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Hawaiian Airlines Premium Economy Seats Now Available For Purchase

Feb. 05, 2014
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4 min read
Hawaiian Economy Comfort
Hawaiian Airlines Premium Economy Seats Now Available For Purchase
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Hawaiian Airlines announced it would be adding premium economy seats to its long-haul A330's back in October, and it looks like the seats are finally on sale for flights starting August 1, 2014.

Hawaiian's new Extra Comfort section.

Billed as "Extra Comfort" seats, these are just Hawaiian's standard economy seats with 36 inches of legroom instead of the normal economy 31 inches. Still that extra 5 inches should make a difference on the airline's long-hauls like those from Honolulu to New York and Sydney. The A330's will have an Extra Comfort section of 40 seats total with 236 seats in economy and 18 seats in first. Hawaiian has no plans to refurbish its 767's, but will continue to offer paid Preferred Seating in bulkhead and exits, and only plans to operate a few of the planes by 2020 while phasing them out in favor of A330's.

The new seats will have AC power jacks (though these will actually be installed in phases, so your seat might not have one in August) as well as the following perks:

• Priority boarding at the departure gate

• Complimentary on-demand in-seat entertainment featuring dozens of movies, TV shows and more

• Personal electrical power outlet to charge laptops and other electronic devices*

• Souvenir pillow and blanket set (on international routes only)

• Premium meal selections (on international routes only)

Extra Comfort seats are going for as low as $40 each way, and are already on sale in August.
Extra Comfort seats are going for as low as $40 each way, and are already on sale in August.

It looks like the premium seats will cost $100 each way from the airline's hub in Honolulu to New York and Sydney, and $40-$60 each way to various West Coast cities based on the date and available fares.

Seats on the HNL-SYD route are going for $100 each way.
Seats on the HNL-SYD route are going for $100 each way.

For the time being, it doesn't look like you can book these seats outright using miles - there's no mention of them on the award chart, and the award calendar is just pricing out regular economy and first class options.

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The new premium economy seats aren't pricing out in awards yet.
The new premium economy seats aren't pricing out in awards yet.

However, when you get into the booking process and use your miles, when you get to the seat selection page, it will let you pick an Extra Comfort seat and pay to upgrade to it, the same as you would if booking a paid ticket.

You can book an economy award and pay to upgrade right now.
You can book an economy award and pay to upgrade right now.

So this could be an inexpensive way to use your miles and then pay a cash co-pay to upgrade. Just as a reminder, Hawaiian award tickets start at 20,000 miles each way between the Mainland and Honolulu. Hawaiian is also a transfer partner of Amex Membership Rewards, and also introduced new Barclaycard co-branded credit cards in January with sign-up bonuses of 35,000 miles - enough for a discounted roundtrip award from North America to Hawaii.

Hawaiian offers non-stop service to Hawaii from 11 US gateway cities as well as to Japan, South Korea, Taiwan, Australia, New Zealand, American Samoa, and Tahiti. April 2014 will see the launch of Honolulu-Beijing flights as well, and the airline operates around 160 intra-island flights each day.

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Why We Chose It

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Pros

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  • 3 points per dollar spent on flights booked directly with the airline or with amextravel.com
  • Packed with credits foodies will enjoy
  • Solid welcome bonus

Cons

  • Not as useful for those living outside the U.S.
  • Some may have trouble using Uber and other dining credits
  • You may be eligible for as high as 100,000 Membership Rewards® Points after you spend $6,000 in eligible purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership. Welcome offers vary and you may not be eligible for an offer. Apply to know if you’re approved and find out your exact welcome offer amount – all with no credit score impact. If you’re approved and choose to accept the Card, your score may be impacted.
  • Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on purchases at restaurants worldwide, on up to $50,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
  • Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent at US supermarkets, on up to $25,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
  • Earn 3X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on flights booked directly with airlines or on AmexTravel.com.
  • Earn 2X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on prepaid hotels and other eligible purchases booked on AmexTravel.com.
  • Earn 1X Membership Rewards® point per dollar spent on all other eligible purchases.
  • $120 Uber Cash on Gold: Add your Gold Card to your Uber account and get $10 in Uber Cash each month to use on orders and rides in the U.S. when you select an American Express Card for your transaction. That’s up to $120 Uber Cash annually. Plus, after using your Uber Cash, use your Card to earn 4X Membership Rewards® points for Uber Eats purchases made with restaurants or U.S. supermarkets. Point caps and terms apply.
  • $84 Dunkin' Credit: With the $84 Dunkin' Credit, you can earn up to $7 in monthly statement credits after you enroll and pay with the American Express® Gold Card at U.S. Dunkin' locations. Enrollment is required to receive this benefit.
  • $100 Resy Credit: Get up to $100 in statement credits each calendar year after you pay with the American Express® Gold Card to dine at U.S. Resy restaurants or make other eligible Resy purchases. That's up to $50 in statement credits semi-annually. Enrollment required.
  • $120 Dining Credit: Satisfy your cravings, sweet or savory, with the $120 Dining Credit. Earn up to $10 in statement credits monthly when you pay with the American Express® Gold Card at Grubhub, The Cheesecake Factory, Goldbelly, Wine.com, and Five Guys. Enrollment required.
  • Explore over 1,000 upscale hotels worldwide with The Hotel Collection and receive a $100 credit towards eligible charges* with every booking of two nights or more through AmexTravel.com. *Eligible charges vary by property.
  • No Foreign Transaction Fees.
  • Annual Fee is $325.
  • Terms Apply.