TRIP INDEX

DFW (Dallas-Fort Worth) – HNL (Honolulu)
AA 5
9/11/13
Depart (Scheduled/Actual): 1:00p/1:16p
Arrive (Scheduled/Actual): 4:00p/4:22p
First Class
Boeing 767-300
Seats 4A, 4B

Upon landing early in DFW and taking the Skylink train to Terminal A, Joann and I hit Starbucks and then the Admiral’s Club. We only had about 30 minutes before boarding would start for our flight to Oahu.

After getting on the free wifi and sending out the previous two posts, we went to Gate A24 which was right next to the Club. There was a delay in boarding; the gate agents kept calling up passengers for “recheck.”

After about 20 minutes, the gate agents finally started boarding and we were among the first to board in the front cabin.

I was happy to enter and see American’s 763 First/Business cabin with angled lie-flat seats.

As we go settled in, a flight attendant immediately greeted us with a tray of water, orange juice, and sparkling wine. We opted for the sparkling wine and continued to explore our seats that were in a 2-2-2 arrangement across the cabin.

Once we leveled off after takeoff, FAs once again came around but with Samsung Galaxy Tablet 10.1 and Bose QuietComfort15 noise-cancelling headsets. Since these old birds don’t have personal IFE, American distributes these instead. They weren’t bad; they had a decent selection.

Once they were fully distributed, the FAs went back to the galley and came out with tablecloths and the drink cart. Saddened to see no single malt scotch option on the menu, I just ordered a Jack & Diet. They also served us the hot Hawaiian mixed nuts. They were really really good and I finished them in no time! The candied ones were definitely the best.

The service was a bit slower than what I’ve experienced in premium cabins. The starter salads took a while to come out, but I had The Hangover 3 on the Galaxy Tablet so it wasn’t a concern just yet.

The FAs came around once more to collect the ramekins and top off drinks. Meanwhile, it had been about 15 minutes and the service was at a halt.

Some 30 minutes after we had received our drinks and hot nuts, the salad course was served with a choice of either Caesar or Ginger Sesame dressing. We both opted for the Caesar. A nice touch was that salad was dressed at the cart and then served to us along with Hawaiian sweet rolls.

Then came the main course. Most people in the cabin opted for the Macadamia Nut Chicken. It was satisfactory. The breading sure had trouble staying attached to the chicken breast.

After another 30 minutes, the cheese plate followed and then came the highlight of the meal. The ice cream sundae with all the toppings was awesome. It went well with the Bailey’s with milk on the rocks. Ice cream is definitely impossible to mess up 35,000 feet up.

Once the meal service was over and our tray tables were cleaned, it was just time for movies and sleep.

Overall, the food quality was OK but the service was painfully slow. I was falling asleep waiting for the dessert courses. I probably should have just slept, but I wanted that ice cream!

Ice Cream Sundae w/ Chocolate Sauce, Strawberries, & nuts and Bailey’s w/ Milk

Finally it was time to sleep! For sleeping, the seat was serviceable. It wasn’t the best but surely suitable for a few hours of shuteye. It went flat but angled downwards. I figured that this probably wouldn’t be a great seat for side sleepers. Maybe my opinion would be different if we were on a red eye where more sleep is desired, but for going west, it worked for an afternoon nap.

I slept about 2 hours. It would have been longer but even with earplugs the cabin was really noisy. Those elderly vacationers can really chat!

We were only a few hours out now so I fired up the Galaxy Tablet and got another drink from the FA. When we were about 45 minutes out, the FAs came by to start collecting the IFE setups.

We were treated to some beautiful views on arrival as usual when flying into HNL – Waikiki, Pearl Harbor, and our wedding site in Ko Olina.

Ko Olina

After a smooth landing, it was off through the partial open air terminal and to National Car Rental to pick up our ride for the 3 days…