teammjs

want to send my parents to Hawaii using NW miles next summer. they live in Wichita, therfore would probably rather route them via Houston or LAX on Contl, vs. MPS or Seattle (via Memphis) on NWA. and no, i don't have enough miles for them to go 1st class.

so...having just done a nasty UA coach flight to Kona via LAX, am wondering how Continental stacks up via NW (or even UA) in coach.

nyupika

I flew EWR-HNL roundtrip in March in coach and found it to be pretty good. Each seat has a PTV and the seat pitch is 32" which isn't great, but is certainly managable. The planes are brand new, so they are very nice inside. Compared to NW, I would choose CO, simply because I believe they offer a superior product. I think the planes are nicer and the service slightly better (though in coach its really a toss up). I haven't flown United in years so I can't make a comparison there.

NJDavid

...a lot better than when they were flying broken-down DC-10 rustbuckets on that route, but, sadly, that is not saying much...

TrojanHorse

Maybe I'm spoiled from BF but CO coach is not very good. On that kind of flight, I would be completely miserable. However if your parents don't fly much and don't know what BF is like and it is a free trip, I'm sure they will be very happy, just see what you can do for them for the best possible coach seating locations

anthonyanthony

I have flown both CO and NW in coach from Hawaii. I don't really favor one over the other, but maybe these factors will help you decide.

NW only has one thing going for it -- it has better seat pitch. Depending on how big/tall you are, this could be very important.

CO has two major things going for it:

* New planes. CO has somewhat new 767-400s. NW has DC-10s that are among the oldest planes flying for any airline.

* PTVs. CO has, at every seat, a TV with six channels to choose from, and some games (Solitaire, Poker, Tetris, Space Invaders, etc).

In addition, CO has slightly better food and more frequent beverage service. Also, it seems to me that CO flight attendants are more cheery than NW FAs, but I've flown alot more CO flights so it coudl be just chance.

[Edited cuz I type faster than I think]

[This message has been edited by anthonyanthony (edited 06-18-2002).]

sharptalk

How does this compare with Hawaiian air or Aloha air coach? They are both starting to fly from PHX this year.

anthonyanthony

Hawaiian is still in the process of replacing their old DC-10s with somewhat new 767s. There are no PTVs. In my experience, the flight attendants are not as cheery as on CO. The food is about the same as CO, with a nicer dessert (Macadamia nut ice cream cookie sandwich). Beverage service is not as frequent as on CO. Seat pitch is almost as bad as CO.

I've not flown Aloha to the mainland, but I've heard that they have good food in coach. Other than that, I've not heard that they are any better or worse than others.

MRLIMO

teammjs, what a kind and generous gesture sending your parents to Hawaii next Summer. Most parents should be so lucky. There is no doubt that flying up front would be the ideal way to go. However, I am certain they will be most appreciative and enjoy their vacation and the coach flights.

Between CO and NW, I would suggest CO for a number of reasons including those listed above. Newer aircraft is at the top of my list. Once you determine the type of aircraft, I would try to capture the best two coach seats in the house. There should be a wealth of seating knowledge on FlyerTalk or perhaps from a competent CO reservation agent. An ideal seating location may make all the difference in the world and will only enhance their flights.

And last but not least. One very important caveat IMHO, is the power of suggestion (to your parents). I'm hoping they have not been brainwashed into thinking that coach is not a pleasurable traveling experience. We, of course on FlyerTalk may feel that way, but in the Real World it just isn't so. Thousands fly coach everyday on NW and CO and do very well. By the way, I survived LAX-HNL roundtrip on CO coach just fine and still have most of my senses.

Best wishes to your parents for a most memorable Hawaiian vacation.

------------------
You can gamble for matchsticks and you can gamble for gold, but if you haven't gambled for love and lost, then you haven't gambled at all.

Mileage Schemer

I flew HNL-LAX on Hawaiian for the first time in order to boycott CO, save $$, and get AA miles. I must say that the CO experience in coach is notably better though. I was cutting it close on time and the 1 mile walk/run between check-in and the gate was really no fun (the Wiki Wiki shuttle was not working). Plus you can really notice that the CO planes are newer and nicer. I don't know the exact measurements, but I certainly felt more cramped on HA than I did on CO.

bry99

I had no problem with CO coach traveling with my wife LAX-HNL last fall. The 2-3-2 setup on the 767 is very good for couples. (I hate third wheels.) The entertainment system provided a nice diversion. The service was adequate, but nothing spectacular.

Would I have felt the same if I had been traveling IAH-HNL instead? I don't know.

RustyC

I've had better luck on NW simply because I was able to get upgraded using plat status (probably not officially allowed, but I don't think it was to make room in coach).

Having flown LAX-HNL and HNL-CHI on UA at the tender age of 10 and remembering how it was back then (early 70s), it's sad to see how bad coach service to Hawaii has become. I really dread those trips now. The airlines are missing a great opportunity, since the passengers are mostly excited about their trip. Anything the airlines do (even small things) to make it better will be remembered.

dgolds

NW cites 31-32" seat pitch on DC-10's.

CO cites 31" seat pitch on 777's and 32" on 767's.

So is NW really better in this department or am I missing something?

anthonyanthony

Huh, I thought it was more than that. It felt like alot more than that when I flew them. Maybe, as some people say, even one inch makes a huge difference. Or maybe their planes have different seat pitches..

dgolds

So true, so true.

DrivingRain

My only beef with CO on this one is that they are mostly using a 764 configuration with only 20 BF seats (as opposed to 35).

Nonetheless, the inflight product is clearly #1 among the major carriers to Hawaii.

[This message has been edited by DrivingRain (edited 06-22-2002).]