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Old Jan 31, 2006, 1:26 pm
  #4  
slippahs
FlyerTalk Evangelist
 
Join Date: Apr 2003
Location: Honolulu, Hawaiʻi [+MKK4 EBBER R577 EDSEL R577 ELKEY EXERT]
Posts: 15,826
Flights out of HNL do not have the Hawaiian music/video playing. It makes both Hawaii residents and visitors depressed that they're leaving the islands. You'll have the standard "Welcome" in the 50 languages playing. Flights to HNL/OGG DO have the Hawaiian music/video playing. It's a very nice touch by CO that other airlines could learn to do.

You have full meal service on all flights to HNL from IAH/EWR/LAX. On the return, only flights that depart prior to 7:30 p.m. will receive the full meal service treatment. Menus are available online and a quick search will reveal what will be available for your flight, so long as it departs prior to the full-meal cut off.

This is a little snipet of my comments for which side to sit on when arriving into HNL:
Originally Posted by slippahs
Which Side to Sit on When Landing into HNL?

It really depends on the winds landing into HNL. If there are Kona winds, you'll make your landing past Diamond Head, Waikīkī and right into HNL from the Southern side of the state, keeping an FAA regulated 1 mile distance from land. This is actually a rarer event, but if it does happen, anything on the RIGHT side of the plane will give you amazing views of Diamond Head, Waikīkī and Downtown Honolulu. This is a very spectacular landing into HNL.

The more common landing pattern is with trade winds. The plane will cut across O‘ahu diagonally from some point out at Kāne‘ohe/Kailua towards the South shore where Honolulu is, go out towards Kapolei about 1/2 mile from land and then make a 180 for the final approach. It's during this final approach that you'll have stunning views of the Ko‘olau Mountain range, Pearl Harbor, Arizona Memorial, etc. If the plane has this landing pattern, your best bet is to sit on the LEFT side of the plane (e.g., seat A on the plane) so you can see these attractions from the plane.

However, there's no way of knowing which landing pattern is being used at HNL unless you check the weather report for Honolulu on the day of your travel (even then, there's no guarantee).

Just remember: Southerly/Kona Winds: RIGHT side of the plane
Northerly/Trade Winds: LEFT side of the plane
FWIW, those Southerly trade winds usually occur more frequently in the Winter. 95% of the time, you're landing will following the Northerly/Trade wind landing pattern.
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