rmemory

My family is planning to go BOS-HNL winter 2023. We can take Hawaiian non-stop in first class or Delta One connecting at JFK both ways.

I love the idea of a nonstop flight but I've heard mixed reviews about the hard product of Hawaiian first. I'm Platinum Medallion and think that the Delta One product is great, but not sure if it's that much better than Hawaiian and worth a connection.

Anyone have any input to help me decide?

Edit: fares seem pretty similar.

RealHJ

If the cost is similar, I'd go with HA.

HA "first class"/business class is pretty basic. In some ways comparable to Delta (entire meal on one tray), in other ways different.

The seats are 2-2-2, but not coffin-like, very tight and as beat up and old as the DL 767s going out of JFK. As long as you sit in one of the two seats in the center, you're fine and have direct aisle access and no one climbing over you. And if it's 2 pax travelling, then any 2 seats are likely fine.

Food is usually pretty bad on HA, but then again it often is on DL as well. Little choice, if any (first meal two choices, no choices after that, and inbetween just prepackaged things like chips).

Still, the HA A330s feel brighter and more spacious than the dark, old, truly beat up DL 767s, and though 2-2-2, as long as you sit in one of the two center seats, still better than the DL very tight coffin-like seats. Especially so as the DL seats on 767s have a high chance of being broken, due to DL's poor maintenance and lack of investment in its product. No such problems on HA, IME.

If it's a choice between HA and KE, OZ, JL, etc., the choice is easy: go with the international airline. But, if the choice is between HA and DL, then unless DL is cheaper or otherwise works better for you, the HA aircraft is newer, brighter, sets less likely to be broken, and though the experience is nothing great, it's certainly not much worse than DL either.

The most annoying thing about HA is that only Y pax get built-in IFE. For J/F pax you get a clumsy tablet with very limited movie selection, and which you only get about an hour after take off and which is taken back way before the plane even starts its descent. So the only reason to go with DL would be if you like to watch in-flight IFE at the beginning and end of flight and don't bring your own (though the DL 767 screens are tiny and fuzzy).

MCO Flyer

If DL status re-qualification isn’t an issue then I’d probably take DL on the outbound and the HA nonstop on the return. HAs J product is 2-2-2 with no direct aisle access for everyone while DL is 1-2-1. Since the return is a red-eye flight, sleeping will probably be more important which the HA J seat will be much more comfortable with rather than the coffin style DL 763s.

xliioper

JFK/DTW/ATL/MSP routes are all D1 routes. DTW-HNL is currently scheduled with an A330 instead of the 763 on JFK-HNL and stage length is not much different.

browan04

I’d take DL every time over HA. DL has changed its metal on the JFK-HNL numerous times, hard to know what they’ll use in a year. HA just isn’t up to par, the lack of seat back screens and the 2-2-2 layout is huge for me. DL is also much better if rebooking is necessary in case there’s a weather issue or delays. HA is way behind in technology as well, their app is horrendous, their lounges are bad. I don’t think it’s a close call

RealHJ

Currently (winter 2023) DL has A350s on a lot of destinations out of HNL (not JFK though). Those (former LA aircraft I believe) are far superior to HA A330s and any other J seat DL has, though it is 2-2-2. Later in the year DL does their usual downgage for the summer/peak travel season and goes to the smaller 767s as a way to constrict demand and pump prices.

If it’s possible to get on a DL A350 (DTW, MSP and ATL all seem to be served by those this winter), that would be the superior hard product.

MCO Flyer

The reason DL downgrades HI aircraft in the summer months has nothing to do with “constricting” demand or “pumping prices” but rather they need the aircraft back on the more profitable TATL routes that run seasonal in the late spring/Summer months only. In the winter/late fall, those widebody aircraft free up as Europe demand goes down so rather than idle them they fly them domestically and on Hawaii routes.

soxfanndc

No contest DL all the way. I honestly think that DL's hard product and soft product are both better on this route. Also, I'd also look at arrival/departure times and see if that's a factor. I get not wanting to stop at JFK but I think it's worth it in this case. Also, is this one of the "special" DL routes that come w/ Sky Club access (not that that means much) but given the choice of club or no club, it's nicer to relax in the Sky Club. Just my opinion(s)// Hope you all have a wonderful trip!

guv1976

Since travel on DL would require a connection out of BOS, any thoughts about UA's First Class product to HNL? It appears that UA currently flies 767's on the EWR-HNL and IAD-HNL routes, and 787's on the ORD-HNL route.

RealHJ

Of course, but the impact of that is, constricting supply (not demand) and thus (often dramatically) increasing prices. Economics 101, supply & demand.

flyerCO

Yes. All except West coast Hawaii flights are now D1, thus get club access, including in connection/originating cities.


UA usually IME doesn't use the nicer Polaris equipment for Hawaii. Instead it's the older iteration of seats. (If 777, usually the high density configuration 2-4-2 in Business)

Also YA hasn't scored great on food lately.

ATOBTTR

If you can get a true Polaris seat it’s a good way to go. UA is going to reconfigure it’s 767-400s with Polaris but I don’t know at what rate so it’s possible you could book via EWR and then get a 2-1-2 layout. Same if you get a UA 757-200 (seat is similar to DL’s D1 seat on the 757-200 with lie-flats). And many of UA’s 777-200s to Hawaii are the 2-4-2 layout in F. This also makes it easier to UA to swap your Polaris configured jet to a 2-4-2 layout and it’s “oh well.” But we did do UA to HI last February via DEN and found the service and hard product pretty good, especially since DL was charging way more for a domestic F product via LAX than what UA was charging for Polaris equipped aircraft in F.

If it matters to you, UA’s product to HI, even on the wide bodies, is still marketed as F so no lounge access included. AA’s J product via DFW is marketed as Flagship J and ATL/MSP/DTW/JFK/SLC-Hawaii routes are D1 and get lounge access with the respective airline.

jrl767

will try to find source/link, but I believe AA is eliminating “Flagship” in the not-too-distant future

flyerCO

Flagship First, yes. Flagship Business, no.