What it's like to fly to Hawaii right now

Hawaii is now back on the holiday list for Kiwis as flights resume to Honolulu.

The first Hawaiian Airlines direct flight in 27 months left Auckland late Monday night with a full plane, arriving July 4 local time to mark Independence Day.

Auckland to Honolulu on Hawaiian Airlines.

Airbus A330. A full flight.

As a US state, Hawaii has the same entry requirements as the rest of the country. Passengers need to show their international travel vaccine certificate at check in, and sign an attestation regarding their vaccination status as well as a contact tracing form with details of where they are staying while in Hawaii. You should receive a green dot on your boarding pass, which shows you have completed all the forms. No pre-departure tests are required.

Auckland Airport is still quiet as many shops and eateries remain closed. Our flight departed around midnight, so it felt particularly quiet. I had access to the newly reopened Strata Lounge, which is currently open only to airlines and will reopen to the public August 1. The revamped lounge is a contemporary space with a number of full bathrooms with showers, including accessible bathrooms, and there are several relaxation pods which will be able to be booked in advance should you wish to have a nap.

Eight hours five minutes, a speedy flight to make up for a slight delay in leaving, and still arriving 20 minutes early.

11E. I was seated in the Extra Comfort seats, Hawaiian Airline’s premium product behind business class. This gave me priority boarding and extra leg room which is always a dream on a long-haul flight. My row was right behind the business class partition so there were no seats directly in front of me, allowing for plenty of room to stretch my legs and easily move out of my seat without bothering my neighbours. The configuration in this part of the cabin is 2-4-2 and 11E was one of the very middle seats, so I appreciated the extra space.

Like most other US airlines, masks are optional on the flight. I kept mine on for the majority of the flight, but most passengers removed theirs. The coughing, spluttering and sniffing at seven-second intervals from a number of passengers around me was a strong motivator for me to stay masked for the duration.

On arrival, our screens played a short video welcoming guests to Hawaii with beautiful imagery and scenes from the islands. For personal entertainment, the selection of new releases included The Batman, Turning Red, The Lost City, Death on the Nile as well as a number of cartoons for kids, and Hawaiian music stations with island favourites and classic rhythms.

I love a good airline amenities kit. To mark the return of Hawaiian Airlines, passengers received a reusable bag while still at the airport, with a design inspired by black coral and the bird nest fern called ʻēkaha, to represent the fact Hawaii's health depends on the vitality of both marine and rainforest ecosystems. On the plane, Extra Comfort passengers received a felt pouch which contained lip balm, a hydrating mist, hand cream, a pen, a comb, dental kit, tissues and eye mask. Interestingly no hand sanitiser or sanitising wipes, which has been a feature on other airlines, but the hydrating mist spray was a heavenly refresher on my skin.

For economy passengers, there was no hot dinner, but we received a snack pack which consisted of a Cajun chicken wrap, a packet of sliced apples and a cookie. The apple slices were actually very refreshing and a great in-flight snack. I wasn’t too hungry as I was able to have a light bite in the Strata Lounge, but given the number of eateries still closed airside at Auckland Airport, it’s worth having a good meal before this late night flight. For breakfast, we received the traditional airline brekky of scrambled eggs, a little sausage, a cherry tomato and a couple of potatoes, fruit and a muffin.

Staff were excited to be flying again and gave passengers a warm Aloha at all parts of the journey from check in, to boarding, to in-flight service to landing. We also received some fun facts about Hawaii over the PA system, including a word of the day – which encourages everyone to take responsibility to care for the land, the ocean and its resources.

I flew to Hawaii on an I-visa which is a media visa for journalists working in the US, however most tourists only need an ESTA travel authorisation, which allows travellers to stay within the US for up to 90 days on holiday. Passport control was easy and no other documentation was required and I sailed through quickly. The only holdup was waiting for our baggage, when the baggage carousel decided to give up the ghost. Eventually it resumed and we were on our way to meet our hotel transfer drivers outside the terminal.

Hawaiian Airlines is flying Auckland to Honolulu three times a week.

From NZ$995 return. Extra Comfort from an additional $165 one way.