HNL-MEL Award booking help

[Cruiser Elite]

Advice reqd pls on possibilities flts 2 x Adults (? if applies to one pax) HNL-MEL early Oct 2017 - both comm or rdpt flts considered.

Plenty pts for both *A and OW carriers if availability exists - not a route that I have any clues about.

Only require o/w HNL-MEL as we will be in LAS prior to travel to HNL - tks in advance.

 

[boomy]

Re: Hnl-mel

The most direct route would be JQ but you don't want to be stuck on their metal for 11h so probably QF via SYD will be more suitable, especially now that they swapped from A332 to A333 with business suites.

 

[deejo77]

Re: Hnl-mel

We used velocity points to fly business on Hawaiian- it was great on the recliners so I imagine it will be fantastic with the new lay flat beds that have been announced for them. This was to Brisbane not sure if they fly directly to Melbourne.

 

[Mattg]

Re: Hnl-mel

This (HNL in general) is an extremely difficult route for award availability in J. Occasionally you might find something on Hawaiian using Velocity points, and once in a blue moon there will be something on QF3/4. If you don't mind travelling via NAN, you can sometimes get J seats on FJ using QF points.

 

[Cruiser Elite]

Re: Hnl-mel

Tks to all posters - no J avail on QF or NZ - J* direct 11hr flt ~$1330ea - unless something jumps out along the way will prolly go with the direct flt - tks again.

Any AFFer actually flown J* HNL-MEL? Experiences?

 

[outbackowner]

Re: Hnl-mel

We are on QF 4 tomorrow and it is an A332 with the MK 1 beds unless there is a change of aircraft which I doubt.

 

[boomy]

Re: Hnl-mel

We are on QF 4 tomorrow and it is an A332 with the MK 1 beds unless there is a change of aircraft which I doubt.

Right, make sense. Service to PEK starts Jan 25 so until then QF will continue using their A332s to HNL.

 

[MEL_Traveller]

Re: Hnl-mel

Any AFFer actually flown J* HNL-MEL? Experiences?

I'd not recommend JQi long haul unless you can score front row bulkhead seats. Even then the seat itself becomes somewhat uncomfortable a few hours into the flight. Food has done a noticeable decline over the years. But champagne has been on the menu for a while now. But that, along with excellent staff, are the highlights.

 

[Cruiser Elite]

MEL have you done this flt?

 

[Mattg]

I haven't done JQ1, but I have flown JQ J this year on a different route (DPS-SYD) and flew JQ in Y to HNL last year (BNE-HNL).

The Jetstar J seats are not great for sleeping in, and as MEL_Traveller says they do become pretty uncomfortable after a few hours. I actually found the premium economy seats on Qantas more comfortable. Although my JQ J flight was overnight, I must have slept for an hour at most and felt pretty awful when we arrived in SYD at ~6am. This is pretty much the same thing that happened when I flew to HNL, although that was in Y. That said, I actually thought the food and service was very good, and there was champagne.

In short, I would recommend JQ J for a day flight where the soft product is more important than the hard product. But for an overnight flight, I would not recommend it. If you want to arrive in HNL feeling refreshed, I'd be looking at QF or HA (or NZ via AKL).

 

[bam71]

In short, I would recommend JQ J for a day flight where the soft product is more important than the hard product. But for an overnight flight, I would not recommend it. If you want to arrive in HNL feeling refreshed, I'd be looking at QF or HA (or NZ via AKL).

Agree - did it around 18 months ago - day flight HNL SYD so no need to sleep. Wasn't the dreamliner then, food was good and crew were excellent. I'll try to find some pics ...

 

[Cruiser Elite]

JQ2 dep HNL 07:45 arr MEL 15:40+1 - 10hr 55min day flt - I would not even contemplate if was o/n flt but direct day flt should be tolerable should it not. Again if I can find a suitable alt well we might go that way.

 

[drron]

Looks like AA only release/get J reward seats on HA late.Plenty of J sAAver for 2 from now until Christmas and quite a few Feb/March 2017.but nothing at all from 30/3/17 to end September-that is the 330 day mark.Mainly through SYD ocas via BNE.

 

[Cruiser Elite]

Re: Hnl-mel

Tks to all who have contributed - I guess just a case of monitoring as dates get closer.

Of course we will need accom also - suggestions for hotels / apartments? Must be beachfront if poss and higher end pref - no set budget and will look at all possibilities. must be in centre of action as I detest being stuck out in boonies - TIA.

 

[RobJ]

MEL have you done this flt?

I did this in June, although I paid. I thought the product was reasonably good, though better in the day (HNL-MEL) than overnight (MEL-HNL). Still, the seats are a lot better than cattle, there are dedicated toilets, and, contrary to warnings, the food, drinks and service were excellent. Downside was a screaming infant all night, but that can happen anywhere (better not to be in the bulkhead row then).

 

[Cruiser Elite]

I did this in June, although I paid. I thought the product was reasonably good, though better in the day (HNL-MEL) than overnight (MEL-HNL). Still, the seats are a lot better than cattle, there are dedicated toilets, and, contrary to warnings, the food, drinks and service were excellent. Downside was a screaming infant all night, but that can happen anywhere (better not to be in the bulkhead row then).

RobJ you are a * - if we do it it will be HNL-MEL in Sept - LV first for a trade show then LAS-HNL - so HNL-MEL will be daytime and as you say that is quite tolerable. Again tks for your input.

 

[JohnPhelan]

I've done HNL-SYD and HNL-BNE on Jetstar, in J. It's fine for the daytime flights back to Australia - I wouldn't do the overnight flights the other way, however.

If you can, try to get seats in row 1, so you'll have no-one reclining back into you.

Food, drinks and service are pretty good. Seat is comparable to QF Domestic J (38"pitch). There is a lack of storage in and around the seat, so you'll need to keep pretty much everything in the overhead lockers (which are large, so there's never a fight for locker space).

IFE is OK, though not a huge variety of offerings.

Overall, for what you pay, it's quite good value.

 

[Cruiser Elite]

Re: Hnl-mel

Tks JohnPhelan - I am pretty much resigned to booking J* - on the Ette's tab so all is cool - what is lounge situation in HNL pls?

 

[JohnPhelan]

Re: Hnl-mel

Tks JohnPhelan - I am pretty much resigned to booking J* - on the Ette's tab so all is cool - what is lounge situation in HNL pls?

If flying Jetstar J, you can access the Qantas Club. Not sure if you have ever been through HNL before, but the location of the QC moved about 18 months ago, after the ceiling collapsed in the old one! It's now in the central pier, off the courtyard area. No view of the tarmac and pretty rudimentary, but snacks and drinks available. (Think a regional QC in Australia and you'll be close.) One disadvantage of the new location is that the QC is now in a different pier from the one that QF and JQ generally use for their aircraft, so it's a bit of a walk between the QC and the aircraft.

 

[Cruiser Elite]

Tks - I think 07:45 dep so lounge no biggie but always better with than without - again tks to all for your contribs.