United Airlines will add service between Orange County and Honolulu this summer, another unconventional route perfect for the unconventional age in which we live in.
United Airlines Adds Orange County – Honolulu Flights
Starting on May 6, 2021, United Airlines will add new service between Orange County and Honolulu.
The flights will operate daily according to the following schedule utilizing a Boeing 737-700 aircraft with 12 seats in first class and 114 in economy class:
- Depart Orange County (SNA) – 8:30am // Arrive Honolulu (HNL) – 11:30am
- Depart Honolulu (HNL) – 12:50pm // Arrive Orange County (SNA) – 9:10pm
Previously, United had announced it would be staring new service between Newark and Maui as well as Chicago and Kona.
The new SNA – HNL flights will be available for purchase tomorrow.
Patrick Quayle, United’s Vice President of International Network and Alliances (who also has Hawaii in his portfolio), noted:
“Our new Hawaii routes from Chicago, Newark and Orange County, in addition to the dozens of flights United already operates from the mainland to Hawaii, offer travelers even more options, greater convenience and shorter travel times to the fantastic outdoor offerings Hawaii has to offer.”
While John Wayne Airport, also known as Santa Ana or simply Orange County, is a fairly small United station, it does have a United Club and is one of the easiest airports in Southern California to park and navigate. The new flight is sure to attract traffic from the Orange County area.
Continental Airlines added service between SNA and both Honolulu and Maui in 2010. The flights did not preform well and were scrapped after one year.
Will Hawaiian or Southwest Also Add SNA – HNL Flights?
Hawaiian Airlines has hinted at new service from John Wayne but its new Airbus A321neos are too big for SNA’s short runway. Southwest could service Honolulu using the same 737-700 aircraft United will use. The move by United appears calculated at discouraging competition and is part of a a familiar playbook against Southwest in Hawaii.
> Read More: United’s Upgraded Hawaii Service a Ruse to Scare Away Southwest?
CONCLUSION
United will try Orange County – Honolulu flights once again. Hopefully this time the route will work out better than in 2010.
Will you travel on United between HNL and SNA?
image: Aero Icarus
I don’t believe WN could start this route as I believe only their 738 fleet us ETOPS certified. It seems like UA found a niche market that no one else can compete in.
They could possibly use the 737-8 , but I think it would take a payload hit.
WN can’t fly it. Their 73G’s all of them are non-ETOPS. However if they take their initial batch of 737-7 later this year, those are to be ETOPS ready.
Wow, interesting and good for OC. I am amazed they can get off that runway with a full load of fuel, passengers, freight for HNL.
HA fly’s this from SAN on a A321, so it boils down to convenience, cost and if you want to schlep up the 405 or down the 5.
As you know the return flight better not be late, or you end up at LAX. They go to bed early in Newport Beach.
Remember the former SNA-LAX flight?
We fly to Hawaii twice a year on United from LAX. We enjoy the 777 and the lie flat seats on a 5 hour plus flight. Sorry, a 737 is a fine plane for shorter durations. The headwinds going to Hawaii can be a little bumpy. Hope it works!
@Matthew
Neither of the UA 737-700 seat configurations seem to have 144 seats in Economy, unless I’m counting wrong. Did you mean 114?
Typo, indeed. Thanks! Adjusted to 114.
This was an old AQ route, and AQ use basically 73G to fly from HNL to all US west coast cities previously until it shut down 10 years ago
+100 for anything SNA
I remember when Aloha Air flew the same route in the early 2000’s. But even if the UA service does not work out, Long Beach still has HA and their 321’s.
Will the SNA runway give enough length for maximum take-off by B737-700? Will it be ETOP operation?
ETOP will be in operation. The runway is long enough as AQ and CO used to operate this route. Not sure if there will be weight restrictions.
any chance that UA shifts their Guam hub to Honolulu? Almost seems like a focus city now
No, Honolulu is already a base for UA too. Guam is mostly served as a greater freight service to its citizens.
Given that the market for this route is almost certainly Orange County leisure travelers looking for point-to-point convenience from a nearby airport, I’m surprised they didn’t launch SNA-OGG instead.
As an Orange County resident, at least anecdotally, I feel like there’s much more demand for Maui here. At the very least, that route would have nonexistent competition from the next closest airport with Hawaii service (LGB), unlike with HNL.
There is a LGB-OGG flight on Southwest, so I don’t follow your last point
I am clearly way behind on keeping up with new routes.
It looks like Hawaiian is picking up that route in addition to Southwest too.
I stand corrected. I guess there’s plenty of competition after all.
We wish American Airlines flew bigger aircraft to Hawaii, we fly their new A321’s non stop LAX to Orlando. Best hot fudge sundaes in the skies and a beautiful aircraft.
Im surprised the plane can take off from that small runway with enough fuel to reach hawaii.