Hawaiian vs Aloha

[snoopy505]

I had the opportunity to fly on Aloha from OAK-HNL. I was very impressed with their service. All of the flight attendants were very nice and attentative. The milk and cookies mid flight was a nice touch. Yeah, the -700 is a bit on the small side but I would prefer the -700 over B-757s that AA or UA flies. I flew on Hawaiian last year and I was not impressed at all. The flight attendants were like the rest of the majors. Bankruptcy have anything to do with this??? Anyway, I am not surprised that Aloha is doing much better than Hawaiian as far as service is concerned. Financially, I am not sure.... which is doing better.

 

[AQ PILOT]

AQ isn't in Bankruptcy

Before HAL starts ranting that AQ is only afloat because we received a federal guaranteed loan, I was just making a point...that's all!

Actually, AQ is doing pretty well financially, and from what I've read in the paper, so is HAL. They are still BK but hope to emerge later this year. They are also recalling some of their 100+ furloughees.

All of our flights are packed as of late. While management paints gloom and doom at every turn, we are making $. The biggest thing kickin' us in the cajones is the price of fuel. I heard we forecast fuel at $0.85/gal....budgeted $0.95/gal ....but are paying $1.26/gal. That just aint pretty no matter how you look at it.

Aloha is still hiring...mainly to crew the two new a/c's we are getting in May and June and also due to retirements. My understanding is their is a plan in place to upgrade/hire kind of indefinitely.

That's all I know....

 

[Hansoma]

I'm sorry that you were not impressed with Hawaiian. As pilots we have very little control over snotty gate agents and nasty flight attandants. Hawaiian declared bankrupcy March 22nd, about a year ago. Obviously that had, and still has a pretty big effect on morale.

As for your experience, it comes down to personal preference. Some people prefer Airline A over Airline B, some the other way around. Some fly certain airlines because of the mileage plans, ect. I'm sorry that we didn't live up to your expectations but you know what? It's a great big ocean, lots of airlines fly out there. That you like Aloha better than Hawaiian, well good for you. What's the reason behind your post anyway??

If you want to go to work for Aloha, then by all means do! They're great people over there. Just don't trash my airline because of one unimpressive cabin service experience.

HAL, feel free to jump in

 

[General Lee]

I just saw some HAL stews at SAN last week and some of them were very very cute.

Bye Bye--General Lee

 

[AQ PILOT]

Oh no, Hansoma and Hal together

Lord help us...Hansoma and Hal are about to unite! Hansoma, go back to cabo and relax for another spell....

On Hawaiian's behalf, almost everytime I have jumpseated on them, my ride has been way above expectations. The crew has always been extremely nice to me. There was a spell there where I couldn't get put in coach to save my life...it was first class all the way!

The only two hang ups I have ever had occurred during the merger talks between HA and AQ. Once I had a Captain be pretty $hitty to me and told me that he didn't care much for having to bail Aloha out of bankruptcy. That made for an uncomfortable jumpseat form signing. The other time was when I found a huge bug in my salad...But the salad was free and the flight attendant offered me another salad...uh, yeah, no thanks....

 

[Freight Dog]

I'll second AQ's sentiments about HAL jumpseat. I've only had one snotty remark, and it was from one of the HAL gate agents on an interisland flight, but the flight attendant and the pilots on that flight more than made up for the gate agent's snottiness.

On their trans-pac service, man are they good people!! My best jumpseat experience was actually with HAL. Long story short, the gate agents went WAY out of their way to help me get to Denver and check the loads on other carriers out of LAX, LAS, SFO and PHX...

I do tend to agree that our in-flight service (Aloha) hands down smokes the rest of the industry.

 

[Hugh Jorgan]

I do tend to agree that our in-flight service (Aloha) hands down smokes the rest of the industry.

Of the US Carriers, AQ's inflight service is great for these days, but fly on a foreign carrier for real service. Like this one time I flew on Swissair...now that was classy.

 

[HAL]

Now, now, AQ pilot - I wouldn't slam Aloha would I?

All things considered, both AQ and HA have a very good product, and hopefully we'll both be around for a long time. I'm sorry you had a bad experience on us snoopy505, but as Hansoma said, it probably was just a bad day for your Flight Attendants. We keep winning awards for our service, so it can't be all bad.

And as far as the snotty captains go, we have a couple of them, and I'd bet that no matter what the situation was (merger or not), they'd be snotty to any AQ person asking for a jumpseat. It's just their personality. I think it's that way at all airlines.

Maybe I'm too tired from actually having to work while on furlough (over 350 hours in the Navajo since January), or maybe I'm getting soft in my old age, but I will say AQ is a great airline, and if HA folded, they'd be at the top of my list of places to work. Just don't quote me - I'll deny I ever said that!

HAL

 

[AQ PILOT]

OK...what did you do with the real HAL?

350 hours in a Navajo? Man that is just ugly. Yah, both HAL and AQ our pretty good little places to work...i'd take these jobs over real ones any day!

 

[HAL]

Re: OK...what did you do with the real HAL?

350 hours in a Navajo? Man that is just ugly.

Yes it is! It's just under 600 hours since I started here in October too. The good news is that if HA waits until about August to recall me, I'll have at or over 1000 hours for the year (averaging about 120 hours per month now), and they'll have to pay me to sit at home for the rest of the year!

Maybe there's some good to come of this after all!

HAL

 

[DBCOOPER]

Good for you for even finding a job while on furlough. Flying a Navajo aint bad at all. It's not "ugly". Most poor soles I know on furlough are working desk jobs right now.

Yea, Aloha last posted a profit and we are still hiring. But, don't get comfortable with it. This company is in dire jeapordy with the FAA as you know AQ Pilot....and we don't have much of any financial backing. This company has great potential, but we won't capatilize on it b/c of the never ending inter-island local mentality that seems to be running things around here.

Once mom and pop, always mom and pop. That's the reality at AQ, and we better pray someone comes in here with some $$$, real management people, and a real growth plan....or we will eventually be put to rest, guaranteed.

 

[AQ PILOT]

Now that is productive thinking!

That is a great idea! Get your 1,000 hours and then come back and kick it on reserve while knowing they can't touch you!!!!! Hope you get the call! You're pretty close right?

 

[TankerPuke]

Just my 2 cents -

Flew Hawaiian from LAS - Kauai last October. Thought the airline was fantastic. Both my wife and I were very impressed with the service, aircraft, etc. Anyway, good luck to HAL and its employees!

PUKE

 

[Dopps]

Yea, Aloha last posted a profit and we are still hiring. But, don't get comfortable with it. This company is in dire jeapordy with the FAA as you know AQ Pilot....and we don't have much of any financial backing. This company has great potential, but we won't capatilize on it b/c of the never ending inter-island local mentality that seems to be running things around here.

Once mom and pop, always mom and pop. That's the reality at AQ, and we better pray someone comes in here with some $$$, real management people, and a real growth plan....or we will eventually be put to rest, guaranteed.

Amen brother!! But be careful, saying things like this can result in being invited to Pale Lookout...

 

[DBCOOPER]

Bring it on. Next time I'm bringing an Army with me up there.

 

[HAL]

Re: Now that is productive thinking!

That is a great idea! Get your 1,000 hours and then come back and kick it on reserve while knowing they can't touch you!!!!! Hope you get the call! You're pretty close right?

Best guess on this vacancy bid is either #1 or #2 on the furlough list. If a couple people bypass, I'll be back in.

Fingers are crossed!

HAL

 

[AQ PILOT]

HAL - I hope someone bypasses and you jump right back in. Good luck over there, I still see lots of troubled waters ahead for all airlines, but HAL and AQ are 'special children.' That could be a good or bad thing.

DB - I hate to say it, but I can't disagree with you totally. The mom and pop corner store menality could very well be the undoing of us. All we can hope for is real management to get lost and find its way here to AQ. Ya never know, it could happen.

We are not in 'dire straits' with the FAA. Yeah, we've had a couple of foul ups. From the pilot standpoint, we've had a few miscues. A lot of the $hit rolling down hill has come from maintenance and dispatch. Growing pains? Mom and pop mentality? Don't know really, but it will work itself out. But I think the term 'dire straits' may be slightly harsh. I've told you a million times, don't exaggerate.

Financially I'm not sure we need a whole lot of backing right now. From what I understand, our books don't look too bad. Cash flow is king, and while we may not be printing our own money like JB or WN, we aren't eating up our reserves. We are turning a profit. We are adding routes. We are buying airplanes. We are filling those airplanes. We are hiring people. Life aint grand, but its ok....but again...the mom and pop/interisland mentality can change all that real quick!

Lastly, yeah, going to a Navajo from a 767 is ugly...no matter how you spin it...its ugly...