Really? We did HNL-AKL flights in July and could NOT be any happier with every aspect of the flight (we would say exceptional, not "fairly good"), and U.S. buyers by default pay for and receive the works package, so the only other optional fee was for preferred seating and/or sky couch. As there were 3 of us (2+baby), we were able to get a sky couch row for $20 pp extra, and it was beautiful - baby had enough room to lie down, and the two adults had leg rests, making for a surprisingly comfy seat/flight. And the rear galley was essentially an open bar. We would have been insane to backtrack to SFO and be subjected to UA in-flight service all for a few miles. My advice to OP, if you're actually willing to pay Y fare, save your $$ and get premium economy seats. You can always put in a bid for an upgrade - who knows, it may go through. However, the HNL flights often go out full in the premium cabins (and fortunately, this 8.5 hour flight really isn't so bad in the back!)