Hawaiian Airlines premium economy, called “Extra Comfort,” has been available now for three years. Prior to this, they offered, and we used to book, exit row seating on long haul flights. It was successful and at that time was a steal at only $30 each way. “Extra Comfort” however is a far more interesting main cabin product that also significantly helps drive their ancillary fee income. Read on to see if this is something good for you.
Five inches of extra leg room on all of their Airbus 330 planes is available at the following cost to and from Hawaii:
West Coast or Tahiti $80
New York $145
International (other than Tahiti) $125
Beat of Hawaii Recommends Extra Comfort Seating under certain circumstances. Here’s Why:
Good value if you’re tall (Rob is 6’4″), or just need the extra room to be comfortable. Especially beneficial on long flights from/to the east coast and Australasia.
Available at less than one-quarter of the cost to upgrade to Hawaiian’s business class.
Two across seating on either side of the aircraft is very comfortable for a couple traveling together.
Some rows have a very small private cabin atmosphere that enhances the experience.
What’s included with Extra Comfort:
5″ more leg room
Complimentary in-flight entertainment package
Priority security and boarding
Complimentary pillow and blanket for use
In-seat AC power plug (all Airbus 330 seats feature usb charging ports)
Beat of Hawaii tips:
Best seats on the long haul A330 aircraft for two people travelling together are row 11, either side. The upcoming Hawaiian Airlines A321neo fleet is set to feature 45 of these premium economy seats when they start service in 2018. Those will be in the new 3-across configuration with the exception of one pair of two-across seats.
We have tried the new Extra Comfort product can report that for us it is been worth the extra cost. Your thoughts?
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Hello, I really enjoy all the information you share. I was wondering if you could please be of any assistance. My daughter and I are traveling to Honolulu for my niece wedding. My daughter is the maid of honor. We had our days mixed up and booked for May 28 to, but the bride has things planned for the 26th for the bridal party. We can’t financially afford to change our flights as Expedia and United are looking at charging us almost $400 reach. We saved up to be able to travel for the wedding as we are not right people. Lol I signed up for the free trip contest already. Is there anything you can do to assist us in arriving in Honolulu 2 days earlier? This is truly a once in a lifetime experience for us. We are traveling from Chicago, Illinois. Thank you for your time and Mahala. Love and blessings.
Hi Adriane.
That is how the airline business works unfortunately. Change fees are very steep and we need to be aware of agreement terms, whether it be for airline tickets, travel insurance or anything else. Sorry about this.
Aloha.
I posted this episode 04 Feb 2014 and it’s *still* “awaiting moderation”, so I’ll post it again, with editing for clarity:
It wouldn’t have helped me. I flew back from Honolulu last month (January 2014) next to an abusive male passenger who spread into my foot space under the seat in front of me, hogged the armrest so that his elbow thrust into my side, crossed his legs so that his foot banged on my knee, and ended up standing up and stomping at my feet because he claimed my foot under the seat in front of me was in his space. Hawaiian Air staff tried to please HIM by asking me to move my foot so that he could have the space of 1 1/2 people. It wasn’t until I insisted that a supervisor came to move ME, so he got the benefit of seats A and B in a 2-4-2 configuration. I wrote to customer service, and they offered me no incentive to ever fly them again. So I guess they can do without my patronage.
I have 3 sons all ove 6’4, so normal seats are not an option for us as they are way too small. The extra room is fantastic for tall people but I really wish it was complimentary for people at this height. The Hawaiian Airlines service was fantastic and we will definitely fly with them on our next visit to Hawaii from Brisbane.
The “2 across” makes this tempting. But, when using miles to purchase seats, will this option automatically appear? Have you tried? Mahalo in advance for your input.
Hi Valw.
Yes you will have the option to purchase premium seating on a mileage ticket.
Aloha.
Hi “Pathetic”,
I understand your feeling. I am Kamaaina, too, and I WANT to be loyal to a Hawaii based business. Hawaiian is just making it very very hard. Free access to premium seats sounds like a trivial matter, but imagine having to fly long hauls in the other “cosy” seats every single week of the year (in 2014, I did 55 round trips mainland/Hawaii and several trips to Japan)? You got to be kidding me! Flying time is work time for me, and work is impossible in the “cosy” non-premium seats, believe me. I occasionally upgrade to first, but can’t justify that more than once every other month or so, since I won’t get re-imbursed by my employer.
But premium seating is not my only complaints. I have been a Platinum flyer with them since 2008, and I have a long long list of other complaints about the way Hawaiian treats us Platinums. Ask me for details if you are interested.
Since the 767 we take to Maui has to be the “cosiest” airplane in the air, the idea of more space is appealing. However I would rather be cosy than fly in an airbus.
I totally agree. I hate 3 seat rows. I like the 767 with two seats on both sides of the plane.
We book the extra comfort seats whenever they are available. My son-in-law is 6’4″ and the seats are far more comfortable than standard coach seats for tall people. We find that the extra comfort seats offer much of what is available in First/Business class, especially since we can’t eat the food in First class, as Hawaiian doesn’t offer gluten free meals on our route. We arrive in Hawaii less stressed because we’re not having to sit with our knees crunched constantly. Recommend them. They are worth the extra $75 charge each way.
Sorry to be negative, but I am not so thrilled. The selling of these seats for revenue days or weeks before departure will be a serious deterrent for Hawaiian’s most frequent flyers, who “live” in these seats. It will drive even more Pualani Platinum members into Alaska’s or Delta’s hands (we were already not so happy with the value of the Hawaiian Miles program even before this since we have a comparison). Yes, Hawaiian will give these seats to Platinums close to departure, but only reluctantly – and many times they are already sold early, or we have to argue at the airport.
I was lucky enough over thanksgiving to take the first flight aboard a new Airbus 330. It was quiet, amazingly quiet, and very comfortable. Being from Seattle I feel a sense of loyalty to boing but this jet felt like a true premium product. In short there is no need to pay more unless you’re very handy with money.