Hawaiian Airlines built things that the rest of the industry is still catching up to. Hawaii travelers have long known that. The suites, the airline’s cabin identity, and even the Starlink lead all pointed to an airline that was ahead of its time, even if the finances never worked out.
Alaska’s splashy new international business class reveal this week makes that case better than anything else could. The suites Alaska is now sending to Rome and London, starting this month, are the same ones Hawaiian conceived of a decade ago, and had already introduced on these 787s. Only now, the island identity is gone, and significantly upgraded Filson and Salt & Straw are in its place. We flew this aircraft on its second-to-last Hawaiian operated 787 flight, HA1, from Los Angeles to Honolulu.
Alaska added a real new service layer, and it deserves to be treated fairly. There is a four-course meal, more route-specific menu planning, Seattle chef Brady Ishiwata Williams, Salt & Straw sundaes, Filson bedding, Filson amenity kits, Salt & Stone skincare, and PATH Water bottles. That is the new part of the rollout, but the seat getting the most attention is still Hawaiian’s original hard product.
The seats aren’t new; they were Hawaiian.
When Hawaiian revealed the Dreamliner cabin design and brought it into service in 2024, it was not presented as just another business class seat with a door. Hawaiian was supposed to launch the Adient Ascent suite first, but COVID delays and financial pressure pushed deliveries back long enough for Qatar to get there ahead of it.
Hawaiian became the second airline in the world to offer these suites. The 787 was configured with 34 Leihoku Suites in a 1-2-1 layout, featuring direct aisle access, wireless charging, and 18-inch screens. Alaska’s newly announced international business class suite matches that same spec because it is the same suite.
Hawaiian also gave the cabin a point of view that went well beyond the seat itself. Working with TEAGUE, it built the interior around Polynesian navigation and Hawaii itself, with an unusual starlit ceiling tied to navigation constellations, wave patterned carpeting, native wood-inspired wall textures, and black volcanic sand styling in the lavatories.
Alaska’s relaunch takes the same suite and instead drops it into its own broader Pacific Northwest premium story. Our review of that flight already showed the split: Hawaiian nailed the suite and cabin identity, but the food, bedding, and Wi-Fi never made the cut.
What Alaska actually changed.
Alaska did put in significant work here. The airline rebuilt the experience around the nice seat, with a more elaborate dining program, destination-linked signature menu choices, a sundae cart à la United Airlines, upgraded bedding, two amenity kit variations, and a far more branded long-haul identity. The most visible hardware change appears to be the cocktail table trim shifting from turquoise to gray.
These planes enter service without Wi-Fi.
Alaska says Starlink is still expected later. Hawaiian had already moved faster than the rest of the U.S. industry on Starlink with its A330s and A321neos. The Dreamliner was supposed to join that wider Hawaiian story, but the airline never got that far before the acquisition changed the trajectory.
The new product launches on Alaska’s 787 service from Seattle to Rome on April 28 and to London on May 21. Seattle to Seoul and Tokyo are already operating with the Dreamliner, and Reykjavik follows on May 28 on a 737 MAX with its own separate premium experience.
Alaska’s biggest premium-cabin reveal in years is built around a hard product Hawaiian has already introduced. Hawaiian was ahead of its time in many other ways. When a national branding study ranked Hawaiian first among U.S. airlines for emotional connection, Alaska ranked ninth. Alaska is trying to close now, not just with bedding and sundaes, but with a more memorable premium experience overall.
If you flew Hawaiian’s 787 business class, you already know this seat. Does Alaska’s new soft product make it feel meaningfully different to you?
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I flew up front in the suites 3x on the 787 when it was still Hawaiian…they are really gorgeous! But even though I’m a frequent Alaska Airlines flier, I’m not in a hurry to fly on the “new” 787s. I’m still mourning the loss of the Pualani livery; it sort of feels like Alaska “stole” the Dreamliners from Hawaiian…. 😕
Hoping Alaska has cleaned up their act on the OGG to West Coast flights from a few years ago. First Class a rip, lousy food, lousy hard narrow seats, no foot rests. I can only hope they make the passengers who pay big moolah more comfortable and feel like they’ve gotten something even close to the special treatment Hawaiian gave as a standard high bar for years even in basic seating. Alaska seems to think people flying to/from Hawaii “won’t notice” how bad the service is. We had to stop flying them and give up the points perks because a 5 hour flight should not be so terribly expensive and uncomfortable so as to be so terribly and pathetically memorable.
I’m sad to hear about all the changes made on Kauai with making reservations for beaches and parks. I was raised on Kauai and I am heartbroken to see the changes that the politicians have made. To just make it so only the wealthy come to the Garden Island. They do not respect the way of life or the surroundings My family has a business and it’s so hard now to make a living. We need the middle class back to spend their money to buy stuff. The wealthy spend but only if the product is special. Stop destroying our island
The only part that stands out to me is no Wi-Fi on such long flights from the launch. In 2026 that’s a big miss. Not sure what went wrong as Hawaiian had been trying to make that work for some time and everyone else’s Dreamliners have Wi-Fi.
I generally like Alaska’s style and service, so this should be a win. They took an already incredible product and now they’re making it better. Hope these come back to Hawaii at some point.
We had a chance to fly Hawaiian’s 787 before everything changed and it was one of the most memorable flights we’ve had to the islands. The cabin had the new car smell and the design felt intentional and connected to Hawaii, rather than just another generic premium seat. If Alaska is taking that and layering on a better meal and amenities, great improvement. The only complaint I had was that the Dreamliner sits 3 across in economy, and that is just never comfortable.
We flew the Hawaiian suites and it felt very “Hawaii” in a way mainland carriers never do. The soft product sounds nice, and much improved, but part of what made Hawaiian special was the overall vibe, not just what’s in the seat.