Hawaiian schedules 1st Boeing 787 flights with sleek new cabins
It's the dawn of a new era for Hawaiian Airlines.
The Honolulu-based carrier will finally inaugurate its long-awaited Boeing 787 Dreamliners in the spring, the airline announced this week.
The initial launch schedule will include three routes to the West Coast, as follows:
- Honolulu to San Francisco: Daily from April 15 to May 14
- Honolulu to Los Angeles: Select flights starting May 15
- Maui to Los Angeles: Select flights starting May 15
Flights are already available for booking on Hawaiian's website.
Hawaiian will start flying the planes to the West Coast, where it operates maintenance bases, before deploying its 787s on longer routes to Boston, Sydney and beyond.
For Hawaiian, adding new Dreamliners has been a long time coming. The airline officially placed its order in 2018, but the order suffered delivery delays. Now, the airline expects the first of its 12 Boeing 787-9 Dreamliners in January, with additional deliveries planned through 2027 — representing a nearly three-year delay from the original plan.
Passengers have lots to get excited about with Hawaiian's new jets.
Most notably, the plane will be the first on which Hawaiian offers a truly cutting-edge, business-class product. These twin-aisle jets will feature 34 business-class suites spread across seven rows in a 1-2-1 configuration.
Perhaps most interestingly, the product blends an outward- and inward-facing layout across the cabin. The window pods face away from the aisle to maximize privacy, while the center seats face away from each other, facing the aisle but giving passengers some privacy from their seatmates.
Hawaiian went with Adient Aerospace's Ascent product for its business-class cabin; the carrier is marketing it as the Leihoku, or garland of stars, suite.
I've flown this product before with Qatar Airways, and it's a supremely comfortable pod, especially once the sliding doors are closed.
Throughout the cabin (and plane), you'll notice plenty of Hawaiian influences. For one, the airline is installing starry ceiling lights — in a nod to the constellations that guided Polynesian voyagers at night — above the business-class cabin to enhance the sleep experience on its Dreamliners.
The welcome area next to door 2L is inspired by Hawaii's native wood grains, while the purple overhead light in this area is patterned like a local flower.
The nose-to-tail mood lighting supposedly reflects scenes from the Hawaiian archipelago, including soft daylight, and soothing sunrises and sunsets. The carpeting's deep aqua color is designed to give an ocean vibe.
Other touches include the Hawaiian language integrated into the seat numbers and on placards throughout the plane. Even the lavatory occupancy signs are designed with Hawaiian dresses and shirts for the female and male figures.
Meanwhile, in economy, the airline will offer 266 seats in a standard 3-3-3 configuration. The seats aren't necessarily slimline like you'd find on an ultra-low-cost carrier, but they don't appear nearly as well padded as some other economy seats in the skies.
That said, Hawaiian touts that these seats feature more shoulder and hip room thanks to a modern design.
Most seats will offer 31 inches of pitch. However, 79 economy seats will be sold as Extra Comfort, offering 4 more inches of pitch, additional legroom and access to universal AC outlets.
All told, the Dreamliner will quickly become the flagship jet in Hawaiian's fleet. I, for one, can't wait to fly on it myself.
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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
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- 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.
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- Annual Fee is $325.
- Terms Apply.
Rewards Rate
| 4X | 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. |
| 4X | 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. |
| 3X | Earn 3X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on flights booked directly with airlines or on AmexTravel.com. |
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You may be eligible for as high as 100,000 Membership Rewards® Points after spending $6,000 in eligible purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Membership. Welcome offers vary and you may not be eligible for an offer.As High As 100,000 points. Find Out Your Offer.Annual Fee
$325Recommended Credit
Credit ranges are a variation of FICO® Score 8, one of many types of credit scores lenders may use when considering your credit card application.Excellent to Good
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.