The only thing better than flying to Hawaii is flying to Hawaii in comfort. But if you don’t have the dough to fly first class, you can still make a more modest upgrade by grabbing a seat in Hawaiian Airlines’ premium economy class: Extra Comfort.

Here's a look at what you get by booking Hawaiian Airlines Extra Comfort versus economy, how much it costs and how to book a ticket if you decide it’s a worthwhile splurge.

What to expect when flying Hawaiian Airlines Extra Comfort

Extra Comfort seats are available on Airbus A330s. They give you a smoother ride in a number of different ways, so you can arrive on the island relaxed and ready to start your vacation. Here are a few perks you’ll receive when booking an Extra Comfort seat on Hawaiian Airlines:

More legroom

One of the main reasons to book Hawaiian Airlines Extra Comfort seats is the five inches of extra legroom compared with an economy class seat. This benefit is available on most flights from the U.S. mainland to Hawaii, but it can vary depending on the route, aircraft and row.

If you want even more room to stretch out, you can also pay an additional fee to book an Extra Comfort seat in an exit row.

Earlier boarding

Extra Comfort passengers board before most main cabin passengers, meaning you get earlier access to the overhead bins and can get settled in your seat sooner.

Priority airport screening

If you’ve purchased an Extra Comfort ticket, you can use the priority airport screening lane when departing from these select airports:

Austin.

Honolulu.

Las Vegas.

New York.

Oakland.

Sacramento.

San Diego.

San Francisco.

San Jose.

Power outlet

Another perk of flying in an Extra Comfort seat is a personal power outlet to charge devices you have with you. This is in addition to a USB charging port, which is also available to those seated in the main economy cabin.

Amenity kit

Travelers who book an Extra Comfort ticket on an international flight will also receive an amenity kit. The kit includes several items that can make your flight more enjoyable, such as earphones, ear plugs and an eye shade. It also has toiletries such as a toothbrush and toothpaste, lotion, lip balm, a comb and sunscreen. Flights to Pago Pago and Papeete aren't included.

Baggage allowance

Unfortunately, you won’t get a special baggage allowance for an Extra Comfort ticket. You’ll pay the same fees as those in the main economy cabin: $30 for the first bag and $40 for the second on flights from the U.S. mainland to Hawaii.

There are, however, two ways around this:

Earn Pualani elite status with the airline, which will give you two (Pualani Gold) or three (Pualani Platinum) free checked bags.

Sign up for a Hawaiian Airlines® World Elite Mastercard®, which gives cardholders two free checked bags when booking directly with Hawaiian.

Food and beverage service

Extra Comfort passengers, like those in the main cabin, get a free meal on most Hawaiian Airlines flights from North America, though it’s often just a microwaved sandwich. Soft drinks and a snack are complimentary, and alcoholic drinks are available for purchase.

How much are Extra Comfort seats on Hawaiian Airlines?

Prices for a seat in Extra Comfort vary depending on the flight, distance traveled and time of year.

On a flight from Honolulu to Ontario in September 2022, prices started at $59 one-way for an upgrade to Extra Comfort. An 11-hour flight from New York-JFK to Honolulu in November 2022 was selling upgrades that cost up to $235 per ticket, at the time of this writing.

Another example, below, is a Los Angeles to Honolulu flight offering Extra Comfort seats for $92 to $127 one-way.

You can upgrade to Extra Comfort seats regardless of whether you paid cash or used HawaiianMiles for your ticket, but the upgrade can’t be paid for with miles — Hawaiian accepts cash only.