HAWAIIAN AIRLINES   Customer Reviews and Passenger Trip Reports

HAWAIIAN AIRLINES review :  18 November 2009 : by Debbie Linville   (USA)

SFO-HNL-MAUI return. Booked seats way in advance (5 months) for window seats and they got changed to a bulkhead seat with no window (when there were other seats available on the plane to switch to). We asked about at pre-boarding and they said they sometimes do this and we can't change it. Also, we boarded early as we are in our 50's, and have medical conditions which require us to use medications (asthma etc.) and have them on our carry ons. We wanted our bags in close proximity for the flight, however, due to other passengers pushing my bag, the flight attendant asked to move my bag up to first class because they couldn't close the door. I said to change someone else's bag, and she just took it anyway which means I would have no access to it since I was in first class. Food was bad, inedible breakfast burrito (we brought our own just in case), my purchased ear phones did not work, and seats were very uncomfortable. All in all, when we called Customer Service about our return flight and our concerns, the calls were virtually ignored.

HAWAIIAN AIRLINES review :  15 November 2009 : by Fred Kuykendall   (USA)

HNL-PHX First Class. My wife and I were pleasantly surprised by the good quality of food served on real dinner ware with real utensils. The food was better than expected, but could have been served warmer. For wine we selected the chardonnay which was excellent and plentiful. The only negative was the seat, which we thought was smaller and less comfortable than other airlines. If you're going to Hawaii we definitely recommend Hawaiian Airlines.

HAWAIIAN AIRLINES review :  8 September 2009 : by Kim Richardson   (Australia)

Sydney to Honolulu return. Staff were polite and helpful on check in. The cabin of the aircraft was clean and tidy. Onboard Staff helpful. Food was okay, but better on the return leg. Flights on time. Overall a pretty good experience.

HAWAIIAN AIRLINES review :  18 August 2009 : by John McCrow   (Australia)

Sydney to Honolulu. Cabin crew very attentive and friendly. Hawaiian is an old fashioned carrier - service is friendly although limited in what they have to offer. Seats are OK and I was lucky to have spare seat next to me. Flight was on time and smooth. Aircraft was a 767 but looked an older version than most I have travelled on.

HAWAIIAN AIRLINES review :  8 August 2009 : by Bill McIntyre   (France)

Seattle - Honolulu - San Francisco with Hawaiian and found the experience entirely satisfactory. The planes were comfortable and being a couple, it was good not sitting on a row of three. The in-flight entertainment was totally uninspired and the catering was forgettable but the cost was correct and service good. The ground crew at Seattle need to get themselves organised better, the waiting is far too long and I would not recommend getting to Honolulu Airport too early, there is not much there to distract you. My only complaint with Hawaiian is that their site will NOT allow Europeans to pay by credit card. The bizarre ruling that only North American and Australian credit cards are acceptable means that a large market is being left out. Fortunately, I have a Canadian friend who lent me his card, but really this is irritating and will probably put me off using them again.

HAWAIIAN AIRLINES review :  30 July 2009 : by A Gurevich   (USA)

Seattle - Honolulu - Seattle First Class, Boeing 767. The first class cabin about the same as a US domestic first class layout and pitch, though the seats have an extendable leg/footrest. There is no AVOD, but they do hand out DVD players pre-loaded with about 7 films, some TV, and lots of varied music. The films are really not very challenging, and don't change when you go in the opposite direction, so it's worth bringing your own entertainment. The food remains the high point, with what I think is the best domestic first class catering of any US carrier - imaginative, well presented, and tasty, except that in neither direction were the hot dishes more than warm. On return from Honolulu, I went into their lounge, and was very disappointed - about the most bare bones lounge I've encountered. It's not close to the international / mainland US gates, so I wouldn't bother. Overall pleasant flight and service.

HAWAIIAN AIRLINES review :  21 July 2009 : by L Gonzalez   (USA)

I was traveling with a small group and since I hadn't made my reservations with them I was seated alone. The crew worked very hard at changing my seating arrangements to better accommodate me. They were also very generous and gave my luggage priority. On my way back to the mainland I had two seats to myself and the service was great.

HAWAIIAN AIRLINES review :  2 July 2009 by Gary Belan

My flight was on 767 from Manila, Philippines to Honolulu, USA. I didn't expect very much from Hawaiian Airlines and so wasn't disappointed. They call their business product 'Premium First'. It is the most basic business class I have flown in a long time. The seat (42" pitch) is basically a domestic business class seat and not very comfortable for a ten and a half hour flight. The crew handed out menus for dinner and you choose 3 dishes from six. It was edible but nothing special. Hawaiian Airlines does not give the option of ordering special meals, so I had to bring food with me in case I couldn't eat what was on offer. Each passenger in business was offered a digeplayer for entertainment. The blankets are like oversized Chux Super Wipes - similar to those on Jetstar. The crew were very pleasant and did their best. Unfortunately the product they are working with will always be a pig.

HAWAIIAN AIRLINES review :  4 June 2009 : by D Lambro

I am a travel agent and have recommended Hawaiian Airlines many, many times in the past. I booked some clients on Hawaiian and were able to get seats on all of the flights legs except the return Maui to Seattle. Fine, I advised our clients to check-in early for seats, which they did, in fact they were the first in line for check-in. They were told by Hawaiian Air gate agents that all aisle and window seats were already gone (3 hours prior to flight)? I don't think so. They were told that the emergency exit window and aisle were available and would seat them there. Once they boarded the flight, they realized the agent had advised them wrong, they in fact were seated in the three seat section (yes, it was the emergency exit row, but not window and aisle as they were told). They felt Hawaiian gave them the run around. It's too bad, they travel to Hawaii twice a year. I'm afraid Hawaiian has lost two or their loyal past passengers!

HAWAIIAN AIRLINES review :  12 May 2009 : by W Haxton

I strongly recommend that consumers avoid Hawaiian Airlines at all cost. I came down with a very bad flu, which my wife then caught. It required me to cancel a United flight to Denver, which United handled for me, waiving the change fee of $150 when I provided a doctor's note. But Hawaiian Airlines - to change our tickets to Hawaii - wanted a total of $750 in change fees (more than the tickets cost), charging per person and per leg. And their co-called consumer affairs representative indicated they would reconsider only if one of us were to be hospitalized. The value of the tickets is less than the change fee. So the next time you fly Hawaiian, the guy next to you who is sick as a dog - and is pumping his germs throughout the airplane's closed ventilation system - is there because Hawaiian Airline forced him to be here. I have traveled to Hawaii every year for the past 30, almost always on United. What in the world possessed me to fly Hawaiian Airlines this time? Never ever will I fly them again.

HAWAIIAN AIRLINES review :  5 May 2009 : by Jo Wright

HNL-SFO-LAS-HNL in Economy. Our first time with Hawaiian Airlines and all things considered we would fly with them again. The convenience of flying direct from LAS-HNL and at a great departure/arrival time was the deal clincher for us. B767's both sectors and showing their age. A bit of inconsistency in that we had to pay for our bags on the first leg but not on the second? We didn't have to pay for the cabin movie on the first leg but were told it would cost us $5 per person to see it on the second leg? When we offered to pay for this they said not to worry? The provided meal was basic but ok. The cabin crew on the second sector did what they had to do and that was it. I walked passed the mid section galley to see one of crew sitting on a crew seat with her feet up on the bench - very hygienic, very professional. The provided meal this sector was pretty ordinary. No delays with the flights and check in was smooth. Vegetarians be warned, bring your own food as Hawaiian does not cater a special meal request nor does it always have a vegetarian option.

HAWAIIAN AIRLINES review :  7 April 2009 : by G Alba

Honolulu-Manila-Honolulu Coach. Very good service each way. Food okay, good beverage service, although cabin attendants made more water rounds on the HNL-MNL portion. There were more movies shown on this particular portion as well 3, as opposed to 2 movies on the MNL HNL leg. Dig player should be complimentary on a 10hr flight, not $15. I would have also appreciated seeing times, mileage, temperatures of each location, and position on screen. Some airlines ie. PAL, DL have this feature. Ground service extremely poor, especially in Manila. 45-75 minutes to check in is not acceptable. Ground service at Honolulu's interisland was better. Would fly Hawaiian again if ground service improves in MNL.

HAWAIIAN AIRLINES review :  7 April 2009 : by C Pedersen

Seattle to HNL and HNL to KOA return. Flight over had an older plane that the televisions were poor and the bathrooms were not fully functional. Great service though. Flight back to Seattle had a newer plane that everything worked great. My complaint was that there is a large box that takes up almost half the legroom of the passenger in the second seat in from the window (aisle seat). I noticed them on both sides. My largest complaint is that they are still charging for the first bag to and from the mainland, both ways. Other airlines flying the route do not charge anymore. Food was great and service very friendly. I still think they are the best airline out there and cannot await the new aircraft on order. I just hope they take out a row of seats and give their loyal customers more leg room for such a long flight.

HAWAIIAN AIRLINES review :  27 February 2009 : by M Deardorff

SEA-HNL-LIH-and back to SEA, coach. Won't be flying Hawaiian again. Arrived at the airport an hour early, but managed to almost miss our flight due to lengthy check in. At Sea-TAc, Hawaiian has no curb-side service or self-check-in kiosks. So, everyone was standing in line to check in (in an otherwise empty airport). It took a long time, and toward the end, all the people waiting for the same flight as us were pushed up toward the front of the line to check in. After that we went to closest security gate which had long lines (Hawaiian customers no doubt). We decided to go to the next gate which luckily had no lines. We still almost missed our flight. Undoubtedly, some people who had stayed at the first security gate probably did miss their flight. When we arrived at Lihue, our luggage had not arrived, apparently because we were 'late' checking in - it did arrive within 3 hours. On the way back, check in at Lihue was inefficient but we arrived extra early so the trip back was less eventful. Our luggage arrived just fine. Flight was fine and flight staff very friendly and professional. However, the big reason that I will not fly Hawaiian again is that they have changed their frequent flyer policy. Even though they are still partners with Northwest Air (my ff company), they no longer reward miles from the mainland to Hawaii.

HAWAIIAN AIRLINES review :  23 February 2009 : by Brian Smith

HNL-ITO-HNL economy. On-time, friendly flight attendants, clean aircraft, decent airport facilities. I liked Hawaiian airlines and the 717s they fly. No complaints for such short flights.

HAWAIIAN AIRLINES review :  23 February 2009 : by Michael Shafer

Honolulu to Kahului (Maui) return and Honolulu to Lihue (Kauai) return. I know these were just inter-island flights, but they actually were of excellent service. Very friendly flight crew, good fruit juice beverage, good leg room, easy check-in, flights were on time. Can't ask for much more.

HAWAIIAN AIRLINES review :  21 January 2009 : by R Nyman

LAX-HNL First class Boeing 767. Best North American domestic First. Cabin was clean and airy. Seat pitch is 42' (other major carriers 38'-40') so feels roomy. Very friendly service, nice tapas style food.

HAWAIIAN AIRLINES review :  8 January 2009 : by J Choi

LAX-OGG roundtrip economy. LAX-HNL, the crew was very inconsistent. The 767 was aging and dirty, but flight crew was very informative throughout the flight. The meal was a sandwich and a bag of chips. HNL-OGG, FA was also friendly, and went to great lengths to help my claustrophobic mother get a seat in the first row of C class so she could get out of the plane first. Other than that, not much to say about the 20 min flight. OGG-HNL was at 6am, yet the flight crew was very friendly. HNL-LAX was on a newer 767, service was definitely more consistent than the LAX-HNL leg, but more robotic and less friendly. This time, the meal was an actual meal - on par with a cheap TV dinner. Not much to say for the entertainment, since I slept through most of the flight, but HA needs to improve their movie choices, considering that there are no PTVs.

HAWAIIAN AIRLINES review :  31 December 2008 : by A Gurevich

SEA-OGG-HNL First Class. This was a 767 in 2-2-2 configuration out of Seattle, and a 717 out of Maui. As the Maui-HNL flight was 25 minutes, there is little to be said. On the 767 the seats were between a standard US domestic First Class seat and an international Business Class seat. They had very good lumbar adjustment, an extendable leg rest and fold down foot rest, and an adjustable headrest. However, like most headrests, you can't get it out of the way and, after 4 hours, it became uncomfortable. Also, it did not recline very far. Overall, I felt the seat was comfortable enough for the flight. The food deserves comment: Hawaiian asks you to choose three items to "sample" from a six item menu. My flight had cold beef salad, warm lamb chop, cheese plate, chicken breast, and a couple of others. The three I had were like a Spanish tapas plate with a vegetable/potato accompaniment- a reasonably sized sample. Three together made a satisfying meal. More than satisfying was the quality and flavor which were excellent - it was truly a surprise to me that you could get such high quality food on a domestic flight, from a US airline. The entertainment system was one film and some filler showed on overhead screens and a portable entertainment player pre-loaded with about 8 films, lots of music, some TV, etc. It was free in First Class, though the films were a little too vanilla for me. Each First Class seat also came with a noise-canceling headset. Overall I would happily fly transpacific on Hawaiian again, although if it were over 5 hours (this flight was just short of 6) would know that my neck would start to complain towards the end. The only drawback is that they are not a partner in many mileage plans.

HAWAIIAN AIRLINES review :  22 December 2008 : by Lorraine Cobcroft

My husband and I flew Hawaiian Airlines Brisbane to Honolulu return and will never travel Hawaiian again! Our comment on transferring to a Qantas flight from Sydney to Brisbane was "WOW, isn't it nice to see hostesses smiling?". On our return flight from Hawaii, staff on Hawaiian Air were abrupt, unfriendly, and unhelpful and never smiled once. Staff going over were a little better, but we had the feeling that they regarded their role more as one of policing than servicing. The seats are way too close together and the plane layout poor, so passengers travel in extreme discomfort. Coming back, we had an extra tall person behind us and my husband could not recline his seat without cutting the poor man's legs in half, so he was forced to sit upright the entire trip. Worst of all, foods containing chocolate were served at every meal and snack, with no alternate options. My husband - like many people - is allergic to chocolate. We advised his allergy when booking and were told there were no food options. "Take what is served or go without". On a long haul flight, this is unacceptable when there are not reasonable options for people with very common food allergies. At one snack, there was nothing at all on offer except chocolate ice cream, and when my husband asked (very politely) if an alternative was available the hostess snapped at him quite rudely. Our overall experience of Hawaii was not great. We would never go again, and wouldn't recommend it as a holiday destination for Australians. Everything is outrageously expensive, and you would never guess from the conduct of most of the service staff in hotels and restaurants that the state depends on tourism heavily for income and there is a worldwide recession threatening heavily reduced tourist activity! Honestly, I expected to see people in the tourism industry working doubly-hard to make their service or destination the first choice of travellers!