This was published 8 years ago
Hawaiian Airlines business class: Flat beds for Australia to Hawaii flights
By Jamie Freed
The new Hawaiian Airlines interior lay-out that will be deployed on Sydney-Honolulu flights.
Hawaiian Airlines will introduce new business class seats on its A330 aircraft flying between Sydney and Brisbane and Honolulu and expand its popular economy comfort section, in a move that could boost its competitiveness against rivals Qantas and Jetstar.
The new seats will be installed across its A330 fleet from the second quarter of next year through the middle of 2017. The business class seats will feature fully flat beds in a 2-2-2 configuration, replacing the existing recliner seats that are more akin to a premium economy product or Jetstar's business class rather than the premium products flown by most other international carriers into Australia.
Hawaiian Airlines will also add an extra 28 economy comfort seats, featuring a 36 inch seat pitch, priority boarding at the gate, complimentary in-flight entertainment and a personal power outlet, to each of its A330 aircraft. The other economy class seats have a 31 inch seat pitch.
The new Hawaiian Airlines airplane interior lay-out that will be deployed on Sydney-Honolulu flights.
As a result of the changes, the number of seats on each A330 will decline by 16, or 5.4 per cent, to 278.
The move comes as Qantas installs new business class seats on its own fleet of A330s, which it uses for its four weekly return flights from Sydney to Honolulu. The Qantas seats, which feature fully flat beds and aisle access for all passengers as a result of the 1-2-1 configuration, will be fitted to its entire A330 fleet by the end of 2016.
Chief executive Mark Dunkerley said Hawaiian Airlines had gone with a 2-2-2 configuration rather than 1-2-1 because most of the passengers flying to Hawaii did so as couples or family groups and therefore didn't want the same sort of privacy as business travellers.
"We believe this is going to usher in a new era of premium service at Hawaiian," he said at a media briefing in Honolulu. "This new service is going to underscore our mission to be the premier destination carrier. It is going to take our signature in flight hospitality to a new level."
Mr Dunkerley said he also believed passengers would be willing to pay more for the new business class product, which combined with the addition of more economy extra comfort seats would increase the airline's yields, or returns from fares.
"We expect demand for this [business class] seat, we are convinced it will be best in its class flying in the markets we serve," he said, adding if it proved particularly popular, the carrier could expand its business class section beyond 18 seats at a later date.
Hawaiian Airlines's revenue from international flights has fallen as a result of the stronger US dollar. However, chief commercial officer Peter Ingram said demand for the flights had not fallen and revenues had held up in locally currency terms, demonstrating "the resilience of demand for travel to Hawaii."
Mr Ingram said the competitive landscape in all of its markets, including Australia, appeared manageable for the foreseeable future.
Hawaiian Airlines chief financial officer Shannon Okinaka said the airline would receive a $US220 million benefit from the lower oil price this year that would more than offset the $US90 million impact the stronger US dollar was having on foreign markets, like Australia. The airline reported a 25 per cent return on invested capital in the third quarter, which is more than double the levels of Qantas and Virgin Australia.
The reporter travelled to Honolulu as a guest of Hawaiian Airlines
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