Hawaiian Airlines A321neo first class may not be the most luxurious option to and from the Hawaiian islands these days, but you won’t have to twist my arm to do it again.
The seats are wide, spacious, and (most importantly) draped in brown leather so soft and supple that it makes me wonder whether or not it was sourced in nefarious ways.
Don’t worry. It’s something you won’t even be concerned about as you slam back that first Mai Tai…
HA37 San Diego, CA (SAN) – Maui/Kahului, HI (OGG) Monday, July 16, 2018 Aircraft: A321-271N Registration: N204HA Duration: 5 hours 23 minutes Seat: 3J (first class)
Hawaiian Airlines A321neo (N204HA) side view illustration by norebbo.com (my other website). I don’t smoke (or drink), but I think I’m gonna need a cigarette and a scotch after illustrating that. Nice livery, but really hard to draw!!
Our route from San Diego to Maui (Kahului) this morning as HA37
Checking in
This trip report begins with your’s truly walking into terminal 2 west at SAN so early that I didn’t even think they were going to let me in. I look forward to Hawaii-bound flights more than any other, but a nasty side effect of having to deal with all of that giddy anticipation is feeling especially anxious to get to the airport and getting the trip started.
Pacing nervously around the entrance of terminal two west here at SAN just after 4am. Is that dude in the white shirt and the security badge going to tackle me for attempting to get in the front door at such an early hour? I wasn’t looking to push my luck.
See? I’m not kidding when I said that I arrived early!
Having successfully avoided being tackled by that serious-looking security guy outside, I arrived at the Hawaiian Airlines check in counter only to realize that most normal people are still at home dead asleep (and I’m not normal).
“4:39am”. I tried not to think about how deeply (and deadly) asleep I would be at this moment if I wasn’t such a nerdy AvGeek.
Making the people watching the security cameras nervous as I frolic around the gate area checking out the seating options.
While I was waiting for the sun to rise, I noticed that Alaska airlines also has a flight to OGG departing within minutes of this one. And if you’re curious, it was Hawaiian who chose to match the time of the Alaska flight (because when I originally booked this, it was scheduled to depart at 9am-ish). I’m thinking they’ll need to meet out there on the tarmac and battle it out with a huge pillow fight or something. The winner keeps the time slot!
The boarding process
After breakfast had been consumed, I returned to the gate area to sit and wait for boarding to begin. It wasn’t a long wait, and it also wasn’t hard to envy those around me who had timed their arrival to the airport perfectly this morning with seemingly no waiting.
I know. It’s likely that most of these people were still in bed when I was here several hours ago making the security guards nervous with my frolicking.
Excitement was high as they called for first class passengers to board, and I wasted no time in carving my way through the crowds and being one of the first ones on the plane. I’ve been waiting a long time to try one of these new Hawaiian Airlines A321neo’s (yes, even before 4am this morning), and this was finally the big moment.
This is the point in the trip when you start debating whether or not you’re going to start off with a Mai Tai or a guava juice. Or maybe both!
There she is: a brand spanking new A321neo (N204HA) looking sharp with her big sister in the background.
The Hawaii state line. Once you walk through that door, you’re officially in the islands!
Hawaiian Airlines A321neo first class seat overview
Those of you who are wrinkling your nose upon the realization that the A321neo’s feature nothing more than basic recliner-style first class seats have my sympathy. I get it. My recommendation? Fly Hawaiian Airlines 787-9 first class instead (which features fully enclosed first class suites – not seats).
Yes, these may be the same seats that you would find in American Airlines 737-800 first class, but these are something special draped in that signature Hawaiian Airlines brown leather and gorgeous purple and blue mood lighting.
Hawaiian Airlines A321neo First class seats – far nicer than what Alaska Airlines is offering on their SAN-OGG flight this morning. No pillow fight would solve that debate, as Alaska Airlines 737-900 first class doesn’t hold a candle to this! I felt tempted to send over a tray of Mai Tai’s to everyone on that other flight to help ease the tension.
Pillows and blankets for people like me who woke up much too early this morning and are already feeling the side effects of sleep deprivation. At least I was awake enough to appreciate being on this bird instead of a crappy United CRJ-200.
There are no video screens in the headrests unfortunately, but that’s ok. Your addiction to Breaking Bad is unhealthy anyway and you need to weened off of it.
Hawaiian Airlines A321neo first class seat pitch. And the startling realization that I need to start packing lighter.
Virgin USB outlets between the seats that are still tight and crisp! There’s nothing worse than sticking your USB charger into an old and worn out port, only to have it fall out as soon as you let go. And yes, I wrote that entire sentence giggling like a 13-year-old boy telling dirty jokes to his buddies…
There’s nothing quite like boarding Hawaiian Airlines first class and to be handed an ice cold glass of guava juice to put you in an island mood right quick.
Never mind that it was probably processed and packaged in Wichita Kanas. Those guavas had to come from somewhere tropical, and I don’t care if the guy who pushed the button to make it go into the cardboard container didn’t care either.
Pre-departure guava juice is a quintessential part of the Hawaiian Airlines first class experience, and I’m embarrassed to admit that I was too busy taking pictures to partake in the action. I’m such an idiot.
The signature SANspotter stone-cold look of approval. So far so good!
It wasn’t all flowery and perfect though. This foot rest was a bit too small and not exactly positioned correctly to fulfill my definition of “comfortable”. Maybe I was still miffed about missing the guava juice. I don’t know.
You know you’re on a fun flight when the characters in the safety card are wearing flower-print shirts and dresses.
The departure from San Diego
We hadn’t even taken off yet, but I was flying high when the flight attendants made the announcement that boarding was complete and that the seat next to me had remained vacant. There was a brief scare when one of the flight attendants pulled up some commuting flight attendants from economy up to first, but thankfully I still had an entire row to myself once that was all said and done.
Try not to scratch the paint guys! She’s brand new still and doesn’t deserve any ugly blemishes quite yet.
Pushing off the gate now, allowing me to get this nice close-up shot of the big A330 which will be departing for Honolulu in just a couple hours.
Some miscellaneous scenery of the rest of the airport on our way out to the threshold of runway 27. I’m not totally sure, but it wouldn’t surprise me if I get a Cease and Desist letter from the San Diego Board of Tourism to stop posting such gloomy pics of this place. It’s not my fault! I just have a very nasty habit of flying on the most cloudiest of days that’s all.
Aaaand the equally-gloomy departure sequence. I’m sorry San Diego! You know I love you, but you gotta help me out with some sunshine for my trip reports.
That’s what I’m talkin’ about! At least the clouds matched the gray floral pattern of this livery.
In-flight entertainment
Once in the air and pointed north (all SAN-Hawaii flights head up towards LAX first before turning southwest and out over the Pacific), the flight attendants came by with complementary iPad Mini’s loaded with tons of good movies, music, and tv shows. It seemed like a nice consolation for the lack of video screens in the seat backs.
Complementary iPad Mini’s full of good movies and TV to help pass the time. I don’t know about you, but a shot of guava juice would help me pass the time more than any movie could…
Note that there is also a streaming service available, accessible with your own personal device. Considering that the iPads cost $10 to rent back in economy, the streaming thing is a good deal since it’s complimentary.
You can’t put a button like that in front of me and expect me to be an adult about it. Unfortunately, nothing exciting happened when I pressed it.
Despite the lack of seat back video screens, the streaming content (viewable on your mobile device) featured a handy map of the current situation. Current situation: heading out over the ocean in a small narrowbody with nowhere to land if things go terribly wrong, and…ok, yeah, a Mai Tai does sound good right about now.
I actually don’t mind the lack of seat back video screens, as long as the streaming content option has flight data and maps. Gotta make sure that the pilots are doing their job, ya know.
The meal service
Meal orders were taken shortly after takeoff, followed quickly by the much-anticipated drink and macadamia nut service. I’m not a huge macadamia nut fan, but bring on that guava juice and keep it flowin’ please!
It’s true: first class breakfast menus are much more fun to read when the seat next to you is vacant.
That’s it! Guava juice obtained / mission accomplished.
“Where have you been all my life?”
Nom nom nom (because no Hawaiian Airlines review would be complete without the author stuffing his face full of macadamia nuts).
The breakfast service came next (bet you didn’t see that coming), and it was nice to see that they served it in courses instead of putting everything together on one tray. And apparently I was so hungry that I completely forgot to take a pic of the first course, which was a fruit bowl.
I know. I’m risking losing my nerdy “Airline Reviewer” credentials for admitting such a thing, but I’ll try to avert disaster by telling you that the flavor of that fruit exploded in my mouth like…um…no, that isn’t going well either. Let’s just skip to pics of the main course:
The quiche. Now, I’m about as far from being a gourmet as one could possibly be, but this totally reminded me of something that I would whip up in college. You know, when you have nothing but eggs and pepper and onions and you mix it all together hoping for the best. Yep – a little bit too peppery and oniony for my taste and all I could think about was being 19 again with too much homework to do. The sausages were really good though!
Despite not totally enjoying the taste of that huge slice of breakfast pie, I’ve never been a quiche fan anyway so I’m not going to put any blame on the chefs. I just would’ve preferred to have a classic omelet that’s all, perhaps even with a couple scoops of white rice to go with it (Hawaiian style, of course).
Good thing that I didn’t have a seatmate today, because I was swinging those elbows wrecklessly cutting into that quiche.
Coconut and pineapple flavored pie for dessert? Oh God yes. You’re not going to get this sort of thing on Alaska Airlines! Speaking of which, if you’re curious, do be sure to read my Hawaiian Airlines vs Alaska Airlines comparison to see how they compare.
Seat and cabin comfort
The cabin lights were switched off after the meal service, no doubt the result of flight attendants who were disgusted by looking at all of us fat slobs who over-indulged on breakfast.
They did leave the purple and blue mood lighting on though, which probably helped to make us all look better than we actually did.
All the excitement of the morning combined with copious amounts of food consumption got the best of me after the cabin went dark, and I ended up sleeping until there was just a little over 1 hour of flying time remaining.
Note that these first class seats in the A321neo are not lie flat (as they are in Hawaiian Airlines A330-200 first class), so it wasn’t the best sleep I’ve ever had on an airplane. Far from it actually. But the seats are wide, and the legroom is generous. It’s good enough.
First class lavatory
The first class lavatory here on the Hawaiian A321neo is surprisingly bland compared to the ones back in economy class (as you can see in my Hawaiian Airlines A321neo Extra Comfort review). They do look classy though.
Can’t say that I wasn’t tempted to wipe with the leaves instead of the toilet paper. Looks soft!
The descent in arrival into Kahului
The cabin lights turned on just minutes after I awoke, and I hadn’t even wiped the dribble off my shirt by the time the flight attendants started coming through the aisles with complementary Mai Tai’s (even for those in economy). I passed on the offer.
A quick check out the window to make sure that nothing is on fire and that the wing is still there. Lookin’ good.
A snack basket and Hawaiian agricultural forms accompanied those pre-landing drinks, and unlike other Hawaii-bound flights I’ve been on, they were real sticklers about making sure that EVERYONE completed the form and handed it in. I don’t remember them ever being so strict about this in the past.
I passed on the Mai Tai this time (sacraligous, I know) but I am never one to turn down a chocolate chip cookie.
Starting descent into what I hope is OGG, because I see nothing but water in every direction. Worst case scenario, at least I have my swimming trunks in my backpack with me. I’m ready for anything!
Swimming trunks aren’t going to save me from hungry sharks though, so let’s hope that Maui is within gliding distance.
Whew! I was just about to strap on those swim trunks when I saw this. Land ho!
Ok, the light was all wrong and we were looking into the sun for much of the approach, but it’s necessary to include these pics just so you can get the full sense of what it’s like to land at OGG.
Seems dry and arid, right? Looks can be deceiving, because Maui is anything but!
Welcome to Maui!
Remember how poopy the weather was when I landed here in a Mokelele Cessna 208? It’s nice to see this place under blue skies!
I’m always the least stylish one in first class.
There’s nothing quite like a jet bridge full of happy travelers ready to begin their Hawaiian vacation. Either that or they’re just happy as hell to get away from the guy who was taking pictures and video of everything.
By the way, I’d recommend checking out my Hawaiian Airlines vs United comparison if you aren’t impressed with the service I’ve received on this flight. FYI, Hawaiian Airlines first class is about as good as it gets to and from the Islands. Aloha!
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9 Comments
Scott, I think those Hawaiian Air neo F seats look similar to the future Alaska F seats can Ming up in the conversion. With 45” of pitch they had to be pretty comfy. Especially with no seat mate!
Haha, yes, I do believe that these are the same seats “can Ming up” soon to AS. 🙂 It’s a really good seat too, so Hawaiian isn’t going to have the advantage for very long. They should have put lie-flats in those A321s!
The first time I flew Hawaiian’s A321neo was a year ago, when the airline first took delivery of their initial aircraft and folded them into the interisland schedule to offer an opportunity for flight crews to familiarize themselves with the plane. So my partner and I flew on it from Honolulu to Maui on a business day-trip, and unfortunately we were seated toward the rear on a flight operating at full capacity of 190 passengers. I think it took us longer to disembark the aircraft in Kahului than the actual 25-min. flight time from HNL. LOL! They’ve since gotten much better at the logistics; it only took me 10 minutes to get off the A321neo in Lihue, Kauai a week ago after a 6-hr. flight from LAX. Great aircraft.
You are very lucky to have had the chance to get a “preview” of this aircraft before all of us mainlanders did. It’s definitely the future for Hawaiian Airlines, though I’m not excited about the fact that it’ll be replacing the A330 on some mainland routes. It’s progress though!
Not so much honestly – the Airbus is slightly wider, but for the most part there is no difference (other than how each individual airline configures them).
Scott, I think those Hawaiian Air neo F seats look similar to the future Alaska F seats can Ming up in the conversion. With 45” of pitch they had to be pretty comfy. Especially with no seat mate!
“Coming up in” 🙂
Haha, yes, I do believe that these are the same seats “can Ming up” soon to AS. 🙂 It’s a really good seat too, so Hawaiian isn’t going to have the advantage for very long. They should have put lie-flats in those A321s!
The first time I flew Hawaiian’s A321neo was a year ago, when the airline first took delivery of their initial aircraft and folded them into the interisland schedule to offer an opportunity for flight crews to familiarize themselves with the plane. So my partner and I flew on it from Honolulu to Maui on a business day-trip, and unfortunately we were seated toward the rear on a flight operating at full capacity of 190 passengers. I think it took us longer to disembark the aircraft in Kahului than the actual 25-min. flight time from HNL. LOL! They’ve since gotten much better at the logistics; it only took me 10 minutes to get off the A321neo in Lihue, Kauai a week ago after a 6-hr. flight from LAX. Great aircraft.
You are very lucky to have had the chance to get a “preview” of this aircraft before all of us mainlanders did. It’s definitely the future for Hawaiian Airlines, though I’m not excited about the fact that it’ll be replacing the A330 on some mainland routes. It’s progress though!
Is there any difference from an Airbus A321neo from a cramped Boeing 737-900ER?
Not so much honestly – the Airbus is slightly wider, but for the most part there is no difference (other than how each individual airline configures them).
Love reading this piece and watching the video. You’re a riot!
Haha, thanks Sharon!