I flew MEL-HBA on VA back at the end of 2018. My arrival routing was different (flew J on TG via BKK on the A359), but taking the trip to/from MEL to HBA was simple. Short hop. That said, my recollection is that the VA 737s we flew on were definitely on the older side. Don't expect anything remarkable at all whether it be hard or soft product. If you are flying UA, flying SFO-MEL-HBA would seem to be the logical choice.