Best way to get to hawaii with BA
#16
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jul 2010
Programs: AA
Posts: 14,730
But again then you are putting quite a long segment on a narrowbody plane. Plus adding an extra connection to an already long journey.
#18
Join Date: Jun 2001
Location: Lake Oswego, Oregon or Costa Alegre take your pick
Programs: AS MVPG,
Posts: 1,066
Make it easy on yourself. Fly from LHR to SEA nonstop then SEA to your choice of Hawaiian destination. I recommend KOA or LIH myself. Take the nice queen of the skies upstairs in J then relax in those comfy non-reclining fake J seats of AS. AS is a very friendly airline but the seating is only so so.
#20
Join Date: Mar 2012
Location: London
Programs: BA Silver Seigneur des Horaires des Mucci.
Posts: 2,047
we are doing LHR LAX on airmiles; overnighting in LAX and doing AA domestic first to Maui to arrive in the island at lunchtime (civilised)
Rtn HNL LAX connecting to BA to LHR straight through
Rtn HNL LAX connecting to BA to LHR straight through
#22
Join Date: Mar 2015
Programs: BA GGL
Posts: 2,447
As far as I can recall there's no lie-flat from US west coast on AA (wasn't for me on LHR and PHX routes, that's for sure!). Don't think even Alaska offers it from SEA (as a codeshare) - but this may have changed more recently?
#23
Join Date: Mar 2017
Location: AMS
Programs: BAEC Silver, Flying Blue Gold, TK M&S Nobody
Posts: 2,471
Yep - always ignore the "domestic first" branding and just use the booking code of the segment. F and A only occur on Flagship Transcon routes, I believe - JFK-SFO/LAX, BOS-LAX, and I think maybe a 777 MIA-LAX rotation at the moment too?
#24
Join Date: Jun 2009
Location: LON
Posts: 387
Have only been to the Big Island (KOA / HLO), but currently looking at going back there rather than visit any of the others. As the name implies, it's considerably bigger than the other islands, so if exploring the place is your thing, there are more options there. I have a feeling it's also a lot less touristy and less overrun than Hawaii (HNL).
#26
Join Date: Mar 2017
Location: Lincolnshire, UK
Programs: BA GGL - maybe only briefly!
Posts: 1,378
UK/EU - USA east coast - USA west coast - Hawaii is the best way to maximise TPs ie 3 x long haul flights. Going direct from DUB to USA is good as you clear US immigration in DUB and arrive in US as a domestic arrival - which may mean you can plan on a shorter connection. DFW-HNL has flat beds but you get fewer TPs (on the east coast to DFW leg). Don't think you get TPs on Alaska(?) DUB-PHL-LAX-HNL would be pre-clearance and flat beds as far as LAX and 840 TPs, but you'd still need 4xBA flights for status.
Depends what you are trying to achieve - DUB-LHR-DFW-HNL, with 2 legs on BA, would get you to Silver, and if you book it as a BA ticket you could possibly upgrade the transatlantic leg to First with avios.
Depends what you are trying to achieve - DUB-LHR-DFW-HNL, with 2 legs on BA, would get you to Silver, and if you book it as a BA ticket you could possibly upgrade the transatlantic leg to First with avios.
#27
Join Date: Aug 2005
Programs: BA Gold, HHonors, Virgin
Posts: 766
We did DUB then BA1-nightstop-JFK-LAX-HNL with a lunchtime start from JFK (AA3?) and a 2100 arrival in HNL. Return was HNL-LAX-nightstop-LHR-DUB. The HNL-LAX was a lunchtime start so no need for the lie flat. worst part was the wait at DUB for our flight back to UK.
The night stops were invaluable
The night stops were invaluable
#28
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Jan 2002
Posts: 44,574
If you are going to be in Dublin, take a flight from Dublin directly to the USA rather than backtrack to London - less journey time and US immigration and Customs clearances will be performed in Dublin. This means that the connection in USA is a lot less of a hassle and bags will be able to be checked all the way through to final destination in USA and not collected / rechecked enroute
#29
Join Date: Oct 2018
Location: UK
Programs: BA Silver (temp demotion), *A Silver, HH Gold, IHG Diamond
Posts: 490
We did this trip at the beginning of this year. And to echo what others have said upthread, there are many choices.
We did OSL-LHR-PHL-LAX-KOA (on the Island of Hawaii). And KOA-LAX-NYC-LHR-OSL on return. We paid £1800 in J (flew out in December so a decent fare ) for 920TPs. BA and AA flights throughout.
The reason is that we picked this was (A) routes that gave 140TP every time (DTW-HNL doesn't, for example). and (B) flight times that helped the journey run smoothly. I think we did it well (but have no personal comparisons).
Out: LHR-PHL day flight - overnight PHL (allowed for relatively painless US immigration, even allowing for a 3 hour delay on take off) then PHL-LAX-KOA in a day (arrive IIRC 9pm at night).
Back: KOA-LAX day flight. overnight on the intercontinental to JFK, day in NYC, overnight to LHR (and home as we booked the LHR-OSL the next day).
The 5-hour AA flights on non-lie flats was perfectly fine (eg PHL-LAX) so I wouldn't agonise over those if in the day.
[We also did some island hopping whilst there and would recommend followed by Kauai (LIH) - and to also think about an open jaw eg into KOA back from LIH or OGG .]
We did OSL-LHR-PHL-LAX-KOA (on the Island of Hawaii). And KOA-LAX-NYC-LHR-OSL on return. We paid £1800 in J (flew out in December so a decent fare ) for 920TPs. BA and AA flights throughout.
The reason is that we picked this was (A) routes that gave 140TP every time (DTW-HNL doesn't, for example). and (B) flight times that helped the journey run smoothly. I think we did it well (but have no personal comparisons).
Out: LHR-PHL day flight - overnight PHL (allowed for relatively painless US immigration, even allowing for a 3 hour delay on take off) then PHL-LAX-KOA in a day (arrive IIRC 9pm at night).
Back: KOA-LAX day flight. overnight on the intercontinental to JFK, day in NYC, overnight to LHR (and home as we booked the LHR-OSL the next day).
The 5-hour AA flights on non-lie flats was perfectly fine (eg PHL-LAX) so I wouldn't agonise over those if in the day.
[We also did some island hopping whilst there and would recommend followed by Kauai (LIH) - and to also think about an open jaw eg into KOA back from LIH or OGG .]
#30
Join Date: Apr 2016
Posts: 250
We did this trip at the beginning of this year. And to echo what others have said upthread, there are many choices.
We did OSL-LHR-PHL-LAX-KOA (on the Island of Hawaii). And KOA-LAX-NYC-LHR-OSL on return. We paid £1800 in J (flew out in December so a decent fare ) for 920TPs. BA and AA flights
We did OSL-LHR-PHL-LAX-KOA (on the Island of Hawaii). And KOA-LAX-NYC-LHR-OSL on return. We paid £1800 in J (flew out in December so a decent fare ) for 920TPs. BA and AA flights
I guess I will see if I find OSL-HEL-LHR-JFK-LAX-HNL. That would be 40+80+140+140+40 * 2 so 880 TP? Or is LAX-HNL 140 TP? Then it is 1080TP return trip