Hawaiian Airways Dreamliner sneak peek: New enterprise class and financial system cabins

Vacationers headed to Hawaii are about to take pleasure in an upgraded expertise due to the gorgeous new cabins that Hawaiian Airways has unveiled aboard its Boeing 787-9 Dreamliners, which it simply began taking supply of in February.

The Honolulu-based provider will put these new planes into service in April. However we bought a sneak peek at Hawaiian Airways’ first Dreamliner Saturday throughout a cease at Los Angeles Worldwide Airport (LAX), the place we bought to take a look at the brand new business-class and financial system seats for ourselves.

We additionally bought to talk with the airline’s Chief Advertising Officer, Avi Mannis, to listen to extra concerning the progressive designs integrated into the 787-9 and what passengers can anticipate.

“We knew that once we got here to market with a brand new plane,” Mannis stated, “we needed to ship one thing that elevated the extent of service…in all of the lessons of service. This is not simply concerning the new lie-flat business-class suites. It is about delivering a greater expertise to the visitor regardless of the place on the plane they’re sitting.”

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Here is our first take a look at the brand new Hawaiian Airways Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner and all of the thrilling new options on board.

Maybe most fun of all, Hawaiian Airways determined to put in all-new suite-style Adient Aerospace Ascent seats aboard its Boeing 787-9 Dreamliners for an expertise it has dubbed, “Leihoku,” or lei of stars. Mannis famous that these suites, which have been on order earlier than the pandemic, have been a very long time coming, particularly as premium journey demand to Hawaii has boomed each throughout and after the pandemic.

There are simply 34 of those fixtures, every with a closing door for privateness. They’re configured in a 1-2-1 sample with 9 rows of single seats alongside all sides of the cabin and eight rows of two seats every working down the middle.

These are much like Qatar Airways’ 787-9 business-class seats, the place these alongside the cabin sides are angled out towards the home windows.

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Seats within the center part, nonetheless, have their head and backrests subsequent to 1 one other and are angled out towards the aisle. There are tiered privateness dividers between them that may be raised above eye stage, or lowered all the best way to seat stage for passengers touring collectively who need to create a extra intimate shared area. To control them, you need to use digital buttons, and to decrease them, each passengers must press the down arrow on the similar time.

All of the business-class seats are 21 inches extensive between armrests (although you’ll be able to decrease the adjustable armrest to open up 5 extra inches) and recline to lie-flat beds which are round 77 inches lengthy.

It is a far cry from the airline’s tightly packed 2-2-2 first-class seating aboard the A330, that are 19.5-20.5 inches extensive and recline to 76-inch lie-flat beds, whereas first-class seats on its A321s are easy recliners.

The aesthetic of Leihoku ought to look acquainted to the airline’s A330 first-class seats, although, with inky-brown upholstery paying homage to the island’s wealthy, volcanic soils accented with turquoise trimming hearkening to the nice and cozy South Pacific waters.

Nonetheless, there are many thrilling technological options, too, like 18-inch leisure screens (Hawaiian Airways A330 first-class passengers borrow airline iPads for leisure) together with common energy plugs and USB-A (however not USB-C) ports.

Alongside their bigger, aisle-side armrests, seats have dual-level surfaces (a wider one for units and a narrower shelf for drinks), handheld remotes for the leisure methods and a set of controls to maneuver the seats into numerous positions together with upright for takeoff and touchdown, lounging positions and lie-flat mattress mode.

There’s additionally a do-not-disturb button, which turns the seat quantity signal orange and will come in useful for in a single day red-eyes the place people need to maximize their relaxation.

The tray desk slides out from beneath the leisure display screen after which pivots to develop into perpendicular to the seatback and will be moved ahead and again if you should get out of your seat.

When it comes time to increase the seat to mattress mode, passengers are given fitted seat covers to supply some padding, plus medium-size pillows and light-weight duvets. The foot cubbies are a bit restrictive, but when your ft aren’t very giant, you should not have bother turning back and forth.

These seats have lots extra storage than their predecessors. Their seat-side cabinets have adjustable inside mirrors and sufficient area to stow headphones and amenity kits. Simply to the aspect, there’s a little rack with an extendable bar for stowing a telephone, which can also be helpful since this can be a Qi wi-fi charging floor.

Trendy cylindrical sconce lights and flip-out studying lights create an up to date look whereas picket accent paneling and cabin ceilings dotted by star-like lighting options evoke the seafaring previous of the traditional Hawaiians.

One draw back is the dearth of overhead air nozzles, so passengers are on the mercy of flight attendants to maintain the cabin at a cushty temperature.

There are simply two toilets for the cabin, one on the entrance close to the ahead galley, and one by the aft galley. Each have modern finishes and present hygienic options together with touch-free sinks and bathroom flushing.

General, the look is up to date, stylish and modern, however with sufficient Hawaiian aptitude to convey the airline’s signature model of hospitality.

Hawaiian Airways Boeing 787-9 Further Consolation

Hawaiian Airways’ Boeing 787-9 financial system part includes a complete of 266 seats, 79 of which – largely situated alongside the perimeters within the ahead part and the primary row of the aft part – are designated as Further Consolation.

All seats in financial system, together with the Further Consolation ones, are Collins Aerospace Aspire fixtures specified by a normal 3-3-3 sample. The seats have a slimline profile, however are extra padded than what you will discover on a low-cost provider, and are upholstered in the identical palette of teal and chocolate because the seats in enterprise class with plant-like patterning.

Like common financial system seats, these in Further Consolation are round 17.5 inches extensive between armrests, however have 35 inches of pitch, which is 4 greater than normal financial system. They recline three inches.

Along with USB-A and USB-C ports embedded of their 12-inch HD touchscreen leisure displays, Further Consolation seats share two common energy plugs per three-seat block. In all different methods, although, they’re similar to the common financial system seats.

For comparability’s sake, financial system and Further Consolation seats on the airline’s Airbus A330s are largely specified by a 2-4-2 sample. These jets have 68 Further Consolation seats aboard with 36 inches of pitch, whereas their 192 normal financial system seats have 31 inches of pitch – the identical as on the Dreamliner. Their leisure screens are 9 inches throughout diagonally and have embedded USB-A ports.

The financial system part has a complete of six toilets; 5 within the central are separating the 2 financial system cabins and one on the very again of the airplane close to the principle galley.

Hawaiian Airways Boeing 787-9 financial system seats

Hawaiian Airways’ newest financial system seats are the identical as these in Further Consolation, however have simply 31 inches of pitch, and there are a couple of rows in a 2-3-2 sample towards the again of the plane.

Their tray tables pop down from the previous seatback and are maneuverable ahead and backward by about 3 inches.

Their touchscreen leisure methods are 12 inches throughout diagonally and have embedded USB-A and USB-C ports. These seats do not need AC energy plugs, although.

The headrests have aspect wings to cradle your head however don’t alter up and down. General, they’re a pleasant however solely slight replace over the airline’s financial system seats on its different plane.

Different Hawaiian accents

Perceptive passengers will discover a couple of different Hawaiian-specific options board the airline’s Boeing 787-9s, together with an entry space close to door 2L with picket slats impressed by native Hawaiian hardwood that resembles the ribbing of an outrigger canoe, leaf-like texturing alongside the ceiling panels and purple lighting paying homage to the islands’ tropical flora.

“All of our rivals fly the identical plane,” Mannis advised us, “so loads of what differentiates the expertise past our frontline staff and the hospitality we ship is the story behind the design.” That was key, he stated, to differentiating the expertise of flying a Hawaiian Airways 787-9 versus that of a competitor.

“In Hawaii, we have now such a wealthy storytelling custom,” Mannis stated. “We all the time begin with a narrative. On this case it is the story of Pacific voyagers who traveled by canoe throughout huge distances within the Pacific. Upon getting that story down, you’ll be able to construct element into the design … that’s immersive and makes it really feel totally different than getting on anybody else’s 787.”

The airplane’s lighting results, for example, have been programmed to imitate Hawaiian optics just like the archipelago’s gorgeous Technicolor sunsets and misty noon solar. Carpeting and seat accents have aqua patterning that could be a play on the colour saturation and gradients of Pacific waveforms and currents. Squint your eyes barely and take a look at the wall stenciling close to the toilets and also you may really feel such as you’re taking a nap within the shadow of an indigenous tree. Talking of which, that is Mannis’s favourite contact: Every of the bathroom’s floral wall patterning is of a distinct Hawaiian plant, so that you may need to attempt visiting all of them throughout an extended flight between the Mainland and Hawaii.

Every Hawaiian Airways 787-9 might be given a culturally vital identify derived from the celebs and constellations utilized by Polynesian navigators. With the tail quantity N781HA, this explicit airplane’s official identify is Kapuahi, which is the Hawaiian phrase for the star Aldebaran.

Flyers will discover Hawaiian language labeling on seats and different indicators all through the cabin, too, whereas the bathroom indicators have female and male figures in conventional Hawaiian garb. As soon as within the toilets, take a second to look down – the black flooring shimmers like a newly cooled lava movement.

Although small, these sides assist to imbue the flight expertise with a uniquely Hawaiian atmosphere that communicates the provider’s heritage and residential.

We requested Mannis if any of that Hawaiian-specific character is more likely to fade as soon as the airline merges with Alaska. Although he couldn’t give any particulars at this level, Mannis did aver that, “Alaska is dedicated to retaining the Hawaiian Airways model they usually see the worth in a model like ours that actually stands for a spot and has such nice shopper love round it.”

To this point, the airline has revealed plans to fly its new Boeing 787-9s on only a handful of routes because it continues to take supply of its full order of 12 Dreamliners.

Initially, the jets will function sure flights on the next routes:

• Between Honolulu and San Francisco day by day from April 15-Could 13, 2024
• Between Honolulu and Los Angeles on choose flights beginning Could 14, 2024
• Between Honolulu and Phoenix on choose flights beginning Could 15, 2024

Schedules for an plane’s debut into service typically change, although, so all the time double-check the plane working flights you have an interest in immediately on Hawaiian Airways’ web site earlier than making a reservation.

First, you’ll be able to merely make your reservations immediately by way of the Hawaiian Airways web site, which can have essentially the most present data on schedules and plane and use one of many finest bank cards for reserving flights to earn essentially the most factors or miles.

There are additionally a number of methods to redeem factors or miles for flights on Hawaiian Airways together with utilizing the airline’s personal HawaiianMiles program, or companions like Virgin Atlantic Flying Membership and JetBlue True Blue.

With out getting too granular, this is a take a look at pattern beginning round-trip airfares and mileage redemptions on the airline’s upcoming flights from Los Angeles Worldwide Airport (LAX) to Honolulu Daniel Ok. Inouye Worldwide Airport (HNL) over the following few months. These costs are particularly for flights operated by the Dreamliner, and award availability is at the moment scarce, although it would hopefully open up barely as extra the jets go into service.

As all the time, be sure you double-check your flight numbers and plane kind earlier than reserving to make sure that your itinerary will certainly be operated by a Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner.

Backside line

It has been a very long time coming, however Hawaiian Airways’ Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner is lastly right here and getting ready to enter service subsequent month.

Our fast overview of the plane at LAX revealed that its interiors are as thrilling as we anticipated, with all-new business-class suites which are an enormous leap ahead for the provider. The Further Consolation and financial system seats are wanting fairly spruce, too, and the uniquely Hawaiian decor parts assist create an island-inspired vibe as quickly as you set foot on board.

Time will inform how the airline’s character and route community will evolve pending Alaska Airways’ acquisition of Hawaiian Airways. However hopefully these planes will stay in service for a while to come back so vacationers get to expertise Hawaiian’s distinctive sense of aloha coupled with aggressive, up to date seats and facilities.

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