AceyCandler

Hello Hawaiian Folks,

As I'm sure you're aware, Hawaiian is soon to start Auckland service next month with 3x weekly flights from Honolulu. I've been eagerly anticipating this service as I'm SICK AND TIRED of nonreving through LAX on DAL/UAL/Qantas to SYD only to (sometimes) get to SYD and then have to wait all day for a seat to Auckland. (Not to mention it's a usually just as nerve-racking on the way back.)

So, my questions for the Hawaiian crowd:

1. Does HAL accept OAL jumpseaters who are in CASS on international routes?

2. If so, when listing at HNL and Intl Outstation Airports do OAL pilots list at the check-in ticket counter? Or make reservations via phone and then fill out JS forms at check-in/gate?

3. Does the A332 weight restrict on longer flights leaving revenue -or- nonrev/JSers behind? (I'd assume the AKL flight will operate with similar restrictions as SYD/JFK if they exist.)

4. Is there a reliable way for OAL folks to see the loads for HAL flights? (seat maps on hawaiians website, calling reservations, etc?)

Thanks so much for answering any of these questions. It's long overdue that a US airline will serve New Zealand directly and I'm eager to take advantage of it! ... And when you want to come suffer on one of my crap CRJ200s, I'll gladly welcome you aboard.

Cheers,
AC

EDIT: and to keep this thread on topic, I'm not interested in hearing about OTHER ways to get to NZ. My company's ZED program is lousy. I don't get Zeds on ANZ. I already know (from experience) UAL weight restricts EVERY 744 to SYD from both LAX and SFO, I don't have time to fly to Guam and hop down to Cairns and then over to BNE/SYD/MEL and onward to AKL. (Same goes for BKK on Thai and HKG on Cathay.) QANTAS is a joke during the high season, and DAL is always full or takes the spillage/missconnex from Virgin Australia outta LAX. Just want info about HAL's service.

jc23

WRT your EDIT, someone might have a good idea on how to travel easier and more efficient, don't limit yourself.

AceyCandler

Jc23: Thanks for taking the time to answer my questions. I knew APC would be a good place to come to get reliable and honest information.

To help me clarify, HAL policy prohibits OAL pilots in the Cockpit on intl routes but will accommodate OAL pilots in the cabin on international routes. Pending the captain's discretion.

Reason I ask is my biggest fear is you're fine leaving HNL (American Gate agents familiar with OAL pilots) but when trying to leave a foreign country, the look at you with a dumb face, clueless to what a Jumpseat/OAL staff traveler is. So you're telling me If I was in SYD for example, I could walk up to the checkin counter (assuming the queue guards let me through without a reservation) and ask the agent to make me a Nonrev listing?

Here in the states you just skip to the gate and boom you're listed. But abroad, it's as if they've got 5 checkpoints you have to pass before you can actually see the airplane (and the captain to ask his blessing.) I really feel like a fish out of water when I'm abroad not nonreving on my mother airline.


I wish our company had ZED agreements with HAL, then I could see the smile, frown faces to give me an idea on loads. But since we don't, I'll have to rely on Mock bookings and APC folks to share the info.

Id really like to hear from a pilot who JS'd on HAL internationally back into HNL.


Thanks again for the information. Hopefully I won't be the only one to glean useful information from this thread.
AC

SebastianDesoto

I would like to hear something as well. I am doing the same thing out of Manila. I went ahead and bought the ID90/ZED fare, though. But would prefer to not have to use it.

landinggear

Make roundtrip listing, can only sit in the back. When departing AKL get there 2-3 hours in advance to check in at ticket counter. Jump seat code (I believe) is WS. A coworker was overseas on HA and the agents were clueless on the return and asked what the listing code is. Be patient. Service starts 13Mar.

full of luv

AC,
I've OAL JS'd on Hawaiian from SYD to HNL on two different occasions over the last three years. The SYD agents were familiar with JS, and in fact did my listing right at the counter. You need to arrive at least 2.5-3 hours early though because once it's two hours prior, everyone for the flight arrives and there is a long line. The agent will want to have you fill out a form and create the listing for the captain to sign before they go to the gate. Both times the contract agents were familiar with the procedure though with little issue. PM if you have any more questions. Enjoy AKL, my family and I did AKL and the south island last fall for 2 weeks, it was a great time. We returned via Emirates from Christchurch to SYD and then via HAL to HNL a couple of days later. Aloha, LUV

jc23

No worries, good luck with the commute.

AceyCandler

Big thanks to everyone who wrote in on this thread. I'll be charging out to Honolulu sometime in April/May to give this a go. I will report back with my experience so others can follow and learn from the mistakes I'm undoubtedly going to make along the way.

And for the record, I've been referring to OAL pilot travel on HAL as jumpseating.. but what I'm actually meaning is taking a seat in the back, not actually occupying a cockpit jumpseat.

Thanks APC,
ACey

jc23

Talk about good timing, good news, just came out today. Just cut-n-pasted OA specifics. Hope this helps...


Procedure for International Jumpseating

The following procedure(s) should be used when OA pilots jumpseat on HA flights to/from international destinations. These procedures will be added to the FOM.

U.S. to International Destinations:
Jumpseaters must list for flights as follows:

OA pilots must call HA reservations (1-800-367-5320) and list as a jumpseater, then pay any fees at check-in counter. Proceed to gate, present jumpseat form to gate agent, and have Captain sign form.

International Destinations to U.S.:
Fees/taxes vary by country. Jumpseaters must list for flights as follows:

OA pilots must call HA reservations (1-800-367-5320) and list as a jumpseater, then pay any fees at check-in counter (Credit Card only) except *MNL.
The Captain must sign the form before the OA pilot proceeds through customs; OA jumpseater should wait for Captain at HA check-in counter where crew signs GenDec and have Captain sign jumpseat form. Proceed to gate, present jumpseat form to gate agent.
*MNL trying to establish processing of fees at airport. Until then, OA pilots cannot jumpseat from MNL to US until further notice.

TwoDogs

Kiwi Amigos

Just to add for those who can use an ID90 on Air New Zealand, (ANZ). First, they are paper, they do not offer a Zed fare only ID90. The ID90 website was really not that helpful. I went and bought the ticket at my company's ticket counter, a whole lot of head scratching, they had to call to their gurus---yes a major pain, because most airlines use the web for the ticketing process, so make sure you attempt this when the ticket counter personnel are not busy--if possible. This code might be the same for your company's system, tell them to use "Y1RT/ID90" as storing the fares on the system was a problem. LAX-AKL roundtrip was $649.00. For Jan 28, 2013. Commercial would have been over $2,300.00.

Call ANZ's 1-800 number, tell the agent you are using a paper ticket it saves confusion, they will need the ticket number at the bottom of your ID90, that is the number that verifies you bought the ticket. Keep in mind, ANZ's employees---well at least the ticket agents as employees do not have any ID90 or Zed fare system privileges. As has been mentioned ANZ does not allow jumpseating, I asked the aircrew as well, ---that has been going on a long time, a buddy of mine about ten years ago had to go through the LAX-SYD-AKL (Zombie inducing) run. I would have opted myself to do the zombie run, but Virgin Australia had travel restrictions, no zed fares or ID90's for the entire month of January. Note, January is their summer, kids out of school, etc. But they had 9 vacancies when I listed.

I think I would have saved at best $300.00 if I had used UAL and then been able to use Virgin Australia, but then I would have arrived sometime after 5pm. By going direct on ANZ my arrival was like 0700AM vice 5PM. Also the return via AKL-SYD-LAX required an early departure to wait in SYD. ANZ's departures are late PM, so you can really pack a lot into your last day there. Return, same drill as before, I already knew the flight was wide open, so there was no waiting they gave me my boarding pass and I almost had a whole row to myself! Z@#$% Kiwi moved up from her row to allow this other lady to stretch out---she was a handsome women.

Also for those who are trying to get to NZ, via Australia make sure that you go and buy a visa online, you get the visa approval immediately as well, which is good for one year--go to the government website for that, don't pay some service to do it for you--or else you'll pay double. Of course in a perfect world you don't need a visa to transit Australia, but if you have to go get your luggage outside of the secure area, a major pain is what I read it becomes. So peace of mind and good for one year is why I went and paid it.

Exactly as stated earlier, Delta's flights were classically full, and Virgin had a non rev ban, so United actually was way wide open, it was incredible, a ton of vacant seats. So United was my backup flight for my ID90 flight on ANZ. So the drill for ANZ non-rev, two hours early minimum, present the ID90. So the way it works is that they tag your bag, put you on the standby list, you then take your luggage to screening, and there are these small areas to sit against the wall near the ticket counters, and wait for them to call you. For the ANZ 930PM flight they will know by 830PM if you are going to get onboard, and in my case, I knew by 800PM that I was getting onboard. So I gave them my bag and I went through security in my uniform so if I had to scramble for my UAL flight I could get to it quicker. Of course I changed out of my uniform shirt once I got through security. ANZ would not let me carry my classic non-international sized pilot roller bag. I was surprised they told me my bag was too heavy to go in the overhead. I didn't debate it, I just smiled and thanked them and checked it in. United would have let me take my roller bag onboard.

Great, glad to see HA doing that run to AKL. If it is only 3 times a week, I'd make certain that it was way wide open. At LAX, not including ANZ you have United, Delta, Virgin Australia, and Quantas. When I listed for the ANZ flight they had 9 seats available, on the day of arrival they had no seats available, but they did say people miss their flights for a variety of reasons, and I was lucky. Still, I wouldn't hesitate to try HA, I have jumpseated on them before to HNL from the mainland, and the seat in the back was great and they had awesome service. I would be interested to know what the fees are, so let us know Acey how much that costs. Thanks guys for all the insight much appreciated, as I will be heading back to AKL in April.



PS I thought I read a UAL announcement about a year ago that they were going to fly AKL via HOU? Did that ever materialize?