Hawaiian Airlines still has the same great service as it had 25 years ago when Dwarf Mom last went to Oahu with family. From check-in to in-flight service, it’s very family friendly. The check-in process from our mainland airport was welcoming. I didn’t feel that they were rushing to help the next passengers. With a family of 4, we’re often balancing holding our carry-on backpacks and herding children, so I appreciate their patience.
Though it seems trite, one of the coolest things about Hawaiian is that they’re the only major US carrier to still provide full service meals free-of-charge to all their passengers. We can’t carry a lot of things in our carry-on, so providing a hot meal certainly is welcoming to kids who are “starving” on the 6-hour flight. The departing flight to Hawaii provided us with a mid-morning snack of fruit (watermelon, honeydew, and cantaloupe), crackers, cheese, and a snack size chocolate covered macadamia nut. The flight back to the mainland was a dinner meal of teriyaki chicken, rice, steamed veggies, a salad and a shortbread cookie with a pineapple center. Complementary wine, coffee, and tea was offered too. I remember as a young child being excited that this airline provided rice with a meal. It’s a small gesture, but certainly welcoming to me.
Their A330 jet provides interactive screens built into the seat back. For those with hearing impairment, in-flight movies are also closed captioned. This single screen is your main hub for entertainment (movies, games, music), calling the flight attendant, overhead light, powering a device up via USB port, and tracking your flight status. Headphone ports are located in the armrest. If your forget your ear phones, they sell them via their Duty Free cart in-service. Trays pull forward enough for an LP to sit upright without having to haunch over to reach the tray. We sat comfortably in the middle with 4 seats side by side, mom and dad on each end.