AANYC1981

Main difference that I noticed was the one tray service versus different courses. It’s similar to D1 between JFK-SFO/LAX.

landgraf13

I flew this route about 3 weeks ago. I'd agree with AANYC1981 that this flight is more inline with the JFK-SFO/LAX offering in D1 in the soft product. The hard product is pretty much what you'd get on an international D1 route (same amenity kit, seats will be in line with the plane being flown, Westin Bedding, same Delta-branded headphones), but the soft product is really the difference. That's most noticeable in the meal service. While it seems like you get a few more choices and the second 'meal', it's plated on one tray. The food offering seems to be a bit better than transcon, but YMMV. You'll get a menu, complete with wine offerings, but don't expect those to be the wines on board (as has been pointed out elsewhere for most D1 flights anyway). The dessert was the ice cream, and while it's not the sundae cart of old, they did seem to have quite a choice for toppings. You'll usually get the typical Aloha touch (Mai Tai's for a PDB and the Hawaiian Host just before landing). I'm not sure when you'd be flying this route, but my recommendation would be to also check what plan is flying the route at the time you're looking. I've flown it on a few different birds over the years, and it does change so that might effect your perception as well.

AeRoSpaceman

Thank you for your response. I will be going in June and it looks like the route is currently an A330 but at some point in time soon it will be switched to the 763 which is what has been showing for me since booking. Wish it was the 764 with the refurbished cabins but from what everyone here on FT has told me that is most likely not going to happen.

Beckles

We're booked to fly ATL-HNL in Delta One on Friday, November 19th, however the caveat is that one member of our party does not have an assigned seat. The seat map on Delta.com shows the cabin is full other than 2A, 3A, and 2J on the A330-300, which are blocked but do not appear occupied. Are those all crew rest seats? Is there much chance one of us (probably me) would end up without a Delta One seat? I could switch to going through SLC, which would still be on an A330 for the long flight, but not with Delta One service (for what that's worth these days), but we'd leave earlier and arrive later in HNL than going through ATL, so it really isn't as good an option anyway.

RealHJ

These 3 seats are normally blocked. One is used for crew rest, other two should become available for assignment at the gate for those with a SEAT REQUEST card.

It also could be that one or more of the blocked seats are broken, though.. as it's normally the same aircraft going back and forth.

Also keep in mind that the performance and maintenance track record (multiple emergency landings and cancellations over the summer) of DL on this route is not good (or may be it's just very bad luck..). There's been multiple fuel dumps and runway-temporarily-closed, 10s-of-fire-trucks-on-standby emergency landings for DL flights on this route this summer.

unitedbusiness

any insight to why there’s been more than a few of those experiences you mention this summer ?

RealHJ

I'd be guessing. One was a bird strike - right on the runway (may be the pilot should check if there is a flock of birds right in front before starting to takeoff? that should be on the pre-takeoff checklist: check that the runway, and airspace immediately above it, is clear), that totaled the engine. Then just a month later there was another total engine failure, but I don't recall what was the reason for that. Thankfully in those two cases this summer, both times the engine failed very close to (or right at) HNL, so the plane could come back and make a heavy emergency landing (accompanied by a lot of fire trucks and flashing lights), after dumping a lot of fuel in the ocean.

Similar to how a few years ago also there was a string of several incidents with the A330s, then it was mostly on flights from ATL (or was it MSP) to HNL. I think at least two times in a row cracked windshield in the cockpit, which led to an air pressure drop, among other things. They kept fixing and reusing the same problem-prone plane back then. This time though, the two engine incidents (about a month apart) I am aware of, the engine was practically totaled and had to be replaced. I wonder if it got replaced, then the same aircraft went back on the route.. didn't follow it through that far, but some years ago there was one unlucky specific aircraft that had a high chance of critical problems, that kept being fixed and put back on the route, only to have another problem leading to an emergency landing/diversion and flight cancellation, again and again (for a while anyway).

Really all I can put it down to is bad luck.. (or I could speculate that it's due to cost cutting on maintenance, but that would be pure and groundless speculation)

UnevenGray

This is one of the dumbest things that I have read on here. Most bird strikes occur when you are already in the air. Guess what? Going 250 kts makes it hard to see birds. They don't show up on TCAS for whatever reason, either.

The same A330s that fly ATL-HNL also fly to FCO, GRU, AMS, etc. Saying that the ATL-HNL route is any less safe is ridiculous.

RealHJ

It is indeed one of the dumbest things to strike birds just some 10-15 seconds after starting takeoff acceleration on the runway. Then hesitating (as the engine rumbles and plane shakes). Finally deciding not to abort takeoff (likely was too late to brake) and starting to accelerate again as the runway quickly runs out, to take off with very little to spare. Then not telling the pax what just happened until an hour+ later.

Never heard of any other airline pilot striking birds right on a runway just a few seconds after having starting to accelerate. That shouldn't need TACS or whatever, just looking out straight ahead.

UnevenGray

I implore you to go look on avherald.com and CTRL+F "bird strike". It happens a lot.

Based on this response, you also have no idea about V1 or the "aviation, navigate, communicate" motto. Being left in the dark is never fun, but the pilots were busy up front.

RealHJ

I am not a pilot, and I don't play flight simulators either, true.

Pilots being busy I don't doubt. A strike while accelerating for takeoff, taking one engine out of the equation, is surely a difficult situation to be in. A second or two to decide whether to abort takeoff (I've been on a plane that once that aborted takeoff, as an animal had walked onto the runway - took over an hour for the brakes to cool down) or to proceed with it and take off. I'm sure the velocity at the time and the runway length left both play a big part, i.e. the calculation whether the plane even can brake and stop without tumbling into the ocean at the end of the reef runway that it was on, or is it past the point of no return and has to take off.

I just thought bird strikes were more common in air, not really on the runway right in front of the plane. That I think even visually should be visible, I mean if it's a flock of birds.

MileageAddict

Hit me up for a trip report. My wife and I are taking the same flight in mid-October.

UVU Wolverine

Pure gold. A quick youtube/google search of bird strikes will show how quickly they happen in tiny planes going 100 MPH.

And to respond to your idea about them being easier to see on the ground? Would you rather hit the birds or have the pilot dig a wing into the ground to avoid said birds? Just curious...you have no comprehension of what a bird strike entails, but you sure do have an opinion on how to fix it!

MileageAddict

Question about Delta Sky Club access when flying on a Delta One ticket. I know I am entitled to lounge access when changing planes in ATL. May I also go to the lounge at the beginning of my trip at my departure city and again after arriving in HNL?

EZPZBZ

I'm American, but live / work in Australia. Business trips back to USA are fine but on my personal family visits to the US East Coast, coach class is grueling and business class in the post-COVID world approaches the 5-figure mark. I recently started researching HNL --> ATL (or any other eastern hub) itineraries, with the idea of flying Hawaiian Airlines from Australia --> HNL and then switching to Delta for HNL --> ATL. Attempt to burn RUCs and also break up the transpacific flight with a few days in Hawaii on either end of the trip.

We're looking at next August / Sept / October, any days of the week - basically, any dates / times that will give us the highest chance of having our RUCs clear. HNL --> LAX --> ATL is fine with us if we have a decent chance of RUCs clearing at least one of those legs. Is it a better idea to go for the nonstop routing and gamble on upgrades to Delta One? or choose an itinerary with more stops and hope we get RUC'ed into domestic First Class for some of the legs?