Hawaiian Airlines’ Business Class on its Airbus A330 offers a distinctly island take on the long-haul experience, with friendly service, delicious dining and blazing-fast Wi-Fi. As a recent inductee into the oneworld alliance (thanks to its merger with Alaska Airlines), Hawaiian Airlines is another option to fly to the island paradise using Qantas Points.
Qantas itself also flies the same route from Honolulu to Sydney, with almost identical flight times. Hawaiian Airlines costs more in points to book, but has cheaper fees and taxes. Is it worth booking?
Check-in and lounge
Hawaiian Airlines has a dedicated check-in area for its international flights, and the process is straightforward. There’s a dedicated counter serving the flight to Sydney.
But as a Business Class passenger, I could also use the priority check-in facilities. I also whizzed through a dedicated premium lane at the TSA checkpoint, which put me at the front of the 10-minute-long line.
Turning left and following the signs to my gate, I soon realise I’ve completely missed the lounge facilities. It turns out you need to turn right after security and find the signs for the Plumeria Lounge.
Eligible Business Class passengers travelling to Sydney find themselves in the swankier Plumeria Loft lounge instead, which boasts an outdoor garden. Just in case you want to soak up a bit more of Hawaii.
As I’ve already enjoyed breakfast beforehand (I highly recommend the Halekulani Bakery), I just kick back with a fruity mocktail from the tended bar. When it’s almost time to board, the Wiki Wiki shuttle is directly outside the lounge and can take you to your gate area if it’s elsewhere. Just leave 10-15 minutes of extra time to get from the A-gates (where the lounge is) to your destination.
Over at the C-gates, boarding starts on time. Business Class is called alongside Atmos Titanium members. If you’re an elite status member in Economy, you’ll board in the next group.
Seat and layout
The Business Class cabin on Hawaiian’s A330 isn’t going to win any awards. The seats are arranged in a 2-2-2 configuration, meaning not every passenger is directly on the aisle. But there is a cut-out on the aisle seat footrest that leaves just enough space for the window seat passenger to shimmy out.
The seat itself is adequate for a trans-Pacific flight. It’s comfortable enough to lounge around in. When sleep beckons, you can stretch out and lie flat.
But look more closely, and the limitations of the seat become more apparent. The footwell is quite small, bordering on useless. There are a few storage areas, but none of them are particularly large (except for a cut-out under the seat in front). Most of the storage nets can only fit smaller, flatter items.
There are no entertainment screens – instead, passengers are given an iPad which is preloaded with content. None of these are dealbreakers if you’re mainly after the space to stretch out for a 10-hour flight. But keep these compromises in mind when planning.
Dining onboard Hawaiian Airlines
Where Hawaiian Airlines really impresses me is with the food. The meal service has a distinctly Hawaiian influence, and the quality is arguably better than what I would get in Qantas Business Class. Hawaiian also offers online pre-ordering, which is a big win in my book.
Before take-off, the crew come around bearing trays of signature Mai Tais and POG juice – that’s passionfruit, orange and guava. If you’re after a tipple, the Mai Tai comes highly recommended by my seat neighbour.
But if you prefer a customary pre-departure Champagne, you might be disappointed. Only prosecco is available onboard. For what it’s worth, the Summer Club Pogmosa (which combines the prosecco and POG juice) might be the refreshing pick instead.
After take-off, the crew comes around for another round of drinks, this time accompanied by a generous serve of Mauna Loa macadamias. Just be mindful that as delicious as the nuts are, macadamias are also deceivingly very high in calories!
Lunch
The clear highlight of the flight for me is lunch, which features elements from Hawaii. My seatmate pre-orders the braised beef with pilaf rice and vegetables, while I opt for the roasted pork loin with a soy caramel kabocha (pumpkin) puree.
Braised meats tend to hold up better in-flight, so I’d probably pick that next time – my roast pork is a tad on the dry side. But it’s still delicious, and the pumpkin puree packs a punch of flavour.
On the side is a comprehensive green apple and mesclun salad topped with walnuts. But it’s the two purple side dishes – a fluffy and fragrant taro bread roll, and the scrumptious ube cream cheesecake – that stand out.
While not as refined as a separate three-course service you might see on other airlines, the food itself is the hero, and this lunch leaves me feeling very satisfied.
Snacks and light dinner
Throughout the flight, you can help yourself to a small snack station at the front. There are a few sweet and savoury options, such as sweet Maui onion crisps and Honolulu Cookie Company shortbreads.
A note on the coffee – it’s typical US-style brewed coffee, but this one is roasted locally in Hawaii. Don’t expect milk, though. The standard onboard is half-and-half creamer.
About two hours before landing, a light dinner is served. There’s no pre-order for this course, and the choices are kalbi grilled chicken or roasted miso eggplant parmigiana on ciabatta. The grilled chicken, served with somen (noodle) salad, is light and refreshing. I’ll also never say no to a good fruit platter.
Amenities and service
Hawaiian’s onboard service is another strong point. The crew is warm and friendly without being overly formal – similar to what we’re used to in Australia, instead of the mainland US carriers.
This doesn’t just extend to the cabin crew, but the flight crew as well. During the flight, one of the pilots (an Aussie who now calls Hawaii home) comes out to chat, and later offers me a Hawaiian Airlines trading card! I’ve never heard of this concept before (it’s big in the US), but now I want to collect them all…
At each seat, there is a bedding pack with a mattress topper and blanket, plus an amenity kit and average noise-cancelling headphones. The kit includes a range of products from Hawaiian skincare brand Lōliʻi. I also really love Hawaiian’s unique take on island-style slippers.
As mentioned earlier, entertainment is provided via iPads, which dock into a dedicated holder that comes out of the centre console. While not as ideal as having a proper screen, the iPad still features plenty of movies and full-series TV seasons, as well as games. I used my own Bose noise-cancelling earbuds (with a Bluetooth adapter), which worked fine with the iPad.
Hawaiian’s A330 aircraft are equipped with Starlink, providing free high-speed Wi-Fi onboard. My tests measured speeds of 63.6 Mbps down and 19.6 Mbps up, which is easily enough for most uses, including streaming Netflix on your phone or working in the clouds.
For a 10-hour daytime flight, having this level of connectivity makes the time in the air considerably more productive. It’s also one area where Hawaiian Airlines has a clear advantage over Qantas.
How to book Hawaiian Airlines Business Class with points
Hawaiian Airlines is a member of the oneworld alliance, so you can book reward seats with the points of any other partner program. In Australia, that will most likely be with Qantas Points. Hawaiian Airlines reward seats can show up on the Qantas Flight Reward Finder.
From Honolulu to Sydney, expect to pay 108,000 Qantas Points + ~US$52 per person for Hawaiian Airlines. In comparison, Qantas Business Class costs 9,600 points less, but US$410 (~A$570) more per person.
Given the huge difference in fees and taxes, I would say that Hawaiian Airlines offers better value-for-money on this route. After all, saving ~A$570 per person is nothing to sneeze at.
Our verdict
Hawaiian Airlines’ A330 Business Class is a product of contrasts. The seat is average, with a small footwell and a relatively dated cabin layout. It doesn’t compete with the newest Business Class suites for privacy or personal space. But the soft touches are considerably better. The food is excellent, the service warm and attentive, and the Starlink Wi-Fi was outstanding.
I’d happily book Hawaiian Airlines Business Class with my points – especially after 2028, when we expect the airline will revamp its entire Airbus A330 fleet with all-new Business Class seats.
Disclaimer
All photography by Brandon Loo, who flew as a guest of Hawaiian Airlines. All opinions remain his own.
