We’ve been flying to and from Hawaii a lot recently, and there’s more to come soon. Stay tuned for some additional eye-opening Hawaii flight reviews. One thing we noticed on our recent flights that we reviewed on Alaska Airlines and Southwest Airlines is that flight attendants were busy either on the intercom or in the aisle, trying to corral some errant passenger behavior.
What can you expect when stuck for long hours in tiny spaces with barely enough room to move? The days of glamorous Hawaii travel aren’t completely over, but they are definitely harder to find and come with steep price tags.
1. Bad cell phone behavior.
Who hasn’t bemoaned some inappropriate use of phones on flights to Hawaii? This was a problem on both Jeff’s Alaska flight to the mainland and his Southwest flight back to Hawaii. How the airlines handled it was somewhat different, but it was a real issue.
The guy next to Jeff was blasting whatever entertainment he was listening to. It was honestly deafening. The flight attendant visited more than once to ask politely, then more directly, that the passenger either plug in a headset or turn it off. The passenger at first said he wasn’t even aware that he wasn’t wearing a headset. Really? Part of the problem might have been the number of alcoholic beverages he consumed.
On Southwest, it was handled differently. In several intercom announcements, the flight attendants asked that passengers use headsets if they wanted to listen to entertainment.
2. Exit Seatback entertainment; enter noisy cell phone entertainment.
The airlines had a role to play in all this, as did advancements in mobile technology and even, for example, the lack of headphone jacks now on most new devices.
While it is still relatively hard to talk on the phone en route to Hawaii (thankfully or not), using cell phones for entertainment is now the norm. Even more so now as airlines move away from providing seatback entertainment (think Hawaiian Airlines (narrowbody pictured), Alaska Airlines, and Southwest Airlines).
One big distinction is this: while your phone can blast the sound through its tiny speaker, the plane’s seatback entertainment system cannot.
An AT&T study said that we aren’t alone in our frustration with phones on airplanes and especially the headset issue.
- 83% were irritated when others were playing movies, music, or games without a headset. Many airlines used to hand out headphones for free that fit your phone. Now, however, they just complain about using a headset to turn it off.
- 64% found using a bright cell phone screen in a dark cabin disconcerting. Consider turning your brightness down out of courtesy.
- 63% were annoyed by others talking on the phone while still on the ground. Not sure what to make of this issue. It’s something we have done ourselves.
When asked what should be done about these issues, 30% said the devices should be confiscated, while some suggested a fine or removal from the flight. Most, however, did not suggest consequences for these annoyances. We aren’t sure what to think about the consequences here. Any thoughts?
“One minute you’re enjoying your flight, the next you’re daydreaming about throwing the guy next to you out the window (over the Pacific). And you wouldn’t feel that bad about it, either.”
2. Jamming into the front of the boarding area, blocking other passengers.
Who doesn’t want to get on first, be able to store your carry-ons, and get yourself situation before the onslaught of humanity strikes?
This was noticeable on our recent Alaska and Hawaiian flights. It was not the situation with the unique boarding system that Southwest uses.
3. Getting hit by onboarding passengers’ carry-ons.
This is a particular pet peeve of Jeff’s. You’re seated in the aisle, and the person coming by has too much stuff, and they’re turning about for this and that reason with their bulky and heavy carry-ons flailing about the cabin hitting the passengers seated in the aisle. Totally impolite.
4. Your stuff in my space issue.
What more is there to say? It just doesn’t work. We always try to think more about the poor sap in the middle seat and give them the armrest as their war pay.
5. Feet and shoes.
We’ve seen passengers on our recent flights put them everywhere, including on the armrest of the person in front of them and on the bulkhead. Not only that, but feet without shoes on a plane is for most considered just plain bad behavior. Others may and have disagreed.
6. Messing up the lavatory.
As mentioned in our review, the Southwest lavatory suffered from the trash that made its way to the floor. Who doesn’t want to enter a nice clean lav on a plane? Isn’t it incumbent on all of us to ensure that for the next person? Apparently not.
7. Reclining seats.
Thankfully, we haven’t noticed it so much lately. This can be a problem, and if we’re not already feeling claustrophobic enough, this will put some of us over the top. For whatever reason, we’ve noticed fewer people reclining as much as possible, no matter the impact on those behind them.
8. Keiki (children) running about the plane.
This came from our Southwest review. Someone behind Jeff decided it was okay to let their child run freely through the plane. That was until the flight attendant got on the horn to say, please don’t allow that. But seriously, who would have thought that was okay in the first place?
Which of these infractions do you dislike most?
How do you handle your cell phone in terms of Hawaii flight behavior?
Simple answer: These people grew up in an era where they weren’t taught that manners matter.
Of course, I began flying when coach class gave you so much space you could get up from a window seat and not disturb the person on the aisle, and men wore business suits and women wore their best dresses. But even though air travel has become a miserable necessity there’s no reason to act as though no one matters but yourself.
I think part of the rush to board stems from worry about finding an overhead bin for your carry-ons. It makes me think that paying a separate fee to reserve the overhead storage slots (with Storage# by your seat) would provide some ease of knowing the space will be available when you get to your seat. It might keep the volume of carry-ons down and help with the rush to board.
For me, it is the annoying belief people seem to have that others don’t have a right to quiet. Save your calls, music, and games when you are alone or at home. Unless it’s an emergency, there should be no phone conversations on the plane. No one, and I mean No One (including kids) should be permitted to use any device in which the sound is not silent to those around you. It is not as if we can leave the room if the ringing bells, shooting guns, and sound effects of your movie or game are making us crazy. When you are in a public area and/or a confined space; i.e. airplanes, buses, elevators, restaurants, theaters, doctor’s office waiting rooms, etc., it is courteous and proper to keep your noise to a minimum.
I feel that airlines missed the chance to be customer friendly when the charge to check bags, but make it free to bring on board. Think how much easier flying would be if fewer people brought all their baggage on board. Charge for that convenience and make it free to check. It would be better in all areas. Mho
It is hard to pick just one to dislike the most. What is the most troubling is that they all have the same cause: a disregard for other people. I’m exposing myself as an old fogey, but people used to pay attention to their surroundings, and not block grocery store aisles by being oblivious, and not pull emergency u-turns when there’s a perfectly good sidestreet a half block away to turn around safely. Don’t get me started on people that march down the center of sidewalks and force people coming toward them into the bushes to get by. (I’m looking at you, Portland, OR.) Bah! Humbug!
A little recognition that other people exist, and one’s behavior affects them, is all I ask. Is that too much?