Hawaiian VS American Airlines

I have flown both Hawaiian and American Airlines first class in the past few years (most recently during my trip to Hawaii this summer) I have also flown Hawaiian Airlines Economy which was the best economy I've ever experienced but I will talk about that in another post. For now I am comparing Hawaiian first class with American first class because there is a HUGE difference.

1) Prior to boarding

Hawaiian: Boarding Hawaiian Airlines has always been quick and easy. We've rarely been delayed and have always received friendly and helpful service from them prior to entering the aircraft.

American: Due to an issue with the aircraft our flight to Maui from LAX was delayed by 4 hours which meant we didn't land until 12:00 at night. The gate staff weren't hugely helpful with keeping us updated but there was little they could do.

2) Service

Hawaiian: The flight attendants aboard the plane were fantastic. They were friendly, helpful and welcoming, which allowed you to enjoy the entire 5 hour flight. One lady in particular, Ruth, was one of the nicest flight attendants I've ever met.

American: Surprisingly, the crew on American Airlines were quite cheerful after being delayed almost 4 hours on a flight to Maui.

3) Food

Hawaiian: The Hawaiian Airlines food was better than some restaurants. They use fresh, local ingredients to create quality food that travels well on board and aircraft. I had crab tacos, mahi-mahi and teriyaki chicken. I almost ate desert but fell asleep in between courses! Ruth, who I mentioned earlier offered to hold it for me for me but I was too tired! (Juliana, of course, ate the whole thing!)

American: I've never eaten on board American. I usually fly on American at night and so am usually asleep before they start serving food. I did find out however that the meal they served on my flight back to Los Angeles from Honolulu was only cheese and grapes and from its appearance, fairly disappointing. For a first class evening meal on a 5 hour flight I would have expected a little more. The highlight of their food on any of the flights I've flown with them were the warm nuts.

4) Seats

Hawaiian: The seats on Hawaiian were large and comfy (very similar to Club Europe on British Airways) For fairly short people like Juliana you could curl up in the seats.

American: American's seats are about the same size as Hawaiian's but I found that I didn't sleep as well on American. I'm not sure why but Hawaiian was definitely more comfortable

5) Luggage

Hawaiian: We had no issues with luggage with Hawaiian.

American: We did however lose a suitcase with American and they weren't particularly helpful in locating it in LAX. Thankfully we got it back after 2/3 days of phone calls and stress but if you are planning to fly with American or out of a big airport like LAX think about limiting your check in luggage and take a large carry on.

So overall I think Hawaiian are the better airline. They are expensive but its so worth it in the long run. However, if you are looking to cut costs on your trip go with American and maybe even go in Economy. From what I saw it didn't look to bad and the food was probably of a similar standard. Thanks for reading today, see you next time!

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