Announced today, Hawaiian Airlinesâ Neighbor Island flying will be introducing Hawaiian Airlines-branded, modern Boeing 737-800 aircraft. It will include premium interiors, free Starlink Wi-Fi, and more soon.
Whatâs New!
Double the current number of First Class seats and an additional 30 Premium Class seats
Fast and free Starlink Wi-Fi on all flights
Reclining leather Recaro seats throughout the aircraft
110V power outlets, USB charging and seatback device holders at every seat
My personal favorite: âMore Room in cargo for surfboardsâ
According to CEO Diana Birkett Rakow,
âNeighbor Island service is part of the fabric of life in Hawaiâi. This decision reflects our commitment to invest in Hawaiâi for the long term, to strengthen Hawaiian Airlines and to honor local expertise, culture and care that have made Hawaiian the airline of Hawaiâi for nearly a century.â
This new fleet will carry the Hawaiian brand and focus and will be based in Honolulu (HNL/PHNL). The current plan is for the fleet to be flown by Honolulu-based pilots and flight attendants, which will sustain the safe, reliable, and frequent service Hawaiâi residents depend on.
The goal is to start the fleet transition in 2028 and quickly bring the additional capacity and enhanced experience to their guests.
âTo sustain frequency and capacity and meet the needs of Hawaiâiâs communities, Alaska will supplement 717 Neighbor Island flying with 737 capacity. Starting in October, one Alaska-branded 737 will fly three round trips per day between Honolulu and Kahului (HNL-OGG). It will be operated out of Terminal 1 at Daniel K. Inouye (HNL), and guests can check in at Terminal 1.â
This change is key to Alaska Accelerate. And will help deliver long-term growth in the companyâs dual-brand strategy.
"We fly for Hawaiâi and have the privilege of serving and representing Hawaiâi through the Hawaiian Airlines brand, which will be reflected across even more flights as our operational integration continues. Investment in a dedicated Hawaiian Airlines-branded 737-800 fleet is about more than aircraft. It is about protecting the connections that make life possible across the islands and ensuring Hawaiian remains strong for the future.â - Diana Birkett Rakow, CEO, Hawaiian Airlines
Very interesting strategy! It makes sense financially for them now, since itâs more of a reshuffling of currently owned assets then purchasing new ones. Of course, this is really only kicking the can down the road. The 737-800s are aging too, so eventually thereâs going to be a new plane to take its place. At this point, I think itâs safe to assume thatâs going to me the MAX 7 down the line.
@Mort Agreed. It makes sense, as more 737 max aircraft flood into Alaska mainline, sending the aircraft that are being replaced to then be the replacee works.
I also think it just has to do with revenue. More seats, premium class and more first class makes it more lucrative. I do believe once the -7 makes its way into the field they will take over a large portion of the -800 workload.
@InternationalPilot35 It is sad to see. They are the workhorse, so seeing the light at the end is almost sentimental. Hopefully they have some life left elsewhere.
For now, we have until 2028 to enjoy these beasts!
I wonder what the draw of first class/premium seats is on these flights? None of them are over an hour, so thereâs not going to be a premium drink/snack service I wouldnât think. Certainly no meal lol. And again, with such short flights the extra padding, legroom, and recline doesnât really make any difference.
I 100% agree. Itâs also not completely foreign to the Alaska Group, since Horizon operates tons of E175s. There would have to be maintenance and crew training, of course, but theyâre not starting from scratch at all.
Title should be Out with the old, in with the less old.
Not sure why they wonât just order the 737 Max 7 to replace the 717s. Southwest will make it very difficult for Alaska to be successful with island hopping
@Mort Yeah. It is hard to see the need for a premium class and extra first class besides sole revenue purposes. Maybe there is something I missed.
@AvioesEJogos It would have made more sense to possibly stick in the regional side of things. An E2 makes sense but as mentioned, if PW engines tend to struggle more on quick turnarounds it would make sense to stray away.
My other thought is fleet commonality and having the ability to shift from Hawaiian to Alaska.
@PhorzaSky I realized it after sending to publish . It would be new to Hawaiian but not fresh off the line. I think the long-term is the 737 Max 7.
Competition will be interesting to see. Southwest definitely has a foot in the door, but given Hawaiian has practically dominated it for years before WN, who knows. What is good is the rewards program, Alaska and Hawaiian having combined and brought Atmos should bring good benefits to loyal customers.
I theorize that it could be a customer loyalty ploy. As has been said, the flights within Hawaii are very short. Unlike on longer flights, it really doesnât matter what airline youâre on in most cases (unless youâre connecting onwards), since itâs more of a shuttle bus service than anything.
The airline canât show off all their unique bells and whistles to attract passengers because there simply isnât time onboard. The experience between Hawaiian and Southwest inter-island is more or less the same since its just a place to sit for twenty minutes while you cross to the next island over.
On a lot of regional flights, the people sitting in premium cabins didnât shell out a bunch of money up front to be there, because thereâs no real benefit. Most passengers end up there more last minute because of status upgrades.
By massively increasing the number of premium seats on the plane, Alaska makes it more likely that a passenger with status gets a shot at an upgrade.
Even if being upgraded doesnât get you that much benefit, it still makes you feel like you got something good for the airline âfor free.â So youâre more likely to stay loyal to keep having a better and better chance at a seat up front because people love feeling like they won something special.
Southwest might do something similar. Iâve read somewhere that new Max 7s will come equipped with Star Link. Not to mention the new seats as well. Southwestâs management is also thinking about going down the same path as Alaska with first class seats (and potentially a wide body order soon )
. It would be new to Hawaiian but not fresh off the line. I think the long-term is the 737 Max 7.
)