Earlier this month, I flew Delta Air Lines‘ service from Honolulu, Hawaii, to Minneapolis, Minnesota. Before the flight, I tried to Google whether or not Delta offered complimentary meals and drinks on their flights between Hawaii and the mainland. Since my search didn’t reveal a clear answer, I want to start this review by helping Google out: Yes, Delta flights to Hawaii – at least those from Minneapolis and the East Coast – offer a full service experience that matches their international offerings. And so, what is that experience like? Read on to find out.
Airline: Delta Air Lines.
Route: Honolulu (HNL) – Minneapolis (MSP).
Flight Number: DL 313.
Aircraft Type: Airbus 330-300.
Seat Number: 43B (Aisle, 2-4-2 Layout).
Flight time: 7 Hours 50 Minutes.
On Time? Yes.
Departing From Honolulu International Airport (HNL)
Checking in at Daniel K. Inouye International Airport (HNL) was an easy one. Though because we were connecting through to Canada, we weren’t able to check in online, so we couldn’t just do a simple bag drop. However, our seats were chosen at the time of booking, so we weren’t likely to be at risk of being bumped. Still, gave ourselves plenty of time at the airport. It took about half an hour to check in, drop our bags, and make it through security. Note that you have to put your bags through a separate screening before you drop the bag off due to Hawaii’s biosecurity laws.
Sadly Delta are no longer in partnership with Virgin Australia, and so unless you’re a Delta Skymiles frequent flyer, or with one of their partner airlines, there won’t be any status privileges for you on this journey. Luckily the airport is mostly outdoors so you can enjoy fresh air while you wait!
There are limited food options at the airport. You’ll find a couple of Starbucks and a small food court with California Pizza Kitchen and a Burger King. And right after security, you’ll find an airport bar The Local, where we shared a surprisingly good Mahi Mahi Caesar Salad with Macadamia Nuts, and some wonderful local beer. It’s a fairly overpriced spot (though if you’ve been spending time in Waikiki you wouldn’t be a stranger to that experience), but if you want a decent meal, it’s one of the only spots in the airport for it.
At The Gate
We got to our gate just as they were about to start boarding. They were also offering $1k to people who would voluntarily move to a later flight, which seemed to be taken up pretty quickly. One of the few benefits of American airlines overbooking their flights is that these opportunities pop up from time to time. Of course the disadvantage, as I alluded to earlier, is that it is possible to be involuntarily bumped from a flight. Especially when you don’t already have a reserved seat.
They boarded by group, and the loading procedure was an efficient one. We were in the second last group, and were greeted to no queue down the jet bridge. It’s always great to see.
In Flight Experience and Comfort
We flew on an Airbus 330-300, with a 2-4-2 layout. As I was travelling with my partner, we took the two seats on the left side of the aircraft. It’s honestly the best layout for a red eye, because no one ever has more than one person jumping over them (or one person to jump over). And it’s probably a person they know.
Staff were fun and friendly, adding to a great atmosphere on the flight. There’s something about just being greeted with a smile that makes all the difference – and Delta staff offer this better than most. Everyone felt relaxed and ready to dig into the almost eight hour flight across the Pacific and the continental United States.
Though the quality of seats on aircraft have gone down across the board, the seats on this aircraft were comfortable, with decent recline, and solid movable headrests. There was just enough leg room, though if you’re taller than six feet you’ll appreciate upgrading to Economy Plus. All in all, this is as good as you’ll find in Economy class on any recently outfitted aircraft. And things did feel recently outfitted here – there wasn’t any notable wear or tear.
Bathrooms throughout the aircraft were clean, and I never had to line up. Being a red eye helped I’m sure – people were prioritising sleep.
To help with that sleep, a large blanket was supplied, but sadly no pillow.
Food and Drink
About an hour and a half after take off, they started their meal service. We were offered a full hot meal with drink service – which came as some surprise, given it’s so rare for domestic US airlines to give you anything at all. And though Hawaiian flights do have a history of such a service, many equivalent offerings disappeared during the pandemic and never came back. But sure enough, this flight came with complete international-style service. Even liquor was complimentary; which, as someone who likes a whiskey for a night cap, was music to my ears.
For the dinner service, we had the choice of chicken (with mash and greens) or pasta (tortellini with red sauce, cheese and spinach). This was accompanied by a potato salad, cheddar cheese and crackers, and a little fruit cake dessert. It was actually quite a good meal.
The crew were happy to take drink orders (including alcohol) throughout the entire flight, as the lights were dimmed. Then a “light snack” was served an hour and 20 minutes before landing, which is also when they eased the lights back on. The sandwich was also decent – though a bit of a mess – with cheese, scrambled eggs and avocado. Though the bar is admittedly low, the meals were among the best economy meals I’ve had in recent memory.
Entertainment
There’s a well-sized screen on the back of every seat, which have slots for headphone jack and USB charging. There’s also an AC plug between each pair of seats. The in-flight entertainment was packed, with a manageable amount of TV, and an eye-watering amount of movies. 16 pages of it, with all the Harry Potters, all the John Wicks and many more complete series to ensure the flight time flies by, should you not be able to sleep.
Make sure to set up a Delta Skymiles account before you fly – as with one, you’ll enjoy free wi-fi for the entire flight. Which worked surprisingly well.
Arriving at Minneapolis International Airport (MSP)
We landed on time, and disembarked pretty quickly off the aircraft, enjoying a friendly welcome as we left the aircraft.
We had four hours of transit before our next flight. Without any lounge access, we found an average on site Diner to have some brunch. It’s a massive airport so there’s plenty to explore – there’s even a store dedicated to Prince! Though if you have more than 4 hours, you might want to jump on a train out towards the famous Mall of America, which you can get to in 10 minutes.
Final Verdict
It’s hard to say anything negative about this experience. In short, it was a fantastic flight. I would love to see pillows distributed on the flight, and the seats could always be more comfortable. But on the whole, as far as domestic US economy services go, I think it’s safe to say that Delta are the pick of the litter. I haven’t had a better flight from a US carrier in a very long time.
FIVE STARS (OUT OF FIVE)
To book your next flight with Delta, head to delta.com.
Author flew at his own expense in January 2025. Photo of the meal by the author. Other photos supplied by Delta Air Lines.
