Is HAL the worst frequent flyer program in the world?

This link clearly indicates that miles can be used for upgrades, although it seems you have to wait till 26 hours prior to departure. My guess is that that miles upgrades are capacity controlled.

http://www.hawaiianair.com/hawaiianm...d-flights.aspx

I have been told that before.....that you need to do it within 26 hours to flight time.

After talking to the second person (in the Phillipines but good english and quite nice) I was told that you need to do it prior to 26 hours to flight time and I am at the gate now.

And 2 seats available were confirmed by both agents.

Either the website and my previous contact CSR are wrong or this one was wrong. Or they are trained to say "please wait until the day you fly" if it is before that day and to say "you should have called us yesterday if you want to upgrade" if you are calling the day of the flight.

The upshot is that you can't upgrade from Coach to First. It should be on the website if that was possible and it is not.

I have noticed that the staffing here in Honolulu is much lower than in the mainland cities so that is likely why HAL provides such kind service in the Mainland cities and they are such "butts" in Honolulu.

There was a gate change today and one attendant had to empty the plane, process seat changes and load the same plane for the Transpac return. Also they have lots of new checkin computers in the center of the terminal in HNL but it requires a gate agent to put your bag tag on the bag and check your ID and they were very very scarce so although you could get to a terminal you had to wait 10-15 minutes for an agent to clear you from the terminal.

Bummer

I have only flown HA on interisland flights. I find HA employees to be among the best. Yes, they are laid back but when I am on vacation in Hawaii, so am I so who cares! If your flying back and fourth to Hawaii for business, one does not have time to relax apparently. Rush, rush, rush.

Yes, they have issues when a plane goes MX. Where will the replacement plane be coming from? More than likely HNL. It is not like AA or UA, if a plane goes MX at a hub, they have a plane around the corner. If a plane goes MX at an airport other than a hub, more than likely the closest hub is no more than 3 hours away.

Everyone likes freebies. That said, why should anyone give away something for free than have someone pay something for that item. Think about the company you may work for. Is your company going to give away computer programs, auto's, houses, etc if someone doesn't buy them?

Then how come AA can give the seAAts?

And United and Delta and Frontier and Southwest?

And an interisland flight does give them away but who needs them. As Platinum the 1st class seats on the 717 are filled first come first served no problem. But for a 23 minute flight I don't need first or an exit row or even a drink but for 7 hours sitting in a plane (5-6 hours of flight time plus the early boarding seat time) with 30 inch seat pitch, I want (and can get from any other airline) a better seat.

I use a 15.6 inch laptop and while watching a movie yesterday I could not open the laptop but to a 60 degree angle (not 90+) as the seat in front of me was about in my chest. I was able to watch Sherlock Holmes from an acute angle. Luckily I did buy a special laptop screen that can be watched from rather extreme angles.

If I was a Honolulu resident and flew occasionally TransPac and often interisland I would be perfectly happy with HAL's FF program. A few simply interisland flights and I am platinum and get free First upgrades near every flight and would go to the trouble to buy (upgrades not reimbursed by my company, I don't know about yours) the occasional $35 exit row seat when I needed to go TransPac.

But as a FF throughout the US(although 72,000 of those annual miles are from the mainland to Hi) I can't abide by HAL's program.

The employees are very pleasant, the inter island flights are great. If you fly primarily inter island and place loyalty with HA on fly inter island..you are rewarded on many levels. If you fly mostly to the mainland and place your loyalty with HA and fly to the mainland...you find that you aligned with the wrong airline. You are really not respected for the $ you bring when compared to other airlines flying to/from the mainland.

I shared similar experiences in this forum a little while ago. The link is below.

http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/hawai...tatus-pax.html

just credit flights on Hawaiian to Virgin Atlantic, Korean or ANA

Why is that offensive? Identifying your market and tailoring your product/service toward that is the proper way to build and maintain your business plan. The skies are littered with defunct carriers who tried to be all things to all people.

Indeed, and you can always transfer miles to Hilton HHonors at a not horrible ratio as well.

And, to the person you quoted, the worst airline? Ever heard of Air Koryo (who actually aren't awful)? Third-tier Russian carriers? Third-tier carriers in more rugged parts of Africa? And do I even need to bring up Ryanair?

It's really not so bad. Sure, if you're top tier with another carrier, you'll get the upgrades that Hawaiian doesn't give you. But Hawaiian gold gets me predictable access to reasonable coach seats on reasonably comfortable planes, preboarding so I don't have to worry about overhead space, and a 50% RDM bonus. Those miles won't easily get me international premium cabins, but are easy to use on flights I'd otherwise be paying for. And as long as I can avoid the God-awful Philippine call center, I'm treated decently at the airport and on board, and it doesn't bother me that they're providing the same decent treatment to occasional fliers too.

Next flight on UA will get me to silver, and concentrating everything there would get me to gold some years, but I'm really not sure I see the point. I'd get some upgrades to the west coast, but not to IAD, DEN, IAH, or EWR, and if I'm going farther east I care more about getting as far as I can on the first leg than playing upgrade roulette.

Hawaiian could do some simple little things that would make their program a lot more valuable for elites without costing them a lot or devaluing the experience for everyone else, and I wish they'd do that. But reading the UA forum is a good reminder that predictably decent treatment is not trivial, and Hawaiian delivers that.

I wouldn't say the worst, but certainly not competetive to other mainland carriers. No interisland upgrades , no help from the Philipine "Help Desk", can't book partner award tickets. I'm gold, but am seriously considering switching alliances. What's the point in racking up miles you can never redeem? Starting to question Bankoh card as well.

[QUOTE=TheBOSman;18866340]Indeed, and you can always transfer miles to Hilton HHonors at a not horrible ratio as well.

Am trying to do this, it's a painful process. 1. Called them gave all the info. They said someone from Marketing would call me back in a few days. 2. Received voicemail from Rachel leaving number to call back. 3. Number she left did not work. 4. Called main number, explained what happened to the CSR. She put me on hold about seven or eight times, each time came back and asked the same silly questions .... "Did Rachel say she was from Marketing?" "Did she say why she was calling?" etc. Finally she said someone from Marketing would call me. Am waiting for the next round of phone calls.

I have always liked flying HA, actually prefer from the mainland

Hi -

Interesting thread. I am a HNL resident and fly to the west coast (LAX) with Hawaiian and find their points program to be pretty good for the West Coast (17,500 points OW). I agree outside of the west coast the point conversion is pretty lousy.

I am wondering: What other point alternatives are available flying from HNL to LA?

Thanks!

Pretty much every major US airline.

Nothing wrong with Hawaiian if that's what you prefer.

-David