Hawaiian will pinch an inch of legroom

Hawaiian Airlines passengers won’t be able to recline their seats on any interisland flights by the end of this year.

The state’s largest carrier said Thursday it is retrofitting the 18 Boeing 717 aircraft it uses on interisland routes with new lightweight seats that will reduce legroom by about an inch under a reconfiguration and allow the airline to add five to 10 more passengers on each flight.

Hawaiian said Thursday it has completed a retrofit on its first Boeing 717 that will increase capacity to 128 seats. By the end of the year, the airline said, all of its 717s will have that capacity.

Before the retrofit, Hawaiian 717s had either 118 or 123 seats each.

"The new lightweight seats are engineered to ensure a maximum amount of personal space without compromising legroom or comfort," said Peter Ingram, chief commercial officer for Hawaiian, in a news release.

Hawaiian said the reconfiguration will trim about one inch of the seat "pitch." The seat pitch, the best indicator of legroom, measures the distance from any point on one seat to the same point on the seat in front or behind it. The new configuration will have a seat pitch of 29 to 30 inches.

Alison Croyle, a Hawaiian spokes­woman, said even though the old seats reclined, the new main cabin seats are set at "a pre-reclined angle that our guests will find comfortable."

Honolulu Realtor Ira Gordon, who sometimes flies interisland, said not being able to recline his seat could be a deal-breaker when making reservations.

"As an older person who’s had sports injuries and has joint problems and those kinds of things, it’s difficult in a normal seat getting them to be comfortable," Gordon, 68, said. "But with them not reclining and less legroom, it will be more difficult. I would tend to find a different airline."

Gordon said it doesn’t matter that interisland flights are only 20 minutes to an hour long.

"I’m always looking for a more comfortable seat, whether it’s for a long or short time," he said. "If I have a choice, I’m going to go for a little more comfort."

Previously, five different cabin configurations were operating among Hawaiian’s neighbor island fleet. The retrofitting will enable all the 717s to have an identical galley, lavatory and 128-seat configuration onboard each aircraft, with eight of those seats being in first class.

Although the new seats are individually lighter than the current Boeing 717 seats, Croyle said the airline doesn’t expect to realize significant fuel savings.

The new seat backs offer a "tablet table" built from solid aluminum. They are sized and designed for complimentary beverage service and the use of a tablet device, Hawaiian said.

The airline said the interior color palette features the elements of the islands through earth tones, a deep aqua seat, and accents of fuchsia and sky blue. Hawaiian said contrast stitching in the upholstery brings out natural forms of the islands. Other design elements include new seat covers and leather arm caps in first class; new carpeting, galley flooring and curtains; and new forward windows on certain aircraft.

"These new, modern design elements rejuvenate the interiors of our Boeing 717s while allowing us to deliver a consistent onboard experience for our guests," Ingram said.

Overall, Hawaiian has 47 aircraft in its fleet. In addition to the 18 Boeing 717s, the airline has nine Boeing 767s and 20 Airbus A330s that are used for long-haul travel.