Review: 15 Minute Flight to Paradise

Background:

For my September Hawaii Trip I planned to visit the 2 major islands I haven’t been to yet, Maui and the Island of Hawaii, more commonly known as the Big Island. So, I decided to go to the Big Island first and Maui second. Flights from Kona (Big Island) to Kahului (Maui) were available on propeller planes and Hawaiian had flights with the Boeing 717. I opted for the larger B717 and booked Hawaiian.

Flight Details:

Hawaiian Airlines 299
Kona (KOA) to Kahului (OGG)
Cabin: Economy
Seat: 6E
Aircraft: Boeing 717-200

Scheduled Departure: 1:26 PM On Time

Scheduled Arrival: 2:00 PM On Time

The Flight:

Short Review (score out of 5, 5 being the best)

Plane Atmosphere 4/5
Service In- Flight 5/5
Seat Comfort 4/5

At the Airport:

Kona Airport is very tiny and entirely outdoors!  Disclaimer: There is only one restaurant and a few gift shops so I suggest you eat before getting to the airport.

One thing that kind of sucks at Kona Airport is the smell of jet fumes from the sitting areas. Sigh.

Boarding the plane is from the tarmac, which is quite fun as I am so used to the jetbridges at large airports.

On the Plane:

The plane was recently refreshed with new leather seat covers. There are 2 rows of first class in a 2-2 configuration, and the rest of the plane is fitted with economy seats in a 3-2 configuration.

I sat near the front of the plane in row 6, window seat. The weird part of my seat was that the air conditioning was dripping and dripped on my seat and my hair. Gross……

Please fix this Hawaiian, but you’re in the clear because it was a super short flight so I wont get too angry.

But, the seat was actually quite comfortable for such a short hop. Much more legroom than Island Air, which I flew like 5 years ago.

Right after takeoff, Guava drinks and/or water was served which was a nice gesture for a short island hop. Right after I opened my drink, the captain said prepare for landing, which I found hilarious. Service on the flight was good as the flight attendants were super friendly.

Literally from takeoff to touchdown it was exactly 15 minutes (I timed it)!

The Verdict:

It was a very pleasant flight, and if I need an island hopper I will definitely fly Hawaiian again. Hawaiian is the only airline to connect the islands with a large passenger jet at this time (B717).