IIRC, better than CX. FAs make one more pass offering wine top ups and another offering water. 2 tea/coffee passes are made. Of the British culture, tea on QF tastes a lot better even than on CP.

Trays cleared away by 2150. Movie is 'The Crew' which I ignored on my SEA-CLT flight on US a month earlier. Mentioned the movie choice to my companion on the trip to FL and she wonders why inflight movies are often so bad (told her it's the $$$). The audio channel must be faulty - only the audio for the video and 2 music channels are available at least from my seat.

FAs not seen again until landing time. A video for HNL I.N.S./Customs clearance is promised but the FAs collect the headsets first and the video is not shown. I make a note of this to the FA collecting my headsets. Landing onto 26(?)L at 2321 with a quick taxi to gate 28. A/c is returning to Vancouver for whatever reason (performance not so good for long haul or some other issue?) so everyone is forced to deplane - I'd expect the incoming flight from SYD also returned to SYD that night. Am 3rd off the a/c and make my way upstairs. Wiki Wiki shuttle bus to the main terminal is abysmally slow and infrequent. Few minute wait for I.N.S. clearance and I am through. Bag is off already (oneworld sapphires get priority baggage tags) and I am politely selected by a Customs agent for a random inspection which is perfunctory and fast. Out and off to the Waikiki Beachcomber.

Shuttle takes too much time to load and get going (the bus moves off before stopping shortly after for a cashier to come aboard). After making some 5 hotel stops in Waikiki, get there at 0030.

Note: Ticket cost me all of C$650 (about US$400). Was thinking of paying C$750 but a fare sale popped up on Expedia but not on other reservation sites. Booked through QF and had my travel agent ticket. Good thing do as they made a change for me free of charge (would have cost me US$75/C$100).

[This message has been edited by terenz (edited 12-14-2000).]

[This message has been edited by terenz (edited 12-14-2000).]

Nice Report....

QF and almost all other airlines other than North American ones are quite strict with upgrades. I flew 4 segments on QF back in May when I was still an OW Emerald (CP was still in OW), on 3 of the 4 flights, Y was overbooked, J was almost empty, they wouldn't bump me to J class to make room for the overbooked people... ended up leaving them behind for the next flight from what I heard.

I am selected by a Customs agent for a random inspection which is perfunctory and fast.

Everything about HNL is nice except their customs officer... Everytime I go through, they grill me with stupid question such as who paid for the trip, whether I am going to Maui and why i am only there for 3 days. blah blah...

A/c is returning to Vancouver for whatever reason (performance not so good for long haul or some other issue?)

Maybe it is just doing the return flight to YVR?

4-7 December Waikiki Beachcomber

Had made bids on Priceline for a 3* hotel in the Waikiki West area. After bidding up to $30/nt with the $20/nt AmEx kicker, I couldn't get anything for the entire stay. I started to bid for individual nights and got the Waikiki Beachcomber for $21, 25 & 23 (amounted to $31.15, 35.52 & 33.52/nt including fees and taxes). The hotel is a bit tired and old in design but the furnishings weren't too bad for that price. View from the 6th floor room was the back of the HVAC block. Stiff charges for all calls made from the phone and tea/coffee were not complimentary (something we expect all over N. America, Australia and Europe but seemingly not in Hawaii. There's a fridge which is fortunately empty. For those who like his music, Don Ho performs here 5 nights per week and it's cabaret style with him and his organ and no supporting musicians.

7-9 December Waikiki Park Shore

I couldn't get anything reasonable in Honolulu for these two nights and figured it was due to Pearl Harbor raid commemorations. Realised when I got there the Honolulu Marathon was occurring and arriving participants were screwing up everything. Tried out Priceline again and got the 2* Parc Shore (opposite the road from the park/zoo and Waikiki Beach) for $25+$20 AmEx kicker per day ($65.07 total). The hotel is at a good location but the rooms were small, tired and a bit filthy. Similar phone charges but at least the hotel supplied one bag of coffee a day free of charge. Highlight of the trip must have been going out to the balcony only to see a naked Japanese man standing on a balcony of the opposite hotel having a smoke. Pool deck at this location is great with an unobtructed view of Diamond Head and Waikiki Beach. Sun exposure is from virtually morning until sunset.

Minor disaster here. The water mains broke overnight on the 1st night. No running water the next day. The hotel places drinking water in the lobby and the city works crew gets to it (repaired by mid afternoon). Some water is piped in through a hose so there was some running water by late afternoon.

Car Rental - Alamo, National and Budget

Got a van (hauling around relatives) from Alamo the next day with a QuickSilvered reservation. Pontiac Montana with all the options (power sliding door, traction control) with 110 miles on the clock. Got 2 other Montanas (from Alamo and National) later in the trip but both had fewer power options, and were grungey inside (one was stained and smelt vaguely of urine - not surprising when it's families who rent vans). Used the Alamo YQ rate code and got a very reasonable rate of $127 for 4 days of minivan (about $147 including taxes) at both HNL and KOA. The 2 week rate at National in LIH would have been some $510 inc. taxes but I Pricelined it for some $330 inclusive ($18/day). Convertibles are available for this rate too).

Oahu Dining

Lunching venues on this trip included, in no particularly order: Sam Choy's Breakfast Lunch and Crab (very good and extremely reasonable "Bento on a Plate" lunch with fried rice option - fresh fried fish (poke), Spam, chicken and teriyaki beef were included with the obligatory 2 scoops of Japanese rice and macaroni salad), Grace's Inn (cheap and cheerful bento box, smaller but cheaper version of the Sam Choy's deal), Rainbow Drive Inn (not-so-good loco moco - a simple artery-clogging affair of chopped steak topped with gravy and a fried egg or two accompained by 2 scoops of Japanese rice which is a favoured for breakfast by Hawaiians), the open-for-6 *-days-straight Liliha Bakery (not-so-good hamburger steak but then it is a pastry shop -- and only there because Masu's Massive Plate (the feature a plate lunch with 3 lbs. of food) - was closed for the night). Also tried a small Hawaiian food place called Ono near the Rainbow Inn (Poi takes some getting used to as does the marinated salmon dish). Missed out delicacies such as Spam Masubi (have the recipe for this but missing mirin and Yoshida sauce) and Manapua on this trip. Also did Sam Choy's Diamond Head restaurant. The kitchen at this location is a bit small and rushed and food is a bit cold when it is served. Both the Waikiki locations had excellent service and presentation but the food is a bit cold at this location - go to BL&C instead. Opposite from the convention centre is a small place simply named 'You Hungry?' The small portion is "sorta" while the large plate is "hungry". Took a drive one day to the north shore. There is a van place called Giovanni's Original White Shrimp Truck that sells shrimp lunches . Had the "Scampi" which was very fresh shrimp (flesh stuck to the shell) which was supposed to be in a white wine and lemon butter sauce. Very nice with the garlic but too salty otherwise - couldn't tell the lemon butter and white wine sauce was there.


[This message has been edited by terenz (edited 12-15-2000).] Further edited to add in food placves.

[This message has been edited by terenz (edited 12-17-2000).]

[This message has been edited by terenz (edited 12-18-2000).]

Aloha Airline experiences

Had 4 of these flying HNL-KOA-HNL-LIH-HNL on 737-200s. For those of you who hate WN's open seating, don't even try AQ. They operate the same system but it's totally sensible for a walk-up service. Unlike WN, they offer and encourage you to go on an earlier flight. Service is simply an offering of passion fruit juice drink or coke in the back. A running commentary of islands being passed and flown to was provided. First class pax (no aisle curtain) were asked for drink orders before T/O and were given a macadamia nut snack. Departures were mostly prompt with doors close and pushbacks ahead of schedule. KOA (large enough to accommodate JL and UA 747s) has no Jetways so stairs are used. Am surprised the 737-200s don't come with internal stairs (I thought they all did). LIH has been upgraded with jetways probably because of the rain.

The KOA-LIH flight was supposed to be one stop. At HNL, I disembarked to have my Canadian Plus number entered. Met another in the party travelling to join. No boarding up to departure time so after some minutes, the gate agent informed us of a gate change allegedly due to mechanical problems. Flight was combined with another leaving 30 minutes later to make up a nearly-full flight. Had a the female half of a couple sitting next to me with a screaming hungry female child (father and 2 elder kids sat in the row behind). Gave the kid the window seat to keep her quiet. Thank goodness the flight was only 20 minutes.

Getting a Budget truck in Hawaii? Pack Roach Spray!

With the addition of 2 more family members and accompanying luggage in Kona, a single van wouldn't be enough so a Ford Ranger ($19.99/day from Budget) was added. The Ranger served its purpose well (put 670 miles on it in just 4 days as well as hauled full luggage loads). These trucks are the RWD versions and usually come in white. The bed is lined and has a locking lid. Cab is split bench which can seat 4 with an additional 2 in the jumpseats behind (cab is extended and the rear panels are doors). All was well until the last night when I got into the truck and noticed brown things scurrying around. I didn't have to think a second to realise that the truck was infested with asian cockroaches. Made a remark to the clerk at the airport about the truck needing fumigation and she mentioned that it's a common problem with rental trucks in Hawaii (simply wrote "roaches" on a piece of paper she attached to the key). I shall try Budget head office for some compensation.

Royal Kona Resort 9-13 December

Couldn't get any 3* from Priceline for the 9-11 so resorted to travelscape.com and snagged the $70 rate for 9-12 December. Got the 12-13 from Priceline for $40 + 20 AmEx kicker. Room was rear-facing although the hotel was selling upgrades for $20 (presumably per night). Room was large and nice. A bit tired though. The hotel must have been a Hilton formerly as the fridge and coat hangers bore old '70-ish Hilton insignia. The hotel is in 3 building and has a pool/sundeck in the front. A private salt-water lagoon and beach are off to one side but I didn't check it out.

Hawaii Food

Ate a lot at the local L&L (chain of outlets providing Hawaiian regional plate lunches at very reasonable prices). Food is good there with the garlic stir-fried shrimp being excellent. Loco moco is heart-stopping. Chicken (BBQ'd and Katsu'd was a hit with the family - the chicken katsu is the favourite dish apparently). Also had dinner at Teshima's, a family restaurant and hotel some 9 miles south of Kona-Kailua. Very reasonable Japanese-style dinners with the influence of being in Hawaii - dinner was Japanese fried rice with Portuguese sausage. Family wanted to try the Bubba Gump Shrimp place for some reason. Food was only average and I have never experienced such hard selling on menu and drink items in any dining establishment. They also wanted to try Huggo's adjoining the Royal Kona. Food is only average there and rather expensive at that. Used a budget coupon to stop at the Punalu bakry where sweet bread is the speciality. These should be sampled for their own. Macadamia nut cinnamon buns are a bit dry. Plate lunch is reheated stuff and served with potato salad with a hint of macaoni but there are few places to eat at the south end of Hawai'i. Missed out on the original Sam Choy's (he's got it up for sale too) and the Manago Hotel (said to be good for its pork chop dinner). Tried some of the sushi and Betno Express. All I can say is that it is best avoided.

Did the Hawaiian Volcanoes National Park twice (explains the mileage put on the Ranger). No active eruptions visible with the lava flowing in tubes to the sea. Hiked the moonscape from the end of the continuously uncovered Chain of Craters road to near where the tube caused a constant steam plume. The Park Service issues warnings to discourage hikes out there (some 3 miles taking some 1 ½-2 hours each way). Sulphorous acidic clouds hovering near the main crater made the place look post-nuclear and hinted at Dante's Inferno.

Kaiui Food

Was only here for a fraction of a day. Forced to eat at the Keiko's in Poipu. Food was only average. The Koloa rib plate lunch turned out to be a slab off BBQ pork ribs (not done Hawaiian style) with 2 scoops of rice (not even Japanese stuff) and macaroni salad. They only got the last one right. For dinner, dragged the family to the Local Boys in Lihue which the food snobs dreaded with trepidation. Food (plate special with teriyaki beef, BBQ'd chicken, fried shrimp and a fish) they ordered was surprisingly good and they are willing to consider going again. Had a delicious pork katsu. Uncle made small talk with the proprietor who had come over from Hong Kong as a 15 y.o. lad some 30 years ago.


14 December QF3 HNL 0100 YVR 0830 767-300 Seat: 28J

Called earlier while in HNL to ensure that QF4 was ontime with no unexepcted delays (2 hrs before the 763 departed SYD). Took the last flight out of LIH at 2100 to HNL (quite full with a Japanese tour group so one FA made announcements in Japanese). Had my bags interlined so asked the check-in agent if she could have the baggage people priority tag. They quite nicely did (as I write this from the HNL QF Club). Ambled over to the QF lounge above gate 26 where the agent must be unfamiliar with oneworld lounge access policies - he was reading from a list who was eligible (those travelling in J, those with elite and/or QF Club membership on QF 3 & 4 that day). I didn't want to make a point but he was under the impression that one needed to be travelling in the premium cabin or a QF Club member to use the lounge. He said he'd make an exception and I left it at that.

The lounge is quite large and there are a lot of passengers. Self-serve drinks, pre-sliced fruit (melons, oranges, straberries, pineapples), cheese (packaged baby "Edam", soft cheese (Bel Paese clone), & cheddar and crackers), and Macadamia nut cookies. The one staffer wasn't quite with it. Coffee and hot water for tea was available but he hadn't turned on the warmer. It seems that the pax on QF are almost all Australian (while on the same sector, pax on CP are predominantly Canadian) - is this due to frequent flyer miles hook or brand familiarity?

Went to gate 27 where boarding started at 0030. Boarded early with oneworld privileges. Pillow and rather thick blanket was placed on every seat. Boarding was pretty quick on this mostly full flight (some 90% in Y, 50-70% in J with most pax coming from Australia enroute to skiing in B.C.) and doors closed at 1953 (actually opened due to a late-arriving pax) with pushback at 0057. Some mishap on engine start (start up, turned off, and start up again) resulted in takeoff not occuring until past 0120. Airshow unit (the one with rich graphics) was not programmed for YVR so the crew uses LAX as a proxy.

Service was similar to the flight out. Packaged water with a twist of lime was distributed pre-flight followed by headphones, eye shades and socks and Canadian landing forms. The Customer Service Director comes through the main cabin greeting elite FFers by name.

A supper was served in the back soon after takeoff (no breakfast which is what CP offers). It's a fruit salad (grapes, honeydew melon and cantaloupes), hot dish (no choice) of chicken foccacia with a light dijon mustard sauce (focaccia bread topping processed chicken slices with possibly cheese on the sauce inbetween), crumble-topped cake and packaged fruit juice. Have a red wine (think it was some cheap Lindeman's) to go with the meal and tea. Movie is 'Chicken Run' which I watch the first few minutes I had missed at the cinema. Seat recline on QF is good enough so I can get some decent sleep - wake up just before lights on 40 minutes prior to YVR landing. FA passes out packaged OJ when lights are turned on. Some turbulence early in the flight. Landing at 0820 with a quick taxi to the gate. CSD greets me by name as I make my way out of the a/c.

CX ground crew handling this flight isn't very good and make the pax walk further than they have to get to immigration. Catch the tail end of a CI flight from TPE which slows things down. Luggage is out slow and the excuse is a frozen hatch. It goes to show QF is a warm weather airline as I've never heard the Canadian airlines offering that excuse.

Notice that QF seems less uptight about safety. Seat belt sign is turned off before the aircraft had even reached 8,000'.

[This message has been edited by terenz (edited 12-14-2000).]

[This message has been edited by terenz (edited 12-15-2000).]

[This message has been edited by terenz (edited 12-17-2000).]

Sounds like a good trip: enjoyed reading about it. btw, if someone says the fried fish is "ono," I think they're trying to tell you it's "yummy."

Earned about 1,890 Q-miles on AA each way (discounted QF fares only earn 70% actual which is about 2,704 miles) + 100% PLT bonus, and also kicked me over the 10k level to earn another 4 AA upgrades. Cost was about US$0.052/mile. Would have earned 100% miles on CP/AC or Air Pacific (similar fares) but no elite bonus. The other Canadian alternatives have charter pitches too horrible to contemplate.

The miles for the inbound QF flight on the 14th posted by the 18th and the outbound was there when I checked on the 14th, as was my Alamo rental @ HNL concluded on the 9th. Mileage here was just 50/day. What does one have to do to earn the PLT miles? Book at the special rate? Nothing on the Budget rental @ KOA concluded on the 13th or the National rental @ FLL a month earlier.