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A review of Hawaiian Airlines Premium Class between Sydney and Honolulu finds extra legroom at upgrade prices of $175 to $300 one way, but warns travellers to avoid seats 11C and 11G.
Hawaiian Airlines Premium Class upgrades cost from just $175 one way between Sydney and Honolulu, delivering extra legroom for about half the price of Qantas premium economy on the same route.
The verdict: it is an affordable way to make economy flying a tad more tolerable. Just avoid seats 11C and 11G to arrive with your toes intact. Booking works by choosing an economy fare type and then selecting a Premium Class seat to pay the upgrade charge, which runs from $175 to $300 one way. The product was formerly known as Extra Comfort and has been rebranded Premium Class.
Check-in Process And Premium Class Status
It is a calm Sunday evening at Sydney Airport. There is a queue at check-in and no priority line for Premium Class. That is the first hint that Premium Class is not true premium economy, and it is about half the price of Qantas premium economy on the same route, so expectations are set accordingly. The queue pleasingly clears in less than 10 minutes, with security and passport control also hassle-free.
On loyalty, the airline sits within Atmos Rewards and the Oneworld Alliance. Atmos points are challenging to earn in Australia, but linking your Qantas Frequent Flyer number delivers between 1425 and 5700 Qantas points one-way, plus 35 to 70 status credits depending on fare type. Qantas Gold and Platinum members get lounge access too. Baggage is the standard economy allowance of two checked bags of 23 kilograms each, plus two cabin bags, one large and one small.
Provided you can lift your own cabin bags without assistance, no weight limit applies. The 2-4-2 cabin layout in Premium Class matches the rest of economy, as does the 18-inch (45.7-centimetre) seat width. But Premium Class offers additional legroom, with a seat pitch of 36 inches (91 centimetres), versus 31 inches (79 centimetres) further back.
Avoiding Seats 11C And 11G For Legroom
Bulkheads are usually great for having even more space, but avoid 11C, the reviewer's seat, and 11G. The aisle cuts diagonally through the floor space here, impeding usable legroom. The seat's padding could be improved, but sleep finally comes, only to be quickly interrupted by a pilot standing on the reviewer's foot. Ouch! Minimal rest follows after that.
Six restrooms are shared between the 260 passengers of both Premium Class and economy. Every passenger gets a slow-charging USB-A port, but Premium Class provides AC power for laptops and higher-speed charging, plus a small amenity kit. The eyeshade tucked inside the kit brings a welcome escape from Hawaiian's bulkhead-mounted flight map screens, which are switched on all night.
Each seat has a personal 10.6-inch (27-centimetre) entertainment screen, although selections are modest and generally dated, with titles such as Moulin Rouge as headliners. Free Starlink Wi-Fi is a welcome distraction when sleep eludes. Download speeds reach a lightning-fast 250Mbps during testing, zippier than home internet.
Inflight Service And Entertainment Options Reviewed
The welcome announcement takes an interesting turn when passengers are asked to avoid screaming and waking everyone up, described as a new one, and to keep the aisle clear to allow staff to do their jobs. Crew are otherwise efficient and polite, keeping to the galley outside of service times, typical of North American carriers. Regular water runs would be nice, as nothing is proactively offered between supper and breakfast.
Finally, an airline that does not force-feed you after take-off when you have already eaten dinner earlier, at dinnertime. There are ham sandwiches if you are peckish, described as basic and a little dry, but the flight's food focus is breakfast: bravo. Today's offering is pancakes or eggs. The pancakes are standard, with passionfruit coulis bringing some flavour.
That is joined by a fruit salad, blueberry Greek-style yoghurt, coffee, juice and water. Hawaiian Airlines uses AI to continuously optimise its flight paths, reducing fuel burn and emissions. Together with its parent company Alaska Airlines, Hawaiian hopes to reach net zero carbon emissions by 2050. Hawaiian Airlines' Airbus A330s are getting an upgrade, but not until 2028.
There will be a true premium economy cabin, all-new business class seating and a refresh of economy. Chris Chamberlin enjoys maximising his points to travel the world in comfort and, as a points coach, helping others to do the same. From showering on a plane to stretching out in a double bed in the sky, Chris knows all the tips for flying in style without breaking the bank.
His adventures have taken him on almost 1000 flights aboard more than 80 airlines, earning lifetime frequent flyer status along the way. Follow him on Instagram @chris_chamberlin.
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theage:This story was compiled and edited by the HeadTopics newsroom and HT AI from the reports above.
Sydney To Honolulu Flights Airline Seat Review Qantas Frequent Flyer Points Starlink Wi-Fi On Planes
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