Hawaiian Airlines' New Main Cabin Menu: What Kamaʻāina Get Free
Chef Sheldon Simeon's new Main Cabin menu takes off July 1, 2026. Photo: Hawaiian Airlines.
Big news just dropped, and you are getting the full breakdown early. Starting July 1, 2026, Hawaiian Airlines is rolling out a brand new Main Cabin dining program on flights between Hawaiʻi and the continent, built around a chef-driven menu from Maui's own Sheldon Simeon.
Here is the part that matters most for us at home: kamaʻāina who are Huakaʻi by Hawaiian members get their first two meals free. If you are not a member yet, you have until June 24 to sign up and lock in the perk. I will walk you through exactly what is changing, what stays the same, and how to claim your free meals before the deadline.
Is the free Main Cabin meal going away?
Let me be straight with you, because this is the question everyone is going to ask. Yes, the complimentary sandwich that used to come around on transpacific Main Cabin flights is being retired on July 1. In its place you get a real menu of hot, chef-made dishes you order ahead and pay for.
One exception worth knowing: if you are flying the HNL to JFK route, Main Cabin guests there will still receive a complimentary meal. For everyone else on Hawaiʻi to continent flights, the free sandwich becomes a pay-to-pre-order menu. I know change like this can sting at first, so here is the honest trade. You lose a free sandwich nobody was writing home about, and you gain mochiko chicken with garlic noodles made by one of the best chefs in the state. I will take that deal.
The pre-order menu launches July 1, 2026 on flights between Hawaiʻi and the continent. It does not apply to Neighbor Island, South Pacific, or international flights, and the HNL to JFK route keeps its complimentary Main Cabin meal.
The new menu: Chef Sheldon Simeon goes onboard
This is where it gets fun. Simeon's menu reads like a love letter to local comfort food, leaning on the same signature sauces that made his restaurants famous: his spicy-K mayo, sweet teriyaki, banana bread syrup, and that legendary crispy toppings bag of rice crackers and furikake. Everything is made fresh, no more than 12 hours before each flight, and the lineup rotates through the year with more dishes landing this fall. Prices run roughly from $10.99 to $16.99, in line with what you would pay for comparable food on the ground.
Chef Sheldon Simeon of Maui's Tin Roof and Tiffany's designed the new Main Cabin menu. Photo: Hawaiian Airlines.
If the name rings a bell, it should. Simeon is a two-time Top Chef fan favorite and a James Beard Award finalist who runs two beloved Maui restaurants: Tin Roof in Kahului, his counter-service spot famous for the mochiko chicken, and Tiffany's in Wailuku, the neighborhood institution he and his wife took over. This is also not his first time cooking at altitude. Back in 2017, Simeon was part of Hawaiian's Featured Chef Series, with his dishes, including an early version of that same mochiko chicken, served in First Class on flights from Hawaiʻi to the continent. So this new Main Cabin menu is really a homecoming, just with a much bigger reach this time.
The savory lineup
The headliner is the crispy mochiko chicken and garlic noodles ($16.99), pulled straight from Tin Roof's most famous plate. You get a rice-flour-crusted chicken thigh over garlicky Sun Noodle noodles with mac salad, plus the spicy-K mayo, sweet teriyaki, and crispy toppings to dress it yourself. From there, the barbeque teriyaki chicken bento ($15.99) is pure local plate energy, with teriyaki-marinated grilled chicken over rice alongside sliced tamagoyaki, kamaboko, and a shoyu hot dog. The teriyaki cheeseburger ($15.99) puts a teriyaki-marinated patty on a glazed bun with American cheese and house-made pickles. For something lighter, the grilled chicken banh mi ($15.99) loads lemongrass chicken thigh onto warm French bread from Honolulu's La Tour Bakehouse with pickled vegetables, cilantro, and jalapeño. And the Italian sub ($12.49) is a no-nonsense hoagie stacked with salami, ham, pepperoni, and provolone.
A first look at the new Main Cabin meal boxes from Chef Sheldon Simeon. Photo: Hawaiian Airlines.
Crispy mochiko chicken and garlic noodles, inspired by Tin Roof's most famous plate. $16.99. Photo: Hawaiian Airlines.
The mochiko chicken up close: rice-flour-crusted thigh, garlic noodles, and the crispy toppings bag. Photo: Hawaiian Airlines.
Barbeque teriyaki chicken bento with tamagoyaki, kamaboko, and a shoyu hot dog. $15.99. Photo: Hawaiian Airlines.
Teriyaki cheeseburger on a teriyaki-glazed bun with house-made pickles. $15.99. Photo: Hawaiian Airlines.
Grilled chicken banh mi on La Tour Bakehouse French bread. $15.99. Photo: Hawaiian Airlines.
Italian sub with salami, ham, pepperoni, and provolone. $12.49. Photo: Hawaiian Airlines.
Breakfast, island style
Catching a morning flight? The corned beef hash and eggs ($15.99) tops roasted breakfast potatoes with crisped corned beef hash, a poached egg, and hollandaise. The island-style French toast ($15.99) uses thick-cut, custard-soaked Hawaiian bread served with fluffy scrambled eggs and Portuguese sausage. And the banana pancake breakfast ($15.99) is a local favorite done the Chef Sheldon way, with thick pancakes filled with mashed bananas, scrambled eggs, and Portuguese sausage. Each one comes with his spicy-K mayo and banana bread syrup so you can build the plate your way.
Banana pancake breakfast with Portuguese sausage and scrambled eggs. $15.99. Photo: Hawaiian Airlines.
The banana pancakes, finished with Chef Sheldon's banana bread syrup. Photo: Hawaiian Airlines.
Island-style French toast on thick-cut Hawaiian bread. $15.99. Photo: Hawaiian Airlines.
Corned beef hash and eggs with a poached egg and hollandaise. $15.99. Photo: Hawaiian Airlines.
Plant-based and gluten-free
Eating plant-based or gluten-free? You are genuinely covered, not an afterthought. The coconut overnight oats ($10.99) are creamy coconut-milk oats with chia seeds, macerated berries, and gluten-free granola, served cold and naturally sweet. The sweet and tangy tender greens salad ($14.49) stars li hing mango alongside baby kale, toasted almonds, edamame, grape tomato, and quinoa, all tied together with a salty-sweet li hing balsamic vinaigrette. Both are vegan and gluten-free. Coming this fall, look for a cheesy omelet and a cheeseburger mac and cheese built for the keiki.
Coconut overnight oats with chia, berries, and gluten-free granola. Vegan and gluten-free. $10.99. Photo: Hawaiian Airlines.
Sweet and tangy tender greens with li hing mango. Vegan and gluten-free. $14.49. Photo: Hawaiian Airlines.
The breaking news, in one bite
Here is the whole change in one bite. As of July 1, 2026, on most flights between the islands and the U.S. continent, Hawaiian is moving the Main Cabin to a pre-order dining model with a fresh, chef-curated menu you buy in advance. It is the same approach already running up front in First Class, now brought back to the rest of the plane.
Both ends of the cabin are now in the hands of Hawaiʻi-born chefs. Simeon handles the Main Cabin, while Chef Dell Valdez, Hawaiian's executive chef, oversees the First Class and international Business Class menus. If you want the bigger picture on flying out of the islands on points, this slots right into our complete Atmos Rewards guide for flying from Hawaiʻi.
What still comes free for everyone
Here is the reassuring part. Hawaiian's signature Mea Hoʻokipa hospitality is not going anywhere. Every guest, in every cabin, still gets the complimentary touches that make the flight feel like home:
- A welcome beverage after takeoff, same as always.
- A complimentary local snack from new partners Anahola Granola and Diamond Bakery. Think Hawaiian shortbread macadamia nut cookies in the morning and Maui onion kettle chips in the afternoon.
- A mahalo sweet treat before landing from Hawaiian Host Chocolates or Honolulu Cookie Company.
New complimentary snacks from island partners Anahola Granola and Diamond Bakery. Photo: Hawaiian Airlines.
Premium Class guests keep complimentary alcohol and pick up a new island bite, Anahola Granola's tropical granola bar with papaya and pineapple. The packaging is mostly compostable or recyclable too, since meals are now made to match real demand. Less waste, more care for the ʻāina. That is a win.
The kamaʻāina perk: your first two meals are free
This is the reason I wanted to get this out to you fast. As a mahalo to local guests, Hawaiʻi residents who are Huakaʻi by Hawaiian members get the first two items free when they pre-order for an upcoming trip starting July 1. It applies automatically once you make your selection. No code, no hoops.
There is a catch, and it is a friendly one: you need to already be a Huakaʻi member, or become one by June 24, to qualify for this launch offer. It is a one-time perk tied to the rollout, so this is genuinely a do-it-now situation.
Not a Huakaʻi by Hawaiian member yet?
Huakaʻi by Hawaiian is the free benefits program for Hawaiʻi residents. Beyond these two free meals, members get a free checked bag on Neighbor Island flights, quarterly Neighbor Island fare discounts, and monthly network deals. All you need is a Hawaiʻi address and a free Atmos Rewards account, which is the program that replaced HawaiianMiles. Sign up before June 24 to lock in the free meals.
Join Huakaʻi by Hawaiian, free →If the Atmos Rewards and HawaiianMiles shuffle still has you a little confused, you are not alone, and I broke the whole thing down in our HawaiianMiles to Atmos Rewards guide.
How to pre-order, and which flights it covers
Pre-ordering is simple. You select your meal through the Alaska Hawaiian mobile app or in the "My Trips" section on the Hawaiian Airlines website. The window opens two weeks before departure and closes about 20 hours before your flight, so set a reminder when you book. You can browse the full lineup on Hawaiian's official Main Cabin menu page.
Coverage, to be clear: this is for Main Cabin on flights between Hawaiʻi and the U.S. continent, minus the HNL to JFK route, which keeps its complimentary meal. It does not apply to Neighbor Island, South Pacific, or international flights. Red-eye flights will have a limited pre-order selection. And if you forget to pre-order, you can still buy snack boxes and items from the Pau Hana cart onboard.
Frequently asked questions
July 1, 2026. On flights between Hawaiʻi and the U.S. continent, the Main Cabin moves to a pre-order menu you buy ahead of your flight.
Main Cabin on flights between Hawaiʻi and the U.S. continent, with one exception: the HNL to JFK route keeps its complimentary meal. It does not apply to Neighbor Island, South Pacific, or international flights.
On transpacific Main Cabin flights, yes. The complimentary sandwich is being retired on July 1 and replaced by the pre-order menu. HNL to JFK is the exception and still includes a complimentary meal. Either way, every guest still gets a welcome beverage, a local snack, and a mahalo sweet treat before landing.
Prices run roughly $10.99 to $16.99 depending on the dish. You pre-order through the Alaska Hawaiian app or the "My Trips" section on the Hawaiian Airlines website, from two weeks before departure up to about 20 hours before your flight.
Hawaiʻi residents who are Huakaʻi by Hawaiian members, or who join by June 24, get their first two pre-ordered items free starting July 1. It applies automatically when you make your selection. It is a one-time launch offer.
Chef Sheldon Simeon, the James Beard Award finalist behind Maui's Tin Roof and Tiffany's, created the Main Cabin menu. Chef Dell Valdez, Hawaiian's executive chef, oversees First Class and international Business Class.
You can still buy snack boxes and items from the Pau Hana cart onboard. Red-eye flights carry a limited pre-order selection. The complimentary welcome beverage, snack, and sweet treat still come around regardless.
Yes. The coconut overnight oats and the sweet and tangy tender greens salad are both vegan and gluten-free, and more dishes are coming this fall.
Okay, I am genuinely excited about this one. Once I got past the knee-jerk reaction to a free sandwich leaving, it clicked: this is a real jump in quality, with fresh, made-to-order food from a James Beard finalist instead of the same standard tray for everyone, and you choose exactly what you eat. The sustainability win is quiet but big too, since making only what people pre-order cuts the mountain of barely-touched meals that used to get tossed, with mostly compostable packaging on top. And I have to hand it to Hawaiian for leaning all the way into the islands here, from a Maui chef and a Honolulu-born executive chef to local brands like Anahola Granola, Diamond Bakery, and Hawaiian Host. Local chefs, local food, local brands. Mahalo, Hawaiian. So my honest bottom line: if you are a Hawaiʻi resident, lock in your Huakaʻi membership before June 24, because it is free, it takes a few minutes, and it covers two of Simeon's plates. Now tell me in the comments, which dish are you pre-ordering first? A hui hou!
