How airlines that fly to Hawaii perform is of critical importance to us personally and to our readers. Personal finance website Wallethub just announced their annual rankings of of airlines in terms of most reliable, comfortable best for pets, least-complained about and the safest. Information was based on 2018 DOT flight data, and used 15 metrics that included cost, safety, comfort, baggage, complaints.
We couldn’t help but delve further when we saw this study included Hawaiian Airlines and Alaska Airlines as well as Hawaii newcomer Southwest Airlines.
Here’s how airlines that fly to Hawaii ranked overall in 2018:
1. Alaska Airlines
2. Delta Airlines
3. Hawaiian Airlines
4. United Airlines
5. Southwest Airlines (began Hawaii service in 2019)
6. American Airlines
Reliability: Delta Airlines
Least complained about: Southwest Airlines
Top safety: Alaska Airlines.
Best comfort: Top points went equally to Alaska, Delta, Southwest and United.
Cheapest fare: Alaska Airlines.
Prior year results
The prior year’s results also had Alaska as number one overall, followed by Delta.
Beat of Hawaii’s Take
1. While Alaska Airlines does better than the rest on a national level, the survey does not take into consideration which airline performs better in the Hawaii market.
For example, if you study the two airlines on flights to Hawaii, would Hawaiian Airlines rate better with its free meals and more visually themed Hawaii service compared to Alaska? Or would Alaska still outperform Hawaiian?
Also, in terms of comfort, Hawaiian continues to have some wide-body planes, which Alaska does not. Those feature seats that are two across on both sides of the plane, meaning that you do not have to sit in a 3-seat configuration. For us, that’s a plus.
2. Both Alaska and Hawaiian almost always rank at the top of airline reliability on all counts.
From being on-time to safe travel, these companies tend to lead the industry. We have not experienced any real distinction.
The Official Airline Guide recently announced results of on-time performance world-wide. In that report, Delta Airlines lead the pack, followed by Alaska, Southwest, United and American. Within the US, Hawaiian Airlines retained the number one spot for the fifth year running.
3. We have crossed the Pacific hundreds of times and have almost never had an issue with either company.
There was one flight cancellation on Hawaiian Airlines maybe ten years ago, and a couple of inter-island delays. Our bags have been delayed on Alaska Airlines several times, and they offer a baggage delay guarantee/refund which we were able to apply to future travel. We haven’t flown on Southwest Hawaii flights yet, but plan to. In the end, we have no complaints.
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I have flown Hawaiian Airlines ever since ATA went out of business (and stranded me in Hilo) The only thing I do not like is their revised website. It was much easier to choose your flight and get the best price with the old one. Now they post round trip and it is very hard to find the best price and the best airport to use. They get a minus for that. However, I go every year and the rest of the service is fine. When I get on the plane I feel like I’m almost there. (the “meals” have deteriorated and you don’t get a cookie anymore nor pretzels with your drink) When I had to transport a kitten back home with me they were very accommodating. They even asked if I needed another seat because there would be a dog in the aisle across from me. (Now if I can just get them to do a non-stop from SFO to Hilo 🙂 )
Well I have to say, I now lean towards Alaska airlines flying from the Mainland. Prices are either the same or cheaper than Hawaiian and I can get direct flights to Big Island and other islands. I can spend more time enjoying my vacation instead of spending it at airports.
Hawaiian was always my first choice but no more. Lack of comfort – cramped space, tiny sauceless macaroni is hardly a “meal” and some of the flight attendants don’t seem to like their job. The only Aloha is the flower in their hair. Delta & Virgin America provide a much more pleasant experience overall.
I take all these studies with a big grain of salt. To see United and Delta ranked above Alaska in any category doesn’t reflect my experience.
The price listing isn’t important to the Hawaii discussion since it includes airlines that don’t fly there. And even more low price carriers like Spirit and frontier should be rated in another grouping, or rated to include usual services, like carry on, seat selection, web purchase and check in and so forth.
As owners in Maui, my wife and I used to love Hawaiian Airlines. Not so much any more.Their staff’s attitude is not so warm and welcoming as before. The ‘aloha’ spirit is fading! Their free meal has turned into more of a snack. They flunked at taking your baggage off the plane, it took one hour to retrieve our baggage in Mau and Los Angelesi. And now they are changing out their beautiful big and comfortable, two aisle a330 airbuses to the smaller single aisle a321s! Same size type aircraft as Soutwest Airline’s 737. Welcome Southwest Airlines to the group! I’ll take peanuts and ‘cheaper fares’!
I have waited for years to go back home, I was born and raised in Hawaii, my mother a native Hawaiian. This will be my second trip home in 45 years. I wish I could visit more often, but this trip, I said we are flying Hawaiian airlines no matter what. I feel as if our vacation will start when we board the plane at JFK, on April 28. and not when we land at Honolulu. My father was from NY and when he retired from the navy, in 1972, we moved back to his hometown, Wellsville, NY. Certainly, not anything like the Big Apple as we expected. But it is home now. I hope our flight is all Iam expecting, their are 6 of us flying together, as my daughter is getting married on the beach, while we are there. Thank you for giving us the ultimate vacation starter.
Aloha and Mahalo for all you all do.
We try to get to Hawai’i every 12-18 months. We fly straight through from JFK in New York. Please reference letter from “MAX” on APRIL 5, 2017. I weigh about 300 and am 5’10”. I need a little more leg room than others and definitely more seat room (especially on a 9-10 hour flight).
My question is, will there be any type of extra comfort seat (width and leg room) for us larger folks on Hawaiian’s new fleet of airbus?
Mahalo,
Guy
Hi Guy.
More information on extra comfort on new fleet is contained here: https://beatofhawaii.com/hawaiian-airlines-new-fleet-routes-design-seating-entertainment/.
Aloha.
Can you expect the flight attendant to take action when you are assaulted by the passenger next to you? Hawaiian Air gets a big fat zero from me in that regard. Happened 3 years ago when he decided he was entitled to all the armrest and half my leg room. Crossed his legs and banged his foot on my knee in the process. Flight attendant was too busy smiling at him to help me. Supervisor moved me only after I insisted. I told flight attendant if a man ever assaulted her and another woman failed to help her, I hoped she would remember me. Customer service said sorry but they weren’t going to do anything more than that. Will never fly HA again.
This study is irrelevant. Must be funded by legacy airlines, because Hawaiian and Alaska Airlines are the best when talking about flights to Hawaii. Jet Blue, Southwest, they even don’t fly to Hawaii.
I am 5′-6″ and 170 lbs. I have traveled with Hawaiian, United, Southwest and Virgin and my own opinion is;
1. Hawaiian Air – love the service and esp. the nice meal with wine still being served. Not too happy about the $500 fee when I had to changed departure dates on this March trip. But all the airlines charged these crazy fees. Seats are nicely wide and set back enough for me.
2. Virgin Air – Nice service and seating size and set back.
3. Southwest Air – Nice mainland service but on more then one flight I have had the unhappy employee at the counter.
4. United Air – love the number and variety of flights and departure times. But after a trip to Chicago in the worst seats my entire life, I will not fly United unless I have to. I could not cross my legs at all for hours. My mom is 5 ft and she won’t fly United anymore. I guest I will donate all my miles?
I had to chuckle when I read the person’s comment who said they would be possibly donating their United Airlines miles. After being stranded in Chicago with absolutely no help recourse or refund we chose never to fly United again. I used my miles for magazine subscriptions;0)
Is HA doing anything to improve their service, to return to the days of joyous comfort?
I like the Hawaiian wide-body aircrafts. Whenever we fly to Hawaii from San Diego, I always purchase the extra comfort seats 13A and 13B. It is to bad that we won’t be seeing that seat arrangement anymore when the new aircrafts are in place.