No Premium Economy, No Upgrade: Hawaiian Airlines’ Big Miss

Hawaiian Airlines still doesn’t offer an actual premium economy cabin on any of its long-haul widebody jets, including the A330s that continue to fly as the island’s flagship between the mainland and Hawaii. That may change. Alaska Airlines has said those aircraft will be refurbished in the years ahead.

But for now, travelers flying to Hawaii remain stuck between two extremes: an old-school lie-flat business or standard coach, with or without extra legroom.

Hawaiian Airlines’ First Class lie-flat seating.

Meanwhile, the new 787-9 Dreamliners—once destined to become Hawaiian’s flagship with premium service—are being reassigned. Under Alaska’s direction, those aircraft are heading for international routes out of Seattle, and not as far as we can tell, to and from Hawaii going forward.

The problem isn’t just about aircraft type. It’s about what kind of experience these airlines now intend to deliver. Premium Economy isn’t a luxury anymore—it’s what widebody travelers now expect to have on offer.

While most major carriers are expanding that cabin and elevating service, Hawaiian flyers are still being denied it. Alaska and Hawaiian are still flying without a true middle-class product, and offering little in return to justify the gap.

For many, flying to Hawaii used to feel like the start of a real vacation. Now, it too often feels like just another downgraded domestic flight, with a higher price tag and fewer reasons to feel good about it.

Premium Economy on United Airlines.

Industry-wide, Premium Economy has become a key battleground.

Premium Economy has become a key battleground for U.S. airlines on longer domestic and international routes, including those to and from Hawaii. American, Delta, and United have all rolled out Premium Economy cabins, offering wider seats, deeper recline, and enhanced meal service that feels like it was designed for people.

We’ve flown it. On a nearly 5,000-mile flight from Washington, D.C. to Honolulu, United’s Premium Plus cabin delivered a noticeably elevated experience—plated meals on china, more personal service, and a seat that didn’t feel like a slightly stretched version of coach. It wasn’t Polaris’ lie-flat business, but it didn’t pretend to be. It struck the firm middle ground that more and more Hawaii travelers are willing to pay for.

This isn’t about true luxury. It’s about a third option that offers value and comfort: real menus and better food, seats that feel thoughtfully designed, and service that’s more attentive and refined.

Alaska and Hawaiian aren’t there. And until an actual premium economy cabin appears on the aircraft flying to and from Hawaii, travelers may be left with less, at a time when they’re clearly paying more.

What’s missing from Hawaiian’s Dreamliners.

As we reported earlier, in Premium economy is coming to Hawaiian Airlines, there are clear signs that Alaska intends to add premium economy to Hawaiian’s fleet eventually. That includes the aging A330s, which CEO Ben Minicucci said would “get a makeover in the next few years.” But the new Dreamliners? Although new, they were also delivered without premium economy – and yet they’re flying, albeit not competitively in that regard, on long-haul international routes right now.

Instead, the Dreamliner aircraft features Hawaiian’s lie-flat Leihoku suites in business class, a dense economy section, and a small section of “Extra Comfort” seats offering a bit more legroom but no enhanced meal service or amenities. There’s no middle cabin – no true step-up product for travelers who want more comfort but don’t want to splurge on a lie-flat seat. And that’s not just a comfort problem. It’s also a service problem.

Premium brand, economy execution?

Alaska has been loudly positioning itself and its prized purchase, Hawaiian, as a premium airline—one that’s different from the competition and worthy of commanding a fare premium. But as one reader put it, if the airline offers no premium economy and skimps on hot meals, can it still claim to be “premium”?

On longer flights, including those from the East Coast, travelers increasingly expect a third option—something between a cramped $600 coach seat and a $4,000 lie-flat seat. That’s precisely the gap premium economy was designed to fill. And it’s why competitors like Delta, Lufthansa, and even United have aggressively expanded their premium economy offerings in recent years. BOH editors paid $1,300 per person for United’s Premium Economy.

Alaska and Hawaiian, for now, are flying without that middle option—and passengers are noticing.

Premium economy is booming, just not at Hawaiian.

Premium Economy has become the fastest-growing cabin class on widebody flights. Airlines are investing heavily to meet rising demand. En Route—whose clients include American Airlines, British Airways, JetBlue, and Air France—creates onboard food and service elements designed to feel like business class without the price tag. That can mean bakery items like focaccia, herb-infused butter, printed menus, or snack boxes and meals that feel curated rather than standardized. This is a fascinating new industry trend.

These aren’t just menu upgrades—they’re subtle airline brand signals. The goal isn’t to spend dramatically more. It’s to create an experience that feels like someone thought it through first. Airlines working with En Route are betting that small touches—an unusual warm bread, a thoughtful plating, a story behind the meal—these can shift a traveler’s entire perception of value. That’s where Premium Economy is going now. It’s not just a seat. It’s become a brand strategy.

There’s no mystery to this approach. As one En Route executive put it, the goal is “smart, thoughtful enhancements that align with both operational realities and the evolving expectations of today’s traveler.”

Meanwhile, Alaska and Hawaiian are nowhere in this conversation. Neither of the two widebody airlines currently offers Premium Economy, and there’s no announced timeline for introducing one. As other carriers raise the bar for what mid-tier comfort looks like, Hawaii’s two main players are falling behind. And that gap may only get wider.

What Alaska has actually said.

To date, Alaska has not issued a definitive statement regarding the addition of premium economy to any of its fleets. However, in a media interview following the merger announcement, CEO Ben Minicucci did confirm that Hawaiian’s A330 interiors “will get a makeover in the next few years.” That’s expected to include a new premium economy product, though details remain vague.

As we reported in Hawaiian’s Widebody Dream Is Over And It Changes Everything, Alaska has signaled that its long-term fleet plan includes harmonizing cabins and improving premium offerings. But it hasn’t said when—or whether—those upgrades will reach Hawaiian’s newly delivered Dreamliners.

And with those aircraft already flying internationally, that window may have already closed.

A design choice or a design failure?

It’s possible that skipping premium economy made sense to Hawaiian when these aircraft were initially configured. But under Alaska’s broader ambitions, the absence of an actual middle cabin now looks increasingly out of step—and potentially costly.

No premium economy. No meal service that matches the price point. No public plan to fix either.

This isn’t about a one-off complaint. It’s about passengers calling out a pattern: airlines charging more while offering less, and delivering an experience that falls short of premium.

What’s missing isn’t just a cabin class. It’s the service layer that is used to define flying to Hawaii. And unless Alaska makes good on the promise to do better, this inherited gap in the product won’t just linger—it will define how Hawaii flyers remember them. This mistake at Hawaiian will come to sting Alaska sorely.

Have you paid extra for any airline’s Premium Economy or Hawaiian’s Extra Comfort? Did it deliver—or fall short? Let us know.