flannbarr

In July 2021, my wife and 19 year old son are flying from Tampa, FL to Hawaii. We plan on flying Delta first class/Delta One. We are flying into Kauai (via Honolulu) and home from Kona. I am looking at the following plane options (remember first class) from Tampa to Honolulu:

Aircraft Options to/from Hawaii:

1. 737-900ER and 757-300
2. 737-900ER and 757
3. 737-900ER and 767-300 (+$105)

Thanks in advance for your comments.

FlyinHawaiian

For East Coast to HNL on Delta, the best premium cabin option by far would be TPA-ATL-HNL.

flannbarr

Unfortunately, the A-330 via Atlanta is $1,500 more.

HaleiwaFlyer

If you are flying FC all the way through, then get the 767. Better seat then the standard domestic FC 757 seats as you can lay down flat. If you value bigger/modern IFE system, and not the seat, then the 757 have better IFE then the 767-300. Personally, I would always choose the more comfortable seat.

FlyinHawaiian

My strategy for East Coast to HNL is to try and make the segment into HNL the longest; so that would be ATL, MSP, or even SLC over West Coast connections. However, I also consider price (as the OP is), the connecting airport, and the length of layovers. TPA-SLC-HNL in July looks like a 31 min connection and I would not chance that.

MCO Flyer

Thats typical pricing on that route for you, they are able to commend a sizable premium as several people will only fly that route specifically.

flannbarr

Yup the 31 minute layover in SLC is definitely tight. Unfortunately, there are no first class seats available with the ATL>HNL segment and the MSP>HNL segment is very expensive. I checked one day before and after and the same results.

I just found:

1. TPA>SLC (737-900), SLC>SEA (737-800) and then SEA>LIH (757) which bypasses Honolulu to get to Kauai which is my ultimate destination.
2. SRQ>ATL (737-900ER), ATL>SEA (757-300) and then SEA>LIH (757) but that is $500 more per person than going out of TPA.

Bretmd

If you are interested in a one stop itinerary, TPA-LAX/SEA-LIH is bookable with a multi-city search. The catch is that you’ll either need to spend the night at the connection point or have an incredibly long layover at LAX.

ATOBTTR

My recommendation, consider AA unless you're able to get the A330 or 767 via ATL or MSP. On the return out of KOA on DL, you'll only be able to go via ATL or MSP if you go via HNL. If you try to do KOA-LAX, it'll be a standard domestic F seat on DL.

AA runs the 777 and 787 via DFW to both HNL and KOA (as well as OGG) which will come with lie-flats This will make a huge difference on the redeye return, whereas out of KOA on DL, you'll get a DL aircraft with a standard domestic F seat unless you're willing to go via HNL and then get a flight to ATL or MSP with the A330 or 767 with lie-flats (or maybe via SLC but that is not guaranteed to be DL One and even if showing an aircraft type with lie-flats, there could be a schedule change between now and then to an aircraft with non-lie-flats). As you note later in the thread, the ATL and MSP routings, especially the returns, usually command a steep premium. Conversely, AA F is often reasonably priced.

HaleiwaFlyer

Being FlyerTalk, we all try to maximize the hard product, even if it means flying longer. But, your option one sounds the most reasonable, as it gets you to Kauai directly without having to jump through the COVID gauntlet twice (once in HNL, then another in LIH).

A tight connection in SLC is not fun, especially if Delta schedules the flights at different terminals (Its about a 10 minute walk).

If you truly want to maximize the hard product FC experience, willing to fly longer in order to get lay flat options, with cost in mind, as other posters have said, then look at other carriers: AA out of DFW/ORD, UA out of SFO/ORD, HA LAS/JFK. AA has been the best price wise when I've been booking, but has gone up two to three folds this month on certain days.

xliioper

DL has only solidified their schedule through May 4th. Flights booked for June are almost certainly going to see significant changes. I'd be hesitant to book anything on DL for June with it's limited options and the high probability of changes. Right now, the TPA-SLC flight departs at 5:20PM which is way too late to connect to HNL flight, nor would you be able to double-connect to catch the SLC-HNL flight since it leaves at 11:00AM. The TPA-SLC flight changes from an evening flight to a morning flight on May 5th, but there's probably a decent chance they will change it back to an evening flight once they update schedules beyond May 4th. Even if it sticks, there's also the issue with the 31 minute connection which has already been mentioned. Note that since the SLC-HNL flight is not marketed as Delta One (even though it has D1 lie-flat aircraft), they would probably not be willing to re-route you via ATL or MSP as these are actual Delta One routes. They would likely only provide First Class routing alternatives to the SLC-HNL option (which won't have lie-flat D1 seats) since SLC-HNL is considered First Class.

josephstern

I seem to be in the habit of flying LAX<->OGG a lot and currently, I don't think Delta has a daytime flight for the OGG->LAX direction any day of the week, so that's a deal killer for me. One reason I like this route is that there are no connections for me, but taking a red-eye is even worse than connecting, to me.

flyerCO

Note that while there's rumors of drinks coming back in April, DL currently gives no food/beverage on domestic (EVEN in F/D1) except MSP/HNL and ATL/HNL.

HaleiwaFlyer

Or maybe Delta will revive the dreaded 767 2x2x2 domestic FC seats with the super small 1990's screens for the SLC-HNL again. One positive out of COVID, is that Delta has provided better hard product equipped planes for HNL routes. Currently on an A330-200 with herring bone configuration, for a typical 757 SEA-HNL route.

PurdueFlyer

There are a handful of 75Ws (the INTL DeltaOne configured 757s with 16 flatbed J seats) that *right now* are operating some west coast to Hawaii routes (SEA-OGG/KOA/LIH and LAX-LIH).

If Transatlantic flying doesn't resume in earnest this summer (at least right away), there's a fair chance that these 75Ws could be remanded on Hawaii flights again so it would behoove the OP to at least monitor for those EQP changes assuming he or she ends up booking with Delta. That could be an nice unexpected product bump if a regular 757 shows operating at the time of booking.