From an analysis of costs, seating, legroom, and more, to tips and a checklist to help you decide.
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50 thoughts on “How To Choose | Hawaiian Or Southwest To Hawaii In Economy”
From an analysis of costs, seating, legroom, and more, to tips and a checklist to help you decide.
For couples traveling together the widebody Hawaiian planes are the best. The extra legroom (comfort+) is usually between $60 and $95, well worth it if your over 6 foot tall on a 6 hour flight from the west coast.
You forgot hawaiian gives you a free meal Southwest does not. Southwest is more of a cattle call plane service not very comfortable when you can’t find a seat next to your travel partners.
Can You Not go on a flight without having to eat. My gosh, just fly. one does not need to eat cor 12 hours. Just Fly. reduce the stink, and everything else and help your body. Our bodies do not need foooooood for that length.
After 18 years of going to Maui this will be our first using Southwest. I’ve been on Hawaiian Airlines before & loved the treatment on that flight, as well as on Aloha Airlines. We’ve flown other places on Southwest, so we expect our flight to be just as enjiyable, but would be nice if they made you feel like you were flying to the islands.
If you want a safe, well maintained aircraft, chose Hawaiian. Hawaiian is the only choice when fly to and from Hawaii as well as inter island. Southwest is horrible. I’d rather pay the extra money and not be treated like cattle being herded into the cattle car that is southwest aircraft.
Biggest drawback with Southwest,if you miss the cattle call for whatever reason you will not get the seats you want even though you paid for the upgrade. I will always pay a little more to have my reserved seat to Hawaii. Get their credit card, pack moderatly and you will not have the pay for luggage unless you are packing multiple suitcases.
Aloha Rob and Jeff, have to point out that that one flight comparing cabin crews isn’t completely accurate. There is always good and less then the good on any airline. By and large most of Hawaiian is staffed by crews that live in Hawaii and the difference is palatable. SWA crews seem to want to promote themselves by putting down HA to elevate themselves. It’s ugly and just more of what has always been an issue with pushy newcomers. HA crews by and large reflect Hawaii and the true Aloha spirit.
So funny to read. I love both airlines but I’m a deep SWA flyer with A-Preferred and companion pass, so that is hard to pass. Hawaiian is great- we did budget once and flew back home on first class – it was amazing!!
Changes, canceling and rebooking with credit. I’ve found this much easier on Southwest with the credit at my fingertips to utilize with rebooking online. With Hawaiian I could not use any credits online, requiring phone call engagement with customer support agents.
I have flown both and your article is pretty much spot on! However boarding is more a free for all on Hawaiian as everyone is a group goes at once while Southwest has groups and then numbers and signage to help. As for a choice I really don’t care which one because I’m going to Hawaii!!
Great job on your checklist!!!
For those down on SWA’s boarding: SWA’s checkin isn’t a free for all.
When you check in (starting 24 hrs ahead of the flight or SWA does it for you if you buy Early Bird-pricing varies) you are assigned a group (A, B or C) and a number (1-58?).
You only line up if your boarding group is called and then you line up according to your #. The boarding is fast, efficient & moves along. It’s a much better system than the people jockeying on Hawaiian and other assigned seat airlines just to board. & as far as not having assigned seats, it’s not much different than the airlines that charge you the basic rate but assign you the seat. But on SWA you have a better chance of getting the seat you want w/EarlyBird. 🤙🏽
Hi Tammy.
Thanks. Good input on how the SW boarding process works.
Aloha.