For an overnight flight, a $175 upgrade is well worth it

The airline: Hawaiian Airlines

• Route Sydney to Honolulu, flight HA452
• Aircraft A330
• Class Extra Comfort, seat 12C (aisle)
• Frequency Flights operate five times weekly, departing at 9.40pm and arriving at 11.40am, leaving plenty of time to connect to other islands
• Flight time Nine hours and 31 minutes. (Flight departs on schedule and arrives 10 minutes early, but unfortunately we lose that time waiting for another plane occupying our gate to move)

Checking in

Check-in takes a little longer than expected, as two of my travelling companions have been assigned the same seat. Fortunately, the jovial staff member handles the mix-up with finesse, and the incident is more amusing than anything.

The seat

My seat (12C) is located in a small, two-row section just to the left of the entry door, separated from the business class cabin by a sheer curtain. The Extra Comfort section features a 2-4-2 configuration and a generous 36-inch (91 cm) seat pitch — five inches (12.5 cm) more than standard economy. I’m in an aisle seat within a group of four, with another passenger on the opposite end and two empty seats in between, so I have even more room to stretch out.

Waiting at my seat is a soft pastel green blanket and a small cushion with a delicate fern print. Shortly after boarding, a smiling flight attendant hands me an amenities kit from Hawaiian homewares brand Noho Home. It includes an eye mask, toothbrush and toothpaste, earplugs, earbuds, a pen, hand and body balm and lip balm. There’s also a USB port on the seatback in front for charging devices. The cabin temperature is on the cooler side, so I’m grateful to find an extra blanket beside me.

Baggage

Extra Comfort passengers are entitled to the same baggage allowance as economy – one piece of checked baggage up to 23 kilograms per passenger. A second bag of the same size is allowed for a fee of $150, plus one piece of carry-on luggage up to 11 kilograms. Surfboards, bicycles and other sports equipment such as golf clubs are classed as standard checked baggage.

The loyalty scheme

In October 2025, Hawaiian Airlines transitioned to Atmos Rewards, its new integrated loyalty program with Alaska Airlines, following its acquisition by the carrier in 2024. Hawaiian Airlines is also set to join the oneworld Alliance in the US spring 2026. The airline also has a partnership with Qantas Loyalty.

Entertainment + tech

The in-seat entertainment system offers a solid selection of movies, music and kids’ TV shows, including several films shot in Hawaii (such as Jurassic Park and The Descendants) to help get in the zone. Starlink internet is also available and impressively straightforward to use: no pesky logins required. The connection is fast and reliable.

Service

Flight attendants, dressed in floral print shirts — some with frangipanis tucked behind their ears — are friendly and efficient without being intrusive. The first service begins within half an hour of boarding, and the second service starts about 90 minutes before landing, allowing ample time for rest in between. Throughout the flight, the crew makes regular rounds to collect rubbish and offer water.

Food

The first meal is a chicken and lettuce sandwich served in a brown paper bag, accompanied by a pineapple-shaped cookie from the Honolulu Cookie Company. It’s a simple yet satisfying offering. Toward the end of the flight, a hot breakfast is served, with a choice between an egg frittata or waffles, along with a small bowl of melon and a muffin.

Sustainability

Hawaiian Airlines is aiming for net zero emissions by 2050 through the use of more fuel-efficient aircraft, operational initiatives to conserve fuel and a target to eliminate single-use plastics in cabins by 2029. The amenity kit provided to Extra Comfort passengers is crafted from felt and designed for reuse. It includes a bamboo toothbrush and pen, while the hand and body balm comes in a tube made from 50 per cent recycled plastic.

Price

From about $850 return for a standard economy seat. Upgrading to an Extra Comfort seat starts from $175 one way.

The verdict

Flying Hawaiian Airlines feels like your holiday starts the second you step on the plane, and the added leg room in Extra Comfort is totally worth it on an overnight flight.

Our rating out of five

‏★‏★‏★‏★

One more thing

Hawaiian Airlines is set to open a new premium lounge, which is five times larger than its existing lounge, at Honolulu’s Daniel K. Inouye International Airport in late 2027.

The writer flew as a guest of Hawaiian Airlines. See hawaiianairlines.com