Hawaiian Airlines: Optimal Service from Takeoff to Landing

I have island fever, I miss the warm weather, the warm waters of the ocean, and the feeling of pure relaxation I felt when I was there.  One of the best parts about being home after a week-long trip to Maui is getting the chance to re-live it all by writing about it. I’m going to start with thank Hawaiian Airlines for an absolutely wonderful start and end to our trip.

From the moment you arrive at the Hawaiian Airlines terminal you feel the island spirit, the employees are donning typical island wear with floral prints and the ladies have flowers in their hair.  You are greeted with many “Alohas” and “Mahalos” for choosing the airline and it gets you in the mood.  Upon boarding the plane you are greeted with a smile and as you’re seated you immediately hear Hawaiian music playing and scenic photos are projected on the movie/television screen.  I was happy to see pillows and blankets on each seat (not just in first class) as the plane is always running cool, pack a pair of socks in your carry-on if you’re wearing sandals or flip-flops.

DigEPlayers
Once in flight and servicing begins, you are introduced to options I’ve never experienced on other airlines.  DigEplayers, self-contained portable entertainment systems are offered on transpacific flights for a small rental fee of $15.  Each unit comes with two headsets and there is a listing of new movies, network TV shows, cartons, videos, audio books, and audio channels to choose from.  If you are traveling with children and don’t want to lug around your own, this is perfect and really reasonably priced, our flight was 5 hours, and it’s something that can really break up that idle time.

Music
If you don’t have your own earphones, you can rent headsets for $5 while on board.  This will give you access to watching and listening to the in-flight movies as well as the 12 music stations available (4 of which are Hawaiian music channels).

Movies
On our way over, The Green Hornet was showing, something my husband enjoyed and on the return trip, we both loved No Strings Attached, two movies we didn’t catch in the theaters or on video.  Having the in-flight movies breaks up the trip.  On our trip home, the audio wasn’t working well, so for those who paid to rent the headsets, they announced that everyone would be getting a refund credited, that was honorable!

Food/Drink Service
I haven’t been on too many long flights, but on all transpacific flights, Hawaiian Airlines offers snacks, beverages, and a complimentary meal for everyone.  Premium meals are also available for a price of $10-$12 and offer items like gourmet salads and sushi, while beer, wine, and tropical cocktails are offered starting from $7 as well.  Also there is a selection of snacks, fruit, and cookies that also can be bought.

First run of complimentary beverage service includes a bag of pretzels and chips and has juices like pineapple and guava that gets your taste buds ready for the islands as well.  Also they offer Hawaiian branded water during the service and also close to the end of the flight with coffee and tea options as well.

The complimentary meals vary but are related to the timing of your flight.  On the way over our early morning flight offered a ham, egg, and cheese roll, and a blueberry muffin.  On our late afternoon/evening flight home we had the choice of a turkey and cheese sandwich with trail mix or manicotti with a chocolate/cherry cake.  For airplane food, all the choices were delicious and filling, we were very impressed!

We flew to Honolulu and then to Kahului on a smaller plane (30 minute flight) and the the reverse on the way home, and were offered a complimentary guava-blended drink that was just enough on that short trip.  There were at least 4-6 flight attendants in each section of the plane at a time, we never thought there was a lack of service and there was always help with a smile if needed!

Cashless Purchases
Don’t worry if you aren’t carrying tons of cash with you, all you need is your credit card to make food, beverage, and rental purchases.  If you have a Hawaiian Airlines Visa, bonus, you get 2 Hawaiian Miles for every dollar spent.

Hana Hou! Magazine
No matter which island you are flying to, the Hana Hou! magazine is the official magazine of Hawaii Airlines located in the pocket in front of your seat.  You can find great local stories and information on the islands as well as pages of ads for shopping and dining, and valuable offers (resorts, rental cars, and dining) that will help you get some ideas for your island arrival.

Our experience beginning with the ease of checking into our flights online, to the flight, and the service we received was wonderful.  We were always comfortable and well hosted and as our first experience on the airline we were completely impressed.  We did pay $25 per bag-checked to and from the islands, but the price was worth it with room for souvenirs and not stuffing a carry-on bag.

The smaller inter-island plane and fewer people gave us the opportunity at a window seat.  Flying from Honolulu to Kahului (and return) we got fabulous views of Oahu, and of Lanai, Molokai, and Kahoolawe before landing!  Made for fabulous photos!

I’ve since applied for a frequent flyer card (wishful thinking) and want to recommend this airline to anyone planning on heading to Hawaii, inter-island hopping, or are traveling to or from other south Pacific areas (Sydney, Manila, Tokyo, Seoul).

My flight was compensated, while we paid full price for my husband’s ticket, we paid taxes and for our luggage fees as well.  All opinions are our honest experience.