Hawaiian Airlines

[Deb in NZ]

We're flying HA next month AKL-HNL-JFK.  This will be our first trip in over 6 years & our first with HA.  I'm looking forward to transiting through HNL instead of LAX.  As my boys are flying a fortnight later than dd & I, I am trying to get things ultra-organised for them.  This will be their first solo overseas trip. 

 

Has anyone flown HA recently, especially the AKL-HNL or HNL-JFK routes?

 

What meals are provided free of charge?

 

Are pillows & blankets still provided free of charge?

 

Will standard head phones from home work or do we need the 2 prong airline adapter?

 

Are there USB charging points in the economy seats?

 

Are there places to charge tablets, kindles, etc in HNL?

 

What is the best transport for 4 people from HNL to Waikiki?  (we have a 24 hr lay-over on our return journey)

 

My boys (20yos & 16yos) are traveling solo.  Do we need to send any extra documentation with them other than their passports?

 

My boys are only planning on taking carry-on luggage on there way over as they will only be away 2 weeks & plan on doing some shopping while there, so don't want to bring a lot of unnecessary baggage.  Will they get extra questions when going through immigration, etc. ?

 

Any other things we should be prepared for?  We are experienced travellers, but haven't flown in the past 6 years.

 

TIA,

[readwithem]

I've only island hopped on Hawaiian and it's been about 25 years since I did that.  But I had a look at their website - here is a list of meals.  Based on this your dss should be fine with no other documents than their passports, as long as they are valid 6 months past your travel date.

 

Your dss should be fine with just carryon luggage - my husband travels overseas for business a lot and prefers to travel that way. :)  He doesn't ever get questioned, but if your dss do, it should be fine.  They won't be the first to take advantage of lower prices in the US to do some shopping.

 

For your other questions you might ring or email them - here and here are their contact details (NZ is 09 977 2227 during business hours).

 

Safe travels and enjoy your trip!

[LynnG in Arizona]

I have flown Hawaiian Airlines many times over the past 11 years, though never the specific routes you mention.

 

In general, it's a great airline.  Now one of the only airlines to still provide a "free" meal, though that meal seems to have shrunk down in recent years. It is often more like a nice snack.  I'd recommend that you travel with some hearty snacks just in case - we usually do peanut butter crackers, granola bars, plus some candy.

 

We used to enter the plane to find freshly cleaned and wrapped pillows and blankets on each seat.  Sadly, I haven't seen those in several years.  Maybe for the longer flight routes?  (Though I usually do Honolulu-Phoenix, about 6 hours each way.)

 

Similarly, we do not usually have any way to charge our electronics on the plane.  The caveat is that they are upgrading planes on a regular basis, so you might luck out with a newer plane that has chargers.

 

At Honolulu Intl. Airport, people usually just try to find a regular charger on a random wall.  HNL doesn't have great charging stations that I can think of.

 

I can't help too much with Waikiki transportation.  I think I'd probably be tempted to just catch a cab from the airport.  There is a steady stream of taxis lined up at HNL, so you won't have any trouble getting one.  When I've taken a cab from there, I've sometimes requested a minivan cab from the person putting groups into cabs . . .  usually just have to wait a minute or two, if at all . . . helpful if we're traveling with a lot of luggage and/or people.

 

Have a great trip!

[LibraryLover]

Love them.  Meals with wine, no extra charge.  I think they are the only US airline to offer meals with the fare. Super friendly. LOVE. Carry-on, no problem. Charger on plane in coach: Check.  Yes to plugs for charging in HNL.  I don't know about the rest.