Hawaiian Island Hopping: My Hawaiian Airlines Review

If you’re planning a trip to Hawaii, you’re probably going to be doing at least two islands while you’re there. If that’s the case you’re 90% likely going to be getting an inter-island flight with Hawaiian Airlines. The flights themselves are priced quite reasonably to be honest. Our flights to Maui were $150 return - so $75 each way, not overly expensive and would get us there in about 30 min. The booking experience online was quite simple, just needed to pick the dates and times as there were flights to Maui almost every hour. Then fill out all the passenger details and pay by credit card - easy as pie! I didn't have to deal with plenty of upsell attempts as I did when I booked my flight from Australia.

I’ll always remember thinking - ok just an inter-island flight so just show up with a minimum amount of time to check in and clear security. Thankfully one day at the hotel in Waikiki I was reading an article in Honolulu’s Star Advertiser about the struggles travellers have been facing with inter-island flights and the crazy lineups. The article suggested getting there with at least 3 hours handy to check in and clear security. I'm so glad that I followed the article’s advice as when I go there... DAMN! In Honolulu there were 2 massive lineups - both that went out the door. It really did take 90-120 min. to check in and clear security. In Maui it was the same thing, one massive line that goes halfway through the airport. Once you get through the massive line you’re in. All that’s left is to get to your gate and board your flight. There isn’t really all that much to see or do at the airport, just the odd food stand and maybe a burger king.

As for the flight itself - everything was as smooth as could be for a 30 some minute flight. There’s no need for any meals as the flights are so short, but the flight attendants still come around offering every passenger a complimentary juice - which is way more than what I got on my no-frills flight from Australia.  I do recommend a window seat as there’s no entertainment system once again due to the flight being so short. Looking through the window you can see some of the other islands which is pretty cool.

All in all the inter-island flying experience was pretty smooth. From the hassle-free booking to touching down on a new island. Just be sure to allow yourself plenty of time at the airport to clear security as even though it’s a very short flight, with one leaving every hour there’s hundreds of people showing up at once. Apart from that have fun exploring Hawaii!

Jetstar No-Frills Experience - My Jetstar Review (Part 2)

If you’re just joining this program you’ve missed out on my excruciating booking experience, Amazing Race dash and my encounter with some special needs passengers. I highly suggest you go check out Part 1 to get the full story on my Jetstar Experience.

Long-Haul Experience:

Well, short flight done, time for the big one! For some reason I had to go through security again which is fine and then just my luck I got “randomly” selected for an explosives test. After a basic rubdown and pat down, which was NOWHERE as intimate as the Canadians do back home, I got through to Sydney’s International Terminal. Having gone through immigration and customs in Melbourne, I technically couldn’t leave the airport without officially re-entering the country. Now I had 7 hours to kill inside the airport... Thankfully the airport in Sydney is pretty much like a shopping centre loaded with shops, cafes, different food outlets. Sat at Mc’D’s for breakfast and lunch while talking with folks online, and reading the newspaper. Explored the shops but unfortunately Coach, Burberry, and Armani weren’t on my shopping list. I also couldn’t help but notice the abundance of condom selection in the airport men’s rooms. Seriously... ribbed, glow in the dark, flavoured! Can't help but wonder why they're there. Anyways I spent a lot of my time reading and wandering but then realized that my phone’s battery was dying and as my sole source of entertainment for my long-haul flight this CANNOT happen.

**Where to find power outlets**:
There are little to no power outlets to charge your toys in the international terminal. Look for the massage chairs as the few available can usually be found there. I found mine by the massage chairs near gates 8 and 9. There are only 2 so be prepared to wait for them.

Anyways my flight was approaching and I knew that I had to go grab a meal for my flight. I found a sandwich shop and then ducked into a newsstand for a couple of bags of chips and a bottle of coke. Here I thought I’d be saving money but food is actually cheaper on the plane... $17

$17 something for all of this, what a deal...

The flight was fine for the most part. What you would expect out of any long haul flight. While it’s nice to have a leather seat for the flight, there was little to no padding in the lower back area so I constantly had some guy’s knees jabbing into my back. There are no screens on the backs of the chairs so Jetstar offers you the option to pre-book an Ipad loaded with movies, TV shows and games for your flight for $12. I know that next time I will go for this as I saw a guy playing GTA on the Ipad in contrast to my Angry Birds... I was damn envious. Oh and if you didn’t pre-book one you’re screwed, as unless there’s some spare ones you’re not getting one. Thankfully there’s always sleep right? For this overnight flight unfortunately sleep was not an option as I was serenaded by a symphony of screaming and crying children. It was agonizing as at any point where my body would go into sleep mode I’d be jolted awake by a shriek from the seat behind me. I’d take pizza-face and her boyfriend any day as they can be tuned out with earphones...

We got to Hawaii on time and breezed through customs and immigration. No complaints.

Coming back was a breeze. Arrived at the airport 2hrs before my flight, breezed through security and had the chance to do all my duty-free shopping and enjoy an amazing BK Breakfast. I also had the chance to grab myself a meal for my long-haul flight back which was so much better than the one coming here but just as outrageously priced...

The flight coming back was pleasant. After noticing that I was completely surrounded by small children I was expecting the worst. Thankfully these parents were in control of their kids and the screaming and crying was kept to a bare minimum of takeoff and landing. I enjoyed many episodes of GI Joe, read my newspapers and enjoyed my CPK sandwich.

A truly awesome sandwich - people were envious. Too bad the sandwich itself was $11.50

Overall, I can’t necessarily complain too much about Jetstar. Both my baggage and I made it to and from our destination in one piece. Being a no-frills airline they certainly lived up to it offering nothing. Would I fly them again? Well if I had the choice - no. But if the price was right, or there was no other option then the answer is not yes but - fine I’ll do it.

Jetstar No-Frills Experience - My Jetstar Review (Part 1)

Oh how the mighty have fallen! Having gone from flying business class to cattle class was absolutely terrible. Sadly this was the most economical way of getting from Melbourne to Honolulu as I had just missed out on a special from Hawaiian Airlines which would have been MUCH better. As the title would have it, Jetstar is a no-frills airline. I had to forgo my cookies baked for me on the plane, or eating my sumptuous filet mignon steak for well... nothing! Anyways lets start off at the very beginning with booking your flight.

Booking your flight:

When it comes to booking flights I generally like to go to the source, unless there’s a deal out there that I just can’t refuse. So I logged onto Jetstar’s website and set up an account and searched for my flights. MEL to HNL round trip totalled around $1400 which is not exactly ideal but it was the best price I could get. You choose your flights and pre-pay your luggage as it’s way higher paying for it at the gate. Everything was good up until I was bombarded with so-called add-ons for your flight. Do I want to upgrade to business class for $300 each way? NO. Do I want to choose my seat for $7 per flight (4 flights total)? NO. Do I want to pre-book a meal with my flight for $12-15 per flight? NO. Do I want an entertainment system/Ipad for my flight for $12/flight? NO. Do I need to get a hotel at my destination? NO. Do I want to rent a car at my destination? NO. Do I want to donate to charity? NO. OMG SERIOUSLY I JUST WANT MY F!@#ING CONFIRMATION ALREADY! I was very successful in booking my flight for the original price quoted with NO ADD ONS.

About 10 days before my flight (which happened to be my birthday) I got a call from the airline just to “confirm” my itinerary. Everything was going well right up until I noticed that the girl on the other end of the line started going through THE WHOLE DAMN UPSELL SPIEL AGAIN. With my Canadian patience gone but luckily my politeness still intact I advised the girl that I like my booking as-is and don’t wish to make any changes. I might of had to repeat this once as she tried to persist but she got it and ended the call. Whew what an experience...

The Domestic Experience:

Finally the day came where I’d be making my way to Hawaii. Woke up at 5:45am got ready and did a last minute frantic packing check as I normally do. Being a domestic flight I thought I had tons of time between check-in and getting to the gate as any normal person would assume you’d be leaving the country (going through immigration etc.) at the last port before departure. There was a massive traffic jam at Tullamarine Airport so I was a little nervous but got to the check-in counter and there was NOBODY! Safe! Well...not so much. I found out that I had to go through immi and customs HERE as well as go through airport security. Got through everything smoothly but what’s that on the screen?? FINAL BOARDING CALL FOR MATT’S FLIGHT... F!@#. Made an amazing race style dash to my gate only to find out that there’s still 40min or so before leaving... F!@#kers. Of course we also left 30min late... sigh...

The flight to Sydney was about 2hrs total - simple stuff. I planned on listening to a few tunes or play games on my phone (no laptop on this trip). Basically I got nothing to eat on the flight as I refuse to use a credit card on a plane - weird security paranoia. Anyways there was a darling couple sitting next to me composed of a failed jersey shore wannabe who was more flubber than muscle and his trophy pizza-face girlfriend. They spent the whole 2hrs nagging at each other in the form of thanking each other. Thank you so much (guy’s name) for being a condescending prick. Thank you SO MUCH (girl’s name) for being a nag. Thank you so much (guys name) for not moving your legs so I can go to the toilet. And so this went on...and on... My rage was burning but I then realized that these are probably the only four words in the english language they know. It’s never cool to yell at those with special needs.

Anyways we landed in Sydney and here I was pointed to the international transfer checkpoint. There were a few of us headed there. As I walked I couldn’t help but look over my shoulder constantly on the lookout for my two special friends from the earlier flight. No sign of them! Safe...safe for now!

Asiana Airlines Business Class Experience

The first half of my flight from Seoul to Melbourne was with Asiana Airlines. Funny enough, before this trip I've never heard of Asiana,  After flying with Air Canada all the way to Seoul, I thought that I had seen what business class is like...oh boy was I wrong. According to Skytrax rating agency Air Canada is only a 3 star airline, Asiana is a 5 star airline! This trip was bound to be an upgrade.

Maybe not a suite, but even better!

With Asiana there’s a clear separation between business/first and economy class including separate entrances to the plane. Upon boarding I’m greeted by the flight attendant offering me the usual glass of champagne and a copy of the Korea Herald which is a good but awkward newspaper in terms of its shape. Now unlike Air Canada, the seats aren’t “suites” but they do recline almost fully. I also preferred this over the suites as I don’t feel like I’m cramped in a cubicle. Also if you REALLY don’t like the person next to you, there’s a “privacy screen” you can pull out. However, like I said in the Air Canada review, you’re not just paying for the seat, it’s the food that makes the difference.

Duck anyone?

My appetizer started off with some roasted duck, garden salad and whatever that dark stuff is on the side of the plate. The duck had some sort of fruit topping and went down amazingly. As for the salad, well it’s really hard to screw up a salad now isn’t it! You’ll also notice the REAL silverware on the side of my plate. To drink I chose a Merlot wine. I don’t normally do red as it gives me terrible heartburn, but I do make a special exception when I have what I chose for my main course.

Mmmmm filet mignon!

The picture above is a pretty sight now isn’t it! Beef tenderloin served with asparagus wrapped in pork belly (bacon) and potato wedges. When I saw this on the menu, there was no way I could refuse. The steak was so tender and juicy, the complete opposite of what you’d expect on an airplane. I had also chosen the Merlot as I tend to prefer red wine when I have steak. It was also nice to have the pork belly/bacon as you don’t see that kind of bacon often in this part of the world.

The grapes had seeds in them, yuck!

After my wonderful dinner, we had a course of cheese, crackers, nuts, and fruit. The cheeses were great. It was a nice addition to my meal but unfortunately the grapes had seeds in them... yeah that’s my biggest/only complaint. It’s a tough life I live, thankfully the real dessert was up next and completely made up for the seeded grapes.

Nobody can say no to ice cream!

That’s right folks, Haagen Daaz and coffee, the best way to finish a four course meal! Someway somehow I enjoyed this quite a bit more than the pie that was served on Air Canada’s flight. Can’t say much else other than it was vanilla and amazing!

Overall the business class experience with Asiana was definitely an upgrade over the experience with Air Canada. There’s a very significant difference in the 3-star and 5-star treatment with the airlines. From the separate entrances to the plane, the upgrade in cutlery to the fantastic choice of wines and champagne on the plane, Asiana certainly makes rtheir business class a 5-star experience. I highly recommend if you can, try the business class with Asiana you won’t regret it...especially for the price I paid!

Air Canada Business Class Experience

Recently, on my way to Seoul, I had the pleasure of sitting in business class (thanks to this) the whole way from Toronto to Seoul. This was definitely a step up from economy. Now regardless of where you are on the plane... you’re still ON THE PLANE for >12hrs. It is nice having a bigger seat, or one that fully extends to a bed, but it doesn’t change the fact that you’re not going anywhere for lord knows how many hours. The biggest upgrade I would say would be the food. Nothing makes a long flight whizz by than be served multi-course meals complete with alcohol (except for breakfast!).

I hadn't had grapefruit in a while, forgotten how fantastic it is.

On my first flight from Toronto to Vancouver I was served breakfast starting with a first course of fresh fruit, a croissant (served after I took my photo) and yogurt with coffee. Later I was served nice hot pancakes with fruit and maple syrup topped off with more coffee. Breakfast was quite fantastic and certainly ate up a good chunk of the 5 hour flight from TO to Vancouver. Our flight finished off with some fresh chocolate-chip cookies baked on board the plane

Me and salmon don't normally mix, but this time it was great.

The next leg of my journey was from Vancouver to Seoul. This was the behemoth of all flights being about 11 hours. Since this flight was in the afternoon, I was served some champagne before takeoff and a beer shortly after. The airline crew then proceeded to serve us a 3-course lunch. The first course was smoked salmon with a dill mustard sauce pictured above accompanied by a fresh garden salad. Now those who know me well, know that I almost never eat seafood and that I’m very picky. Surprisingly enough this was magnificent! I guess I’ll have to put some more salmon in my diet.

Eww mushrooms...

Next up was the main course which was some spicy marinated beef, rice seasoned with sesame seeds and black mushrooms. While the dish wasn’t really spicy, it was pretty good. I can’t comment on the mushrooms as I’m not a fan. Personally I believe fungus belongs on your foot and not on your plate. 

Great way to end the meal...maybe the coffee was a bad idea though...

Last course of this meal was a mixed berry pie with was really good served with a top up of your wine glass and coffee or tea. This is a great way to finish up a large meal and put you off to sleep. After dessert lights on the plane are turned off and passengers are encouraged to shut their window flaps to keep the cabin dark. Time to sleep...

Now you’d think that that was it for food on the flight...well it is a very LONG one >10hrs. You can only do so much in 10-12hrs. Obviously I had exhausted everything watchable on the media system and sleeping didn’t really work out for me. Thankfully there’s one last light meal served 2hrs before. It was quite a pleasant surprise!

You call this light? 

I find it quite hard to describe this last meal as light. Here you have a serving of fresh fruit and bread to start off with. The main course is beef ribs served with mashed potatoes and veggies (asparagus and tomatoes). Finally for dessert you have a box of Lindor chocolates to help finish you off. For this meal I chose not to go for wine, as you don’t want to be tanked going through immigration and customs, ESPECIALLY when you marked UNEMPLOYED on your landing card.

There you have it folks, business class certainly ensures that you’re well fed. While the seating is certainly a step up from economy, the biggest seller I would say is the food. This ensures that you’re not dying of starvation by the time you land. Is it worth the full fare price? Maybe not. But it’s certainly worth the price I paid.

How to book a flight...like a boss

Flying... some love it, some hate it. Personally I’m not a fan. But I’m sure we can all agree that we hate being stuck next to annoying passengers:

Be it the bitch who stole my aisle seat (which I specifically chose on check-in) because she didn’t want to sit next to her husband, then claims MY ticket is wrong. I had downed quite a few drinks to make my takeoff easy so making a scene or getting the flight crew’s attention with my booze breath wasn’t an option. Her and her husband proceeded to yell at each other most of the 9 hr flight.

The oversized man with the oversized suitcase both of which shouldn’t have made it on the flight.

The breastfeeding mother who was placed next to me making it so that I couldn't look to my left the whole flight. Awkward...

We all have stories like these to share, and the one thing they all have in common is that they all took place in the economy class cabin.

Time for an upgrade!

Recently I became aware of a special sale on US Airways Dividend Miles. These are US Airways’ frequent flyer miles which to our benefit are also valid for any Star Alliance flight. The special is for every 10 000 you buy, you get 10 000 free, up to 50 000. So basically if you buy 50k, you get 50k totalling 100k which gives you enough to go almost anywhere in the world economy, and many places business class. 50k miles at the time would set you back $1325 plus a 7% tax recovery fee, plus 13% HST for Canadians like me.

My flight required 110k miles for business class, so add another $400-some to my total.

Now booking a star alliance flight with US Airways is a little tricky. You’re forced to call in to book it, which means that you’re at the mercy of your call-centre agent’s intelligence. You can make the whole process much easier if you do all your research before hand. You can then call in with all your flight segments.

For this you can use the ANA award flight search tool. ANA has tried to curb people from abusing this tool this by restricting Star Alliance searches to people with a certain minimum miles. To get around this, make an initial ANA International Flight Awards search with any two cities, then on the results screen at the bottom you’ll see a button  “Use Star Alliance Member Airlines.” YOU’RE IN! Now you can search throughout Star Alliance. Search longer flight segments first, as those are usually the toughest ones to get.

Gather all your flight segments, with a few alternates and phone in. I called at 2am, worked out well for me. Now I’m booking a flight from North America to the South Pacific so the total cost should be 110k miles (There’s no difference in cost for one way or round trip). The way I routed my flight, I would have a 5-day stopover in Korea which is considered the “North Asia” zone. My delightful phone agent put this in as a round trip to North Asia. North Asia - North America is 90k miles, North Asia - South Pacific is 90k miles. So counted as a round trip I save 20k miles which I can use for a round trip flight to Fiji :)

All in all, the flights cost me about $2300. Did I save money? Last I checked, economy class lowest fare one-way was $3261. Hell yeah!

Like a boss!