Hawaiian Airlines Seat Upgrade Guide | Tips & Options

Traveling with Hawaiian Airlines is one of the most comfortable experience and this journey can be made much more enhanced and comfortable by upgrading your seat. There are various ways to move to a higher cabin if you want extra legroom, priority boarding or want to experience the luxury of First or Business class. You can easily upgrade by paying cash, redeeming miles and by taking part in the Bid Up program. 

This guide will inform you about options for seat upgrade on Hawaiian Airlines, their estimated costs, eligibility requirements, and tips to ensure you sit in a better seat.

How to upgrade seat on Hawaiian Airlines

On Hawaiian Airlines, there are 4 options of cabin upgrades available, and they all work slightly differently:

• Bid Up (cash bidding): After being booked, put a bid on the internet for First or Business Class.
• HawaiianMiles redemption: Pay for upgrade with loyalty miles.
• Upgrade certificates: Use a certificate earned from achieving elite status!
• Extra Comfort or paid upgrade purchase: Just pay one fixed fee when booking or after booking.

Here are explanations about each and every method in detail:

1. Bid Up: Name Your Own Price

The Hawaiian Airlines Bidding System is the only true bidding system among major domestic airlines in the United States of America, and it's for upgrades?it's called Bid Up. With this option, after purchasing the ticket, you can receive an email invitation to place a bid or you will see a bid window when you log in to your reservation on the web. Simply put, the system works by:

• Entering Confirmation Number on the Bid Up page.
• First Class or Business Class tickets cost you a specified amount, so you are willing to pay for a seat in one of those classes.
• If the bid is successful, you will pay, if not you will retain your seat in your origin and won't pay anything.
• Most people are informed to accept the bid from 24 to 48 hours prior to leaving the airport, but in some cases this may be even nearer the 28 hour mark.

Bid-Up makes the most sense when you are willing to pay a reasonable, competitive price as opposed to the lowest possible price ? flights with a higher discount of premium seats have a better chance of success.

2. Using HawaiianMiles to Upgrade

You can also get Hawaiian Airlines seat upgrade by using your miles earned through the HawaiianMiles membership instead of paying cash. Domestic save upgrades typically begin between 25,000 and 30,000 miles depending on the route, length of time to the flight and the amount of premium inventory available for that specific flight.

To redeem miles for an upgrade:

• Log in to your HawaiianMiles account.
• Access your current booking in "Manage Trips.
• Examine whether or not there is an upgrade available for miles.
• You can also call Hawaiian Airlines customer service directly to enquire about upgrades on their flight, if it's not available there.

The popularity of miles-based upgrades is due to the fact that you don't have to gamble on your bid to get a bookable upgrade: You simply have to have enough miles and reserve the seats that are available with the miles at the time of your booking. The thing that needs to be kept in mind is that award space is limited and will require considerable planning at the beginning.

3. Elite Upgrade Certificates for Pualani Members

The airline's elite tiers provide another route for such loyal flyers. Pualani Gold and Platinum members can get free upgrade certificates to boost their membership every year. Some helpful information on these certificates:

• These certificates usually apply to an upgrade to First or Business Class and are for flights of approximately 3,500 miles or less.
• To longer distances, members may accumulate several certificates to get the distance.
• The certificates get increasing in size for Platinum members each year, as well as bonus certificates for flying more miles during the year.

Having the status of an elite member, this option is likely the budget-friendly best method to fly up front without going to the trouble of bidding for the seat or without having to deposit miles for redemption; it's simply the reward of your loyalty.

4. Extra Comfort and Direct Paid Upgrades

A First Class experience isn't for everybody. Sometimes additional room and a small extra bit of breathing room is all that is needed - that is where Extra Comfort seating fits in. One can purchase these seats for a flat price, during booking or on the web at Hawaiian's "Manage Trips" feature.

Most of the time, the extra comfort seating is expected to have:

• Extra space between the legs, over standard economy.
• Priority boarding.
• Access to enhanced amenities depending on the route.

Sometimes the airline does not require a bidding, but it provides a simple paid upgrade to First Class ? this may show up in ?My Trips? as a discounted, instant-purchase upgrade, as the date for departure approaches. Please do verify your booking the days before your travel date as far as prices are concerned as well as the availability of a seat on the plane during that time.

What Does a Hawaiian Airlines Seat Upgrade Cost?

There are only two factors to consider when it comes to pricing: upgrade type and flight duration. The cost of a short-hop flight between the islands will always be lower than an long haul flight. Below is what you can expect from each option:

Extra Comfort Seating

Extra Comfort will provide you with noticeably more leg room, quicker boarding and your own electrical outlet at your seat. The price is proportional to the distance of the flight ? typically looks something like this:

As expected, it's obvious that shorter interisland routes are cheaper, and longer routes tend to be pricier as they generate more demand, and as the time in the seat increases.

First Class or Premium Cabin

There are various options to move all the way up to First Class ? outright payment, making a Bid Up offer or redeeming HawaiianMiles:

The bid price is not standard - busier, longer routes generally require more to their bid than shorter west coast routes. Miles-based co-pays also change based on the city you leave from.

Preferred Seats

Preferred seating is the easiest, least expensive course of action if you don't need all the upgrades, and simply want a more desirable seat in the cabin, such as a window seat or an aisle seat closer to the front. They typically cost $5 to $50 for a particular seat position and run.

In all three categories, booking early is a benefit as better seats are also taken earlier and so do better prices as a flight gets sold out.

Conclusion

With the right knowledge of the appropriate path to upgrade your Hawaiian Airlines seat, it's not too complicated. With little planning in advance you can easily get upgrade using bid, by redeeming your miles, using elite certificate or by simply paying for extra legroom or comfort. Looking to fly in a more comfortable way? Please log in to Manage Trips today and view your upgrade options before they are too late.