hawaiian airlines 717

What Hawaiian Airlines Boeing 717 Fleet Upgrade Means To You

Hawaiian Airlines is in the process of updating its fleet of eighteen Boeing 717 jets with new interiors and new modern seating. Here’s what to expect and what it means for your future inter-island flights. Hawaiian Airlines provides over 160 flights daily between the Hawaiian Islands on the 717 fleet.

  • New thinner than normal, lightweight seats will permit more seats in less room without compromising seating comfort.
  • The new seats will not recline. From our experience that isn’t really an issue of flights lasting from twenty minutes to an hour.
  • Hawaii Airlines’ Boeing 717 fleet will continue to be the workhorse of the islands. Each plane has an average age of 13 years.
  • Expected to be completed later in 2015, the changes will provide for a 128-seat configuration on each plane. Currently those planes seat 118 to 123 passengers.
  • These changes will consolidate the existing five different cabin configurations on their inter-island fleet to produce a standard experience in economy and first class when flying inter-island.

 Beat of Hawaii says: “We still expect to see Hawaiian begin the replacement process for the inter-island fleet within the next few years.”

We haven’t flown in one of the newly configured aircraft yet. Have you? We look forward to reporting on this change soon.

2 thoughts on “What Hawaiian Airlines Boeing 717 Fleet Upgrade Means To You”

  1. As someone who travels to the Big Island every few months, I have come to hate the new seats on Hawaiian Airlines’ Boeing 717’s. Yes, they are trying to squeeze more of us into the planes like sardines. I often feel like I am riding on The Bus with these crappy new seats. There was nothing wrong with the original seats that came with the 717s. Hawaiian Air is just greedy, squeezing in more seats and jacking up the prices at the same time. Things would be different if they had a major competitor on the interisland routes.

  2. so what does this all mean: less filthy seating, no more (even less) room so my knees will still be touching the seat in front of me; the tray table will almost hit my tummy; the challenge of getting out of the seat w/o twisting my arthritic body will still be there and the warm juices and water will still be available. thank goodness these are only 20 minute flt for most legs of a trip. the only advantage here is to HAL which will be making more money. the traveler be damned. not a fan of the outrageously expensive inter-island travel (but that is a whole other letter). i’d say this is a giant wolf in sheep’s clothing.

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