In my last post, I compared the basic service offerings of both Alaska and Hawaiian-Main Cabin. Today, we’re going to move up one rung on the seating hierarchy ladder in my Alaska vs Hawaiian-extra space comparison post.
It’s worth noting both Alaska and Hawaiian don’t offer a true premium economy product, which is why this is a comparison of extra space products. Of course, as the name of the product suggests, these types of seats are standard Main Cabin seats that have, well, extra space. Of course, when you look at the nuances of these seats, there are notable differences.
Alaska vs Hawaiian-Extra Space Comparison
Like in my Main Cabin comparison, I’m going to start my Alaska vs Hawaiian-extra space comparison off with a table to highlight the similarities and differences of the different hard and soft products across the different aircraft types in both airlines’ fleets.
In Alaska’s parlance, extra space seating is known as Premium Class, while Hawaii calls its version Extra Comfort. The main benefit of these seats is extra legroom, which is pretty consistent across the board. All narrowbody aircraft between the two airlines feature 35 inches of pitch, while widebodies get an extra inch of legroom. That said, seat widths and layouts are exactly the same as their Main Cabin counterparts.
Naturally, another aspect of the different products that remains the same in comparison to Main Cabin is the availability of food and wifi, along with the type of overhead bins installed on the aircraft. However, on this last point, it’s worth noting that Alaska actually reserves bin space for Premium Class passengers. Whether other passengers respect this or not? Your mileage may vary…
Thus far, I’ve covered how the different products are similar. However, we’ve reached the point of the Alaska vs Hawaiian-Extra Space comparison that I’ll begin discussing their differences. For example, Hawaiian offers free entertainment and access to standard A/C outlets in Extra Comfort versus its fee-based entertainment and USB-only power in Main Cabin. Of course, both of these benefits are available in Alaska Premium Class, just as they are in Main Cabin. It’s worth noting that you still have to bring your own device with Alaska, but the same is true for Hawaiian’s A321neo Extra Comfort passengers.
Yes, Hawaiian continues to offer free “meals” in Extra Comfort, but these are the same sad, bakes/sandwiches as Main Cabin. Alaska doesn’t change up its food offering here, either – free snacks and meals for purchase – but they do offer Premium Class passengers free alcohol.
Another major difference between the two similar products is boarding order. With Hawaiian, Extra Comfort passengers board in Zone 3, which is actually fifth in the overall boarding order, while with Alaska, you board with Group B, which is fourth overall. Ok, that’s not that big a difference. But, with Hawaiian, Zone 3 is just Extra Comfort (coming after all pre-boards, families, first class passengers, and elite members), whereas Alaska Group B includes MVPs (behind MVP Golds, first class, and pre-boards/families).
Cost
Next in my Alaska vs Hawaiian-Extra Space comparison, I’ll attempt to cover cost. And I say attempt here because the actual price can vary quite a bit. But what I can tell you is what the base upgrade cost is. For Alaska, it’s about $99, while Hawaiian’s upgrades begin at about $10 for intra-Hawaii flights and about $60 for trans-Pacific flights. These are priced per segment (multiple segments on the same ticket require multiple upgrade purchases) and often increase in price as the cabin fills up/you get closer to your departure date.
Alaska vs Hawaiian-Extra Space Comparison, Final Thoughts
Is Alaska’s Premium Class worth more than Hawaiian’s Extra Comfort seating? Yes, Hawaiian feeds you, whereas Alaska doesn’t. Much of what’s missing from Hawaiian’s Main Cabin offering is also available to Extra Comfort passengers, putting them on a more even footing. And in that regard, I do think Hawaiian’s offering provides greater value. However, being subjective again, I do think Alaska has the superior product. Again, given that the seats are still the same as Main Cabin, I do find that Alaska’s seats are superior, while I’d rather pay for Alaska’s food than take Hawaiian’s free junk. But that’s my opinion.
Of course, factoring things in, like the value of Alaska miles, better service, and Alaska’s 20-minute baggage guarantee, versus Hawaiian certainly helps Alaska’s case.