FlyerGoldII

I am going from Ottawa Canada to Kona in Nov 2022.

Ideally I would like to go all the way in J (?F) class - preferaby on Air Canada/Aeroplan points- but AC does not fly (at least in Nov) to the big island.
i could fly from YOW to HNL via points - but I would like to fly directly to KOA rather than an inter-island flight from HNL (or OGG (AC flies there too)).

So I booked an itinerary on Aeroplan points from YOW to SFO (and I plan to fly from there to KOA), and returning from LAX to YOW (I plan to return to LAX from KOA),- in J class.

AC Aeroplan points will get me flights in UA economy cabin from SFO or LAX to KOA- but not in the J class cabin.

So my option is going on UA in paid business or economy cabin, or going on Hawaiian or American or Alaska or United or Delta.
Hawaiian business class is cheapest of business class options, and UA is the most expensive business class option - Hawaiian is 40% cheaper than UA on these routes.

The cheapest fare on the open jaw route I am interested in in mid Nov is about US$500 per ticket with Hawaiian , and triple that for a business class ticket. But I think the Hawaiian Airlines A320 is probably the least comfortable premium cabin of all the airlines flying from western USA to KOA.

I do not plan to return on a red-eye flight from KOA to a west coast city.

What is your advice- for comfort and services- which is the most cost effective way I should proceed - which airline - which cabin?

PS-I guess no airline has a premium economy cabin from a west coast US city to KOA?

djp98374

What are you defining as premium economy?

Delta, United, American, Alaska all have an economy plus seating with extra legroom.

From the west coast citues these are common routes so you don’t have the market for something than if you flew from farther away on longer flights. These routings are the same as XC flights over the continental USA .

many secondary airports have direct flights to hawaii islands ( PDX, SJC, SAN, other metro LA airport)

if your travel time occurs around USA thanksgiving ( 4th Thursday in November) you will have high prices because it’s a popular time to travel

djp98374

The times of hawaii returns to west coast are

first thing in am ( 7 am or so departure), late am - early pm departure(11am-2pm), and redeye flights


also with KOA airport…. It’s a smaller airport with tarmac boarding. I don’t know if it has plane size limits thus limiting service to 737/airbus equiv type of aircraft

guv1976

KOA has an 11,000' runway, and can handle wide-body jets. UA operates ORD-KOA seasonally with a 787. And JL uses 767's and A330's on its KOA-HND/NRT routes. But finding a wide-body from the West Coast to KOA could be difficult -- especially in November.

FlyerGoldII

A premium economy cabin is different than economy plus seating in an economy (ie coach) cabin you describe above.

I plan to fly to KOA around Nov 10, and return on Nov 18.

How would you characterize the premium cabins on the 4 airlines you mention above, and comparing to the premium cabin of Hawaiian Airlines?
Is it worth the cost to go on the premium cabin over taking an economy plus seat in the economy (coach) class cabin?

BlueZebra

I have seen charter 747s land at Kona. Its not a particularly small runway.

dhuey

The thing to keep in mind when traveling between Hawaii and the Pacific Coast is that the flights are about 6 hours west and 5 hours east, and usually during daylight hours. Whether you want to pay for the top cabin (sometimes called first, sometimes business), premium economy, or plain old coach, I'd focus on price and the convenience of the flight times and airports. There are differences in seats and service with your airline choices, but they're relatively minor.

WrightHI

If you're determined to do the transpac legs up front, HA's product is absolutely fine and may be the best of the available options. The downside is changing airlines and terminals at SFO and LAX and running the risk of getting stuck and/or needing an expensive last minute fix if you misconnect. If you're not set on flying in front, why wouldn't you just book the UA legs with your AC points, maybe pay for economy plus, and hope for a reasonable cash upgrade offer?

Weatherboy

I'm all about comfort, so I would fly from Ottawa to Denver or Chicago for United's lie-flat forward cabin service into KOA. They use a 752 from DEN and a 789 from ORD and I will book crazy routings to use those flights rather than suffer 5+ hours in a typical F non-lie-flat seat from the west coast.

Eastbay1K

If the entire travel day consists of West Coast <-> HI (not red-eye) I'd expect that most of us would not consider ourselves as suffering in a "typical F non-lie-flat-seat."

I'd expect that HA provides the nicest inflight service. Their A321s up front aren't bad. The AS food has been better, but I'd give HA the overall edge. (As a sample size, I've flown 2 HA, 1 UA and a handful of AS West Coast/HNL over the past year-plus).

Weatherboy

I just did it and it was painful in/out of LAX. Little padding in these new slimline F seats, barely any recline, no WiFi, and a tray that you can't use because it digs into your rib cage. Hate UA's 739/A319 F seats...especially on any flight over 2 hours.

I just canceled 5 trips in/out of LAX and SFO for KOA and rerouted through DEN and ORD on all.

MDTyKe

United's non lie flat option is fine going to KOA, but I absolutely avoid it flying East, especially on the red-eyes. The F lounge seats are uncomfortable, and the FA's will talk the entire flight, and you won't get an ounce of sleep. If I have to fly HI-US if I can't get lie flat I could only manage it on the day flights.

WrightHI

News flash: https://www.staradvertiser.com/2019/...day-in-hawaii/

MDTyKe

Let's not get political, or pro-colonialist on this board, thanks. The history of the annexation is heartbreaking. I prefer to support the opinion of the people of Hawai'i, not malihini.

WrightHI

Hawaii statehood is a fact, not a political opinion, and exists independent of the morality of how it came about. Unless you'd prefer that we not refer to the United States at all, or any individual state, because to do so would be to endorse the Native American genocide and every other horror that happened from 1492 forward?