Hawaiian Retires the 717 for the 737-800

Alaska Airlines just announced that Hawaiian’s Neighbor Island fleet is moving from the Boeing 717 to Hawaiian-branded Boeing 737-800s. The goal is to begin that change in 2028 (Alaska has not given an end date), with one Alaska-branded 737 flying alongside the 717s starting this October.

This is the biggest change to interisland flying in years: roughly double the First and Premium Class seats, Wi-Fi from Starlink, and new seats throughout. I have flown the 717 on this exact route, so this story matters to me personally. Here is what is changing, and what it means if you have Atmos Rewards points.

Why Hawaiian Is Retiring the 717

The Boeing 717 has flown Hawaiian’s Neighbor Island routes for over two decades, but the planes are old now. Neighbor Island flying is hard on an aircraft: short flights under an hour, many takeoffs and landings each day, and a salty environment that makes parts wear out faster. Alaska picked the 737-800 because it is a proven, strong aircraft already in Alaska’s own fleet. That makes maintenance, parts, and pilot training simpler as the two airlines continue joining together after the merger.

My Experience On Hawaiian Airlines

A few years ago I booked a mistake fare on American’s website: Stockholm to Kahului (OGG), round trip, for about $200. American kept the price and let me fly it. To travel between the islands, I booked Hawaiian on the 717.

The flight itself is barely 40 minutes from gate to gate, just enough time for a drink service. What stuck with me was the cabin: a 2-3 layout, with only two seats (no middle seat) on one side. So if you sit on that side, no stranger sits between you and the other passenger. I filmed the flight, you can watch it here. That seat layout will disappear once the 737-800s replace the 717.

What’s Actually Changing in the Cabin

It helps to be exact about where things stand today: the 717 does not go from zero premium seats to some. It already flies with 8 First Class seats and about 17 extra-legroom “Extra Comfort” seats in the Main Cabin, along with 98 regular Economy seats. What Alaska announced is a big increase to that, not a brand-new cabin.

According to the announcement, the Hawaiian-branded 737-800s will bring:

• Roughly double the First Class seats compared to the outgoing 717s
• Premium Class growing from about 17 seats to 36+, the rebranded, expanded version of today’s Extra Comfort
• Free, fast Starlink Wi-Fi on every flight
• Reclining leather Recaro seats throughout the cabin
• 110V power outlets, USB charging, and seatback device holders at every seat
• More cargo space, mentioned specifically for surfboards

The aircraft will be based in Honolulu and flown by Honolulu-based pilots and flight attendants, so the local crews do not change.

Timeline

What This Means for Atmos Rewards

More Premium and First Class seats on Neighbor Island routes could be good news for anyone using Atmos Rewards miles on these short flights. Whether that turns into more real award space depends on how many of the new seats Hawaiian actually opens up for miles, and we will not know that until the 737s are flying.

We checked AwardFares for Honolulu–Kahului (HNL-OGG) across a three-week window, October 14 to November 3, 2026, right through the time the interim Alaska-branded 737 is expected to start flying. Every one of the 50+ flights currently loaded for that window is still scheduled as a Boeing 717:

The price depends on which program you redeem with, and that difference is important to know before you transfer any points:

Two things are important here. First, United MileagePlus can book these Alaska-operated flights, but only in Economy. If you want Hawaiian’s First Class on a flight between islands, Atmos Rewards is the program that lets you book it. Second, Premium Class (today’s Extra Comfort) does not show as bookable with miles on either program right now, even though the seats exist on the 717. Check again once the 737-800 arrives with more than double the Premium seats.

Here are two things you can do now:

1. Re-run this same HNL-OGG search with AwardFares every few weeks starting in October. The moment a flight shows “Boeing 737” equipment with Premium Class award space, you’ll know Hawaiian has started releasing the new cabin.
2. Set a Live Alert for First or Premium Class once the 737s start flying. First Class already has very few seats left on Atmos Rewards today (1–2 seats on several flights above), so the bigger cabin does not mean it will be easy to book.

AwardFares’ Conclusion

This is a real upgrade for Neighbor Island flying: more First Class, a bigger Premium cabin, better Wi-Fi, a stronger aircraft. But it removes Hawaiian’s no-middle-seat 717 cabin, the one I flew and filmed above, permanently. Right now, every HNL-OGG flight is still shown with 717 equipment through early November, and none of the new Premium seats are bookable with miles yet on any program. The interim October 2026 service is the first place to check for a change, long before Alaska’s 2028 target date to start replacing the full fleet.

Search Hawaii interisland routes with AwardFares, and set a Live Alert if you want First or Premium Class before all the planes are replaced.