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Hawaiian Airlines Unveils New 787 Business Class With Double-Bed Suites

April 02, 2019
3 min read
Ascent Business Class for Hawaiian 787 - 1
Hawaiian Airlines Unveils New 787 Business Class With Double-Bed Suites
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Hawaiian Airlines announced on Tuesday its new business-class product, to be installed on its 10 forthcoming Boeing 787-9 Dreamliners arriving in the fleet from 2021.

Only two pictures of the seat have so far been revealed, but show a 1-2-1 configuration with middle seats that turn into a double bed, in a similar way to Qatar Airways award winning QSuites. Hawaii is a popular destination especially for honeymoons, and this would be a great option for couples traveling together.

Adient Aerospace, the seat's manufacturer, told TPG at the Aircraft Interiors Expo in Hamburg that the seats feature a sliding door, turning them into a suite. The double bed will have a small divider between the two seats so it won't be a true double bed, as the mattress pads will not touch each other, and the seats will be slightly angled out, rather than facing directly straight ahead.

The Ascent Seating System seat is the first by Adient Aerospace, a joint venture between Boeing and Adient, which traditionally manufactures automotive seating. The seat has been specifically designed for the Boeing 787, with Hawaiian Airlines as the launch customer.

Ascent Adient Aerospace Seat (Source: Adient Aerospace)
Ascent Adient Aerospace Seat (Source: Adient Aerospace)

The images show the base model, which Hawaiian will customize. Adient says the color and fabric Hawaiian ultimately chooses are likely to be quite different, to suit a more tropical image.

While Adient has a large exhibit at the Hamburg event to showcase the seat, the company has taken the unusual step of having the contents of the stand completely obscured from view, and only inviting potential customers to view and test the seat, rather than any media.

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The official images look like a huge step up from the existing Hawaiian Airlines A330 business/domestic first class product.

Hawaiian Airlines A330 Business Class.

"We couldn’t be more pleased for Adient Aerospace and Collins Aerospace to join us in creating a distinctively Hawaiian cabin experience in our future flagship aircraft," Avi Mannis, Senior Vice President of Marketing for Hawaiian Airlines, said.

Hawaiian's 787 main cabin will feature the Aspire seat from Collins Aerospace.

Collins Aerospace Aspire Coach Seating (Source: Collins Aerospace)

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  • Recommended Credit

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Why We Chose It

There’s a lot to love about the Amex Gold. It’s a fan favorite thanks to its fantastic bonus-earning rates at restaurants worldwide and at U.S. supermarkets. If you’re hitting the skies soon, you’ll also earn bonus Membership Rewards points on travel. Paired with up to $120 in Uber Cash annually (for U.S. Uber rides or Uber Eats orders, card must be added to Uber app and you can redeem with any Amex card), up to $120 in annual dining statement credits to be used with eligible partners, an up to $84 Dunkin’ credit each year at U.S. Dunkin Donuts and an up to $100 Resy credit annually, there’s no reason that foodies shouldn’t add the Amex Gold to their wallet. These benefits alone are worth more than $400, which offsets the $325 annual fee on the Amex Gold card. Enrollment is required for select benefits. (Partner offer)

Pros

  • 4 points per dollar spent on dining at restaurants worldwide and U.S. supermarkets (on the first $50,000 in purchases per calendar year; then 1 point per dollar spent thereafter and $25,000 in purchases per calendar year; then 1 point per dollar spent thereafter, respectively)
  • 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.