A recent Southwest Airlines passenger took to Reddit as a result of a miserable Hawaii flight. It has sparked a lively discussion on the challenges of maintaining comfort and order during long flights across the Pacific.
During the six hour journey from Hawaii to Las Vegas, the passenger, known under the handle Silverbullet22, found themselves at their wit’s end after enduring hours of seat-kicking by a child seated behind them. They immediately shared their frustrations online while in the air via WiFi, and sought advice from the Reddit community on how to handle the situation without causing a scene.
“Any kind suggestions for stopping a child kicking my seat? I am currently on a flight from Hawaii to Las Vegas and a child behind me keeps kicking my seat. His oblivious father is sitting next to him and does nothing. I don’t want to cause a scene but 4 hours into this and I am ready to go full tilt Karen. I have said OUCH a few times but to no avail. Why do they only put 1/2 inch of foam between your lower back and someone’s foot? Thanks for letting me vent 😖”
A distressed passenger on Southwest.
The post quickly gathered well over 200 comments, with suggestions ranging from direct confrontation with the parent or child to involving flight attendants. While the incident didn’t escalate into a full-blown altercation, it serves as a reminder of how small annoyances can build into significant frustrations in the confined space of an airplane on a long flight.
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Comments included, “Press the flight attendant button…, to, “tell the parent you want to swap seats with him.”
This incident comes at a time when flights to and from Hawaii have seen a troubling number of in-flight disruptions. Just this year alone, there have also been multiple diversions involving passenger incidents, some of which turned violent.
These have ranged from this incident that didn’t result in a major altercation, to passenger brawls and violent altercations that have in fact led to emergencies. These events, fueled by escalating tensions, underscore the challenges airlines face in maintaining order and safety in cramped spaces.
While the situation involving a child kicking a seat may seem minor by comparison, it reflects the broader issue of maintaining a peaceful environment on increasingly stressful flights in a largely traveler-unfriendly airline industry.
These incidents also highlight the unique challenges faced by airlines operating long-haul flights over vast stretches of ocean, where diversion options are limited. Hawaii, often a convenient stopover point on even longer trans-Pacific journeys, has seen its airports become the landing site for a number of these unplanned passenger-caused diversions.
As airlines continue to grapple with these challenges, the importance of proactive communication and clear protocols for handling in-flight disruptions—whether they’re as minor as a child kicking a seat or as serious as physical altercations—cannot be overstated.
Passengers, too, play a role in ensuring that their actions don’t contribute to a negative experience for others, whether by monitoring their own behavior or addressing issues even like this more minor one with courtesy and respect.
As discussions around passenger behavior on flights continue, it’s clear that everyone has a part to play in making air travel a safer and more pleasant experience for all.
What’s your take on this incident and other Hawaii flight passenger disruptions?
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When this has happened to me, I forcefully confront child and parent without involving a flight attendant. No more problem.
Any idea on whether they’re going to rebrand the great Hawaiian Airlines brand to Alaska Airlines or keep it as Hawaiian Airlines?
I would first try gently addressing the child (and parent!), asking him/her to please not kick the seat & explaining why, while acknowledging that it is hard to sit still for that long but they need to be a good boy/girl & try.
I do reserve the right to request assistance from a flight attendant if needed, of course.
I have been successful with bribing the kids. I try to carry some small bills (usually a dollar is enough, but flashing three dollars at the kid is more effective). I had one enterprising youngster stop kicking my seat for $2, but a but later started slamming the tray table open and shut. This cost me another $2. I do this in front of their parent(s), so that the parents feel awkward, as they should.
Money well spent.
Great idea, said no one ever, because you have now taught the child that it can be bribed with cash to stop its bad behaviors as opposed to the parent just making them stop doing what they were doing!!
Don K –
It’s not my job to raise the kid properly. If the parent wants to intervene and tell the kid to stop; no money; great. But that doesn’t happen. My job is to not have my seat back kicked or tray table slammed all flight long.
I will also tip any mariachi band $20 to go play at the other end of the restaurant.
I would go speak with one of the flight attendants and tell them i was going to approach the derelict passenger. From a flight attendant: “I have usually tried to talk to the parents to see if they can switch seats with the kid but most of the time there’s nothing we can do besides reseating the person who is getting kicked”
A long flight seems to bring out the best and the worst of good and inconsiderate people alike.
you tell the kid to stop politely at first then if it doesn’t stop, harshly tell him to stop or you have the flight attendant to put a stop to it asap. you don’t ever let it continue just because you dont want a scene. the seats have nothing to do with kids or adults being just rude.
Reminded me of “Arno’s” handling of a similar situation from Kindergarten Cop. Classic!
A child kicking the back of your seat is not a small annoyance. I’d start small, with the child, and if that doesn’t work, move up. If the dad doesn’t say something, it’s time for the flight attendant to get involved. You paid a lot of money for that seat and there should be no excuses for a child behaving badly, and the father should be reprimanded as well. I agree with another poster; a flyer warning parents to keep their kids in line is a good idea. Or ask the attendant if there are any empty seats available.
You have got to be kidding! Four hours of this behavior and you’ve kept quiet!? I would have made a trip to the restroom after 3 minutes and insisted the flight attendant deal with this immediately. Lack of action merely enables this brat to keep it up. My guess is the kid knows exactly how inappropriate his behavior is and is just waiting for someone to enforce the boundaries.
Next time, book with an airline that has first class seating & book your seat. Economy comes with its own set of issues which I could not tolerate, despite the lower expense. If I cannot fly first class, I don’t use the airline. Let all the others deal with it. I have never had a problem in the 55 years I have been flying this way. You should try it! It is not as expensive as you may believe if you book your flights months ahead of departure.
Seriously? This is not a solution that many can afford. Nice for you that you can fly FC all the time, but that “solution” is not one for those travelers with lesser budgets. Yes, there are sometimes some FC seats that go for somewhat affordable prices, but not every flight, not eery day, and finding one and fitting it to the travel schedule might or might not be possible.
So a kid in first class still can’t kick your seat? The issue here is not the distance between seats but the civility of passenger behavior. I do not expect more civility from a first class passenger than coach
If no one is annoying you with seat back kicking, the very thin seat backs gets you an inch or two of extra knee room.
The youth goes online instead of turning around…
The airlines could help. Early during the flight they could hand out a flyer to parents reminding them that their child must not kick the seat in front of them or put their feet in the arm rest area in front of them or run up and down the aisles. Crying doesn’t count. The child’s behavior including trip travel is the parents responsibility though unless they are truly disturbing other travelers
Maybe if the executives who impose these thin seats and miniscule pitch angles on the traveling public had to endure, by law, a cross country flight in those seats on, say, a monthly basis, kicking child and all, they might have a change of heart on how wonderful they are. Do I really think this will happen? Nah!
Spectacular idea…because they fly first class or private plane…not the same!! and they need to be anonymous..no special treatment.
Seriously!? You sat in a seat for 4 hours with someone’s brat kicking your seat back and you did Nothing!? That is purely on you for Not confronting the parents sitting with that child or at the very least talking with the lead flight attendant in order to have them deal with it!
Using this situation as an example of passenger issues on flights is way beyond ridiculous as there is no way that anyone with a spine would put up with that kind of situation!
I don’t put up with anyone sitting behind me kicking or banging my seat for more than 3 seconds, adult or child. I’ll first turn around and speak politely to the offending adult or their parent. If that doesn’t immediately work, then I’ll ring for the flight attendant as often as that takes. It’s not just kids. I’ve had rude adults sitting behind me, very oblivious (or not caring) that their very aggressive tugging, pulling, & shoving repeatedly on the seat-back pocket in front of them … all of that strong motion on their part is directly transmitted to my back.
Which brings up the point that some Airlines obviously don’t care either. If they did, they would have better-constructed seats.
Just another reason I try to fly first-class, if I can afford it.
Rather strange that someone would go online to ask for guidance. The pono way to do this would be to go to the restroom and find an attendant on the way and explain the situation. Let the attendant deal with it or ask for a different seat if all else fails. On the other hand I would just turn around , ask the kid to stop while looking at the Dad dead in the eye.