WN is already having a positive impact on the Hawaii market from a consumer perspective. When I was there in November, HI's inter-island flights were $69-$89 while WN's were $39 as an introductory special. Going back in a few weeks, HI inter-island flights start at $39 or $44. We win!

I just can’t seem to wrap my head around flying a 737 to Hawaii. I will always remember the 70’s flying on DC-10’s, 747’s and various other wide-bodies. But yeah I’m with you Scott in feeling weird about flying over the ocean knowing there is nowhere to land if there’s a problem. The good news is is that air travel is much safer than it was in years past. Thanks for another cool video!❤️✈️

I think one of the main pluses for flying SWA is that their prices can undercut UA/DAL/AA, especially if you’re not flying out of one of their hubs. I’m totally cool with their open seating policy, it means everyone gets there and the plane departs quicker. If anything, it incentives people to pay for the priority boarding so they can snag a better seat before other people. Edit: also the free 2 bags is phenomenal.

12:52 those are Southwest pilots for ya right there. They’re known for taxiing fast, braking hard, and smooth landings lol. I recently flew on one of their 737 max’s, and they are great airplanes when they aren’t crashing into the ground.

I regularly fly Southwest from Fort Lauderdale to visit my sister in Phoenix, usually connecting through Austin. Seating and connections always smooth as can be, always 2-3 gates from each other. I've only had one problem when FLL was closed because of severe thunderstorms and we diverted to Orlando.We still made it in safely. Free check in bags, the best airfares, I only use SW.

I haven’t flown Southwest in years and was looking for a recent review to see what’s changed. I appreciate your comments and views of the interior (I couldn’t find any on their website). Also your explanation of the upgraded boarding process helped a lot- I never liked the “cattle call” seating process either. Anyway, I don’t know if I’ll fly to Hawaii on SW but I probably would feel more comfortable doing a shorter flight. Thanks!

Excellent video Scott!

Great to see you fly out of HNL! Similarly, I flew on my first 737 Max 8 last winter but with WestJet instead. Thanks for uploading Scott!

I'm flying LAX to HNL on a Southwest Max 8 pretty soon so it's cool to see what to expect! Love your videos!

I fly pretty much only Southwest as UA and DL are the only other options in my city and are extremely expensive. You can just buy the early bird automatic check in for $25 and still have a good boarding position. I’ve always been in a window seat. YMMV of course, but for the price, I really thing WN can’t be beat at least here at my home in COS.

Your comment regarding what you perceived to be a quick taxing speed, reminds me of a vblog I read/saw yesterdsy by a professional pilot. He remarked that Southwest pilots are known for rapid ground maneuvering, all complying with safety rules and protocols. Quick turnaround seems to be one of a SW management mantra.

I love SWA and thank goodness for them that HI is that much more accessible. I would easily fly them over the competition unless I was an oversized person. SWA will have to adapt their model with the growth they dream of though. Isnt it weird how having an extra aisle and the nominal added cabin height somehow feels more pleasant?

I enjoy the seating policy on southwest. You see a seat you can sit in it. Boarding is a lot faster to me.

Feels really weird flying a 737 over the pond to Hawaii. Man have times changed this much? Nice review! Those Max's Southwest have look really nice!

Hello Scott. Very nice trip report. My spouse and I have flown Southwest Airlines out of Buffalo/Niagara Int'l Airport to Arizona and Florida numerous times (we are located in Ontario, Canada) and find them very worthwhile for the price paid. I agree that it sounds funny seeing them fly to Hawaii from the US as I would be used to a main carrier like Hawaiian Airlines or United Airlines but for the price paid, it probably is a better deal if you can cope with the flight time. My spouse and I have always brought our own food on our flights which makes it easier and more economical on the trip. Keep up the good work!

I read they will be upgrading all of their planes with power outlets in the very near future👍🏼✈️

Your my favorite you tuber man no joke love your videos always makes my day better

New camera scott? Looks INCREDIBLE, my goodness. Circle of death is what prevents me from ever using an airline out of there. Once boarded my jet blue mint suite from there, it felt sensationally illegal.

Having that extra empty seat next to you really helps. Flew BWI-SAV last week on a 100% full plane and I felt claustrophobic even with an aisle seat.

Passengers bringing their own food aboard flights just adds to the Greyhound bus experience of Southwest.

Scott - Absolutely love you content! I work for SWA in ground operations on the East Coast and wanted to offer a, ahem, point of clarification.... the water we serve on board isn't tap... it's Deja Blue canned filtered water. Thanks for flying with us! I'm hoping to take us to Hawaii sometime soon! And, once again, love the SANSpotter content!

I Have Nver Been Aboard Southwest Great Work

Ahh yes a new video 😆 I was starting to think that you'd never upload a video again but you did!

Excellent video.

Great video! I’ve only flown Hawaiian for my 4 trips to Hawaii. SW prices are very appealing. Your video has everything i was looking for. Especially you comparing it to Hawaiian

I am so so glad that seat next to you was free. Yes, I would like more of food service along with drinks for that long-haul flight. And I would also go to a lounge before and after that flight to relax and have some champagne and wine and meals as well. I still need a wide body to fly the long haul flights. And I still miss the 747-400s. But for now, the 777s with Business Class or Polaris Class and Premium Economy on many airlines are good. I am so glad that Lufthansa is flying their 747-800 out of Chicago to Germany. And they are still flying the Airbus 340s with 4 engines as well. Well, again, thank you for sharing this 737 flight over to Hawaii.

Great video! You should fly Hawaiian’s A321 NEO to Maui if you’re ever headed out that way. I think that would be more of an apt comparison to the 737 Max. Most people look at the ticket price and aren’t willing to pay a little more for a way better inflight experience with Hawaiian.

Great content as always.

I love how you cut your content! Much to learn from you.

Maybe a comparison video flying to HNL on a 737 with Alaska Airlines! I do agree widebody is the way to go. My first flight to HNL was a DC-10 with Hawaiian.

1:28 - 1:33 *"Curiosity also killed the cat, so I'm probably screwed."* 😂😂

My brother works for SW and confirmed that they will be installing usb outlets in every seat! Should be ready to go by 2024. :D

MAX 8 deliveries from spring/summer forward will have in seat power. They'll also begin retrofitting current MAX8/-800 acft (and eventually the 7M) with power. Don't know about existing 700s since many of them are well past halfway in their time & cycle counts and a good number of those are leased. It's still boggling to know that most full service/mainline carriers use narrow bodies for service to the islands now. But each airframe used is ETOPS certified so any issue over water is just as likely/unlikely as any other aircraft in service for those routes.

Thank you for sharing this flight to paradise.

I've taken Alaska from Seattle to Maui with a 737. Not bad at all for me.

As a fellow SAN passenger, I'm totally with you on your feelings about WN. My hard and fast rule is to only fly them if it's a

You paid to board early. What difference did it make if you had an assigned seat or you choose your own?

I'm sure Hawaiian Air isn't happy about Southwest long hauling but if that means I can have more options possibly cheaper I'd take it. 😉 Safe travels always

Scott, I’d take this flight with you anytime since it’s Southwest!

They also run between the islands, more of that in the future as well. Within the next 5 to 10 years, you'll also be able to fly all over Canada, Alaska Airlines is in the crosshairs, what a nice acquisition that will be

I do agree with SWA needing to go to assigned seating. It in my opinion it would expedite the on time process and stop everyone stowing their stuff towards the front of the aircraft and slowing everyone else down. I flew AA first class to HNL in January and their A321 did not have video screens behind even first class seats. In my opinion SWA has a better movie selection than AA. I’ve flown several MAX 800 aircraft and found them to be a quiet aircraft.

Southwest is the best low cost carrier ever

Based here in HNL! You can routinely find flights on American for sub $150 each way from LAX. Southwest is fine for island hopping tho!

Great video Scott! 🤩 wow! A 737 MAX 8 all the way across the pacific to HNL! Wow! That still just blows my mind that a 737 MAX or A320neo family jets can fly that far away over the LARGEST STRETCH OF OCEAN in the WORLD still never ceases to amaze me! 🎉😂 I can’t wait to fly Southwest Airlines someday soon anyways and maybe I’ll take a 737 MAX to Hawaii someday! Cheers 🥂 Caleb’s Aviation Hey I’ve also got a question: Last time you headed to HNL you said that you wanted to try and fly the ANA 🇯🇵 A380 “Flying Honu” from HNL-NRT will that trip ever happen btw?? 🤔

Sitting on the right is best for the view of Diamond Head and Waikiki Beach, sad it looked like the clouds obscured a bit. Also since you landed runway 4R you're vectored out to a base and final southwest of the airport. More often I've gone to runway 8R, the "reef" runway. BTW I'm retired United pilot and, yes, Southwest pilots are renowned in our profession for being taxi speed demons. You see, unlike other carriers they aren't paid by block to block flight time, but by "leg". Unless it's changed recently (?)

Power outlets are coming! Heard from my dad who’s a SWA pilot

Thanks for this video review. It is helpful seeing this before I fly SW for the first time, soon. Plus, I haven't flown anywhere for 9 years. I have anxiety/claustrophobia, for which I've had exposure therapy treatment, but it's difficult to do for flying. But watching this video is actually therapeutic and offers a level of exposure that is helpful, and I can practice visualizing myself boarding and selecting a seat, etc. I'm definitely paying for business select when I take a 4 hr. nonstop on this same aircraft from the Midwest to the west coast soon. Worth it to reduce anxiety. I was wondering... you appeared to have decent leg room, but it would be helpful to know how tall you are. Thanks again!

It was fine - flew from SMF-OGG. Managed to get the middle seat empty, then flight home got the whole row to myself.

I love the seating policy… I’m disabled and need pre boarding because of fear /turbulence I need to sit forward in the plane first 3-4 rows

Do you know what elevated structure is that's going in front of Terminal 1? I can't tell if it's trolley tracks or an actual roadway (we need both)!

Thanks for making this video because now I know the only benefit for business is to board first but the seats are all the same. Uncomfortable is you’re flying for over 4 hours

Southwest will be putting power outlets in! 🎉

Just got back from Maui and it seemed like almost entirely Southwest planes flying in and out.

We used to see them as a good option, until i flew home to San Diego for Christmas this past year and got stuck. At least I was home with family, but still sometimes that can be torture during the holidays..

Greatest, and I got Surfshark

As a fellow San Diegan I try to avoid Terminal 1 at all costs, it's just so painful...I really only fly SWA if I want to go to Vegas, for lack of alternatives... I have flown nothing but Alaska Airlines to Hawaii (and to JFK/EWR for that matter), no reason to change that, especially as I have had a 50% success rate with First Class upgrades, thanks to MVP (Gold). I love AS!

Agree with you, Scott; I do not like the open seating policy; I like knowing where I am going to sit, although I guess they have improved it since the old days when some people would knock elderly people out of the way to get to their seats. Also never liked Southwest on longer flights due to the lack of inflight service, but you received more from Southwest than I did flying American from Miami to Los Angeles, so what's the difference anymore unless they are an airline with seatback entertainment.

You are a brave man. I would never select them to fly to hawaii

Have you heard about the Southwest first class lounge? It’s in the basement and they serve you fried chicken while you sit at picnic tables.😅

When i lived in San Diego and flew to Hawaii it was always a Delta L1011 with full service. I guess no more wide bodies to and from SD and Hawaii these days?

Tacky !

I love southwest but 5 hours on a 737 sounds painful. Best flight to hawaii I ever had was a delta 767. Perfect amount of room

that brownie brittle hits different

I live in Hawaii and Southwest has a better seat between islands. Hawaiian Air's seats are plywood covered in cardboard, whereas Southwest does use a bit of cushion. Also, Hawaiian does not fly to all the islands non-stop from the mainland, but Southwest at least does for some of the islands.

Hey! San Diego native here! Love the videos!

5:40 is the money shot! 🥵🥵

Hey Scott! Nice video! Seems like its slowed down lately, how often are you releasing new content?

Agreed, SW open seating boarding is horrible

Having flown Hawaiian Air, I am intrigued with this video... lol. I love Hawaiian Air.

You’re looking at the seating policy the wrong way. With Southwest you actually get to choose what neighbor you want to sit next to when you have an assigned seat you’re just kind of stuck.

The most Southwest route on Southwest

I'm SAN based and I'm glad your channel is raising awareness to the public on just how truly awful T1 is. I honestly believe it is the worst terminal in the continental US (for mid-major airports). My mom flies a decent amount for business, (almost always on WN or AS) and she agrees that every other airport that she visits is a substantial improvement to SAN's T1. I scratch my head when people rank SAN so highly when one of its terminals is effectively the NYC port authority bus terminal. Also I share your views on the open seating policy to some extent, there is a lot of issues now of people abusing pre and family boarding as a result, I'm sort of puzzled why they are so stuck to a policy that no other major airline has, although I have always been able to score great seats even without paying extra, just spam the check in Butten right when T-24 hours hits.

Last time I flew Southwest from my home In Atlanta I had 2 teenage girls sit next to me. As a 16 year old, that felt awkward…maybe luv on Southwest?

Are there any seats with extra space for tall people ???

I totally agree with you about paying extra for Hawaiian Airlines! The first time I went to Hawaii it was with Southwest for only $240 ish round trip, but being young and dumb this was so worth it! A few years pass now and I can’t figure out how I made it through almost 6 hours on that plane after experiencing Hawaiian airlines! Hawaiian was double the fare but the service definitely makes up for it! You get the full experience with Hawaiian :)

I think southwest are very good for these flights, the price is competitive, there is a lot of legroom (in my opinion) the food is more extensive than on other airlines in economy. I prefer the seats on the MAX 8 with SWA than the HA A330-200!

Love flying southwest from home (Hawaii) to mainland and vice versa. Numerous flights to choose from throughout the day, very affordable pricing, 2 free checked bags, very good in flight entertainment offerings, love the generous drinks and snack box. Flight attendants are friendly and funny. Planes are new and clean. Way better than what Hawaiian offers tbh.

Luckily for me, being visually impaired has its perks. Or as I call it BLIND PRIVILEGE. I get to pre-board before everyone else without even paying one penny extra. In fact open seating is why I love Southwest so much. Because I know my favorite seats will always be available.

My wife and I vowed to never take WN to Hawaii, but after missing our Hawaiian flight from SAN to OGG we had to find a a backup plan. Because we’ve booked our hotel we didn’t want to forfeit a nights stay. My idea was to drive to LAX and catch a late flight on AA, but as soon as I said the word “drive” it was an immediate NO! She shockingly found a quick solution SAN-OAK-OGG $125 per person one-way! Within an hour we were on our way to OGG via OAK. It was a humbling experience for us, but since when did we become these snobs that WN is below us when it comes to flying to the islands? Unfortunately we didn’t get to sit together but we were close and my seatmate was wonderful. His own family was scattered throughout the cabin. The overall experience wasn’t terrible. My wife later said because of southwest It allowed families like my seatmate on a budget to access the islands. With that said it softened my stance on flying WN to hawaii. Still Hawaiian will be my first choice. It already feels like a vacation as soon as you step foot on their planes 😁

Also for the record if youre drinking straight up water served to you from a flight attendant thats not dirty ass water from another airport its 100% bottled water. Completely different from the dubious water used to brew coffee from the airplanes water system.

I haven't flown on Southwest for probably 7 or 8 years, but I'm gonna use them to island hop a couple times when we go to Hawaii in a couple months. I actually feel guilty for not using Hawaiian Airlines!

Great video! Heading to Honolulu in December for Christmas and I still have to book flights, definitely not flying Southwest.

Do a flight from San Diego to Portland next on Alaska

This is why I am flying United from Denver to San Diego

Better hope the pilots are trained on that MCAS 😂

I’m interested in how SWA is doing on the Inter island connection. Aloha went under and see if SWA bails out on that in near future.

Why did you have 2 different phones

Agreed. Flying out of TPA, Southwest has majority of the marketshare, followed by Delta. Hopefully Southwest will eliminate the open seating policy, and add power outlets! One day. lol.

I'm quite a fan of Southwest. I wonder if they will ever venture in to the trans Atlantic market?

Nice video as always, as a canadian I flew southwest for the first time inter island in January was impressed but can definitely see how it may not be as fun on a longer flight.

The Mr. Mobile of Airlines

I flew the max 9 with united in coach from lax to SFO to connect to my mileage business class ticket on Asiana airlines to ICN.

How does the FAA not bust SWA for their taxi speeds?

Hey Scott i'm thinking about becoming a Patreon. But when i click your link it doesn't show me the sign up options. Am i doing something wrong?

"Unmatched opulence of Terminal 1" 😂🤣😂🤣😂🤣 Fellow San Diegan feels your pain.

It's been some years now since the low cost airlines in Europe dropped the free seating model. I'm kind of surprised that Southwest persists in it. The likes of Ryanair and EasyJet see seats as an extra revenue source, from just a couple of pounds to reserve seats at the back to fifteen or twenty pounds for seats at the front or at emergency exits. The fact these are extra means that the airlines can keep the headline cheap fares and if you want you can just accept what the airline gives you but pick your own seat, add a checked bag or even a full sized carry-on and maybe speedy boarding and you can see your cheap thirty pound ticket suddenly cost you over a hundred. As for long overwater legs in a 737 Max, I crossed the Atlantic last year in an Air Canada example. It was as acceptable for a transatlantic flight as any other ETOPS rated aircraft.

Great video! I’ve often wondered about this service. Their planes start to feel uncomfortable at the 3 hour mark. Not a bad option for short hops, but for my long hauls are typically AA

Power outlets/charging coming to new swa planes this year

I’m waiting for Southwest’s new marketing slogan for its Hawaii routes: Can’t Get Anymore Southwest Than Hawaii

It’s not that hard to pick a seat. It’s all the same. A-B groups won’t be stuck in middle seat