Hawaiian Airlines is getting ready to add premium economy to its workhorse fleet of long-haul planes.
Last week, executives at Hawaiian’s new parent company, Alaska Air Group, confirmed the comfortable recliners are planned for the airline’s Airbus A330s — older aircraft that Hawaiian uses heavily on flights between the U.S. mainland and the Aloha State, and on international routes from Honolulu to Asia, Australia, New Zealand and the South Pacific.
The premium economy cabin, which blends some of the comforts of business class at a lower price point, is part of a larger cabin overhaul for the older A330s, which TPG first reported in May.
Expect that refresh to include more lie-flat seats and an overall nicer onboard experience — not to mention the new cabin in the middle of the plane, executives said.
“We're going to be reconfiguring the A330s and increasing the first-class cabin ... we’re going to be putting premium — international premium economy — seats on [those planes],” Alaska Chief Financial Officer Shane Tackett said, speaking Thursday on the company’s earnings call.
Those cabin retrofits, Tackett noted, are expected over the “next few years” with “refreshed interiors and enhanced amenities.”
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Hawaiian Airbus A330 upgrades planned
It should be a welcome upgrade for Hawaiian’s A330s, for a few reasons.
One, the cabins are showing their age.
I flew the twin-aisle aircraft this spring when Hawaiian inaugurated Alaska Air Group’s first intercontinental service from Seattle-Tacoma International Airport (SEA) to Tokyo.
While a lie-flat seat is always welcome for a long flight, it is an overall dated product up front, with the 2-2-2 configuration — and without the universal direct aisle access that’s become the industry norm for new premium international cabins in recent years.
The coach cabin is coming due for a face-lift, too (although the fast, free Starlink Wi-Fi sure gives the experience a far more modern feel).
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Hawaiian losing some Boeing 787 Dreamliner service
Meanwhile, at least some of Hawaiian’s more traditional routes are due to lose service on its beautiful, brand-new Boeing 787 Dreamliners.
As TPG reported last week, Alaska Air Group is planning to swap in the Dreamliner on its Seattle flights to Tokyo’s Narita International Airport (NRT) starting in January.
That will mean the end of 787 service on at least one current Hawaiian route, a spokesperson for the airline confirmed.
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And, Alaska CEO Ben Minicucci has said the company's long-term plans include Alaska Airlines, not Hawaiian, operating long-haul Dreamliner service out of Seattle — presumably with the 787s Hawaiian had ordered before the two airlines merged last year.
“What you’ll see is all the flights, international flights out of Seattle, on 787s. It’ll be all 787s and it’ll be operated by Alaska,” Minicucci told me in an interview in May.
For Hawaiian’s part, that means its 24 A330s will remain the "backbone," as Minicucci put it, of its West Coast and international flying out of Hawaii for years to come.
“That’ll be the primary product,” he told me this spring. “We’re excited about the [A]330s. They have such a great niche in our fleet.”
Premium economy boom
Soon, that fleet will apparently offer premium economy, which has boomed in popularity in recent years.
A myriad of global airlines (including the top U.S. carriers) have added the more spacious recliners in the middle of their long-haul planes, which typically include an elevated dining service and a few extra service touches like amenity kits and better entertainment offerings, on top of the larger seat.
Earlier this month, United Airlines said it had underestimated the demand for its Premium Plus cabin when it added the premium economy section to its planes late last decade — and now plans to outfit its jets with more of those mid-tier seats.
Alaska 40% done with Boeing 737 updates
Like other carriers, Alaska and Hawaiian have seen premium seats play an outsize role in driving profits in recent years, as travelers have shown an increased willingness to pay extra for high-end seats.
For that reason, Alaska Airlines in 2024 started reconfiguring its own fleet of Boeing 737s with a higher number of first-class and extra-legroom seats.
Last week, executives said retrofits were complete on 90 of its 737s — about 40% of the planes the carrier planned to update.
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