Hawaiian Airlines Airbus A330-200 Economy Class Review [HNL to AKL]

Airline: Hawaiian Airlines (HA)
Aircraft: Airbus A330-200
Flight #: HA445
Route: Daniel K. Inouye International Airport (HNL) to Auckland Airport (AKL)
Date: January 31, 2025
Duration: 8 hours, 38 minutes
Cabin and Layout: Economy class, 2-4-2
Seat: 29G
Cost: 44,000 Alaska Airlines Mileage Plan miles and $40.20 in taxes and fees

Our recent January trip to Hawaii was a quick 24-hour visit — ultimately a stop along the way to our final destination. Although my boyfriend and I wished for more time in Oahu, we still managed to fit in a beach visit and a poke bowl. Before we knew it, we were back at the airport, ready to board our flight to New Zealand.

I usually prefer to save my points and miles for business class redemptions on ultra-long-haul flights, but the Honolulu-to-Auckland route was surprisingly “short” by my standards — just over 8.5 hours. With economy fares nearing $1,000, we were thrilled to save money and redeem our Alaska Airlines Mileage Plan miles instead.

Adding to the excitement, this was my first time flying Hawaiian Airlines on a long-haul route — my only other experiences on the carrier were interisland hops. Plus, the airline had recently introduced free Starlink Wi-Fi on select aircraft, including the Airbus A330 we’d be flying. Here’s my full report on the experience of flying Hawaiian Airlines in economy across the Pacific.

Booking Hawaiian Airlines Economy Class

While researching my options for flying to New Zealand, I discovered that 2 airlines — Air New Zealand and Hawaiian Airlines — operate nonstop routes from Honolulu’s Daniel K. Inouye International Airport (HNL) to Auckland Airport (AKL). However, both airlines operate a limited number of flights per week on alternating days, with Hawaiian Airlines serving this route seasonally.

With our initial Delta flight from Salt Lake City (SLC) to Honolulu (HNL) landing on a Thursday evening, our only option was to book Hawaiian Airlines. The flight, which departed on a Friday, was scheduled to depart at 1:05 p.m. and arrive at 9:20 p.m. in Auckland — though technically on the next day due to crossing the international date line.

Since we were booking these tickets relatively close to departure, a quick Google Flights search revealed that this one-way economy ticket would cost more than $900 per person. Meanwhile, business class was already sold out. Luckily, we found an alternate way to book — the same economy tickets cost 44,000 Alaska miles per person.

As a Bilt Rewards Gold member, I was eligible for a generous 75% transfer bonus when converting my Bilt points to Alaska Mileage Plan miles during a Rent Day promotion in July 2024. With 33,000 Bilt Rewards points at the time, I jumped at the opportunity to convert them all into 58,000 Alaska Airlines miles.

I didn’t have a specific plan to redeem Alaska miles, but I knew they would come in handy one day. Alaska Mileage Plan has a generous roster of partners, such as Japan Airlines, Korean Air, and Qantas, through which you can book award tickets on for excellent rates.

Additionally, Alaska Airlines acquired Hawaiian Airlines in the fall. While the 2 carriers continue to operate separately, this merger brings great benefits for travelers — you can now earn and redeem miles seamlessly across both airlines. Even better, miles can be instantly transferred between accounts, offering greater flexibility for award bookings.

While Bilt Rewards is still the only direct 1:1 transfer partner of Alaska Mileage Plan, I took advantage of a clever workaround. I transferred 30,000 American Express Membership Rewards points to Hawaiian Airlines HawaiianMiles, then moved those miles to Alaska Airlines, allowing me to secure the 88,000 miles needed to book 2 tickets.

The taxes and fees for the award flights were also reasonable at $40 per person. I paid with The Business Platinum Card^® from American Express to earn 5x points on flights booked directly with airlines or on AmexTravel.com. Ultimately, I was thrilled with the redemption I secured, and saving that much on flights meant we had more money to spend on the trip itself!

Honolulu International Airport (HNL)

The day we arrived in Hawaii, a powerful cold front brought torrential rain and flooding to the island. As a result, many roads in Waikiki, where we stayed for the night, were closed. Although we had given ourselves plenty of time to call an Uber, the estimated wait time on the app kept rising.

Eventually, we had to cancel our ride and find the closest taxi instead. We ended up making it to the airport just 10 minutes before boarding. Fortunately, we both have TSA PreCheck, so it only took a few minutes to get through security.

Check-In

Roughly 24 hours before departure, we used the Hawaiian Airlines app (iOS, Android) to check in for our flights with our passports. The process was simple, even for an international flight, allowing us to bypass the check-in counter entirely since we were each traveling with a personal item and a carry-on bag.

Although we didn’t need to check luggage, Hawaiian Airlines does offer 1 free checked bag (up to 50 pounds) for economy passengers on flights from Hawaii to Australia or New Zealand. The second checked bag costs $100, with additional bags priced at $200 each.

Boarding

It took approximately 15 minutes to walk from the security checkpoint to our gate, C7, in Terminal 1. As we made our way there, I received a notification from the Hawaiian Airlines app informing us that boarding was delayed by 30 minutes — eliminating the need to hurry. In the meantime, we marveled at the beautiful Airbus A330 aircraft that would take us all the way to New Zealand.

The gate agents over the intercom also mentioned that our flight was nearly full, which made the boarding process slower than usual.

We were motioned into a single file line for a quick passport check and then to scan our boarding passes.

A large Starlink sticker on the plane’s exterior indicated that it provided the inflight Wi-Fi.

On Board Hawaiian Airlines’ Airbus A330-200

This particular A330-200 we were flying on, named “Heiheionakeiki,” was 12 years old. This aircraft has 260 economy seats in a 2-4-2 configuration and 18 lie-flat business class seats in a 2-2-2 configuration. Most economy seats have 31 inches of legroom and a width of 16.5 inches, though there were several designated rows of extra legroom seats with more pitch.

In the hours leading up to our trip, we regularly checked the seat map but ultimately decided to keep our original seats (29E and 29G). While we would have preferred the 2-seat arrangement by the window, those had been fully booked since we made our reservation.

Instead, we chose 2 middle seats in row 29, as one of the middle seats was open, which seemed like the next best option. We hoped it stayed that way so we could have a little extra space and comfort for the long journey.

Upon arrival, we found the pillow and blanket combo on each seat, wrapped in plastic.

Although this aircraft was over a decade old, it looked well-maintained over the years. While cloth airplane seats tend to show dirt and stains, our particular seats looked spotless.

The adjustable headrests were quite plush and made of leather. Although they were showing their age, it was a nice touch to see in an economy cabin. Fortunately, it was easy to move the headrest up and down and fold it in for a more comfortable position.

There were other noticeable signs of aging in this cabin, including the older-looking and small (by 2025 standards) inflight entertainment (IFE) screen.

There was a USB-A charging port right next to the screen, and I appreciated having easy access to it rather than fumbling around to find an outlet under the seat.

However, I quickly discovered that the USB port was the only charging outlet available in Hawaiian’s economy seats. After a quick Google search, I learned that only the business class and extra legroom seats on the A330 had AC power outlets at each seat.

That was a bummer since I had planned on charging my laptop on the flight, and my iPhone uses a USB-C cable. Fortunately, I had a portable charging bank that allowed me to keep my devices alive for the entire flight. On the flip side, I was pleased to find that the tray table was large, with plenty of space to use my 15-inch MacBook Pro with no problem.

There was also a big seatback pocket that held the safety card.

The headphone jack was located in the armrest of each seat.

There were reading lights above each seat that could be manually turned on. Interestingly, there weren’t any air vents on this flight. This wasn’t a problem for me since I’m usually cold on airplanes, but I couldn’t remember the last time I had been on a flight without an air vent at each seat.

What impressed me most about Hawaiian’s economy class was the underseat storage. The 2 middle seats didn’t have the usual obstructive poles from the seats in front of us, creating a spacious, open area for personal items.

My overstuffed backpack fit easily, with plenty of room to spare.

While I didn’t snap a picture of my softside carry-on bag in the overhead bin, it fit perfectly.

By the time boarding was complete, we were already 20 minutes past the updated departure time. Surprisingly, my boyfriend and I were the only ones seated in the middle row at that point. However, the flight attendants announced over the intercom that they were waiting for a few passengers from a connecting flight. We remained at the gate for another 30 minutes — just enough time for me to drift off to sleep.

Even after the wait, no one sat in our row! We felt incredibly lucky and could hear a few nearby passengers murmuring enviously about our 4-seat jackpot.

Hot Tip:

Read our team’s other in-depth flight reviews to see what the premium cabin experience is like on Hawaiian’s A330: Hawaiian Airlines A330-200 first class (LAS to HNL) and Hawaiian Airlines Airbus A330 business class (HNL to SYD).

Food and Beverages

Once we were in the air, it wasn’t long before inflight catering began. Just 20 minutes later, the flight attendants started their first round of drink service, asking if passengers wanted red or white wine. I asked for club soda and was given the entire can.

The meal service began exactly an hour after takeoff, and flight attendants came in pairs down the aisles. We had just 2 options for the inflight meal: chicken or pork. However, a vegetarian meal was available upon request.

One flight attendant handed out the meal tray and snacks while the other served drinks. My chicken meal arrived on a plastic tray, wrapped in plastic, and I ordered the signature “pog” juice (pineapple, orange, and guava).

The teriyaki chicken was disappointing. It arrived on a large bed of rice with mixed frozen vegetables. There were only a couple of pieces of chicken, but it felt gamey, and I couldn’t finish it all.

There was also a small fruit bowl of honeydew and canteloupe, and I asked for the snack mix, which was very similar to a Chex Mix. The dessert was a small, prepackaged gingersnap cookie that was crunchy and sweet.

Fortunately, the flight attendants were just as quick to clean up. Exactly 20 minutes after receiving my meal, they came around to pick up the trays.

Several times throughout the flight, the crew handed out heaps of Lance Sandwich Crackers in case anyone was hungry. I haven’t had this snack since elementary school, so receiving them was a nice surprise!

The second meal service was handed out in a gift bag about 90 minutes before landing.

I’m not a picky eater at all, but the sandwich was flavorless and left a lot to be desired.

However, there was a delicious Honolulu Cookie Company shortbread cookie that made up for the lackluster sandwich!

Amenities

On long-haul flights, economy passengers are given a pillow and blanket to help them rest. While we mostly flew during the day, it was still nice to receive these items.

The pillow alone was flimsy, just like most economy pillows I’ve used. I ended up using a pillow for lower back support while I worked during the flight and used the blanket to stay warm. My boyfriend and I alternated sleeping, and we had the luxury of sprawling across 3 seats and using multiple pillows and blankets to fall asleep.

When we were sitting normally, the legroom felt more than adequate for me, though I am quite short. My boyfriend, on the other hand, said his knees were running into the seatback pocket, so having more space to stretch out in the row was really helpful.

Amenity Kit

Before takeoff, the flight attendants handed out “Noho Home” amenity kits to each passenger. They were made of paper and were meant to be recycled after the flight.

Inside the amenity kit was a unique sleeping mask, earplugs, and a pair of cheap earbuds. Even though there wasn’t a dental kit, I didn’t need to brush my teeth as this was a daytime flight.

Inflight Entertainment

While the display featured touchscreen functionality (which was likely a cutting-edge feature when it first debuted in the 2010s!), it was painfully sluggish. Navigating the movie menu required pressing down on the screen firmly, which quickly became frustrating. Eventually, I lost patience and gave up on using it altogether, so I didn’t even get to see the variety of movies offered on my flight.

Wi-Fi

Another reason I didn’t bother fumbling with the IFE was the Starlink Wi-Fi, which is currently available on all of Hawaiian’s Airbus aircraft! Best of all, it was completely free of charge and easy to connect to — you don’t even need to log in as a HawaiianMiles member.

Upon boarding, I was able to connect to the “High Speed Internet by Starlink” network and confirm my connection in the popup window. Then, I was well on my way to using my devices just like I would if I were on the ground.

The speed was very fast throughout the entire 8.5-hour flight. I was able to write and edit a few stories on my laptop, and then when it was time to relax, I scrolled through TikTok and Instagram without a problem, keeping me thoroughly entertained.

Hot Tip:

Other airlines worldwide are rolling out Starlink Wi-Fi on select aircraft, including United Airlines and Scandinavian Airlines (SAS).

Lavatory

The lavatories, located a few rows behind us, felt surprisingly large for an economy cabin.

There was even pretty tile on the floor, a unique feature of this aircraft. The hand soap left my hands with a pleasant tropical smell.

Service

This crew was amazing — they were dedicated to making sure every passenger was well-fed and hydrated throughout the flight. Beyond how quickly they moved along with the meal service, they made sure to come through the cabin every hour with cups of water. While many travelers were asleep, I spent most of the flight awake and appreciated that I didn’t have to use the call button at all to flag down any of the crew.

I also appreciate when the crew takes the time to engage with passengers throughout the flight. Since my boyfriend and I were busy working for a few hours, they playfully called us the “hard workers” and made sure to stop by with extra snacks and drinks to keep us fueled.

Arrival

While our departure had been delayed by an hour, we managed to land in Auckland just 20 minutes after the scheduled arrival time. By the time we deplaned, it was after 10 p.m., and we were definitely starting to feel tired.

Navigating customs was easy, largely because we filled out the visitor forms handed out at the beginning of the flight. With nothing to declare and no luggage to pick up, we checked into the convenient Pullman Auckland Airport Hotel, which was just steps away from the international terminal. The king bed, rainfall shower, and plush robes were a welcome sight after a long day of travel!

Final Thoughts

This was my first time flying Hawaiian Airlines internationally, and I was pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed the experience. Though the cabin’s interior wasn’t the most modern, and the lack of a real charging outlet was a major downfall, the new Starlink Wi-Fi made up for the finicky IFE. While the food was underwhelming, the flight attendants provided excellent hospitality that I would likewise experience if traveling in Hawaii, and they made a consistent effort to check on passengers often.