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Hawaiian Airlines Dreamliner Flights Begin Amid 787 Safety Concerns

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Hawaiian Airlines Dreamliner Flights Begin Amid 787 Safety Concerns


The first commercial flights of the long-awaited Hawaiian Airlines 789 Dreamliner have commenced. Hawaiian Airlines can’t seem to catch a break at the moment, however, given the bad timing in relation to recent Dreamliner safety concerns. And in that regard, today, Newsweek reported that 3/4 of millennials say “they are more worried about flying in the wake of recent high-profile safety lapses at Boeing.”

First new routes featuring Hawaiian Dreamliner.

The plane flew yesterday from Honolulu to San Francisco. It will fly for one month on that route when the second Dreamliner, which arrived last week, enters service. After that, flights will begin to operate on other routes, including Honolulu to Los Angeles and Phoenix. A third plane is planned for arrival later this year, with the remaining plans staggered over the next three years.

Welcoming new plane to Honolulu.

Beat of Hawaii editors plan to try the Dreamliner in the near future. Recently, however, Beat of Hawaii was at Honolulu Airport with Hawaiian executives to tour the new Hawaiian Airlines plane in its entirety.

When Hawaii first ordered these new-car-smelling planes, they planned to fly them to new and more distant destinations, including internationally. Should the planned merger with Alaska be concluded successfully, it isn’t clear where Alaska would choose to deploy these aircraft.

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This first Dreamliner arrived three years late.

Their first Dreamliner, named Kapuahi, sat parked for several years during COVID. Now that the planes are flying, they will operate for now, to western US cities, although we expect to see them heading out to longer missions quite soon.

Hawaiian Airlines Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner cockpit.

How does the Dreamliner change the Hawaiian Air A330/A321 fleet?

For the most part, it doesn’t. Hawaiian will retain its existing mainland/international fleets of A321neo and A330 aircraft. There are no plans to change those for the foreseeable future. Recently, Hawaiian extended leases set to expire this year on four of the A330 widebody planes, in part due to ongoing A321neo engine problems.

Hawaiian Airlines Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner.

Hawaiian Dreamliner plan began a decade ago.

The new Dreamliners date back to 2014, when Hawaiian bought six Airbus A350-800 aircraft. When those were discontinued by Airbus, that moved the company to a new plan. We believe Boeing gave Hawaiian a sweetheart deal to bring them back to their planes, long before Boeing quality issues began to surface.

Hawaiian Airilnes Dreamliner interiorHawaiian Airilnes Dreamliner interior
Economy/Hawaiian Airlines Dreamliner.

Would Hawaiian have done something different, given what they know today? We’d say yes, they might well have stayed with Airbus widebody planes. But that’s water under the bridge at this point.

No premium economy at Hawaiian – yet.

What we deem to be a needed premium economy cabin never materialized. CEO Peter Ingram told us recently that he hasn’t ruled it out for their future, however.

Hawaiian Airilnes Dreamliner interior, Business class.Hawaiian Airilnes Dreamliner interior, Business class.
Business Class/Hawaiian Airlines Dreamliner.

Business class is the focus on Hawaiian Airlines’ Dreamliner.

The plane features new Adient Aerospace lie-flat business seats in a 1-2-1 configuration. These offer direct aisle access and far more comfort and privacy compared with the prior and quirky Optimares A330 business-class lie-flat.

Hawaiian Airlines DreamlinerHawaiian Airlines Dreamliner

There are 34 of the “Leihōkū” suites with privacy doors. These are the same ones used by Qatar Airways. They have 18-inch monitors, wireless phone charging, and more amenities. The center suites are not the true double-bed type, as seen on some other airlines. These actually face apart in the design to provide the narrow foot cubbies seen under the seat console in front.

How about economy upgrades on the Hawaiian Airlines Dreamliner?

We were pleasantly surprised with the legroom and overall comfort in the plane’s economy class. It did feel more spacious to us than on the A330, which itself isn’t bad. And it’s much better compared with the airline’s A321, which we find to be claustrophobic. Economy seats are Collins Aspire, which have new ergonomically contoured back and armrests that claim to maximize living space and provide more shoulder and hip room. These have a 12-inch seatback monitor with both USB-A and USB-C charging ports.

The 79 Extra Comfort seats provide both extra legroom and access to AC power outlets. Otherwise, they are the same as regular economy seats.

Tip: the very best economy seats (Extra Comfort) were two-across bulkhead sets (of which there are only two pairs on the entire plane, pictured above and below).

Hawaii Dreamliner Extra Comfort economy.

More about the new Hawaiian Dreamliner and two questions for you.

The plane’s most prominent new feature is its business-class seating. We would also argue that flying the Dreamliner on American Airlines, United Airlines, or Hawaiian Airlines is far more the same than it is different. What can make the largest difference for passengers is associated with the soft product, being everything other than the physical aspects of the plane.

Our questions to you are this. First, have your feelings about flying Dreamliner changed in light of all of the recent issues? And secondly, would you have a preference for one airline’s Dreamliner plane versus another? Mahalo!

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Hawaii Island asks for the public’s assistance finding elderly woman, Jacquelyn Glenn

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Hawaii Island asks for the public’s assistance finding elderly woman, Jacquelyn Glenn


HONOLULU (HawaiiNewsNow) – Hawaii Island police are renewing their request for the public’s assistance in locating 82-year-old Jacquelyn Glenn of Kailua-Kona, who was reported missing by her family.

Police said she is considered endangered due to her age.

Glenn was last seen on Friday, Dec. 5, around 6:37 a.m., on the 75-200 block of Nani Kailua Dr. in Kailua-Kona.

She was wearing a peach-colored shirt, blue denim jeans, and black tennis shoes. She reportedly mentioned going to Hilo with friends, but did not say when she planned to return.

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She is described as 5′6″, 125 Ibs, with curly grey hair and brown eyes.

Police ask anyone with information on the whereabouts of Jacquelyn Glenn to call the Hawaii Police Department’s non-emergency line at (808) 935-3311.



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Hawaii gets nearly $190 million for rural health care | Honolulu Star-Advertiser

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Hawaii gets nearly 0 million for rural health care | Honolulu Star-Advertiser




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Hawaiian announces $600 million airport, wide-body upgrades | Honolulu Star-Advertiser

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Hawaiian announces 0 million airport, wide-body upgrades | Honolulu Star-Advertiser


COURTESY HAWAIIAN AIRLINES

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Hawaiian Airlines today announced an investment of more than $600 million over five years to improve airport passenger areas across the state and interior upgrades to widebody aircraft.

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Hawaiian Airlines CEO Diana Birkett Rakow told the Honolulu Star-Advertiser ahead of today’s announcement at Daniel K. Inouye International Airport that other improvements will include better apps, a better website that will make it easier for passengers to change flights, among other things that also include better integration with Alaska Airlines, which acquired Hawaiian in 2024, making it a subsidiary of Alaska Air Group.

“We have pushed a lot of change through the system for the last couple of months,” Rakow said. “We’re working on integrating our ticketing systems because right now we’re on two separate ticketing systems that don’t talk to each other.”

After late April, she said, booking on the shared Alaska Air and Hawaiian Air ticketing system “will be much more seamless.”

In announcing the renovations and changes, Hawaiian pledged “a significantly smoother guest experience … once Hawaiian Airlines and Alaska Airlines share the same passenger service system and Hawaiian Airlines joins the oneworld alliance, both scheduled for late April.”

Right now, Rakow acknowledged, “unfortunately there is some friction.”

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“There’s been so many changes and all of that friction is really painful,” she said. “We are committed to making sure we are addressing the issues. … We are certainly not perfect, but we are committed to working together. … Really, after April, it is going to improve significantly.”

Each island airport also will see renovated lobbies and gates designed to increase comfort, provide better seating and amenities such as improved power charging.

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Daniel K. Inouye International also will get a new 10,600-square-foot lounge at the entrance of the Mauka Concourse in Terminal 1.

And starting in 2028, Hawaiian’s wide-body Airbus A330s will get new seats, carpets, lighting, business class suites, a Bluetooth-enabled in-flight entertainment system with high-definition screens and free Starlink Wi-Fi.

Gov. Josh Green said in a statement ahead of today’s announcement that, “Hawaiian Airlines’ investment is exactly the kind of long-term commitment Hawaiʻi needs. Modern, welcoming airports improve the experience for residents and visitors alike, strengthen our economy and keep Hawaiʻi competitive as a global destination. We appreciate Hawaiian Airlines’ partnership in advancing workforce development, regenerative tourism, clean energy, and community programs that reflect the values of our islands.”

The New Year began with a .75% increase in Hawaii’s Transient Accommodations Tax that will help the state fight climate change.

Rakow said that Hawaiian is working to better inform inbound passengers about how to respect Hawaii’s culture and environment.

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Hawaiian said it will continue to support “programs promoting regenerative tourism, culture and conservation.”

The airline also said it will fund grants to nonprofit organizations “promoting cultural programs, environmental preservation, and perpetuation of native Hawaiian art and language through the Alaska Airlines | Hawaiian Airlines Foundation.”




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