It could be the latest thing on your Hawaii flight amenity cart for sale: a better seat. Change is afoot on whether an unsold superior seat in economy should be up for grabs once the flight starts? These airlines are starting to say “no.”
Leave a Comment
89 thoughts on “Don’t Move! Hawaii Flight Attendants Now Enforcing Economy Seats”
I experienced the same thing on a United flight about 10 years ago. The stewardess called the passenger out over the PA and the poor guy had to walk back to his seat. The plane was maybe half full and a late night flight. I haven’t flown United since.
Mike your harrowing account of “some other person” being forced to walk the “Green Mile of Shame” must have been too much denigrating to observe if you’ve never flown that airline again, were You “That Person?” I, preferring true justice, would prefer pushing the person out, and off, of the plane at 2,000 feet! Punishment Befitting. Unless you were involved why didn’t you Fly?
It’s almost a Guarantee that any unbooked seat will first be offered on the airline site as a reasonably priced upgrade, if not sold as such the airline will look to the Attendants to attempt to sell them possibly at a further, but slight, reduction. It truly would make sense to do it that way yet in an orderly fashion. An Empty Upgradable Seat is Lost Income, sometimes it makes sense to cut the price by a reasonable amount and also gives really good feedback from the passenger.
On Hawaiian Airlines they make a announcement asking passengers to stay in their assigned seats before or shortly after take off.
Bert, that is due to Other Considerations and You should know that! Commenting further to Bert would probably be futile and seen as a poor choice.
What with all of the differentiated classes and fees on the airlines these days, as someone else commented it’s clear that passengers are no longer customers but revenue sources. Then you have all of the fee add-ons once you arrive in Hawaii. It’s demeaning to be nickeled and dimed to death by EVERY service provider – bled out slowly, but by bit, for whatever that provider or this can squeeze out of you. Don’t see going anywhere on any airline anytime soon to be honest.
As in Any Business Model customers are seen for their monetary value. It’s much easier than identifying with them on a purely personal basis. There are the Sellers and the Buyers plain and simple when it’s brought down to the Basics.
Airlines might have to color-code the seats so that passengers know what class their seats are in and not infringe on another class. If the seats are in the same cabin, a passenger might not know the difference. It doesn’t seem fair that the flight attendants have to police it though.
Marking the seats in a certain way is redundant, seats are clearly numbered and lettered, however to avoid any confusion it would be a good idea and additionally a possible selling point for the curious. Unfortunately Attendants are the first line of contact with the passengers and it falls upon them to enforce the rules, who else is available to do so? Without cooperation from the passengers anything could happen.
Of course they were not sold why can they not be used. I had good enonomy . American cancelled my flight. Now only crap economy seats left. If after we take off better seats are available why should I be stuck in the crap seats
Assigned Seating is important for many reasons, one of which is the ability to identify by name who is in which seat. If there’s any seating available other than your own it’s not there to be grabbed for convenience sake. Inquiring if you can be reassigned is proper, if it’s an Upgrade plan on paying more. This isn’t a School Bus where jumping seats can be the normal. Unrulyness has its penalties, the least which is being totally embarrassed.
Just like airlines tring to make more money.
That is ridiculous!
It’s how they stay in business. There’s always an Alternative to flying if that’s someone’s preference, it just takes much longer. Traveling by air has its Benefits but there Are Rules to be followed and with upgrades a Price to be Paid for the Comfort Factor.
American’s “Main Cabin Extra” does come with the perk of free alcoholic drinks in addition to the significantly increased leg room on board…
Same with Alaska’s Premium seating.
It’s not as simple as just airline policy- I’ve had people move to an open seat next to me so another part of their group can stretch out. Now I’m squeezed and 2 of their group have an open seat between them! Hardly seems kosher?
Passengers should be able to move to other seats once the doors are closed, but only within the class they paid for. I’ve seen passengers on wide body international flights try to move from regular economy to upgraded seats with more legroom, and I’ve even seen some try to move into vacant business class seats. In every case I can remember, the flight attendants made them return to their assigned seats or section. I wouldn’t be opposed to flight attendants “selling” upgraded seats if they are available, but that may cause some consternation within the cabins because there may be more passengers willing to pay the extra money to move up than the number of seats available. How would they determine who to sell them to?
Exactly – which is why you should stay in the seat you bought.
First come first served, they begin at the front and work their way to the back or vica versa.
I’ve been fortunate twice when flying to Hawaii where due to bad weather the back of the plane was practically empty. Both times the Attendant said that we, all 7 of us on 1 flight, could move around and take whatever seats we wanted as long as it was in the back and after the doors closed. I flipped up the arm rests both times and Slept my way to Hawaii and wasn’t the only one! Sometimes people do get a break.