qlabdad

Hi All,
Does anyone have any experience using CO awards on DL to HNL? We have an award trip reserved for next month on CO but have been locked into dates by the limited availability. We noticed that we can depart EWR a day earlier going through ATL on DL.
How is DL to HNL? I know the CO 767's and their entertainment, service , etc but can someone share any information on DL?

Thanks!

Q

colpuck

DL is refurbing their 763's with new seats with winged headrests and AVOD with HBO for purchase.

The older 763's have the flat headrests and overhead movie screen

They all should have buy on board food, which from the menu looks fairly reasonable.

Equipment changes are frequent at ATL so be sure you check your seat assignment often if you're on a 763 as I have been moved to a middle seat with out my consent before.

sbm12

Even with the winged headrest they are still domestic F seats rather than BizE seats, right? So limited recline up front might be an issue.

In Y I'd say they are comparable enough that I'd go for dates over carrier.

colpuck

IIRC, that all 763's are getting BizE seats (though not the lie-flat ones). DL's not separating the the Domestic 763's from the International 763's

bocastephen

I thought all DL HNL service is on 767-400s which have the tiny, uncomfortable and cramped domestic FC seats - not worth 75K miles for a seat which is incrementally larger than a coach seat, and service you could easily replicate with your own bring-on-board meal/victuals.

The OP can consider another option - flying to LAX the night before their trip will start, then taking the LAX-HNL CO 757 the next morning, arriving HNL before lunch. It will break up a long trip and give them an extra 1/2 day in Hawai'i.

qlabdad

Thanks all. We have a coach award. If we could get standard first we would take it but there was 0 availability. Coach avail was very limited and we took what we could get. We actually wanted to go next summer for our 20th anniversary but I'm afraid of not getting any awards at all!
Given the feedback I'm very skeptical of DL and not knowing what we're going to get. Maybe something will change on CO as we get closer.

bocastephen's suggestion to go through LAX would work for us but I don't see that as an option that comes up. The only standard awards presented are DL metal and not CO.

bocastephen

Did you call reservations as well as check the online system? Also, do you have any elite status? If so, make sure you're logged on when checking availability.

qlabdad

Can't hurt to call but my past experience is I saw what they saw. Yes, I'm a Plat. and logged in.

Thanks.

devik

Stating the obvious: If there's an option to get into CO's front cabin to HNL then definitely take it.

My experience is that the CO and DL coach products are fairly interchangeable to HNL. I booked an award onto DL metal HNL-LAX (which is a redeye so I slept the whole way and don't remember much) but they did offer some sort of free snack IIRC. If you're on an award in coach, I don't see too much difference.

August is just a tough time to get awards to Hawaii. I've seen availability open up within the 7-day window this summer, so you could book your current-best option now and cross your fingers that you'll get something better (especially if you can do so before Aug. 17th when the new fees go into effect).

It's also worth noting that the little color-coded reward availability calendar sometimes lies: it might say that there are no SaverPass seats available based on the color it shows for the date in the calendar grid, yet if you do a search for that exact date, it'll return seats.

Not sure of your dates, but I'm seeing BF possibilities for that LAX-HNL CO flight 3 on 8/15 and 8/22, both Fridays.

channa

DL has meals on HI and AK flights, so it will be a free meal, not BOB, to/from Hawaii.

DL also has been fairly aggressively updating the IFE. If you're on a 763, it's likely you'll get the new PTVs.

Also, I believe on AK/HI flights, DL comps a bunch of the movies (not all, not the HBO, but a selection of about 10 or so).

colpuck

I stand corrected, I was not all that familiar with DL's HI/AK product.

chasbondy

I forgot what the meal was from LAX-HNL, (but it was more than the one-bite turkey sandwiches CO serves), but there is a trivia game on the inflight video where you can match wits with others on the plane. I got the highest score to date, and 2 people came up to my seat and wanted to know who it was who battered them so badly. A few others glared at me when I whipped them, and some came up and gloated when they whipped me.