Dec 31 2009
Is Hawaiian’s Coach Plus Worth It?
Hawaiian Air’s new “Coach Plus” won’t give you any more legroom, or different seats. Now that we’ve gotten the confusion with United’s Economy plus out of the way, here’s what the new offering does give you:
Inter-island. For a cost of $16 extra per flight segment, you’ll receive:
- Free same day stand-by
- No fee when changing flights
- 50% bonus miles
Trans-Pacific. For a cost of $45 extra each way, you’ll receive:
- Two free checked bags
- No change fees
- 25% discount on future inter-island flight
Our recommendations:
1. Consider Coach Plus when you may need to change flights. The extra cost is nominal in comparison with Hawaiian’s stiff change fees, which start at $150 each way trans-Pacific, and $25 each way, inter-island.
2. It can also save you money if you’ll be checking bags trans-Pacific, where bag fees otherwise vary from $40 to $50 for two bags each way.
3. If you don’t fit into either of these categories, I’d pass.
