Flight review: Hawaiian Airlines A330 business class, Sydney to Honolulu
It's a dreary, cold day in Sydney when I'm scheduled to depart, so I'm grateful to be skimming the airport chaos and bee-lining straight for Hawaiian Airlines' cushy partner lounge (business flyers departing Sydney get full access to the Qantas Business Lounge).
Once onboard, those Hawaiian shirts and cheery floral hair clips work wonders in vanquishing any residual cold-snap bad juju — well, that, and the gloriously boozy concoction I've just been handed, their signature mai tai served with a swizzle stick skewering a piece of fresh pineapple. Does it get any grander? I'm in vacation mode before I've even left the ground.
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The move to offer passengers a signature cocktail as a welcome drink is pure genius. Katherine Scott
The seat
We're leaving in the evening and as I settle in a flight attendant offers to prepare my seat cover for me. It's a smart little cover, too, with an inbuilt head cushion (so it's fixed in place throughout the flight).
As well as the standard overhead carry-on compartment, there's a magazine compartment, soft article stowage space at my feet, and a very smart and accessible mini storage nook buried next to the seat featuring a USB port, where I can stow my headphones, water, menu, and charge my phone.
The Sig Zane-designed amenity kits echo that beachy Hawaiian Airlines aesthetic. Katherine Scott
The beachy Hawaiian Airlines aesthetic weaves its way into the cabin and amenities — creamy calico amenity kits by Hawaiian designer Sig Zane, the airline's signature pink (seen in the menus, blankets and pillows) popping against pale blues, creams, and chocolate browns. It's a bit retro, lacking in the slickness of other top-tier airlines, but oddly calming and comfy.
The cabin takes a 2-2-2 configuration. Our business seats don't have aisle partitions like a lot of other airlines, but they do have a small slide-up partition between each set of two, in case you're travelling as a single, which I'm able to slide up after take-off for added privacy.
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There's also an armrest on both sides (tick). And, additional to the seat cover pillow is a bigger, fluffier pillow and a light quilted blanket — they're not luxury branded, but they are exceptionally soft.
The lie-flat seats are easy to operate. Hawaiian Airlines
The seats mechanically recline to a lie-flat position, and thankfully the nozzle for this is easy to operate; left for up, right for down. And it's so comfy I even manage to squeeze in a few hours shut-eye, a rarity for me.
In-flight entertainment
The business cabin seats don't have in-built screens, however passengers can request tablets (though, annoyingly, you'll have to wait until after take-off and relinquish them again before landing). Though it must be noted, the flight attendant whooshed one out to me the very first chance she got and it had a good selection of media and new release flicks.
The food and beverages
The in-flight meal is simple but satisfying. Katherine Scott
As it's a late flight we're served a light dinner. A staff member swoops in and ejects my tray table from the armrest like Mary Poppins pulling a coat rack out of a physicians bag (how did it fit in there?) and proceeds to ceremoniously lay a tablecloth, linen-wrapped metal cutlery (how positively luxurious), and a stemless wine glass.
The meal consists of a delightfully simple yellow curry soup, lemongrass chicken with roasted veg and a passionfruit-chilli sauce, capped with a coconut sago pudding for dessert. I team it with a zesty glass of the Ancient Peaks Chardonnay.
The airline serve a hot, hearty breakfast on their overnight Sydney to Honoulu service. Katherine Scott
Breakfast doesn't impress quite as much, comprising a simple kim chee, tomato and cheddar quiche with pork sausage, served alongside seasonal fruits and a pastry.
The verdict
It's the small details that get the pre-holiday butterflies going. Hawaiian Airlines
Amazing how far a bit of personality can go. Little touches, like doling out free reef-safe sunscreen samples (a cause the airline champions), ditching the welcome Champas for a flamboyantly-garnished tropical libation, and rocking those stunningly vacay-worthy uniforms — it's these details that get the holiday butterflies going. The airline may not be as swish in the cabin design and dining stakes, but it's still a damn good pre-holiday before your real holiday begins.
