Exploring unique routes and products is one of the greatest joys of being an AvGeek. In America, some of the longest domestic flights are between the East Coast and Hawaii, with journey times that rival international flights.
United Airlines, Delta Air Lines, and Hawaiian Airlines (now part of Alaska Air Group) all offer nonstop flights from the New York area to Honolulu, some as long as 11 hours. The 4,983-mile journey from New York’s John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK) to Honolulu’s Daniel K. Inouye International Airport (HNL) is the longest domestic flight, while the 4,962-mile route from Newark Liberty International Airport (EWR) is a close second. Delta and Hawaiian used to operate an even longer flight between Boston and Honolulu, but those services were discontinued last year.
I had previously flown Delta’s JFK-HNL route, but I recently had the opportunity to try out Hawaiian’s offering.
Check-in and Boarding
Hawaiian Airlines and Alaska Airlines now share Terminal 8 at JFK, which is also used by American Airlines and Oneworld. This makes sense as Alaska is a Oneworld partner and Hawaiian, after being acquired by Alaska’s parent company in 2024, is set to become a full-fledged alliance member.
As a first-class passenger, I was able to use the “First Class and Atmos Status” lanes for check-in. However, it did take a few minutes for Hawaiian Airlines agents to show up, and there was no line at the time. After receiving my boarding pass, I proceeded through TSA PreCheck and made my way to the Greenwich Lounge, which is jointly operated with British Airways and is available to passengers flying over 2,000 miles in a premium cabin with lie-flat seats.
My flight was on time and boarding was prompt, with friendly gate agents waiting at Gate 47. Hawaiian Airlines flight HA829 was a Boeing 777, and my journey was expected to take around 10 hours and 52 minutes.
On Board
Hawaiian Airlines’ A330s have 18 first-class seats in a 2-2-2 configuration. While there are no doors, each pair is in a self-contained pod. I was seated in 3H, the last row of the first-class cabin on the aisle. The cabin was decorated in tropical colors and featured mood lighting that added to the island vibes.
Each seat was 21 inches wide and had about 76 inches of pitch. The seats were comfortable for the long journey, and there was a sliding privacy divider for passengers who preferred to have some personal space. The cabin also had a small bench that became part of the lie-flat bed when the seat was fully reclined.
The inflight entertainment was provided via iPad, with a wide selection of movies, TV shows, music, and games. There were also 33 new releases, including films from the Hawaiian International Film Festival.