Originally Posted by
El Boocho
Back when that chart was published to get to Asia from HI on DL you had to go through ATL. Based on that, it would make perfect sense if it cost the same or more to fly HNL-ATL-NRT than East Coast to NRT. It doesn't matter anyway because you are smarter than they are and have a better understanding of the airline business.
Back then already DL, NW, KE were all in SkyTeam, and thus one would fly on NW HNL-NRT or KE HNL-ICN-NRT if booked via DL. Either way then 7 hour or at most 10 hour (connecting via ICN) flight, not some 20+ hours via ATL.
Besides, DL does NOT allow HI via mainland US routing to Asia for award flights, though it charges 70,000 RT. NW does allow that (though you'd never need it, with so many daily flights to NRT and KIX from HNL), though it only charges 40,000 RT.