Raising Hawaii’s Bar: New All-Business Tahiti Flights

Premium travel in the Pacific just hit a new level—and it didn’t happen in Hawaii. At least not yet. Air Tahiti is launching all-business-class inter-island flights using new aircraft, setting a bar for comfort that Hawaii service isn’t even close to matching.

Starting in late 2026, the airline will operate a 26-seat, all-business configuration using a new ATR HighLine layout. To accomplish this, about two-thirds of the seats will be removed. That alone makes it one of the boldest regional upgrades in the Pacific. But what makes this story even more compelling is where it fits in the larger landscape of premium travel and what it might mean for travelers comparing Tahiti and Hawaii.

Premium is no longer just for long-haul.

What stands out about Air Tahiti’s move is the shift in where—and how—premium service is showing up. This isn’t about lie-flat routes to Paris or San Francisco. It’s an interisland aircraft reimagined entirely for business-class travel within French Polynesia.

That means Tahiti to Bora Bora, for example, and other islands, places as visually stunning as Hawaii destinations, but now accessible in a way Hawaii doesn’t currently offer. If nothing else, it’s a fascinating regional move that we’ll be watching closely.

Their new ETEREA business seat by Geven is wide (21.6 inches), reclines deep (7 inches), and offers personal aisle and window access on every seat. With just 26 passengers onboard and a 1-1 layout, the cabin provides a privacy and comfort level unheard of in regional air travel. USB-A and C ports, side stowage, and additional amenities round it out. Hawaii travelers typically only get these kinds of creature comforts on select premium cabins to the mainland—and even then, not always.

It also gives Air Tahiti room to lean into its identity. Geven built ETEREA to be fully customizable, and that means travelers will likely be greeted with design details that feel distinctly Polynesian—textures, colors, and finishes that go beyond off-the-shelf premium. It’s not just about what the seat does, but how it feels when you sink into the overall product.

These short flights rival Hawaii’s—but with new luxury.

Here’s the real twist: many routes Air Tahiti plans to fly with these new aircraft—like Papeete to Bora Bora—are only slightly longer than most of Hawaii’s interisland flights. That route clocks in at about 50 minutes in the air. A typical Honolulu to Kahului flight takes around 25 minutes, while a flight from the Big Island to Kauai is just under an hour.

But the experience couldn’t be more different. While Hawaii flights are still operated on aging Boeing 717s with tight seating and minimal in-flight service—or on Southwest 737 MAX aircraft with basic seating and soon to be assigned seats—Air Tahiti will now offer a high-comfort, all-business-class cabin. It’s the kind of shift that redefines expectations. Instead of boarding a tired, high-turnover jet for a hop across the islands, Tahiti travelers will get wide seats, more space, and amenities.

What’s the cost for that privilege? We don’t know yet, but we’ll let you know when the actual flights are announced and on sale. Economy flights in the South Pacific are already significantly higher than those in Hawaii, which still competitively benefit inter-island from the Southwest effect.

Tahiti is going all-in on differentiation.

Tahiti is a direct competitor and aspirational counterpart to Hawaii, especially for those premium travelers both sets of islands seek. That’s not new. But what’s different now is how openly it’s leaning into that role. While Hawaii tourism faces scrutiny over crowds, infrastructure, and rising costs, Tahiti seems to offer something else: exclusivity, space, and a redefined regional flight experience.

As many of you commented, more travelers are weighing the tradeoffs between the two destinations, and we explored this in Tahiti vs. Hawaii Vacation: Big Differences Make Choosing Easy.

What makes this strategy more interesting is how it intersects with air access. Hawaiian Airlines continues to operate a once-weekly nonstop service between Honolulu and Papeete and Rarotonga in the Cook Islands. Meanwhile, Air Tahiti Nui, Air France, and United are expanding their long-haul reach with new connections and stopover options that make French Polynesia feel closer to North America than before.

The message is subtle but strategic: Tahiti is not just competing with Hawaii—it’s crafting a premium path that’s hard to match.

How this compares with Hawaii flights, and where it doesn’t.

There are some Hawaii parallels, especially on select mainland routes. Hawaiian’s remaining Dreamliners offer lie-flat seating and direct aisle access. But those aircraft appear destined soon for long-haul flights beyond Hawaii, not to and from Hawaii. Alaska’s First Class is also known for consistent service, but that’s still on a narrow single-aisle plane. All-business-class regional flights? That’s not in the Hawaii playbook—at least not yet.

Interisland flights in Hawaii still run mostly with older 717s, newer 737s, and the occasional A321. Seat pitch is tight, boarding is fast, and there’s little in-flight service in many cases. That makes sense given how short the flights are. But it also means there’s no elevated interisland option—not even for those willing to pay. Which is the point Air Tahiti is now challenging.

This matters more than it might seem. Visitors hopping between Oahu, Maui, Kauai, and the Big Island often spend a surprising amount of time in airports or waiting on the tarmac. It’s a reminder that while Hawaii excels in natural beauty and high-end resorts, its interisland air travel experience hasn’t evolved much over the decades. Sure, planes are slightly newer, but the product hasn’t fundamentally changed. And that stands in contrast to the premium overhaul now unfolding in French Polynesia and arguably in Hawaii.

A luxury play that’s also practical.

One of the most interesting parts of this story is that Air Tahiti’s HighLine aircraft aren’t a separate fleet for celebrities or charters. These are scheduled flights on standard interisland routes, undoubtedly priced at a premium but still accessible.

In a region where travel can also involve water shuttles, ferries, or long transits, the ability to fly in comfort—even for just 45 or 50 minutes—is meaningful. It feeds directly into the broader sense of calm, privacy, and space that many associate with island travel.

It’s worth noting that this isn’t an isolated move. French Polynesia, like Hawaii, has seen growth in premium accommodations, yacht services, and high-end tour offerings in recent years. Air Tahiti’s decision fits neatly into that trend.

What’s striking is how little of that has translated so far to interisland flights in Hawaii. Luxury travelers heading to Maui or the Big Island may spend thousands a night on a villa, only to squeeze into a no-frills seat for the 40-minute hop from Honolulu. In Tahiti, that disconnect is being addressed head-on. And that signals something more profound: a rejection of the one-size-fits-all approach to regional air travel in the Pacific.

What Hawaii travelers will notice.

Even if you’re not flying to Tahiti anytime soon, this move could influence the broader expectations of Hawaii-bound travelers. As other Pacific destinations raise their standards, Hawaii’s longtime reliance on nostalgia, convenience, and traditional brand loyalty may not be enough.

There’s also a growing divide among travelers themselves. Some will continue to seek value and flexibility, while others increasingly prioritize premium comfort, space, and peace of mind—even on shorter flights. If that weren’t the case, airlines like Alaska wouldn’t be adding premium seats and removing economy ones. And yet Hawaii’s interisland air product hasn’t entirely kept pace with that shift.

We’ve already seen major upgrades at the high end of Hawaii’s accommodations. Four Seasons, Timbers, and new ultra-luxury developments on Maui and the Big Island are targeting a more exclusive guest. But that same level of investment isn’t there when it comes to interisland travel.

One rare Hawaii exception: guests of the Four Seasons Lanai fly on Lanai Air—an elevated, semi-private flight from Honolulu that quietly proves premium demand exists, even on ultra-short routes.

Tahiti’s move shows that it’s possible to treat the regional flight as part of the experience, not just the means to get there.

Will Hawaii follow?

ATR and Geven have pitched the new layout as ideal for Tahiti and other premium-oriented island regions. Hint, hint—Hawaii. The infrastructure is there. The demand for premium is growing. The question is whether any carrier serving Hawaii will go all-in on that model.

It might not happen overnight, but if the HighLine configuration proves successful in Tahiti, it could quietly set a new bar for regional air comfort across the Pacific, including Hawaii.

If that happens, travelers who’ve experienced Hawaii and Tahiti may ask more complex questions—not just about where to go but also how it feels to get there.

Lead Photo – Beat of Hawaii at Temae Beach on Moorea, French Polynesia.