Reply To: BA Holidays pricing to Hawaii

[James C]

I’m just back from my third Hawaii trip so some reflections: You’ll find better I class (and reward) availability ex SEA on Alaska, although this will make the outbound flight longer than ex LAX and on a 737 too. You’re competing against a lot of Americans for business reward seats to Hawaii and AA has dynamic pricing so Avios seats are hard to come by full stop and particularly ex DFW on the 787 with layflat seats and ex LA, which has the shortest AA flight times with the domestic F recliners (read long haul Premium Economy style seats) on the A321, so unless they are available when you book I wouldn’t bank on them opening up. I personally route via LAX where I overnight at one of the airport hotels. Get a full nights sleep and then take the midday/ early afternoon flight to HNL which gets you in past your hotel check in time, have dinner and then get a full nights sleep. That generally gets me on to Hawaiian time pretty quickly. If you deal with jet lag less well then I do recommend a few nights in Honolulu mainly as these will be your cheapest hotel nights on Hawaii- look to pay c£300/ night upwards with resort fees for a basic Hilton property. As others say get out of Honolulu quickly thereafter though.

I would take a Hawaiian airlines flight to another island. The 717s feel ancient as (like the 737s) they are decades old technology. Domestic F gets you Hawaiian Premier Club access (unlike most US Domestic F tickets which don’t come with lounge access) but these aren’t much to write home about- soft drinks and tiny bags of pretzels only. Onboard you get an alcoholic drink- beer or a premixed cocktail. Most inter-island flights are quicker then the MAN-LHR shuttle so F over Y isn’t worth it. Southwest also fly inter-island and you can also look at Mokulele which use turboprops (personally I save this sort of flying for Maldivian seaplanes).

Maui I would be looking to book your hotels on points and going for the premium facias to achieve value. Cash prices for mid-tier brands are eyewatering and the product quality isn’t there- sunbeds arranged smack next to each other by the pool, towels out of vending machines etc. It’s like everything you avoid in Europe. The best point options are The Waldorf Astoria- which is a big property but recently refurbished. I visited last year when occupancy was low and had a good stay and whilst nice it didn’t feel that premium. And at 110k Hilton points as standard reward (or c£850k upwards a night). I would be much happier spending those points at the Conrad Maldives on an overwater villa for 120k/ night. It’s also next to a few other large resorts connected by an oceanside path (including the Four Seasons) so overall feels busy and touristy. I’ve just come back from the Ritz Carlton Maui which I liked very much. A lot calmer, not next to other properties but with an ABC store and independent bars and restaurants within walking distance. I will be returning here if I can find nights for the standard Bonvoy rate.

Few other things to note. F&B prices are higher than the mainland (probably more like NY). I would say I spent c£100 for two courses and a glass of wine with service each. ABC stores will help with cheaper alcohol and snacks and in Honolulu there are cheaper options eg food courts in the Royal Hawaiian Centre and Ala Mona centre. Downtown Honolulu (not Waikiki beach) has some good independent places but by and large I’ve never been blown away by the food on Hawaii.