Hawaiian Airlines Business Class Review: Seattle to Seoul Incheon (New Direct Route)

Hawaiian Airlines launched a brand new direct route from Seattle to Incheon in September 2025, and we were among the early passengers on it. The flight operates on a new Boeing 787 Dreamliner with a seat called the Leihoku Suite. Hawaiian calls it first class. The price and service level are business class, so that is how we will talk about it.

Vincent booked this using points. We were genuinely excited.

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Alaska Lounge (Seattle Pre-Departure)

Business class Hawaiian Airlines passengers get access to the Alaska Lounge in Seattle. The space is large and comfortable, though it was crowded on our visit. The food was hit and miss. We have a full lounge video on the channel for anyone who wants the detail.

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The Leihoku Suite: Seat and Cabin

The Leihoku Suite is a 1-1 configuration, meaning each seat is in its own row with no one beside you. The seats alternate slightly so you are not directly next to the window in some positions, but the privacy is excellent.

The honeymoon feature

The seat divider between the two center-facing seats can be lowered when both passengers agree. The mechanism requires both people to activate it simultaneously, which made it a fun moment when we figured it out. Once down, the space is genuinely large and made sharing food easy. When both doors are closed, it feels like a private room. If you are flying with someone, this is a highlight of the experience.

Note for the last row: The seat on the pilot's side is always reserved for pilots and is never available to passengers. We were in the last row and had an empty seat beside us on one side.

Storage and tech

• Overhead bin with water bottle compartment: Hawaiian water bottle provided, and there is a mirror inside the compartment.
• Wireless charger: Works with most phone cases. You pull it out and rest your phone on it.
• Outlet and USB-A port. No USB-C. Bring an adapter.
• Spacious compartment for your bag or purse beside the seat.
• Privacy door that goes all the way up between your seat and the center divider. Full privacy even if you do not know the person across.

IFE (In-Flight Entertainment)

The touchscreen was noticeably laggy for a brand new aircraft. The content selection included English and Korean shows, games (Angry Birds was available), flight map, and a Hawaiian Airlines credit card sign-up screen for some reason. The Korean content selection was limited. The interface needs improvement.

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Amenity Kit

The base kit had toothbrush, toothpaste, and a pen. That is all.

However, flight attendants walk through the cabin with an amenity cart offering optional items you can pick from. Options included: hand cream, facial mist, lip balm, socks, eye mask, earplugs, and tissue. You choose only what you want. This approach is excellent because you are not receiving a bag full of items you would never use.

What we picked:

• Eye mask: Hawaiian-patterned fabric. Thin and comfortable.
• Lip balm: No fragrance, just basic hydration.
• Hydration facial mist: Coconut scent. Nice.
• Hand and body lotion: Light plant scent.
• Socks: Japanese split-toe style with grip pads on the bottom. An unexpected and fun design. These became a souvenir.

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Drinks

Welcome drinks: Three options: Mai Tai, soju cocktail, or fresh juice.

Vincent had the Mai Tai, the signature Hawaiian drink. Strong and refreshing.

I ordered the soju cocktail out of curiosity. It was premixed and came out subtle-sweet and more refreshing than expected. Easy to drink. Recommended over the Mai Tai if you want something lighter.

Macadamia nuts were offered alongside the drinks. Standard Hawaiian Airlines signature. The hot towel came after the macadamia service. Ideally it should arrive before food but it was still a nice touch.

One thing missing: A full written drink menu showing all available juices, sodas, and non-alcoholic options. We had to ask what they had, which felt inefficient. Something they could improve.

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Food

The airline serves two different dinner menus: Hawaiian fusion and Korean. You can pre-select your choice on their website before the flight. For the pre-landing meal, the flight attendant asks at service time.

After Takeoff: Dinner

Vincent's Hawaiian fusion meal:

• Short rib with wasabi sour cream
• Okinawa potato
• Salad

He preferred his meal and so did we when we exchanged bites. The short rib was flavorful, the Okinawa potato was interesting. The wasabi sour cream worked.

My Korean menu:

• Chicken bulgogi, seaweed soup, Korean grain rice, cabbage kimchi, cucumber pickle, tofu with tomato and chive sauce

Honest notes from a Korean perspective:

• The plating was wrong: rice goes on the left, soup on the right in traditional Korean service.
• No chopsticks were provided for the Korean meal. They gave chopsticks later for ramen. Make of that what you will.
• The chicken bulgogi was sweeter than expected, closer to Hawaiian-Korean fusion than traditional.
• The kimchi was very aged and sour, the kind you would normally use to make soup or kimchi fried rice rather than eat fresh.
• The tofu with tomato sauce was unusual and did not fit the Korean meal context.
• The meal was served all at once (one drop) rather than in courses. Korean Air serves courses even for Korean meals.

This is Korean food prepared by people who are not Korean. It is fusion and it is fine, but if you are Korean or have had Korean Air's Korean menu, the comparison is noticeable.

Recommendation: Order the Hawaiian fusion for the after-takeoff meal.

Dessert (both got the same, no choice): Chocolate pear-filled mousse dome with pistachio. Very good. Moist from the pear filling, not overly sweet, better than what we have had on Delta. This was a strong note to end the meal.

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Snack Station (Mid-Flight)

A snack station is available mid-flight. When we asked the flight attendant about snacks, they pointed us toward the station plus offered to bring ramen.

Grab these:

• Hawaiian potato chips (Maui onion flavor): Large chips, good seasoning. A must on a Hawaiian flight.
• Sandwich: Spinach, chicken, cheese. Better than expected.
• Shin Ramen: Hawaiian Airlines serves Shin Ramen. This was a surprise. Cup noodle style rather than the proper pack ramen Korean Air uses, and served without kimchi or cucumber on the side. Still, instant ramen at 35,000 feet is always welcome. Chopsticks were provided for the ramen but not for the Korean dinner earlier. Noted.

After we ordered ramen, multiple people around us did the same because the smell spread through the cabin.

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Pre-Landing Meal

My Korean menu:

• Jajangmyeon (black bean noodle) with pork belly
• Korean-style omelette
• Fish cake with vegetables
• Kimchi

The jajang was served on a plate instead of a bowl, which made mixing the sauce with the noodles difficult. The sauce was not liquidy enough to mix in the first place. Gochujang was provided on the side, which does not pair naturally with jajang. The pork belly itself tasted good when eaten on its own. The overall dish felt like it was designed by someone who knows the dish by name but not by how it is actually eaten.

The fish cake and omelette as companions to jajang are unusual combinations in Korean food. Not bad as individual items, just not a natural pairing.

Vincent's western pre-landing salad: Avocado salad that was surprisingly sour and not good. He agreed my jajang was better.

Recommendation: For the pre-landing meal, choose the Korean menu if it is jajang or a noodle dish. Avoid the western salad option.

End of flight gift: A Liko'i (passion fruit) chocolate bar made in Hawaii was distributed before landing. Cute and appreciated.

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Bed and Sleep

We made our own beds. The flight attendant did not offer to set them up for us, which is a noticeable difference from Starlux where bed preparation was part of the service.

The mattress padding and bedding were comfortable. Vincent slept well and for longer than me. The flat bed is fully functional for a long-haul flight.

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Restrooms

One restroom on each side of the cabin. Only one per section, which can create a wait during peak times. Some aircraft have two per section so this felt limited.

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No In-Flight Wi-Fi

This route does not currently have internet. If you need connectivity mid-flight, plan ahead.

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Overall Verdict

The Leihoku Suite is a genuinely good business class seat. The honeymoon configuration is fun, the privacy door works well, and the wireless charger and storage design are thoughtful. We liked the cabin overall.

The food experience was uneven. The Hawaiian fusion is clearly where the kitchen is strongest. The Korean menu works as a concept but the execution is not at the level you would get from a Korean carrier. For the return flight or anyone flying this route, the strategy is: choose Hawaiian fusion for dinner, Korean for pre-landing, and get the ramen when the snack station opens.

The new Seattle to Incheon direct route is a genuinely convenient addition for anyone flying between the Pacific Northwest and Korea. We are glad it exists.