Just a year in, Hawaiian shutters its most exclusive lounge and VIP service
Hawaiian Airlines is bucking the trend by eliminating its most premium airport experience.
The Honolulu-based carrier will wind down its premium airport VIP service and close its Apartment 1929 lounge March 14, just over a year after the lounge's introduction.
The airline exclusively confirmed the premium strategy shift to TPG, with a carrier spokesperson saying in a statement that "we will sunset our Premium Airport Service on March 14 to focus on delivering an elevated lounge strategy."
Travel perks: 9 domestic lounges that are worth going out of your way for
The airline shared that it is "developing an enhanced lounge program with Alaska Airlines to bring greater value to more guests in Hawai'i and across our network." Last month, Hawaiian shared two renderings of its upcoming premium lounge that will debut in Honolulu at the end of 2027.
As such, Hawaiian isn't giving much notice to flyers about the closure, and it wasn't immediately clear why the airline is seemingly in such a rush to close the space and end its VIP ground handling more than two years before the upcoming premium lounge opens.
Apartment 1929 was a small, intimate space near The Plumeria Lounge in Terminal 1 at Daniel K. Inouye International Airport (HNL). The space, marketed as a private lounge, featured a full dining menu from Bar Leather Apron, a James Beard Award-winning bar in downtown Honolulu.
The lounge could hold just 24 guests, and it offered a handful of indoor and outdoor tables and luxurious shower facilities to refresh before a long-haul flight.
Access to the Apartment 1929 lounge — named for the year when Hawaiian was founded — was exclusively reserved for those who purchased the airline's Premium Airport Service. Hawaiian's concierge-esque program included a host of paid perks for departing, arriving or connecting passengers.
The program's rates started at $500 for a party of two and scaled up depending on the type of service you were looking for.
Pro tips: The biggest mistakes people make with travel rewards credit cards
These changes come as Hawaiian is in the midst of a major transformation with the ongoing integration into Alaska Airlines. The two carriers are developing a joint network strategy, retooling their commercial organizations and building a unified lounge strategy.
That said, while the combined airline has been adamant about expanding its premium offerings, this move is seemingly a step backward, especially given the airline industry's focus on premium experiences in recent years.
From new cabins to snazzy new lounges, premium has been the talk of the airline industry for months. Even budget carriers like JetBlue and ultra-low-cost discounters like Frontier Airlines are joining the bandwagon by debuting a domestic first-class product in the coming months.
Perhaps Hawaiian needs to shutter Apartment 1929 to make room for the construction of the new lounge, but that still doesn't explain why the carrier is suddenly ending its VIP ground services.
It'll be interesting to see if this program gets reintroduced in the coming years, but for now, deep-pocketed travelers who were looking to upgrade their Hawaiian Airlines ground experience will be out of luck.
Related reading:
- When is the best time to book flights for the cheapest airfare?
- The best airline credit cards
- What exactly are airline miles, anyway?
- 6 real-life strategies you can use when your flight is canceled or delayed
- Maximize your airfare: The best credit cards for booking flights
- The best credit cards to reach elite status
- What are points and miles worth? TPG's monthly valuations
TPG featured card
at Capital One's secure site
Terms & restrictions apply. See rates & fees.
| 5X miles | Earn 5X miles on hotels, vacation rentals and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel |
| 2X miles | Earn unlimited 2X miles on every purchase, every day |
Pros
- Stellar welcome offer of 75,000 miles after spending $4,000 on purchases in the first three months from account opening. Plus, a $250 Capital One Travel credit to use in your first cardholder year upon account opening.
- You'll earn 2 miles per dollar on every purchase, which means you won't have to worry about memorizing bonus categories
- Rewards are versatile and can be redeemed for a statement credit or transferred to Capital One’s transfer partners
Cons
- Highest bonus-earning categories only on travel booked via Capital One Travel
- LIMITED-TIME OFFER: Enjoy $250 to use on Capital One Travel in your first cardholder year, plus earn 75,000 bonus miles once you spend $4,000 on purchases within the first 3 months from account opening - that’s equal to $1,000 in travel
- Earn unlimited 2X miles on every purchase, every day
- Earn 5X miles on hotels, vacation rentals and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel
- Miles won't expire for the life of the account and there's no limit to how many you can earn
- Receive up to a $120 credit for Global Entry or TSA PreCheck®
- Use your miles to get reimbursed for any travel purchase—or redeem by booking a trip through Capital One Travel
- Enjoy a $50 experience credit and other premium benefits with every hotel and vacation rental booked from the Lifestyle Collection
- Transfer your miles to your choice of 15+ travel loyalty programs
- Top rated mobile app