TRAVEL | Qantas operates five flights a week between Honolulu and Sydney. The Airbus A330-300 (“A330”) is currently used on the route, and travellers can choose between Economy and Business Class (the A330 doesn’t have a Premium Economy cabin).
Check In
You can check in online or using the Qantas app. There aren’t bag drop stations so you’ll have to see a staff member at a check in counter. When I checked in there were no lines, and the friendly staff member made everything a breeze.
Luggage
Checked luggage is included with all Qantas Economy tickets when flying international. You can check-in one bag up to 32kg, and a carry-on bag (115cm) up to 7kg. You can also carry on a small item that can fit under your seat.
Service
I couldn’t fault the service on the flight from Honolulu to Sydney. Staff were cheerful, professional, and always happy to help if I needed anything.
Cabin
The Qantas Economy cabin on the A330 that flies from Sydney to Honolulu features 269 seats, in a 2-4-2 layout. Colour wise it’s black, white and red – in line with Qantas’ branding. The cabin is very clean.
Seat
The cushioned fabric seat has dimensions of about 79cm x 43cm. Like any economy seat, it doesn’t recline that far back. It does, however, have built-in lumbar support, an adjustable head rest, and softer cushioning than a lot of the competition. Netted footrests provide a sense of more legroom than might usually be the case.
Each seat has a USB port, video input, and AC power outlet. Enough power is provided through the ports to power most devices, including a laptop.
On the back of the seat there’s dual mesh pockets for magazines and other belongings. Inside it, you’ll find the latest copy of “Qantas Magazine”, which is full of interesting articles and destination guides. There’s an additional small mesh pocket underneath the screen where you can stash smaller items.
Entertainment
The back of each Qantas Economy seat has a 28cm screen, which you can use to access Qantas’ Panasonic eX3 inflight entertainment system. On it you’ll find around 1,500 entertainment options on demand, including around 100 movies, 500 TV programs, 800 music options, and 18 radio channels. Content rotates regularly to ensure that the content remains fresh and current.
Provided headphones are cushioned over-the-eat style headphones with decent sound quality, and basic passive noise reduction. For me it’s my trusty SONY WH-1000XM3 noise cancelling headphones with an adaptor for the headphone socket.
Food
Meals are included with all Qantas Economy tickets. The flight to Sydney departs at 11:10am and arrive in Sydney at 6:40pm (the following day due to the time zone change) so it’s lunch and dinner that’s served.
Menus rotate regularly on Qantas flights, with three main options available. I had a choice between:
- Grilled vegetable and spinach lasagne (vegan)
- Salad of seared chicken breast with herbed potatoes, cherry tomatoes, and Maui onion ponzu dressing
- Braised pork with baby onions, roast vegetables, and potato and chive mash
I chose the salad of seared chicken breast. Nice flavours, light and fresh, with decent chunks of chicken breast. A good example of just how far Economy class cabin meals have come in recent years. Garlic bread and ice-cream is served with each meal.
To drink, it’s a selection of Australian wine, beer, and spirits. There’s also water, juice, soft drink, coffee and tea. I went for a bottle of South Australian Vermentino.
For dinner, it’s a choice of three different meals. I forgot to take a photo of the dinner menu, but I opted for the vegetarian lentil and vegetable pasta bake, which was perfectly fine. This time it was garlic bread and a slice of cake for dessert.
I preferred the lunch option, as I find airlines in general tend to do the cold and light options better than the hot, heavier ones.
If you’re ever hungry outside of meal time you can just ask one of the flight attendants and they’ll bring you a snack or a drink. Think chocolate bars, whole fruit, cheese and crackers.
Amenities
On the seat when you first board is a blanket and a pillow. An amenities kit, featuring a dental kit, eyemask, and earplugs, is available on request.
Verdict
I enjoyed my flight from Honolulu to Sydney on Qantas. A short delay (no more or less than any other domestic or international flight I’ve taken this year), friendly service, and a comfortable cabin all combined for a pleasant experience.