The Guide to Main Cabin Basic on Hawaiian Airlines

This Hawaiian Airlines economy option will help you stick to your budget, but it has some tradeoffs.

mom and daughter in hawaii after flying Main cabin basic on Hawaiian Airlines

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If you're looking for a low-priced option that puts a tropical vacation in easier reach, consider flying Hawaiian Airlines' Main Cabin Basic fare.

The no-frills option means passengers will be able to save, but at the expense of other perks that come with a higher fare, such as free advance seat selection and upgrade eligibility.

What’s included in Hawaiian Airlines Main Cabin Basic fare?

These lower fares vary slightly by airline, but the one thing they have in common is that they all exclude free advanced seat selection. Passengers traveling on Hawaiian Airlines Main Cabin Basic fares can select their seats at check-in or receive their assignment at the gate. That’s unfortunate, because sometimes by the time you’re checking in, there are nothing but middle seats left.

There are other downsides, too. For example, if you decide later that you want to upgrade to an "extra comfort" seat or to first class, you can’t. Nor can you change your flight or earn Hawaiian miles.

In return for accepting all these disadvantages, you get a reduced fare. And the reduction is significant. For example, we found a round-trip flight from Los Angeles to Honolulu in November for $418 in Hawaiian’s Main Cabin. That same flight in Main Cabin Basic costs just $358. That’s $60 less per ticket, or 14% off the regular economy fare.

Is Hawaiian Airlines Main Cabin Basic worth it?

If you collect Hawaiian Miles, this discount probably isn’t as valuable to you.

Consider that you’d normally earn about 5,000 Hawaiian miles on a round-trip flight between Los Angeles and Honolulu. If that's worth more than $60 to you, you're better off buying up to the regular Main Cabin fare.

Main Cabin Basic deals during peak times

Don’t expect to find Main Cabin Basic deals at peak times. A recent search for travel during Christmas week showed no Main Cabin Basic option for Los Angeles to Honolulu. Main Cabin fares start around $618 round-trip at that time.

Basic economy across U.S. airlines

In NerdWallet's annual analysis of the best airlines, we compared the basic economy experience across the major U.S. airlines currently offering a basic economy fare.

We looked at restrictions and allowances, including baggage, miles earning and trip modification policies. Here's how they stacked up:

Main Cabin Basic on Hawaiian Airlines, recapped

Hawaiian’s low-fare product is a little more generous with perks than some of its competitors. Hawaiian Airlines is following American and Delta in allowing basic fare passengers a free carry-on bag on all routes, but Main Cabin Basic travelers on Hawaiian will also enjoy one of the rarest perks in domestic travel: a free hot meal.

If you’re planning a trip to Hawaii and are willing to give up the ability to choose your seat in exchange for a cheaper fare, Hawaiian Airlines’ Main Cabin Basic fares are worth looking into.


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