Toddcan

Heading to HNL, and trying to figure out if there are ANY business class lay flats from the US mainland to HNL that are not the old 2-4-2 layout.

Flights in July 2019
Need 2 seats
Our home airport is YYZ, so I can get to any of the US main hubs very easily.

I see direct HNL flights originate from IAH, IAD, DEN, ORD, EWR, that all have the lay flats in business class. But, it's really tough (for me) to figure out what the cabin layout is. Seat guru is almost as harmful as it is helpful. UA got several old 777 from Continental, and it appears all the HNL routes use them in the 2-4-2

I do understand that planes can, and do get switched out, but those are the "exception". So, does anyone know any direct flights to HNL that have a little more friendly layout?

Thanks in advance!

fumje

Technically it's not the old 2-4-2 layout, it's the new 2-4-2 layout, but in any case I believe there is only one flight (LAX-HNL once per day) that uses a 2-2 lay-flat 752.

That said, booking long in advance and especially if you have two people, why not book the 2-4-2 and take a '2'? The configuration is really only awkward for the persons stuck in the middle of the '4'.

edit add: the scheduling is different in the summer than the winter, so at other times of year DEN and SFO (I think) get the 752 sometimes.

edit 2: PsiFighter37 below is correct, there are some 767's scheduled as well. You can look through the United Cargo schedule (link) to see what widebodies are scheduled for which days, although it won't tell you about 752's.

PsiFighter37

IAD and EWR will be on a 764, which will be 2-1-2. I believe DEN-LIH is the only other Hawaii route that is guaranteed to have lie-flat seats and NOT to have a 2-4-2 layout (they use a 752 on that route).

JOSECONLSCREW28

Toddcan

Thanks everyone. My mistake on the Continental reference.. it was the UA Polaris switch that added the 2-4-2? Thanks for the clarification. I'll check into the IAD/EWR - I don't know why, but I thought those were 2-4-2 777s. And yes, if I can avoid two seats in the middle 4 -it's not that bad.

I have more options than I thought.

Cheers!

JOSECONLSCREW28

mander

Lots of non 2-4-2 options. My favorite is the IAD-HNL -- nice long flight to get some sleep on the way back.

EmailKid

2-4-2 was at the time UA's innovative way of putting more lie flat Biz seats into their fleet; CO was always 2-2-2.

Polaris is the first true post merger advance, one that coincides with removal of pmUA's Int'l First Class seats and decision to create a domestic subfleet of high density 777s, sometimes referred to as Hawaiian - probably because that was their original intended use IIRC. The main reasoon for 767s on East Coast - Hawaii routes is that those 777s converted to domestic high density don't have the range, while 767s do.

Kacee

No. That's the pre-Polaris UA seat. It's a last generation product. HNL is not a high-yield destination so it gets an old product.

The seat is very comfortable. If there are just two of you, it's not a bad choice at all.

EQDsSUCK

I have not had any luck finding EWR/IAD - HNL on a biz saver award. Is that just not going to happen? I'm not sure its worth 90k when I cane sometimes find a 50k award through ORD.

xzh445

VegasGambler

I think that these seats take more abuse than they deserve. I found everything to be comfortable. My issues with it were lack of storage space, and the fact that you can't reach the power outlet when you are not upright with your tray table up, but as far as sleeping goes there is plenty of space. I'm 6'2 with 42" shoulders and I fit just fine, was comfortable, and slept well.

Of course I prefer the 752 lie-flats but that has nothing to do with the seat itself -- I just find the power outlet and storage cubby behind my shoulder to be extremely convenient. I would never take some convoluted routing to avoid the 2-4-2 772 -- it's not worth the effort.

As far as finding flights with the aircraft you want, matrix is ideal for this. For example:



this excludes 777s and 737s.

slippahs

That HNL-LAX-HNL 752 with lie flats was seasonal earlier this year. It is no longer operating.

drewguy

Agreed. The lack of aisle access for the windows and middles seems to me the most substantive issue. Even then if the seat mate is not laying flat it's not really an issue, and if s/he is, then climbing over is feasible at least for the nimble.

StuckinITH

.....or the tall.....