Late last Thursday night, we got sobering news. A Hawaiian Air flight attendant passed away mid-flight. That’s a terrible incident for sure, but it also reminded me that Hawaiian needs to handle irregular ops better.
Now, let me begin this post by sending my condolences to the family of the flight attendant, as well as the Hawaiian Air Ohana. Any loss is unfortunate, though an in-flight loss is particularly difficult. Especially since the person in question is a much-loved 31-year+ veteran at the Airline. And, despite the tragic circumstance, the Airline can’t lose sight of its passengers. However, judging by what’s being reported about the incident, they kind of did.
Hawaiian’s Response
According to media reports, passengers weren’t provided regular information on the incident. They knew that there was a medical issue on board, and that’s it. What’s even more troubling, though, is what happened after the flight diverted.
The flight in question is Hawaiian Airlines flight 50, operating from Honolulu to New York JFK. The flight diverted to San Francisco International Airport for the medical issue, where it remained overnight. However, once on the ground, passengers were told to rebook themselves onto other flights and that they’ll be reimbursed. Seriously? I mean, it seems like they could’ve waited to continue on with their current flight, but I’m guessing information was minimal and not relayed in a timely fashion.
It floors me to think that an Airline that calls itself a premium airline can’t re-accommodate passengers on their behalf. This isn’t what happens when you fly other, larger airlines. And I wonder how easy it is to get credited back from Hawaiian when rebooking your own flight at your expense? The Mrs. cancelled a flight on Hawaiian which she paid for with a Hawaiian gift card and it took them TWO MONTHS to credit her back.
Other Situations
It isn’t only in extreme situations such as this that Hawaiian fails to perform, though. Recently, my parents missed their Long Beach to Honolulu flight due to unusually heavy traffic. And Hawaiian said they would accommodate them free of charge on the same flight the following day.
While that’s great, I think the situation could’ve been handled better. After all, Hawaiian operates a couple of flights per day out of nearby LAX too. However, if my parents wanted to catch one of those flights instead, they’d need to pay a $200/person ticket change fee. That’s not how other airlines handle similar situations. For example, someone else I knew missed their United flight, and United rerouted him to get him home as close to the original time as possible.
Personally, I’ve never had a diversion or cancellation with Hawaiian, but I’ve experienced numerous delays. And in every single incident, gate agents and the app didn’t provide notice until after the scheduled boarding time. Or, in the case of my flight to Portland, we sat on the plane for over half an hour as maintenance crews scurried on and off the aircraft without any update at all. Hawaiian needs to get better at providing information to its passengers. Period. No excuses.
Protect Yourself
No matter how good an airline is, though, they aren’t always going to assist during regular ops. Especially when irregular ops are caused by weather, etc. In those cases, you’ll want to ensure you have coverage to help you pay for a hotel, etc. if need be. And, often, you can get benefits like this for free from great credit cards like the Chase Sapphire Reserve.
For example, the Sapphire Reserve provides Trip Delay coverage, which covers up to $500 in lodging, meal, medication, toiletries, etc. costs. Coverage kicks in when a common carrier delays you for six hours or more or overnight. Of course, you have to charge your tickets to the card (or redeem Ultimate Rewards points) for the coverage to apply.
Hawaiian Needs to Handle Irregular Ops Better, Final Thoughts
Hawaiian Airlines thinks it’s a premium airline, but it’s handling of irregular ops, and other issues I outlined earlier reinforces my belief that they are not. The way Hawaiian handles irregular ops has more in common with the way LCCs and ULCCs handle such situations. So, hopefully, it’s something they’ll change in the future. But, to me, it’s just another reason to fly a different airline such as Delta or Alaska, among others.