SEA to ICN: Booking Hawaiian Airlines' New Leihoku Suite for 75k Miles

A private suite with lie-flat bed and direct aisle access on a transpacific flight — normally thousands of dollars out of pocket. Here's exactly how I booked Hawaiian Airlines' new Leihoku Suite from Seattle to Seoul for 75,000 miles per person, and how we saved 40,000 miles in the process using one simple booking trick.

The Route & The Plane

Hawaiian Airlines Flight HA871 operates non-stop from Seattle (SEA) to Seoul Incheon (ICN) — about 11 hours 40 minutes. It runs five times a week (no Mondays or Tuesdays). Always confirm current schedules on hawaiianairlines.com before booking, as departure times are subject to change.

The aircraft is Hawaiian's brand-new 787-9 Dreamliner featuring the Leihoku Suite: 1-2-1 layout, sliding privacy doors, and fully lie-flat seats. A massive step up from the A330 used on other Hawaiian routes, which uses a 2-2-2 configuration with no privacy.

The Trick: Book Through Alaska, Not Hawaiian

Cash fares run ~$830 round-trip in economy and ~$4,200 round-trip in business. If you're booking with miles, the instinct is to go straight to HawaiianAirlines.com — but that's the more expensive option.

How to Earn Alaska Airlines Miles

Alaska is not a direct transfer partner for Chase, Amex, or Citi — so building a balance takes some planning. Here are the best options:

• Alaska Atmos Base Card ($95 AF) — 80,000 bonus miles + $99 companion fare after $4k spend in 120 days
• Alaska Atmos Flagship Card ($395 AF) — 100,000 bonus miles + 25,000-mile companion award after $6k in 90 days
• Alaska Atmos Business Card ($70 AF) — 80,000 bonus miles + $99 companion fare after $5k in 90 days
• Bilt Rewards — transfers to Alaska at 1:1
• Marriott Bonvoy — transfers at 3:1 (5,000-mile bonus per 60,000 transferred; best for topping off)
• Flying Alaska, American, Japan Airlines, Cathay Pacific, or other Oneworld partners

Even after the recent program refresh, Alaska's award chart still holds some of the best sweet spots in the industry. A 12-hour business class flight to Asia for 75,000 miles beats what legacy carriers like Delta or United charge for similar routes (typically 100,000–120,000+ miles).