It is clunky and seems backwards but well, it’s entertainment. They are loaded with a decent selection of movies and shows, both domestic and international. The iPads are placed on a special bar that pulls-out from the seat. Instead, Hawaiian Airlines distributes iPad Pros and headphones to their first class passengers. However, what is missing is a built-in IFE. A small ledge is at the foot of the seat and there is a tiny compartment below for storage (most carry-ons, even backpacks, will have to go overhead.) There’s a light button by your head, two USB ports and one AC power outlet.
The seats use a wheel, instead of push buttons, to recline to lie-flat or another position in between. According to Hawaiian Airlines, this is the constellation that was high in the sky when their first flight launched from Honolulu to Hilo. The entire cabin has an airy island feeling with a divider at the back that features the constellation, Makali’i, also known as Pleiades. Hawaiian has roomy 180-degree lie-flat seats in a 2-2-2 pattern (the A321neo planes only have recliner seats.) The deep brown leather of the white curved seat shell is made by Poltrona-Frau, an Italian furniture company that also does the interiors for Ferrari and Maserati.Ī privacy divider between the seats pulls out of the armrests and is etched with a drawing of an island rainforest.
So what did I get for my successful Bid Up? Lesson learned: if you change your mind on bidding, cancel it 48 hours before your flight, before it gets accepted.
HAWAIIAN AIRLINES CAR SEAT CHECK IN UPGRADE
I did have some guilt about paying that much for an upgrade but alas, cancellations can’t be made within 48 hours of departure and the bid is non-refundable. Two days before the flight, I received an email saying my bid was accepted for the inbound flight. But due to set minimums and maximums, passengers can’t just offer $75 and hope that it gets accepted, unless that’s within the bid parameters set by Hawaiian.įor this author’s flight from Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) to Kahului Airport in Maui (OGG), the minimum bid to upgrade from Extra Comfort to First Class was $495, a hefty fee but with round-trip first fares well above $2,500 and Extra Comfort in the $500-$600 range, that’s still a steep discount. Passengers have the option to bid on both legs of their flight, or only one. Once passengers get an email alert from Hawaiian, they can begin the bidding process. Second, passengers must have a ticket higher than a Main Cabin Basic fare, as well as not be traveling with an infant or pet, or booked as an unaccompanied minor. First, passengers must have a ticket on a flight between Hawaii and North America or Hawaii and International. However, there are a few requirements to be eligible to place a bid. Launched in 2016, Hawaiian Airlines’ Bid Up feature remains the same - passengers submit the amount they would pay for a First Class seat and 48-26 hours before the flight, they will get word if the bid worked or not.
And it’s one domestic airline that still offers passengers the chance to bid on an upgrade to First Class. Hawaiian is also the last domestic airline that still includes a meal with every flight. While there are plenty of other options to fly to Hawaii, especially from the West Coast, Hawaiian is naturally the most authentic, with every bit of the experience tied to the traditions of the island. to Honolulu and Long Beach to Maui are the other routes. Most recently, the airline kicked off its twice-weekly nonstop service on an Airbus A330 from Austin-Bergstrom International Airport (AUS) and Honolulu’s Daniel K. There’s so much demand that recently Hawaiian Airlines has announced four new routes, in less than two months.
Nearly 400,000 travelers visited Hawaii within the first 20 days of April, according to Safe Travels Hawaii, the government program that tracks travelers to the state. With strict Covid-19 protocols in place - a negative test within 72 hours is required from visitors to avoid a 10-day quarantine - and the lure of fun in the sun, the islands are experiencing a mini-tourism boom.