Posted on: Tuesday, June 8, 2004

Aloha eliminates first-class seating

By Dan Nakaso
Advertiser Staff Writer

Aloha Airlines, which became the first Hawai'i-based airline to offer first-class seats 21 years ago, will now only provide coach seats on its interisland flights.

"Today, virtually no one in Hawai'i wants to pay a premium for a first-class seat on a 30-minute interisland flight," said Glenn R. Zander, Aloha's resident and chief executive officer.

The change, which is expected to be completed by mid-July, involves removing all 12 first-class seats on Aloha's fleet of 10 Boeing 737-200 interisland jets and replacing them with 21 coach seats. Aloha will continue to offer first-class service on its trans-Pacific and West Coast flights.

"This also enables us to improve our per seat costs at a time when jet fuel prices are skyrocketing," Zander said. " ... Demand for first-class service on interisland flights has diminished as more and more transpacific carriers, including Aloha, now fly non-stops direct to the Neighbor Islands."

Aloha Airlines won't book first-class interisland seats for travel after June 30. Passengers who already booked first-class flights are entitled to refunds, the company said.

Officials with Hawaiian Airlines, the Islands' largest airline, declined comment on Aloha's first-class announcement.

Reach Dan Nakaso at dnakaso@honoluluadvertiser.com or 525-8085.