The Hawaiian word hoʻokipa means hospitality, and it is at the root of Hawaiian culture. That is one of the reasons why for many years Hawaiian continued to hand out free meals onboard — it’s just how you would treat someone in the islands when they entered your home. The free meals are gone, and I was worried that would be a problem. Thanks to a very senior and spectacularly-good crew along with the rest of the service, I can confirm it’s really not a problem at all.

Once all the media fun was done at Hawaiian’s oneworld event, it was time to come home. I opted for the morning flight back to LAX which arrives mid-afternoon. Most tourists prefer something later, but this is a great flight for kamaʻāina (locals) to get to the mainland earlier in the day. Besides, this is a flight that gets some of the best service the airline has to offer. The morning flight is a turn for the Honolulu-based flight attendants, flying to LAX in the morning and then coming right back that evening. It gets flight attendants a lot of hours in a very short time without having to ever sleep in a hotel, so it is highly desirable and goes very senior. I’ve found those are the flight attendants you really want to have at Hawaiian, and I was proven right once again on this trip.

[Hawaiian provided my travel at no cost to me]

I took an Uber which dropped me off at 6:45am. The main checkpoint going into the Mauka concourse had TSA Precheck closed, so I walked over to the next one by the interisland gates and was through quickly. Then I walked back to gate A2 to wait in the very sterile concourse. I really don’t love these new gates; the facility has no real character.

The gate agent announced we had a very special flight attendant on this flight, Kuʻulei had just celebrated her 60th year with the airline, and they had a ceremony for her. That kind of time at one company doing one job is just hard to even fathom. The gate area gave a round of applause.

We were called for boarding, and I was in the B group again, as a silver elite. In this concourse, you go through the agriculture check required for those departing the islands in the gate area, and then you get onboard.

Hawaiian 810
July 1, 2026

I was originally seated in a standard coach seat, but I snagged an extra legroom one on the seat map when I had checked in… put another few dollars in the “elite status benefit” jar.

The captain welcomed us onboard, and he said we were ready to go but they were still loading cargo. Alright. Departure time came and went, and it wasn’t until about 10 minutes late that we pushed back. This is where I had flashbacks to the last time I tried to take this flight… and ended up with two gate returns. Fortunately, history did not repeat itself. We taxied to the runway and climbed out to the east.

The flight attendants asked us to have patience with them, because it was the first day of the new pre-ordered meal option. That was no problem, as I waited to get the corned beef hash I had ordered online for ~$15 before travel. But in reality, they didn’t need anyone to have patience with them, because they were pros. Yes, the most senior flight attendant had just hit her 60th anniversary milestone, but remember how I said this trip goes senior? The most junior onboard had 38 years. This crew was one of the best I’ve seen.

The flight attendants communicated well, first coming through with a beverage service including the complimentary-for-all Koloa rum punch and a granola bar.

Flight attendant Debbie told me and my seatmate that we were both entitled to free drinks throughout the flight, making sure we knew about our benefits. This was helpful for my seatmate who, it turns out, was on a basic economy fare and hit the jackpot when his seat was assigned. He was a nice guy coming home from seeing family in the islands, and we had a few good conversations throughout the flight.

After that was done, a little more than an hour into the flight, they came through with the pre-ordered food.

I learned from the flight attendants that Hawaiian has capped the number of meals initially at 50 (+ special meals and First Class) as they get used to the process. This flight hit the 50 cap, which is either a good sign that people are willing to pay or simply a reflection of the kamaʻāina who are members of the Huakaʻi program for locals. They were given a couple of free meals to ease them into the new paid program.

The corned beef hash was delivered in all-paper containers with two dipping sauces alongside the main. First impression? It looked good.

Second impression? It WAS good, really good. Chef Sheldon Simeon has done an incredible job.

That was a real egg on top that was cooked perfectly, the yolk oozing out when punctured. The food was very flavorful and heated well. I wolfed it down so fast, that by the time they came around with a second beverage service right after food was delivered, I was already done.

I settled in to work thanks to Starlink being blazing fast as usual. I flipped on movies I’d already seen just as background noise, and then it was time to head to the lav.

While I was waiting, I struck up a conversation with Debbie and another flight attendant Noe who had 43 and 40 years of service respectively. They had known each other since even before they started working for the airline, and they were so good at this job. If you know Hawaiian culture, just imagine a handful of aunties running the show onboard and you’ll get the picture. They were warm, efficient, and attentive, but you could also tell in an emergency that they would turn into no-nonsense pros. These are the people you want as flight attendants on your flight.

I didn’t want to distract them, but they seemed happy to chat. I stuck around for a bit each of the two times I came to use the lav. The second time, there was a flight attendant in management up there who was on this flight to help monitor the new food process and take notes. They were all constantly looking for feedback on the food and the process. For the most part, it seemed to be a big hit. There was one complaint from someone that the food was too salty, but… come on, why did you order the corned beef hash? Of course it’s salty. Everyone else loved the food. There were just a few ordering glitches for some huakaʻi members.

While I was there, Kuʻulei came back from First Class where she was serving, and we chatted a little. She started on the DC-3 in 1966. Just imagine what she’s seen.

Back at my seat I was working again. An hour and a half out from landing, the flight attendants came by with another beverage service and gave us a goodbye AlohaMac.

Debbie came back later and gave me a card she had written up. Not only did she take the time to write it, but she got the entire crew to sign.

I know what you’re thinking. They knew I was media, and they were going over the top to please me. First of all, I can’t imagine 40+ year flight attendant doing that just to try to get the company slightly better press. But more importantly, I clearly wasn’t the only one enjoying this crew. There was an older man in the bulkhead who was with his wife, but he told Debbie he was going to take her to Rome with him. My seatmate mentioned on descent that this was one of the best flights he’d taken. I’m pretty sure this is just who those flight attendants are, and it is a great reflection on the Hawaiian brand.

We passed over Catalina Island and then up from the south before landing. After a short taxi, we were at the very same gate I had left from two days earlier. I was sad to leave this flight, especially since it meant another painful journey through public transit. This time, the only painpoint was a 20 minute wait for the shuttle to show up at LAX. But none of that was going to erase the glow of such a pleasant trip home.