I recently had a chance to try out the Hawaiian Airlines 787-9 Extra Comfort seat on a 4 1/2 hour flight from Honolulu to Los Angeles. Honestly? It felt like a missed opportunity (for them – not me).
Spoiler alert: ’Extra Comfort’ on Hawaiian Airlines is basic economy with a few more inches of leg room. That’s it.
Considering that the 787 is their flagship aircraft (one that’ll do a lot of international flying), doesn’t it seem odd that there wasn’t a kahuna big (and brave) enough push for a real premium economy product?
HA002 Honolulu, HI (HNL) – Los Angeles, Ca (LAX) Thursday, June 13, 2024 Aircraft: 787-9 Registration: N780HA Duration: 4 hours 47 minutes Seat: 18G (Extra Comfort)
Hawaiian Airlines 787-9 (N780HA) side view illustration by NorebboStock.com.Our route from Honolulu to Los Angeles this afternoon as HA002.
My full review of Hawaiian Airlines 787-9 Extra Comfort from Honolulu to Los Angeles
With a scheduled departure time of 1:26 PM, there were no issues with traffic on the way to the airport. The only issues I encountered were of the mental kind. I’ve never been very good at leaving Hawaii.
Welcome to the Honolulu International Airport! Also… Goodbye from the Honolulu International Airport!
Checking in (and waiting for the flight)
The best part of traveling with a carry-on bag only? Checking in online and being able to bypass the kiosks at the airport. Especially here in Honolulu.
It’s not that the kiosks are bad – it’s just that the open air terminal (with unobstructed views of the aircraft) is amazing. Not having enough time to do some plane spotting would be a damn shame.
Tripping over my shoelaces and cracking my head open on one of these kiosks wouldn’t have been the end of the world actually. I’d do anything to spend a few extra days in Hawaii (even if it involves lying unconscious in a hospital).Sh*t. I made it into Terminal A unscathed.Hear that? That’s the sound of your boy SANspotter inhaling as many tropical vibes as he can before hopping on a plane and going home.Meanwhile, back in reality, boarding is just about ready to get started here at gate A4.Oh. I almost forgot this was an airline review (and not a telenovela). N780HA is the 787-9 taking me to LAX this afternoon.This right here is the look of a man who is running out of ideas for something (anything) that will keep him in Hawaii for a few more days.
The boarding process for flight number 2 to Los Angeles
A quick look around at the gate area prior to boarding led me to believe that Hawaiian Airlines flight number 2 to LAX is a popular one. Despite the crowds, they managed to get the boarding process started exactly on time.
Note: Extra Comfort passengers board after first class, those needing extra time, active duty military, and Hawaiian Airlines elite members.
Barring any fortunate lightning strikes in the next five minutes, it looks like I’m going home. And I didn’t notice until just now, but Delta first class mobile boarding passes are the *exact* same color as Hawaiian Airlines mobile boarding passes. Who copied who?Boarding has commenced! Sort of. Here in Hawaii, all passengers on flights headed to the mainland are required to go through an agricultural inspection prior to boarding. It’s a good thing I left my coconut bra back at the hotel I guess.“It’s not a toomuh!” Oops. Wrong Arnold Schwarzenegger quote. What I meant was: “I’ll be back!”Regardless of my thoughts on leaving Hawaii, I will say this: it hurts a lot less when you know you’ll be doing it on a shiny new Boeing 787-9.If this were a Hawaiian Airlines 787-9 first class review, I’d be turning left once I get through this galley. Since it’s just a lowly Extra Comfort review, I’ll be turning right.
Seat overview
Extra Comfort seats on the Hawaiian Airlines 787-9 are mixed in with the regular economy seats. It’s a fairly spacious 3-3-3 layout, but the seats in the center section are NOT Extra Comfort seats. Only the seats along the windows have that coveted extra legroom. It’s weird.
The main cabin. Pro: the overhead bins are huge! Con: is it just me, or is it really difficult to tell the difference between the Extra Comfort seats and the regular economy seats?Aha! There actually is a difference: the Extra Comfort seats are labeled as such in the headrests.For comparison sake, this is what the center section regular economy seats look like. There’s no shame in admitting that you can’t really tell the difference.From this angle, it’s easier to spot the difference in legroom between the Extra Comfort seats (on the right) and the basic economy seats (on the left). Look at me go getting extra comfortable here in seat 18G! Foot space (and that carpet) is excellent as well.The seat pocket? I’ve seen better.Nice to see full-size electrical outlets down here beneath the seats. And have I mentioned that carpet yet? Dayum!Yeah. I like seeing that USB-C port beneath the video screen. #golfclap“This is really nice and all, but why the hell didn’t they put Extra Comfort seats in the center section as well??”Fast forward 15 minutes, and I declare these seats to be slightly less comfortable now that everyone else has shown up. It’s cozy.Honestly? I’m not feeling any sense of superiority over anyone sitting in the regular economy seats. It seems that Extra Comfort ain’t all that (at least not yet).
Departing HNL
Maybe it was best that I was sitting in an aisle seat. I mean, how torturous would it have been to be forced to look at tropical fauna and turquoise water as we departed for the mainland? And for anyone keeping score, we took off 11 minutes late (1:46 PM).
Pushing off the gate 3 minutes late isn’t late by the way. They push on island time here at HNL.Of course the safety video rubs it in your face the fact that your tropical island vacation is over. Why wouldn’t it?*sigh* At least I hope we put on a pretty good show for everyone down there on Waikiki Beach as we hit the afterburners on the way out of HNL.
In-flight entertainment
There’s nothing better about the in-flight entertainment system in Extra Comfort compared to regular economy. It’s the exact same video screen with the exact same catalog of movies, TV shows, music, and podcasts. Same games too!
Hana Hou! TV. (Their words – not mine)I don’t care what they call it. The catalog of movies and TV shows is good. And I’m not even mad that I screwed up by selecting ‘Japanese’ as my language back on the home screen.These are really nice video screens by the way. Pro tip: choose your language selection wisely.Just has how a watched pot never boils, watched AirPods take their sweet a** time connecting to the Bluetooth. You’ve been warned.
The food
I really hope you didn’t read my Hawaiian Airlines A330-200 Extra Comfort review before clicking on this one. If you did, you’re no doubt saddened by the realization that they don’t serve proper food to Extra Comfort passengers anymore. You’re going to get the exact same “snacklet” they serve to economy passengers.
That said, it’s technically a free hot meal in economy class. Go ahead. Name one other US airline that does that on domestic routes. I’ll wait.
Oh boy. Here we go. Y’all remember that disaster of a sandwich I was served in Hawaiian Airlines 767-300 economy? I’m getting a whiff of that bad boy as this cart inches closer…Here’s the food (and snacks and drinks and blankets and chopsticks and cleaning cloths and water bottle) for purchase menu.Yup. Anyone who has flown Hawaiian Airlines economy at any point in the past five years knows the apprehension I was feeling at this exact moment.It’s actually a pepperoni bagel – which looks slightly more upscale than some of the other “sandwiches” that I’ve eaten in Hawaiian Airlines economy recently. But WTF is “MAJORAM” and “SAVORY” (in the ingredients list)?Just giving it a moment to see if it grows legs and walks away…Plot twist: It wasn’t that bad actually.No lyin’!
Seat (and cabin) comfort
Long story short, they weren’t joking when they said that these seats are extra comfortable. The few extra inches of legroom makes a world of difference – mostly in regards to trying to find a position which won’t put one (or both) legs to sleep.
You’re damn right you can cross your legs in these seats. The only catch is that you’ve gotta be under 6 feet tall to do it comfortably.I’m telling you though: the regular economy seats (in the center section) look every bit as spacious as the one that I’m sitting in. That’s maybe not a bad way to go for those of you of average height!Mahalo to the cabin crew for keeping my water cup filled throughout the entire flight.“A crystal-clear elixir that captures the essence of the islands, offering a refreshing burst of coolness infused with the sweet, earthy notes of tropical blooms, volcanic soil, and ocean breezes, reminiscent of biting into a ripe pineapple or sipping a fresh coconut smoothie.” Yeah. The water wasn’t that good.A quick trip to the loo before landing. I do believe that I prefer the extra comfort of seat 18G.
The descent and arrival into Los Angeles
Sorry. I couldn’t see jack sh*t from my aisle seat as we twisted and turned our way towards (in into) LAX.
Well well well. This Honolulu Cookie Company pre-landing snack is the exact same thing they handed out in first class just two days prior. I can’t decide if this makes the Extra Comfort experience feel totally premium, or if it makes the first class experience feel totally cheap.The only logical answer to that conundrum is “yes.” In other news, LAX is in sight (at least from my video screen).
Those of you hoping to see glitzy nighttime pics of the arrival should probably check out my Singapore Airlines A350-900 business class review. I’d imagine this was a lot like that. Touchdown on runway 24R happened 15 minutes late at 9:33 PM.
I just hope the pilot in command has a better view of the action than I do!One more 90° right hand turn to go, and……welcome to Los Angeles!Fact: you ain’t never gonna see a more depressed group of people than a plane load of passengers who just arrived back on the mainland from Honolulu.The fact that I stopped taking pictures at this point tells you everything you need to know about my mood. “F the mainland!”I lied. One last pic of this beautiful 787 before I go sulking off into the night…
Pros and cons of the Extra Comfort experience on the Hawaiian Airlines 787-9
I guess I’m a little miffed that Extra Comfort on the 787-9 isn’t a true premium economy experience with larger seats and better food. In it’s current form, it’s essentially no better than Comfort Plus on the Delta 767-300 (a product that I didn’t have many good things to say about).
Pros
The Extra Comfort seats are located near the front of the cabin (just behind first class). Sitting near the front is never a bad thing, right?
The extra few inches of legroom does make a difference. Unless you’re well over 6 feet tall. In that case, RIP.
Cons
There are no Extra Comfort seats in the center/middle section of the cabin.
It’s the exact same seat as economy class.
You’ll be served the same food and drink as economy class passengers. And it’s not all that great.
I just realized that, since the outbound was operated by N781HA and this flight was operated by N780HA, you’ve now *technically* flown on 100% of Hawaiian’s 787 fleet!
Anyway, regarding Extra Comfort, my criteria for deciding to upgrade from regular Economy (for any premium product) is to ask myself whether I can feel perfectly comfortable in said regular economy seat. Of course there’s other factors, but that’s the main one. And since I’ve never had a problem with 31″ pitch Y class seats so far, this product would probably just be an indulgence, and if I wanna indulge on a Hawaiian 787, why not just go ahead and fly in Business Class? (Of course there’s other factors, but that would be my primary line of thought)
That said, extra legroom or not, Economy on the Hawaiian 787 looks pretty nice. The tropical look of the cabin is awesome (both with and without mood lighting), the tech is up to the current times (modern IFE, USB-C ports, and Bluetooth connectivity), and while it’s unfortunate that the meals are gone, at least they still serve real, hot food for free.
Haha, yeah, I was actually going to make a comment about “flying on every 787 in the fleet”, but I resisted knowing that it’s not going to age very well. At least I can say I technically did it, right?
Anyway, being 5′-10′, I wouldn’t have any problem choosing basic economy over Extra Comfort if there was a significant difference in price. I really wish they would’ve given Extra Comfort passengers extra perks like they used to though. It’s hard to justify the additional cost when it’s basically the same experience.
whenever you have the time you should try delta’s longest route from atl-jnb which is about 16 1/2 hours in comfort + it will be a real challenge for you. ps PLEASE FLY TO PORTLAND AGAIN✈️✈️
Ozzy
hey scott im looking at your flight log and im now realizing that you never put a flight update from lax to san did you get an uber or something ?
Scott (SANspotter)
Yeah, this flight from Honolulu arrived too late to catch a connecting flight (or a train) down to San Diego. I just rented a car and drove.
Melanie
Soooo, ur snack was a pepperoni hot pocket!?!
Scott (SANspotter)
Basically yes! How dirty should I feel for admitting that I actually liked it lol?
Peter
I just realized that, since the outbound was operated by N781HA and this flight was operated by N780HA, you’ve now *technically* flown on 100% of Hawaiian’s 787 fleet!
Anyway, regarding Extra Comfort, my criteria for deciding to upgrade from regular Economy (for any premium product) is to ask myself whether I can feel perfectly comfortable in said regular economy seat. Of course there’s other factors, but that’s the main one. And since I’ve never had a problem with 31″ pitch Y class seats so far, this product would probably just be an indulgence, and if I wanna indulge on a Hawaiian 787, why not just go ahead and fly in Business Class? (Of course there’s other factors, but that would be my primary line of thought)
That said, extra legroom or not, Economy on the Hawaiian 787 looks pretty nice. The tropical look of the cabin is awesome (both with and without mood lighting), the tech is up to the current times (modern IFE, USB-C ports, and Bluetooth connectivity), and while it’s unfortunate that the meals are gone, at least they still serve real, hot food for free.
Scott (SANspotter)
Haha, yeah, I was actually going to make a comment about “flying on every 787 in the fleet”, but I resisted knowing that it’s not going to age very well. At least I can say I technically did it, right?
Anyway, being 5′-10′, I wouldn’t have any problem choosing basic economy over Extra Comfort if there was a significant difference in price. I really wish they would’ve given Extra Comfort passengers extra perks like they used to though. It’s hard to justify the additional cost when it’s basically the same experience.
Ozzy
whenever you have the time you should try delta’s longest route from atl-jnb which is about 16 1/2 hours in comfort + it will be a real challenge for you. ps PLEASE FLY TO PORTLAND AGAIN✈️✈️
ben
if you like hawaii so much why dont you move there?
Scott (SANspotter)
It’s too secluded unfortunately. Traveling anywhere (other than to other islands) is very time consuming.