Airlines Are Shrinking Hawaii Economy Seats To Sell Them Back

Comfort on Hawaii flights isn’t what it used to be—and that’s no accident. Inch by inch, U.S. airlines have cut legroom in regular economy, turning what was once standard into a paid upgrade. The goal is simple: make passengers uncomfortable enough to pay more to fix it. Especially on longer Hawaii flights.

We’ve covered this trend at Beat of Hawaii for years. From the rollout of the first barely more than 30-inch pitch aircraft to the rise of monetized “extra legroom” seating, we’ve watched as airlines serving Hawaii quietly reshaped the flying experience. It’s no longer about what you get with your fare—it’s what you’re willing to buy back.

Recently, Japan’s ANA’s announced its new 33-inch economy seats. That reminded us how far U.S. carriers have drifted from that baseline. ANA’s Dreamliners—including those flying to Hawaii—are adding comfort. Everyone else? Not so much. That is, unless you pay more.

ANA gives more. U.S. carriers take more.

ANA’s new long-haul cabin upgrade will include a standard offering of 33–34 inch seat pitch, more recline, upgraded headrests, USB-C and Bluetooth. And they’re actually doing this in economy—not just up front in premium products. The first of these aircraft will fly in 2026, including to Hawaii.

Meanwhile, airlines flying to Hawaii from the mainland are using comfort as a pressure point. Legroom has become a monetized feature. The standard pitch on many U.S. flights to Hawaii now hovers lower and lower. It’s not unusual to find 30–31 inches. Want what you used to get for free? That’s going to cost extra.

Southwest squeezes regular economy to create premium seating.

Southwest is reducing pitch in regular economy from around 32–33 inches to just 31 inches as it reconfigures its aircraft to include a new premium seating tier. That space isn’t going to everyone—it’s being pulled from standard seats to make way for extra-legroom rows at the front and in the exits. To make it work, Southwest is removing multiple rows of seating entirely.

For now, those premium seats are still up for grabs under open seating. But starting in just months, they’ll become assigned—and paid—as Southwest moves to a new fare system with categories like Choice and Choice Extra. When that happens, the chance to score a better seat by boarding early disappears. What’s left is tighter space for those flying regular economy to Hawaii—unless they pay to escape it.

Robert H. saw it coming: “Well at least I can still change seats at will on Southwest. Oops – now that’s about to be gone too! Sign of the times.”

Matt added: “This is not about comfort. This is about not worrying that overly narrow seats and constrained movement from limited legroom increases the chance of deep vein thrombosis… It is really quite shameful.”

Alaska tightens economy to grow premium.

Alaska Airlines has already slashed pitch in main cabin on many of its Hawaii flights. That space is going straight to an expanded premium class, which offers up to 36 inches of pitch—and a new profit center.

“Make the economy experience so miserable that passengers willingly pay more to escape it,” one reader, Drew808, said. Another, DebbieG, noted the tradeoff: “It will be more expensive, but that’s flying. I hope they put in more extra comfort seats and less general seats in the planes some day.”

With Alaska now steering its Hawaiian Air purchase , it’s hard to believe this won’t spread. Will Hawaiian’s A330 widebodies, currently configured at a relatively generous 31–32 inches, keep their layout? Or will that comfort get repackaged and sold to include more premium seats, including a separate premium economy section?

Hawaiian tightens the grip on Extra Comfort.

Hawaiian Airlines has never offered true premium economy—only its Extra Comfort tier, which includes more pitch and early boarding. But even that has become heavily policed. Passengers trying to move into those seats mid-flight are increasingly being blocked. Hawaiian isn’t alone in that practice, we want to point out.

“I had a guy try to steal my extra comfort seat on Alaska,” Vic said. “He wouldn’t budge until I showed my seat assignment on my phone to a flight attendant and he had to move.”

Debra added, “I do pay for the upgraded seats and would be annoyed if someone just sat in an empty one without paying.”

And from Joe K., a Pualani Platinum frequent flyer: “What I have found however is that Hawaiian does not make available all the unoccupied extra comfort seats for me to select. Lucky them, unlucky me.”

We covered this policy shift in No Free Legroom: Airlines Lock Down Seats on Hawaii Flights, where Hawaiian enforced these upgrades even on part-empty flights. The message was clear: if you didn’t pay for Extra Comfort, you’re not getting it.

Reader reactions show the divide.

The comments across our airline coverage paint a clear—and often tense—picture. Some travelers are frustrated by having to pay more for basic comfort. Cindy pointed out that if she had to pay extra for her Extra Comfort seat, then so should anyone else using one. Linda called the pricing model a rip-off, saying the cost of the ticket should already include a comfortable seat.

Others focused on the broader deterioration of the flying experience. Carol likened it to “putting rats in a box,” and said it’s outrageous that airlines want to charge extra just to make passengers somewhat comfortable. Tracy, a parent flying with three children, acknowledged that some can afford the upgrade but added that many families simply can’t.

For travelers like Lawrence S., the tradeoff is becoming stark. As he put it, it’s either take the seat he can afford—or not go at all.

Hawaii flights are still long. And seats are tighter than ever.

Flights to Hawaii obviously aren’t getting any shorter. From the West Coast, five to six hours is typical. From the East Coast, it’s often closer to eleven. Yet as flying times hold steady, legroom is quietly shrinking.

“Leg room means a lot on anything over a two hour flight,” one traveler, out of synch with the industry’s moves, Jay, pointed out, adding that airlines should make every seat the same—except for first class—if they want to avoid angry passengers. Dennis d., reflecting on decades of air travel, remembered when seats were cloth-covered, wide, and comfortable, with real food and room to stretch. Now, he said, larger passengers are crammed into spaces they can barely tolerate.

For some, the discomfort has become a dealbreaker. Colette described her last flight from Lihue to Seattle in economy as the worst she’d ever taken, and said that if upgrades aren’t possible on future trips, her family will likely skip their annual Hawaii vacation altogether.

What comes next—and what it costs.

The new standard in Hawaii travel isn’t what’s included—it’s what you’ll pay to undo. Want legroom? Want room to work, sleep, or stretch during a five-hour flight? It’s no longer built in. It’s branded, marked up, and monetized.

As one reader, Drew808, put it, airlines are now designing economy to be uncomfortable enough that “passengers willingly pay more to escape it.” He recalled when standard legroom ranged from 34 to 35 inches—now often down to 30 or 31—while the same space is being sold back to travelers under labels like Extra Comfort, Premium, or Economy Plus.

Colette, after a miserable long-haul in standard seating, said that if upgrades aren’t available on future trips, her family may simply skip Hawaii altogether. For many, the tradeoff is no longer just about a seat—it’s about whether the trip is worth taking at all.

For a look at what some travelers are choosing instead, see why savvy Hawaii travelers keep skipping first class for this. It’s not always about luxury—it’s about escaping discomfort without breaking the bank.

Let us know: Have you paid extra for space on your Hawaii flight, or simply gone without? Did it feel worth it—or like one more fee in a growing pile? Your comments are welcome!