AA_EXP09

I remember last year DL fares had a restriction like this
THE FOLLOWING FARE COMPONENT MUST BE ON
DL XXX(600 series flights, usually to HND from the CONUS)

irishguy28

I didn't know that NZ had special arrangements in place for their international transit customers in LAX (applies to NZ1 and NZ2 only) but according to their website's page on transiting at LAX, you still need to "enter" the US (only the customs part can be skipped), so it is still a bit more of a hoop-la than pure international transits in most other countries. Presumably, transfers at HNL would also require at least this level of processing.

DCF

It's a really simple "entry" at LAX, and just takes a few minutes.

HNL could be a terrific hub if similar provisions were in place.

tya

Being Asian Asian I have to admit I felt a bit hurt reading this.

But I totally understand, and I have to say I also have the similar sentiments when I sometimes prefer certain geographies that makes my journey more enjoyable to those with greater price or time competitiveness. So I guess it's reasonable...

DCF

Asian passengers were far from being the only offenders. I hardly know where to start........

Passengers from multiple Asian countries who pushed ahead in queues, drunken English, Scottish and Australian yobbos, select passengers from certain Asian countries who are treated like royalty on their own airlines and behave as if they own the place, etc etc.

It's always nice to fly Air NZ to Europe via LAX. Civilised. No pushing, no "Don't you Know Who I Am?", no "this passenger is a VIP, he and his family have now been allocated your Business Class seats", no hordes of passengers bringing their own stinky food on board (a USA domestic specialty).

A few extra minutes being processed through immigration at the gate. But peaceful, predictable and relaxing.

Travelomania

Coincidentally there's currently an unbeatable offer to get from the UK to HNL on the cheap with legacy airlines as posted here

RealHJ

Why would anyone fly over two oceans the longer way (when you consider the poor connecton timings, often unavoidable 18-24 hour layovers), when the much easier and quicker way is one connection over just half an ocean?

EU -- PVG (MU) / ICN (KE or OZ) / FUK/KIX/NGO/NRT (AF/KL/AZ-DL) / KIX/NGO/NRT (AY-JL) / NRT/HND (JL or NH) / FUK/KIX/NGO/HND/CTS/SDJ (* - HA) -- HNL
are all one-stop options, for the most part (JL and NH who have the worst in-flight product and seating not much better than HA excluded) with proper seating, usually good connection times. And these are just some, I am sure that there are options that I've missed (e.g. not sure to how many airports does UA fly from here, it seems to have very small, tiny presence in HNL so I think it may be only NRT or HND).

When I fly to EU, I never fly the long way and always fly the shorter way. HNL - PVG - EU (e.g. FRA) on MU's 33E truly lie-flat and super spacious seats for both flights is the way to go. Failing that, KE or OZ over ICN are also truly lie flat and good service (just aircraft are always too hot). HNL-NRT on DL last flight makes perfect connetion to AF NRT-CDG that leaves at 11:55am, or on the first HNL-NRT connecting to SU to SVO or AZ to FCO or MXP. Or SU-KE at ICN. And lots more options abound..

Why would anyone want to travel over Atlantic + Pacific, vs. over just half of Pacific with better aircraft, better service, better seating, better food, better IFE, better timing, is just beyound me.... and plus that way also one can make an interesting and enjoyable stopover (as who wants to stop somewhere on US48 like ATL, DFW or IAH where there is nothing to do, yet the 18-24h stopover forces you to stop).

There are one-stop options on proper aircraft via ATL (A330 to HNL) or DFW (767 to HNL) or IAH (777 to HNL), but those always require a full day and full night long 18-24h layover and thus still are notably longer.

Get on a KE ICN-HNL flight and look at how many Europeans there are on it, connecting from various points such as SVO, FRA, etc.

It's just that those who know what they are doing will fly in comfort via ICN or other such location with better service and flight timings, vs. through US48 or Canada.

HNLbasedFlyer

It is called stopover traffic - fly Sydney to Honolulu - stay a day or two or more. Fly on to US mainland (no more customs) - and then connect to Europe - and potentially do the same on the return. A lot of people find the stopover in HNL desirable.

irishguy28

But, as has been stated, the vast majority of AUS-Europe traffic routes via Asia, not via the Pacific.

If time and money are issues - not everyone wants to stop off when flying - then the Kangaroo route via Asia will always win.

RealHJ

You can do the same also the other way. E.g.
SYD - HNL - NRT/KIX/NGO/ICN/PVG - ___ (EU)

That way no more customs and a better service, usually better connection timing, connection to Europe...but yes, then the HNL stopover is a bit out of the way then (it is really either way).

tonywestsider

But fares, timing and routing through Asian cities are not always desirable for some, according to some of the posts above. If that is the case, alternative routes to the Kangaroo route via the Pacific would be desirable. Not everyone wants to be routed through Asia either.

DCF

In 1995, less than 5% of Australia-Europe passengers routed via a Middle Eastern transit point. Now it's around 35%.

And it's not even necessarily quicker: many Emirates passengers from New Zealand to Europe end up on 3-stop flights via an East Coast Australian port and then Singapore and Dubai.

Hawaiian traditionally targets leisure travellers, and they are the ones who will select their carrier according to where they get to spend a few days as a stopover.

paulmasterton

We flew GLA-LHR-SEA-HNL-LNY and found it fine. We had a nice flight to Seattle, stopped over for a couple of days, then took the early morning flight to Honululu, short connection to Lanai and were sitting by the pool by 3pm.

I would consider going the other way next time to maybe spend 5 days somewhere like Tokyo followed by a beach holiday in Hawaii.

npg500

There new plans to introduce Europe-HNL with direct flights:

http://www.bizjournals.com/pacific/n...op-flight.html

3Cforme

The phrase in the linked article is 'discussions underway.' That is not a plan.

At the monthly Hawaii Tourism Authority’s board meeting on Thursday, David Uchiyama, HTA’s vice president of brand management, said he has been in discussions with Norway’s Oslo Airport about a possible direct flight to Honolulu. It would be the first nonstop direct flight connecting Hawaii to Europe.

I'll also point out that neither the Hawaiian Tourism Authority nor Oslo Airport actually operate flights.