Hawaiian Airlines resume flights to Australia
Sydney will see Hawaiian's return just in time for the summer holidays.
By David Flynn, October 25 2021
Hawaiian Airlines will join the growing list of airlines returning to Australian skies as borders reopen and travel restrictions are removed.
After an 18 month absence since the beginning of the coronavirus pandemic, the US carrier says it will restart flights to Sydney on December 15 – although Brisbane remains on hold, due to uncertainty over when Queensland will allow international travel without quarantine.
But there's no such issue for Sydney or the USA, provided of course that passengers are fully-vaccinated.
"It's exciting to to be building back after a difficult year and a half plus," Hawaiian Airlines President and CEO Peter Ingram tells Executive Traveller.
"It's hard to believe that it's been since March of 2020 before we flew to Australia, and I think when we suspended services we never had any idea would be for this long, so we're glad to get it started up again."
Five flights per week
From December 15, Hawaiian Airlines flight HA452 will depart Sydney on Tuesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday at 9.40pm, reaching Honolulu at 10.35am.
That's perfecting timing for checking into your hotel and beginning your long-awaited getaway, or just spending a little time in the airport before hopping onto one of Hawaiian Airlines' connecting flights to 16 destinations on the US mainland (flying from Australia to the US via Honolulu is a great alternative to the traditional LAX stopover, for example).
The Honolulu-Sydney flight HA451 departs at 11.50am on Monday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday, arriving into Sydney at 7.45pm the next day.
Hawai'i Governor David Ige last week welcomed back visitors beginning November 1, and while the state's international entry requirements are yet to be announced, they're expected to align with the US mainland requirement that travellers show proof of vaccination along with a negative Covid-19 PCR test taken within 72 hours of their flight.
Hawaiian Airlines' Airbus A330
The Honolulu-Sydney flights will be served by Hawaiian's Airbus A330, which features 18 business class seats that convert into a lie-flat bed for maximising your rest on the 10+ hour trans-Pacific trek.
Hawaiian Airlines' Airbus A330 business class.
That said, the 2-2-2 layout will make the middle seats preferred for direct access to the aisle and no seatmate stepping over you.
Hawaiian Airlines' Airbus A330 business class.
Further back are 68 'economy comfort' seats with 36-inch pitch compared to 31 inches in standard economy.
The Hawaiian Airlines experience
Hawaii itself was cut off from the US mainland from March to October 2020, but a combination of vaccination and testing has seen those connections resume, and CEO Ingram says that the experience for travellers is largely back to pre-pandemic standards.
"Throughout the airport you're going to see more plexiglass, and everyone will be wearing face masks (at every stage of) their travel, but aside from that we're making sure we can deliver the signature hospitality that Hawaiian Airlines is known for."
As for PCR testing, Ingram believes that "despite the added costs of testing and some of the inconveniences, we've seen demand is incredibly robust and resilient, particularly after people being cooped up for so long."
"I think people are eager to get out and experience so many of the things that they've been missing and I expect that's particularly going to be true for folks in Australia who are so such voracious travellers in normal times."
Also read:
- How to get your Australian international Covid vaccination certificate
- Expert tips to speed up your Australian passport renewal
David Flynn is the Editor-in-Chief of Executive Traveller and a bit of a travel tragic with a weakness for good coffee, shopping and lychee martinis.
Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer
02 Jan 2015
Total posts 70
Great News. I just hope all goes to plan
01 Jul 2021
Total posts 34
Has there been any news on when Jetstar is restarting it's Hawaii flights?
20 Oct 2015
Total posts 245
I read online somewhere that Jetstar's first SYD-HNL flight is March 2022.
01 Jul 2021
Total posts 34
And I heard MEL-HNL isn't coming back until August 2022 I could be wrong but thats what i heard
20 Oct 2015
Total posts 245
Jetstar's website is now showing SYD-HNL from March 3rd and MEL-HNL from April 3rd.
Qantas
19 Apr 2012
Total posts 1427
Cowa Qantas is starting December 20; but I’m sure they will bring it forward if they can find the planes do not do it.
18 Sep 2015
Total posts 136
I think I'd rather fly Hawaiian than Jetstar. At least they have leisure business class with lie flat seats.
05 Oct 2017
Total posts 526
Good news, but will only happen if 1) the outbound travel ban is removed and 2) quarantine is lifted for returning Aussies. Thirdly and I think this is important too - foreigners need to be allowed to enter Australia by then for the flights to become viable.
This means US citizens need to be permitted to enter Australia just like in the past, otherwise I don't see there being demand for more than a once or twice weekly flight that will primarily carry freight.
13 May 2020
Total posts 827
outbound travel ban currently ends at 11.59pm AEST 17 December 2021. Seat pitch is not a good measure of legroom, when so many different seats used on commercial aircraft these days. Some of the low cost carriers, with new superslim back seats, might have 2, 3 or 4 more inches legroom, that other older seats, at same seat pitch.
09 Sep 2021
Total posts 15
Oh how I love Hawaii ! One of the most laid-back destinations on this planet.
I long to go back one day... Aloha!
15 Sep 2021
Total posts 1
Jetstar bookings start March 1st for Honolulu Sydney. And April 1st for Honolulu Melbourne. Qantas bookings start December 20th.
24 Jun 2020
Total posts 48
Sadly, as much as I miss Hawaii too, the Hawaii of old is nowhere like the Hawaii of now.
Think 25% capacity restaurants and bars that you have to make a reservation at least 3 days in advance and a 1-2 hour timeslot only and they close about 9pm and only for the fully vaccinated naturally.
Hawaii will never be the same in my opinion for at least another year or two sadly or until the USA can reign in their Covid cases (over 10,000 cases alone in the last 14 days in Hawaii and the highest it has ever been) though 65% of the Hawaii population is fully vaccinated which is a better statistic than a few of the mainland states.
QF
11 Jul 2014
Total posts 997
That is a really good point, been there done that at other places during Covid and it wrecked the trip. The only way we got good service and seating was tipping big and that was in Australia.
14 Nov 2018
Total posts 4
Great idea but zero demand.
20 Oct 2015
Total posts 245
LOL, obviously Simon you know much more about this than Hawaiian Airlines /s
Jetstar Airways - Qantas Frequent Flyer
11 Oct 2021
Total posts 1
Demand is high, I have friends who have already booked and paid for next year with Hawaiian Airlines doing the 7 day Hawaii cruise + 2 weeks in Honolulu after disembarking. We are also booking this week as well as other I know.
Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer
23 May 2018
Total posts 28
a lot of hoops to jump through with flights and cruise. Good luck
Virgin Australia - Velocity Rewards
26 Jun 2011
Total posts 76
Whilst BNE-HNL is on hold they could trial MEL-HNL a couple of times a week. Especially if JQ are holding off until April.
01 Jul 2021
Total posts 34
We can only hope that Melbourne to Honolulu with Hawaiian Airlines will start soon
Thai Airways International - Royal Orchid Plus
15 Jan 2013
Total posts 455
yes please.If I can get the Visa that is for the USA.It has been Years since I last was in Honolulu and indeed Hawaii.we kids liked it(let's not forget Qantas and United excepted with their nonstops from LA TO Sydney in 1989)almost all the carriers went through Honolulu as a stop either way.it was a great break on the way home.easier/healthier/happier than a lot of Asian destinations at the time.
Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer
23 May 2018
Total posts 28
Has USA accepted astra zenica as an allowed vaccine yet.
Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer
28 Oct 2011
Total posts 467
Yes, the US Government is accepting travellers who are fully vaccinated with either FDA or WHO-approved vaccines. AstraZenica is on the WHO list.
Thai Airways International - Royal Orchid Plus
15 Jan 2013
Total posts 455
I got a Moderna booster recently in conjunction with the astra zenecas what does that mean for the yanks.
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