Overview of Hawaiian Airways’ home first-class

How much does first class cost to book on Hawaiian Airlines?

Checking into and boarding first class on Hawaiian Airlines

For my flight, I traveled from Honolulu to Seattle via Maui, so my point of departure was the Hawaiian capital.

Twenty-four hours before my flight, I checked in on the Hawaiian Airlines website, which allows you to pay for checked bags in advance and confirm seat assignments. The airline also has self-service kiosks at airports where you can print out your luggage tags and bring them to the belt.

My journey started in the early afternoon with a short hop from Honolulu to Maui. Many flights depart at this time of day, so the check-in hall was bustling with passengers. The first-class line had around a half-hour wait time, with about a half-dozen parties waiting for the lone agent checking passengers in.

While I didn’t check luggage on my itinerary, it would have been faster to use the self-service kiosks and drop luggage off at the belt, even though there isn’t a designated priority line for this option.

How comfortable was first class on Hawaiian Airlines?

First class on Hawaiian Airlines’ A330 has the following specifications.

As soon as you step on board Hawaiian Airlines, you are greeted with the islands’ famous aloha spirit. The atmosphere on my flight was established with videos of children performing traditional hula dances set to soothing music on the cabin monitors. Passengers were offered a choice of Flor prosecco, passion-orange-guava juice or Hawaiian’s renowned mai tai cocktail with fresh pineapple slices.

The brown leather lie-flat seats in Hawaiian Airlines first class are best designed for couples since they’re arranged in a 2-2-2 pattern. The legroom provided ample space for stretching out, and the seat’s padding was comfortable. I selected a window seat in the bulkhead, 1A, to be in the front of the cabin. That said, you might find more under-seat storage in other rows.

The limited width and lack of storage in these seats left me juggling the provided blanket, pillow, water bottle and headphones along with my phone and charging cord. The seat did have a small bottle holder beneath the reclining wheel switch and a compact under-seat storage area located under the footwell.

With just a single seat control wheel, you can only get from upright to lie-flat with intermediate positions along the way rather than maneuvering individual components of the seat. That made it difficult to get the seat in a comfortable lounging position. I would have preferred the ability to raise the footrest without reclining the seat too far back, for instance.

The overhead light switch and call buttons were located just below the seat control. There was also a fixed, narrow armrest on the other side of the seat.

I couldn’t help but notice the absence of seatback screens. The flight attendants quickly distributed headphones and iPads after takeoff. The seat design includes an extendable device stand for the iPads. Interestingly, economy seats have built-in seatback entertainment, which I found myself desiring for an easier way to track the flight’s progress — something that’s not possible on the iPads.

Each seat has two USB ports: one under the seat control wheel on the middle armrest and another near the power outlet, which is located between the seats.

Additionally, a not-so-private translucent screen can be extended between the seats for added privacy. While the divider is a thoughtful feature, I couldn’t shake the feeling of social awkwardness when considering extending it while my seatmate was seated next to me, especially since it was down during boarding. The privacy divider could have been more effective in limiting your neighbor’s view into your space if it extended higher up.

In the lie-flat position, I managed to get about two hours of sleep after the meal service. Overall, the seat felt tight with both of my shoulders bumping between the armrests on each side.

The A330 has a single bathroom for first-class passengers located at the front of the plane. Although this is common for the A330, with only 18 passengers on board, there was rarely a wait to use it. The flight attendants regularly serviced it throughout the flight, so it was kept clean.

The lavatory offered some welcomed amenities, including coconut-scented liquid soap, Lolii relaxation hydrating mist and hand and body balm. A delightful display of flowers and leaves also added a refreshing touch to the lavatory.

Amenities on Hawaiian Airlines first class

Upon boarding, I found a basic pillow and a fleece-like blanket similar to those many other airlines give out to long-haul economy-class passengers waiting at my seat.

Hawaiian provides upgraded bedding and amenity kits from Hawaiian skincare brand Kealopiko on flights over eight hours. On my flight, there weren’t any noteworthy amenities like dental kits, earplugs or eyemasks available.

How was the food in Hawaiian Airlines first class?

Flight attendants offered first-class passengers on my flight a predeparture beverage choice of prosecco, POG juice or mai tais. The crew also handed out printed menus. The meal included creations from executive chefs Wade Ueoka and Michelle Karr-Ueoka of MW Restaurant and chef Dell Valdez of Vein at Kakaako.

Before takeoff, food and drink orders were taken, and after about 20 minutes in the air, passengers were offered macadamia nuts with their first beverage service followed approximately 10 minutes later by a single meal tray with the appetizer and main course.

Dinner consisted of an asparagus salad with arugula, radish and cage-free egg crumble with miso-honey dressing. There was also a Hawaiian sweet roll with butter.

The main course choices included:

• Braised beef bourguignon with daikon (Japanese radish) and walnut and mushroom Israeli couscous
• Roasted kabocha (pumpkin) and garbanzo beans with curry farfalle pasta

I ordered the beef, but the texture was very fatty and tasted more like salty beef chunks than a savory beef stew braised in red wine. In contrast, the salad was fresh and had a pleasant, subtly sweet tanginess, complemented by the miso-honey dressing.

The single option for dessert was a pineapple yuzu cake, which was light, sweet and refreshing.

Cocktail lovers will appreciate the airline’s selection of five specialty libations, including a pineapple daiquiri and the Aviation featuring Larios Gin with notes of dry cherry, lemon and violet.

A small range of beverages and wines, including prosecco, a choice of one red or white wine, white Hawaiian rum, two beers from the Maui Brewing Company, various Hawaiian-inspired soft drinks and popular soda brands, are also available on board. The crew consistently ensured drinks were refilled and periodically checked in on passengers throughout the flight.

Before landing, the crew offered first-class passengers Hawaiian Host chocolate-covered macadamia nuts as a final treat.

The crew on my flight stood out as one of the most genuine and efficient teams I have had on a flight in recent memory.

Upon our boarding, they greeted passengers by their last names and inquired about their preferred form of address for the flight.

During service, they extended passengers’ tray tables for them and gracefully arranged their tablecloths. Moreover, the crew went the extra mile by verbally announcing each dish and beverage as they served them. For instance, instead of simply presenting the main course, they would say, “Kyle, for your dinner, we have prepared the braised beef bourguignon with Japanese radish, walnut and mushroom Israeli couscous. Enjoy.”

Overall, the crew helped make the experience that much more memorable and enjoyable.

Would you recommend Hawaiian Airlines’ first class?

Despite the lack of Wi-Fi, a lengthy check-in line in Honolulu and quirky seats, Hawaiian Airlines’ A330 first class is a comfortable (if not over-awing) way to fly.

These seats wouldn’t be competitive on a long-haul business-class route like Los Angeles to London or Paris because of their lack of direct aisle access, privacy and storage, some of which should be remedied by the forthcoming first class that will be available on the airline’s new Boeing 787s.

However, for a leisure destination where most travelers tend to be couples or families, the seats are a fine fit.

What the airline might lack in panache, it makes up for in character. For instance, every A330 aircraft in Hawaiian Airlines’ fleet carries a symbolic name associated with Hawaii’s history. Just before the safety video, the purser announced that our plane, named Humu, derives its moniker from Hawaiian astrology. Humu represents one of the brightest stars in the navigational triangle that guided the Polynesian ancestors to the Hawaiian Islands. It was just another moment that lent the experience a truly Hawaiian feel.

Although not as premium or private as some long-haul business- or first-class seats, Hawaiian Airlines’ A330 first class is still a comfortable, enjoyable way to fly, especially between the airline’s Hawaiian hubs and its destinations in the mainland U.S. That said, I might consider other options for longer-haul flights to the East Coast.