Your Preferences Between Hawaiian and Southwest Interisland
Sep 6, 2023, 5:14 pm
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: May 2003
Location: Texas
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Your Preferences Between Hawaiian and Southwest Interisland
Question for those of you who fly interisland with frequency: Is there any real difference in service culture between Hawaiian and Souhwest?
I've always booked Hawaiian, just because it is Hawaii, for my handful of flights each year. Not without some occasional frustration, but my August flights might have been bad even by mainland standards.
Is Southwest better, worse, or it's all about the same except for the color of paint on the airplane? I don't think I'm even all that particular as a passenger. But deadheading crew misbehaving is enough to make me reconsider.
I've always booked Hawaiian, just because it is Hawaii, for my handful of flights each year. Not without some occasional frustration, but my August flights might have been bad even by mainland standards.
Is Southwest better, worse, or it's all about the same except for the color of paint on the airplane? I don't think I'm even all that particular as a passenger. But deadheading crew misbehaving is enough to make me reconsider.
Sep 6, 2023, 5:25 pm
#2
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jul 1999
Location: Ewa Beach, Hawaii
Posts: 10,909
I use Hawaiian as Southwest doesn't have the daily frequency I need. Southwest is usually cheaper. On Hawaiian I get upgraded to F on almost all interisland flights free so get a snack and drink and bigger seat. My one SW flight last year LIH-HNL they brought one cup of water. At LIH SW goes out of the terminal that does mainland flights too so have to go through all the agricultural scans every time go into that wing. So if go to gate then decide want to go get some food or anything have to do the ag inspection again to get back to the gate. So I stick to HA. For reference I flew 67 segments last year with 63 of them interisland (plus the one SW segment).
Sep 6, 2023, 7:17 pm
#3
Join Date: Jul 2013
Location: HNL
Programs: UA HA AS
Posts: 102
I have been mixing my interisland travel between the two since Southwest started. In my opinion I find the southwest seats more comfortable and the loads are a lot lighter so when I have been flying by myself I usually have at least 2 seats to myself. I also enjoy the streaming entertainment (yes I know its a short flight but I do like it)
Sep 7, 2023, 12:31 am
#4
Join Date: Mar 2005
Location: KOA/PHKO
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Posts: 831
I almost exclusively do Hawaiian. Much quicker on arrival in HNL (I live on Big Island), but more importantly, Southwest uses Mainland planes, and so if that is delayed there's a huge knock-on effect on the inter-islands.
I've done Southwest a few times, but honestly I find them "tacky", in the Mainland sense. I don't find their humor particularly tasteful for the islands either.
I've done Southwest a few times, but honestly I find them "tacky", in the Mainland sense. I don't find their humor particularly tasteful for the islands either.
Sep 7, 2023, 1:02 am
#5
Join Date: May 2012
Location: HNL
Programs: AS MVPG, HA Plat
Posts: 1,268
I’m on HA interisland more or less weekly and they generally do a good to outstanding job. Even when their afternoon/evening on time performance was terrible during the HNL runway work, ground staff and crews did a lot to make it more tolerable. I haven’t tried Southwest because HA works for me and Southwest would add maybe 30-45 minutes of airport time to what are already long days. Experiences may be different on the tourist-heavy mid-day flights, but HA really does same day interisland business travel well.
Sep 8, 2023, 4:40 am
#6
Moderator: Hawaii-based airlines & Hawai'i forums
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Location: Ka ʻĀpala Nui, Nuioka
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I normally go with whoever is cheapest; HA obviously has more flight frequencies and route options, but I've found enough options on WN for the most part. I have booked on WN when on a trip where the free checked bag benefit comes in handy. I do prefer HA on flights out of ITO, as I like to stop at Two Ladies and get my strawberry mochi (daifuku) to take back to Oahu. Because WN uses the mainland flight gates in HNL, the fruit won't pass the required Ag inspection.
I will note that my one and only missed approach when flying interisland was on a WN flight into OGG.
I will note that my one and only missed approach when flying interisland was on a WN flight into OGG.
Sep 13, 2023, 1:36 am
#7
Join Date: Jan 2017
Programs: Aloha Airlines Ali'i Gold
Posts: 4
Both have plusses and minuses as other have mentioned above. I usually choose based on the schedule and price and fly both pretty often.
Compared to HA I think SWA has better the website, phone customer service service, legroom, seat comfort, WiFi and windows (they are bigger and not scratched up like HA's 717s so if you want to take photos SWA is the clear winner).
I agree with others that HA is better on frequency, terminal situation at HNL and airport/inflight staff...but those scratched up 717 windows irritate me 100% of the time!!!
Also, I mostly fly to Hilo and SWA almost always does a full service and I enjoy the option of a Coke or Dr Pepper with snack mix.
-Aloha!
Compared to HA I think SWA has better the website, phone customer service service, legroom, seat comfort, WiFi and windows (they are bigger and not scratched up like HA's 717s so if you want to take photos SWA is the clear winner).
I agree with others that HA is better on frequency, terminal situation at HNL and airport/inflight staff...but those scratched up 717 windows irritate me 100% of the time!!!
Also, I mostly fly to Hilo and SWA almost always does a full service and I enjoy the option of a Coke or Dr Pepper with snack mix.
-Aloha!
Sep 13, 2023, 8:21 am
#8
Fontaine d'honneur du Flyertalk
Join Date: Jul 2001
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I fly Southwest. After Aloha passed on, I think that Hawaiian took the michael with their fares as they were a monopoly. My heart would fly HA but my head, my credit card and my husband urge to the contrary.
Sep 13, 2023, 1:59 pm
#9
Join Date: Sep 2006
Location: HNL
Programs: UA GS4MM, MR LT Plat, Hilton Gold
Posts: 6,447
The biggest drawback to Southwest in my opinion is a lack of a dedicated interisland fleet and no spare planes in Hawaii. So if the mainland flight gets delayed or a mechanical issue comes up you can be looking at significant delays.
Sep 14, 2023, 12:32 am
#10
Join Date: Apr 2003
Location: Scottsdale AZ
Posts: 727
Hawaiian is better for frequency of service and if anything happens as other posters mentioned. But Southwest usually costs less, has two free checked bags, lets you change flights with just the fare difference, and has lighter loads.
The deal breaker for me as a tourist is I have a ton of Southwest points and I value my Hawaiian points more for mainland to HNL flights. Also with southwest biz performance card I get free Wi-Fi even for the short flight. But if I lived on the islands and was doing commuting I would probably fly Hawaiian.
The deal breaker for me as a tourist is I have a ton of Southwest points and I value my Hawaiian points more for mainland to HNL flights. Also with southwest biz performance card I get free Wi-Fi even for the short flight. But if I lived on the islands and was doing commuting I would probably fly Hawaiian.
Sep 17, 2023, 7:22 pm
#12
Join Date: May 2012
Location: HNL
Programs: AS MVPG, HA Plat
Posts: 1,268
People loved to complain about Hawaiian’s prices, but as best I could tell they always compared pretty favorably to prices for short hauls elsewhere. There are always markets where carriers are battling it out and fares are cheap, but those are the exception, not the rule. Interisland fares in the $150-250 range RT close in just weren’t particularly out of line IMO.
Edited to add: took a quick look at Google Flights for same-day IND-ORD over the next few weeks. Cheapest $168, lots of $228, lots more $300-400+.
Edited to add: took a quick look at Google Flights for same-day IND-ORD over the next few weeks. Cheapest $168, lots of $228, lots more $300-400+.
Last edited by WrightHI; Sep 17, 2023 at 7:28 pm Reason: Added comparison.
Sep 19, 2023, 7:25 pm
#13
Join Date: Mar 2005
Location: KOA/PHKO
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Posts: 831
People loved to complain about Hawaiian’s prices, but as best I could tell they always compared pretty favorably to prices for short hauls elsewhere. There are always markets where carriers are battling it out and fares are cheap, but those are the exception, not the rule. Interisland fares in the $150-250 range RT close in just weren’t particularly out of line IMO.
Edited to add: took a quick look at Google Flights for same-day IND-ORD over the next few weeks. Cheapest $168, lots of $228, lots more $300-400+.
Edited to add: took a quick look at Google Flights for same-day IND-ORD over the next few weeks. Cheapest $168, lots of $228, lots more $300-400+.
Sep 19, 2023, 11:12 pm
#14
Join Date: May 2012
Location: HNL
Programs: AS MVPG, HA Plat
Posts: 1,268
Sure, but that doesn’t change the cost of flying it. My basic point is that HA seemed to be a fairly responsible monopolist. It flew a strong schedule at lower prices than most comparable routes. Maybe they could have shaved a few bucks off and still made money, but they weren’t gouging. Which makes Southwest’s entry into the market perplexing. It’s a decent market for one carrier but it will take a long time to make up for the losses Southwest is taking to fight its way in.