Hawaii travelers debate fairness, cost, and comfort. What has become a complicated issue that requires new fight back strategies.
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59 thoughts on “Hawaii Flight Squeeze Hits Tipping Point: Travelers Sound Off”
On a recent trip from Maui to Seattle, we found out minutes before boarding that our first-class seats were downgraded to Coach. The reason was “you paid for your tickets with points and the people we gave your seats to paid with money”. What about the thousands of dollars we spent flying Alaska to accrue the 160,000 miles to fly first-class. What logic is that when a passenger spending thousands is downgraded for a passenger buying a ticket for $1,500? I told the gate agent my husband is an 80-year-old disabled Vietnam veteran with very painful scoliosis of the lower spine. He sat for the next 6 hours in a seat too small for his 6’4″ frame and his knees hit the seat in front of him. The parting gift received was a paper bag with potato chips and cookies. I found “bumps” happen way more often than we travelers realize and I have filed complaints with the DOT and Alaska. Shame on Alaska Airlines for treating any passenger, much less a disabled one, in this manner.
My experience has always been great. The crews have treated me with kindness, respect and genuine Aloha. I have never seen any behavior less than professional. No drinking as mentioned except water. Great airline!
I cannot understand why the airlines allow people to check luggage at the boarding gate free of charge while others pay during their initial ticket purchase for their.luggage check. If you want your luggage inside the cabin you should be paying the premium.
If you want to be treated well and have a nice comfortable seat…forget about using any of the North America big airlines. It seems like only a few foreign (to USA) and small boutique airlines are a pleasure to be a passenger on a flight anymore.
If seats are empty then you should allow people to occupy then. To fly with empty seats while your Customers are in less comfortable seats is not Aloha at all ant not good policy or promoting good will. I usually do pay for extra comfort but it would not bother me if someone got free upgrade because seat was unsold. Customer comfort should be paramount at hawaiian airlines or you may lose those customers to someone that treats them better. Aloha !
Monica is right, above all else, comfort and humanity should be your policy. Packed like sardines is a perfect statement. Everytime I go to Hawaii I come back with medical issues caused from the long flight and squished quarters. The seats don’t even go back a little to release the back. This is with all Airlines.