FWIW, 35 minutes is a pretty standard connection time at IAH (my usual flights from EWR or LGA to AUS via IAH have a 35-40 minute connection, for instance), and Continental seems to only do it with flights in the same concourse and with relatively adjacent gates. Particularly if the HNL flight was on time, there wasn't any reason for the FA to be "concerned" that people wouldn't make their connections. There must invariably be plenty of people on that flight with similar connection times.

Btw is it really that hard to get upgraded to HNL? I haven't ever flown there on CO, but I had no problem snagging a miles upgrade on AA the two times I've been.