Tier Point Run to Hawaii/San Juan in Feb 2014: Day 6 – Los Angeles LAX to Honolulu HNL

By Nige on Mon 03 Mar 2014 at 20:55
Type: Post
Story: Tier Point Run to Hawaii/San Juan in Feb 2014
Tags: American Airlines | Hilton | HNL | Honolulu | LAX | Los Angeles | Trips | USA

I had an hour or so in the AA Flagship Lounge before heading to Gate 48B for my flight to HNL. Whilst I was in the lounge I had to taste the Clam Chowder which I adore, and it was very good.

There was also a very nice looking hot Turkey meal with a side dish which I was tempted by.

I was going to try to sleep on the plane – it was a 767 so at least the seat would convert into an angled flat bed – it wasn’t that comfy last time I tried, but I was starting to struggle now with tiredness. The flight to HNL was going to take 6 hours and I was unlikely be taking many photos either!

Flight left from Gate 48B and boarding had just started when I got there. No probs. Got on and found my seat – next to a guy that lives and works in Honolulu, and was over in LA for a week – he was pleased that he fitted in a couple of rounds of golf that day without being rained on heavily. He wasn’t too aware of the Oscars, so not a film buff as such.

However, he did have an interest in FlyerTalk – he said he visited the site from time to time. We exchanged info about how our FF programmes work and how they differ from each other.

The flight departure time was different to the time I had on my itinerary and that’s not the first time it’s happened this trip, so not sure why so many late changes are in evidence. Anyway, we left about 20 mins later than scheduled and then were held up by a further 60 mins in the air due to the strong headwinds. We landed about an hour and 20 mins later than scheduled.

I asked about tablets and the CC said they weren’t provided on the HNL route, even though I am pretty sure the flight had actually come from MIA (well according to FlightAware.com that is).

I enjoyed the meal service. The salad was served with a spicy Japanese ginger sauce which was gorgeous. I had the beef which was very good, and I passed on the ice cream.

At that point I decided to enter slumber mode on my angled flat bed. Managed to get a couple of hours I think, but woke with a sore back again. Needs must and all that.

Overall the flight was pretty dull. The movie being played to everyone wasn’t something I wasn’t interested in. No wifi (obviously), and no entertainment system.

It felt good when we landed though, and I was through the terminal sharpish and into a taxi to the Doubletree Alana which cost me $40 (incl of tip). Didn’t take long to check in, and then up to the Penthouse Level and into my suite.

Little bit disappointed to find that my room still had a sofa bed which was in a mid state of either being pulled out or put back. Either way I wasn’t too impressed. Got a guy in to sort it, and then had my eye on that bed.

Today, I learnt how to press the shutter button on my Samsung S4 correctly! Considering I had some decent cameras at home, I feel a bit ashamed that I never realised that you are supposed to hold the button in and then let it go. I’ve always just clicked it – that’s what you do with buttons unless someone tells you differently!

Follow the whole story here: Tier Point Run to Hawaii/San Juan in Feb 2014