Greetings from cloudy Hawaii! I’m in Hawaii for the week joining my girlfriend on a trip for work. We’ve been here for a few days now and the weather has not been cooperating. Since the weather is mostly cloudy with occasional rain showers, I thought it would be a great time to sit down and write a review of how we got here.
When we first started planning our trip to Hawaii the obvious choice was to go from Chicago to Los Angeles and connect. From Los Angeles we could then fly nonstop to Kauai; our final destination. At first I liked this option because American now flies the new Airbus A321neo between Los Angeles and Kauai. The only issue with this plan or any other plan was that upgrades from economy were not guaranteed. So, there was a possibility of spending 5 hours in economy on a 737 followed by 6 hours in economy on the A321neo. Likewise, if we were upgraded on that itinerary, we’d still only move to a larger recliner seat.
At first glance we thought this was our only option. However, American now flies a retrofitted 787-800 between Chicago and Honolulu. Nonstop flights from Chicago to Hawaii are a bit more expensive than flights via Los Angeles, but I figured the opportunity of a lie-flat seat was worth the extra cost for the 9.5 hour flight.
Applying For The Upgrade
American treats the Chicago to Honolulu flight like any other domestic flight in their network. That means that elite member can apply for an upgrade to First Class using 500-mile upgrade certificates. In our case, it would have cost around 9 or 10 500-mile upgrade certificates to upgrade my girlfriend to First. My upgrade would have been complimentary as I maintain Executive Platinum elite status.
For this trip I decided to upgrade my girlfriend and I using Systemwide Upgrades. Now, I know this isn’t a great use of Systemwide Upgrades, but I have 4 SWUs expiring at the end of January. So, we decided to try to burn at least two of them by upgrading ourselves on the flight to Hawaii.
In the days leading up to the flight our chances of receiving the upgrade were poor. At one point, every single First Class seat was booked. Additionally, Premium Economy, offered on the flight, was also full. So, about 24 hours before the flight departed we accepted our fates and prepared for the nearly 10 hour economy flight.
Amazingly, the morning we were scheduled to depart there was winter weather conditions all over the midwest. Because of the weather, several flights into Chicago were canceled and somehow 6 First Class seats became available the morning of the flight. This meant that both my girlfriend and I were upgrade with ease on our flight to Honolulu!
Boarding Our Flight To Hawaii
As with all American Airlines flights out of Chicago’s O’Hare airport, our flight to Honolulu departed out of Terminal 3. Because this was a “domestic” flight, we arrived at the ORD about an hour before our scheduled departure. As we arrived to the airport at 9AM on a Saturday morning we found a mostly deserted terminal. This meant we made it through security in about 2 minutes.
As we walked from the security checkpoint to the gate we passed down American’s iconic departures hall in ORD. The hall was still half-decorated in holiday decorations.
After exploring the airport for a minute, we arrived at our gate after the boarding process had already begun. In fact, we arrived toward the end of the boarding process which was a bit surprising. We had nothing to worry about by arriving late as we already had confirmed First Class seats on this flight. Had we been waiting for the upgrade to clear we would have wanted to be at the gate at the beginning of the boarding process.
After scanning our boarding passes we then passed down the Jet Bridge to the L2 boarding door.
When we arrived at the L2 boarding door we presented our boarding passes to the flight attendants who directed us left to the forward First Class cabin.
We were among the last passengers to arrive in First Class, but even so, there was plenty of storage space still available for both of our carryon bags.
American Airlines 787-800 Business Class First Class Cabin
Typically I would refer to this cabin as a Business Class cabin due to the design, but as this was a domestic flight, American refers to the forward cabin as “First Class.”
First Class on the 787-800 is a bit different than it was the last time I flew on this aircraft. That’s because since my last flight on the aircraft, American decided to remove the aft mini-cabin and replace it with Premium Economy. Therefore, now First Class is just 5 rows toward the front of the aircraft. The cabin is arranged in a 1-2-1 layout and includes just 20 lie-flat pod seats total.
As you board the aircraft you’ll first pass through a central galley which features a large flight map display. This area also contains snacks and refreshments throughout the flight.
Next, as you enter the forward cabin, you’ll find the familiar herringbone business class layout. That is, a cabin with interconnecting forward and rearward facing seats.
This cabin design offers very little privacy between seats as you basically look directly into your neighbors pod. Perhaps the only seats that offer any privacy at all are those found in row 5. These seats face rearward and do not have a neighboring seat within their eye-line while seated.
Overall, the cabin is decent and far superior to a standard recliner seat found in first class on American’s narrow-body fleet.
American Airlines 787-800 First Class Seat
For the flight to Honolulu I was first assigned seat 3L, a forward facing window seat. Seat 3A or 3L are arguably the best seats on the plane. That’s because both are forward facing window seats. The other forward facing window seats (rows 1 and 5) are very close to the galleys which can be disrupting in-flight.
As I was putting away my luggage and taking to my girlfriend in 4H (across the aisle from 3L) the gentleman in 4D offered to switch seats with me. He of course stated that he was just doing this so that we could sit next to one another, but I know it’s because he wanted the best seat on the plane!
4D was also a very nice forward facing seat identical to the others on the aircraft. Once I moved all of my belongings over to my new seat I quickly settled in and prepared for departure.
As we waited to push back the flight attendants circulated the cabin with headphones for the flight and a pre-departure beverage.
American Airlines First Class Pre-Departure Service
For pre-departure drinks, passengers were offered a choice of water, orange juice, Champagne, or a Mai Tai. I opted for the mai tai which proved a very bold choice for 9:45AM.
At this time the flight attendants also dropped off a set of Bang and Olufsen noise canceling headphones for use during most of the flight.
The headphones used the traditional three-pronged headphone jack found on most modern aircraft and plugged into an outlet on the center console of the seat.
Once plugged in, you could then watch one of several movies or tv shows offered on the generously sized IFE screen. I have to give it to American, their in-flight entertainment options are always excellent, especially compared to many international carriers.
That IFE screen is touch sensitive, but can also be controlled by the handheld remote found in the center of the seat.
Toward the front of the same housing that holds the IFE remote is another touch screen which controls the position of the seat. This particular seat has four pre-set positions (upright, relaxed, zero gravity, and flat), but you can also go into the “custom” menu and individually adjust various areas of the seat.
At the very middle of the seat, next to the center divider, is a small cubby which houses 2 USB charge ports and 2 standard wall outlets.
I absolutely would not store valuables in this area while visiting the lavatory or sleeping due to its open design.
American Airlines 787-800 Lavatory
Speaking of the lavatory (amazing segue), the 787-800 features two premium cabin lavatories found aft of the forward business class cabin. That’s basically a fancy way of saying that both bathrooms are found behind the business class cabin. There is also a smaller restroom near the flight deck door.
As we were departing, flight attendants informed all passengers that only business class passengers were allowed to use the lavatories. Premium Economy passengers were instructed to use the economy lavatories found toward the middle of the aircraft. I found that instruction odd considering the First Class lavatories were basically found in the Premium Economy cabin.
Either way, the Business Class passengers have access to three lavatories in total. The one on the right side of the aircraft is much larger to accommodate ADA passengers while the one on the left side is a standard aircraft lavatory.
Both lavatories featured a more modern design with black countertops and faux wood backsplashes. Each lavatory also featured wood laminate flooring which helped make the entire bathroom feel a bit elevated. I personally like the design choice of American’s premium cabin lavatories.
American Airlines 787-800 First Class Menu
Shortly after takeoff the flight attendants circulated the cabin asking passengers what they would like to eat for dinner. On our flight to Hawaii we had a choice of three entrees listed on a printed menu which was at my seat when I boarded the aircraft.
For our flight, entree options included Surf & Turf, Macadamia Crusted Sea Bass, and Honey Sesame Fried Cauliflower. I opted for the Surf & Turf while my girlfriend ordered the Fried Cauliflower. On the reserve side of the menu were various beverage options available throughout the flight.
The menu wasn’t all that extensive, but after all, this was a “domestic” flight on American Airlines.
American Airlines 787-800 First Class Meal Service
Shortly after taking our meal order, the flight attendant came by with a drink cart, set my table for dinner and dropped offer a small plate of mixed nuts trail mix.
Usually American offers a warm bowl of mixed nuts on domestic first class flights, on this flight however, the mixed nuts were trail mix and the bowl was cold. Needless to say, the bowl of cold trail mix was not quite as appetizing as the typical bowl of warm mixed nuts.
A short while later the flight attendant returned with the appetizers. For our flight, appetizers included a mixed greens salad and a Burrata plate. The Burrata included a strange “strawberry salsa” which contained far too many raw onions. At this point in the meal flight attendants also stopped by with a side of bread.
Following the appetizer the flight attendants cleared the trays and returned with the entree. For my entree I selected the Surf & Turf which turned out to be a generously portioned piece of steak and a single shrimp.
Following the entree, flight attendants returned once more to offer up dessert. Dessert options included an ice sundae or a cheese plate. I of course opted for the sundae.
My custom sundae with hot fudge, macadamia nuts, and whipped cream was excellent. After sampling inhaling my sundae I promptly took about an hour nap.
The Long Bumpy Flight To Hawaii
Our flight to Hawaii was a bit longer than expected due to some strong headwinds and bad weather covering most of the United States. For the first 4-5 hours of the flight we flew at just 30,000 feet to avoid turbulence at higher altitude. Once we crossed over Los Angeles we then climbed to 40,000 feet where things became a bit smoother. It was around this time when I decided to look around the aircraft and stretch my legs.
I must say, American did an overall great job with the design of the business class cabin on the 787-800. This aircraft joined American’s fleet in 2015 and was fairly advanced for its time; especially for a US carrier.
One of the things I love most about this particular aircraft are the overhead LED lights. These lights can be programmed to change color in flight to promote sleep or calmly wake up passengers. I particularly like the sunrise effect when the lights change from a deep red to a bright orange.
This cabin offers passengers 2 air vents and two overhead lights each. That makes a huge difference when trying to regulate personal temperature or trying to create a well-lit workspace in flight.
After admiring the cabin for a minute I stepped back to the aft galley to check out the galley snack bar. For this flight the flight attendants only set out bottles of water and a box of orange juice.
There were no grab and go food options available on this flight which was a bit disappointing.
American Airlines First Class Connectivity
One thing that you must give American Airlines credit for is their focus on in-flight connectivity. I can’t remember the last time I flew on an American Airlines aircraft that did not have in-flight WiFi. This flight, of course, was no exception.
American’s WiFi costs are also incredibly reasonable. Passengers could purchase an entire flight pass for just $19. That is a steal considering the flight was nearly 10 hours long. On top of that, WiFi speeds were also reasonable. Sure you can’t stream video or load photos all that quickly, but you could easily browse webpages or send email without issue.
Lastly, passengers could also choose to stream American’s entertainment options directly to their device. This is actually a great option even considering this flight had large IFE screens in every seat. I say this because if you chose to stream to an iPad, you get better picture quality and can use your own bluetooth headphones. More on that in a second…
Arriving In Honolulu
About 2 hours before landing in Hawaii the flight attendants circulated the cabin with the pre-arrival snack. For my snack I chose the cheese & cracker plate and a sierra mist.
Sadly, I saw how the sausage was made and saw that this was simply a plated economy class cheese and cracker snack….
The decent into Honolulu was incredibly bumpy due to stormy conditions over the Hawaiian islands. The plane bounced around a bit as we descended, but the flight attendants remained standing the whole time so I knew we had nothing to worry about.
As we passed below the clouds the captain pointed out a few landmarks on either side of the place for passengers to observe as we descended toward HNL airport. After a smooth touchdown and a short taxi we reached our gate and exited the aircraft. One of the things I loved about HNL airport is that is was mostly open air which allowed for some great photos of the 787 that brought us to Hawaii from Chicago.
It was then a short walk from our arrival gate to our departure gate for our very short Hawaiian Airlines flight to Kauai.
Before leaving our arrival area however we tried to check into the Admirals Club, but we’re turned away. Since American treats this flight as a domestic flight, First Class passengers do not have access to the Admirals Club. Likewise, since it’s an AA operated flight, OneWorld Sapphire and Emerald members also do not have access.
American Airlines First Class Service To Hawaii
The lack of Admirals Club access brings me to the topic of the overall service/experience of this not long-haul long-haul flight to Hawaii. See, the flight is scheduled for 9.5 hours which is far most than flights to Europe from much of the US and far more than any transcon flight in the American Airlines network. However, American treats this flight like a “domestic” flight. So, First Class passengers do not receive lounge access or amenity kits. That seems a bit bizarre considering the length of the flight.
Furthermore, there were just so many issues with this flight. As is often the case with American Airlines, the catering was fairly poor. My steak was actually surprisingly good, but everything else (including the salad) tasted awful. The salad tasted rotten and the Burrata had far too many onions. Sure the sundae was great, but come on, you can’t mess up a sundae?
Next, there’s the service itself. Overall the flight attendants just did their job, nothing more. Occasionally I felt like I was an inconvenience rather than an appreciated customer. Unfortunately that’s been a trend with many of my American flights over the past two years.
Issues With The 787-800
Next, I had two issues with the aircraft itself. First, the seat. I’ve read about this in the past, but apparently the seat design is such that the forward and rear facing seats are somehow connected. So, your connected seat buddy decides to move around, you feel it as well. I hadn’t noticed this in the past, but it became very apparent on this flight. The man behind me got up several times throughout the flight (he’s allowed to do this), but every time he sat down, my seat would shift. It’s a bit like a wobbly table at a restaurant. When someone leans on the table, it shifts in their direction.
This sensation was annoying and could have been extremely disruptive had I tried to sleep throughout the flight. In fact, this was so disruptive that I would actually actively avoid American’s 787-800 given the option.
Secondly, the IFE screen on American’s 787-800 is terrible. The screen is an LCD display which means at sub-optimal angles images are hard to see. That’s kind of an issue considering many (myself included) often try to watch movies while laying down. Essentially, unless I was seated upright, most of the screen appeared dark or black, even with the brightness as high as it would go. This is why I say that even with the IFE screens, in the future, I might opt to steam to my own device.
Final Thoughts
Don’t get me wrong, my girlfriend and I were thrilled to get a lie-flat seat for the 10 hour flight to Hawaii. We were even more pleased that we got those seats for a fraction of the price we would have had to pay to buy a first class seat.
However, as with many AA operated flights I just wasn’t that impressed. It’s like a broken record at this point, but the food was bad and the service below average. Luckily, American isn’t the only airline operating a nonstop flight between Chicago and Honolulu. United also offers a nonstop flight on a 777 that departs and arrives at nearly identical times as American. So, if I were paying for a round-trip First Class trip to Hawaii, I’d probably choose United. At least on United you’ll get decent food and crew that are happy to see you.
