Why This Full-Service Carrier Waited Until Now To Introduce Premium Economy

Hawaiian Airlines has long been an outlier among full-service carriers in the United States. The airline has a brand built on hospitality and long overwater flying to Hawaii, but it has yet to offer a premium economy cabin that sits cleanly between its economy and business-class offerings. For years, the carrier leaned on Economy Comfort (extra-legroom) seats as a middle option, with older Airbus A330s equipped with only an older premium layout. This strategy was not irrational in a Hawaii-oriented network that skewed heavily towards leisure travelers. Many flights would not have been able to actually fill a premium cabin on Hawaii routes, meaning that there was simply no need to add this unique cabin.