We continue to fly back and forth between Hawaii and the mainland to give you our reviews of different airlines and their classes of service. The airlines don’t know we’re coming, and we pay our way. So how much we spend is important to us, and we know it is to most of you too.
Many of you have commented that your preference is Hawaiian Airlines First Class on their wide-body A330 aircraft. Those feature lie-flat seating, meaning you’re in for a great nap and a deluxe meal on your way to Hawaii.
Luxury, yes. But at what price? We have sticker shock.
This one caught us by surprise. We weren’t expecting prices quite this high on airlines offering deluxe lie-flat seats. But here’s what we learned.
Those who can afford it want to travel at the top of luxury, no matter the cost.
We started looking to see how much we will need to pay to bring reviews of first-class flights to Hawaii reviews to you. And some of what we found just surprised us. Things have changed, and here are a few examples, with a picture saying more than words. These were not unusual prices; they are now more the norm.
Keep in mind that if you choose to fly to Hawaii on other narrowbody planes without lie-flat seats (beds), the prices were very different and typically ran about 1/2 the cost of a lie-flat seat.
Why is the lie-flat first class to Hawaii so expensive?
The perks associated with first-class to Hawaii are pretty obvious. They include much more legroom, larger and more comfortable seats, greatly improved in-flight service, and maybe even a bed. It’s evident that such perks wouldn’t come cheap.
Oh, by the way, most airlines now call these business class, while others (notably Hawaiian), still refer to their business class as first class).
Is flying first class worth it?
We’re going to leave that to you. But it always feels better to be in first class, especially when you have figured out a way to do it for less. In Jeff’s recent example, he paid the equivalent of $400 to fly first class to Hawaii, albeit without a lie-flat bed. Would he have been as satisfied if he had paid multiple times more than that, even if it included a bed? Perhaps not.
How expensive is lie-flat first class to Hawaii?
The price varies greatly. It will be far more for longer flights and on wide-body planes with lie-flat seating. It also differs significantly by date. Frequently buying either far in advance or just before departure may yield the lowest prices for first class. First class is not a part of economy Hawaii airfare sales.
American Airlines lie-flat vs. economy.
- Available on wide-body flights from Chicago and Dallas.
- Economy class example shown $596.
- Lie-flat First class example shown $4,194.
Delta Airlines lie-flat vs. economy.
- Available on wide-body flights from Atlanta, Detroit, Minneapolis, and New York.
- Economy class example shown $1,099.
- Lie-flat first class example shown $3,075.
Hawaiian Airlines lie-flat vs. economy.
- Available on all wide-body flights from Boston, Las Vegas, Los Angeles, New York, Phoenix, San Diego, San Francisco, and Seattle.
- Economy class example shown $169
- Lie-flat first class example shown $1,639
- You can also bid for first class on Hawaiian.
United Airlines lie-flat vs. economy.
- Available on some wide-body flights from Chicago, Denver, Houston, Los Angeles, Newark, San Francisco, and Washington, D.C.
- Economy Class example shown $209
- Lie-Flat First Class example shown $1,860
If you’re flying lie-flat to Hawaii, please tell us how much you are willing to pay. Is this getting out of hand?
Get Breaking Hawaii Travel News
I am flying from Oregon so not worth it. But i just looked into flying business class to Europe. 4x for BC. But if use miles and book ahead 11 months it was doable. Coach $1100, BC $4000. Or BC with 120,000 miles and $200 @ person. Through Alaska Airlines and partners. So i assume can do same in reverse from east coast.
Sitting (or lying down) in the front of the airplane has just increased big time between the mainland and Hawaii. Likely due to the current travel surge and non-stop tourist promotion of Hawaii, including this blog. First class lie down seating on Hawaiian Airlines from Boston to Honolulu just jumped from $5,000 to $8,000 r/t! Similar airfare hikes have occurred for first class on American and United in the last month. These prices will only go up as long as the demand increases.
We have flown multiple times on AA from Dallas to either HNL or KOA in business class with the lie flat beds. We’ve not paid, but have turned in frequent flyer miles for the seats.
During Covid, the redemption rates were reasonable. This current trip; not so much.
AA has recently allowed access in DFW to the Flagship lounge before flight, whose food and drink is certainly a step above the normal airline lounges.
Would I pay the premium? Probably not. But, the lie flat seats, the staff at the HNL AAdmirals club are very nice to have.
By the way, the prices mentioned are highly variable. Presently SYR-HNL is about $560 one way in coach, $2,700 in biz. Our return to PHL is $289 one way.
Mahalo
Which 1st class flight pattern was that on Hawaiian?
Their RT flat bed service has gotten crazy
Expensive…. Compare it to RT1st class pre COVID. during the height of COVID I got the value… but now???? Just like
After 911 when all airlines started charging for bags & have made tons of profits since, they were able to get some of these prices during COVID & are not going to go back unless they are somehow made to. The 1st clas service on Hawaiian is no better today than it was 3 years ago. They are consistent …. Just seeming greedy!
On Hawaiian Airlines’ website you have to be careful you are looking at a roundtrip rather than one leg. That seems like a one way or one leg of a trip price for them.
We fly first class on the United flight from Denver to OGG about half the time, depending on the price. The wide bodies have a premium class that’s cheaper than first class but it has wider seats and leg room than economy plus. On the return, we always fly first class no matter the price as we need the comfort on the return to Denver. It’s always a “red eye”.
Use points and it might be a multiplier of 2x!
First of all, it is not a bed.
It is just a reclining seat.
And, no way would I pay that.
And, I was just in Kona & there is no way I would got back to anywhere in Hawaii.
The locals & restaurant staff was friendly everywhere & very nice, but everything else there was way overpriced (yes, I know it is Hawaii). It is just a money game, better prices & beaches on the mainland.
Where are there better prices and beaches? I have looked everywhere. I hear beaches in Florida are nice but very little snorkeling and more people. And since covid prices are up everywhere. Even on the Oregon coast prices are similar to Hawaii.
Huh? Really, a five hour flight from/to west coast requires one to lie flat and sleep? Shocking!
Next: “How much are you willing to pay for a live hula dance performance on your flight to Maui?”
DFW – HNL is 8 hours. THAT’S where it is nice to have a lie flat seat. Same with DEN – LIH. 8 hours.
Business class seats everywhere seem to have doubled or tripled in price. Even frequent flyer award tickets are at least double. What I had reserved in 2021 for 77k miles to Europe is now at least 155k – 1 way. I’ve seen award ticket flight for over 500k miles/points. 1 way ticket to Africa now running $4500 – $13,000 – one way! It’s definitely not the same as prior years. Will it return to ‘normal’? who knows. Apparently Hawaii is not exempt from the inflation.
So part of the reason for the high prices are you are searching hub to hub prices. Search say AUS-DFW-HNL or PHX-LAX-HNL and that will probably score you better pricing. A lie flat for around $1,800 – $2,200 would be a reasonable cost. In Americans case, the frequency to HNL and OGG right now is one 777 or 787 per day, vs. the typical twice daily service. This is filling the remaining single flight to almost entirely full, every day. I was searching flights for next week with little availability.
PS: That’s round trip, not one way.
United lie-flats are the best. Reasonably priced. Very very comfortable bed.
Biggest problem is they sell out very quickly