Hawaiian Airlines Comfort Class

A French Airbus A330 is pretty wide and when it's new, very comfortable (although I have gotten backaches in the new seats).

On our recent flight to Oakland on Hawaiian Airlines (HA), we sat in Comfort Class, what used to be called Business Class, I guess, for a little higher fare. We got early boarding, slightly better seats, and several inches more legroom.

Comfort Class on HA’s A330 is right behind First Class, with no separation between the sections – no wall, no curtain. First Class's seats are configured in three rows of 2-2-2. Comfort Class's seats are lined up 2-4-2 right behind it.

We could see First Class being pampered, as we are when we are fortunate enough to upgrade, and I was pretty envious. I heard the flight attendant reciting their dinner menu and overheard something like "Asparagus wrapped in roasted red peppers and eggplant," which made me very envious. My mouth watered.

Comfort Class Meal 1
(HNL-OAK) Turkey Sandwich

We had a hot turkey "salad" sandwich. It was okay. On the return trip we had pasta noodles. It was tasteless.

First Class was served a cheese and fruit appetizer, and I could smell Parmesan. Now, that gave my tummy hunger-rumbles.

Then, a guy across aisle from me ate a piece of dried octopus (a Hawaii favorite). He ended up with stinky fishy octopus on his breath and I could smell it when he talked to the flight attendant. Thank God for the cheese aroma from First Class.

Comfort Class Meal 2
(OAK-HNL) Tasteless Pasta

Comfort is comfort only when it's comfortable, and it's not comfortable when the dried-octopus-breath guy is also the father of a crying baby.

Actually, I feel sorry for parents of crying babies on an airplane because there's not a lot one can so to stop the crying when the baby is majorly uncomfortable ... except for using drugs, and that's just not acceptable.

I just wish they'd been 20 rows farther back away from me.

Actually, there’s an interesting side story connected with a crying baby on the return flight. I’ll tell you about it another time.