Choosing the right economy seat can significantly impact your travel experience, especially on long flights to Hawaii. One popular option is the exit row seat, which promises extra legroom. But it isn’t the right choice for everyone. Here are our pros and cons of exit row seating to Hawaii to help you decide if it’s the best fit for your next flight to the islands.
We wrote that we chose exit row seats on our most recent travels between Hawaii and French Polynesia. In a word, BOH editors loved that experience!
Pros of sitting at an exit row to Hawaii.
Extra legroom. Who doesn’t love that? Exit row seats are well-known for their generous legroom, making them an appealing choice for tall passengers or anyone looking for more space to stretch out on long flights to Hawaii.
Reduced disruption from others reclining their seats. Exit row seats do not always have other seats directly in front of them. And when they do, there is more space as the seat in front won’t recline into exit row’s personal space.
Earlier boarding. If you are in an exit, it’s a premium seat, and you’ll board early.
Better service potential. Sitting at the exit row also means you may be near the beginning service row for your area. That can potentially suggest better options or at least ensure you are served first.
Cons of sitting at the aircraft exit row to Hawaii.
Increased responsibilities. Passengers in exit rows have a critical responsibility to assist in an unlikely emergency, including opening and clearing the exit door and helping others evacuate.
Check for limited seat recline. Many exit row seats are intentionally designed not to recline, ensuring the emergency exit remains unobstructed. This could be a downside for passengers wishing to recline during long Hawaii flights.
There is a potential for cooler temperatures and drafts. Exit rows near doors are typically not as well insulated from cold drafts as we had pointed out and came prepared for. If you choose such seats, it is a good idea to bring extra clothes and a blanket.
Noise and disturbance. Proximity to lavatories, galleys, or lavatories often leads to additional noise and disturbance, including higher foot traffic, crew working nearby, and service carts. This can be a drawback for some.
Restrictions on personal items. To comply with safety regulations, personal items cannot be stored in the area in front of exit rows, requiring passengers to use only the overhead bins. This can prove inconvenient during the flight, although, small items may or may not be allowed on your lap.
Tray table and seat width constraints. Exit row seats typically don’t have tray tables in front of them to provide emergency access. Instead, tray tables are in the armrests, which are trickier to use and which reduce seat width make the available seating area less comfortable.
Additional considerations for exit row seats to Hawaii.
Age and physical fitness requirements. Airlines enforce specific age and fitness requirements for passengers seated in exit rows. You must be physically capable of performing emergency duties and acknowledge your willingness to do so, which could be a consideration if traveling with someone who might not meet these criteria. We know someone who booked travel with their teen and found out too late that the minimum age for the exit row they booked was 15 years old.
We invite you to share your experiences with exit row seating on flights to Hawaii in the comments below.
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I don’t understand the limited baggage area. You can still put your backpack/purse/whatever under the seat in front of you. I get when there are 3 seats and only 2 in front, but is that really an exit row or behind an exit row? I grab it whenever I can as I’m not a seat recliner unless there’s no one behind e–I’d rather have the extra legroom. I’m 75 and have never had anyone question my fitness to assist with an emergency.
I always opt for a bulkhead seat regardless of whether I’m up front or down the aisle. It doesn’t cost extra in first or prem econ in the sense that the cost is already baked in. Booking almost a year out in most cases means that you get first dibs.
Granted there is a bit more noise from the galley or restroom areas, but the extra room more than compensates for that. Also the main exit area is usually just around the corner for when I’ve just got top stand up and shakeout my bad knees…
Best Regards
We fly to Honolulu at least once a year for a vacation. We enjoy it so much and we’ve been visiting nearly annually, sometimes twice a year since 2007. If we can’t get a decently priced 1st class ticket, we always choose the emergency exit rows. We are an older gay couple and love just being by ourselves if possible. We’re fine if we can’t get that, but if it’s available, I’ll book that first.
In the case of the max death plane you left out being sucked out to your death, as the plane that had the door plug incident operated hi flights. Never explained why as took it off over water to only over land.
I’ll take an exit row seat anytime I can, as long as they don’t charge a lot extra for it. Primarily for the extra legroom, as I’m 6.1. Like the front row, you have to store most everything in an overhead bin, but it’s a minor inconvenience for the added comfort.
We recently booked a flight from San Jose to Kona on Hawaiian(A321). Because my wife recently had hip replacement surgery, we opted for the main cabin “bulkhead” front row seats which offered additional legroom. It’s the first time we’ve ever done this. Anyone out there have any additional info on those seats?
A few airlines using narrowbody aircraft to Hawai’i thankfully don’t have the restricted armrests at the exits. Alaska & American don’t have tray tables in the armrests of the rows *when* there is a row of seats directly in front of you. The “old” style A321s sadly all have them, and the seats at the doors in front of the wing are also about an inch smaller. The NEW Airbus A321s that have an overwing exit have the “regular” seats (A321neo).
One bad thing about the older-configured A321s are that people will congregate near your seat when waiting for the midcabin lavatory. I’ve also seen this on widebodies.
Seats directly in front of exit rows are locked upright….are Not designed to recline.
So if you are in an aircraft with 2 exit rows together (4 overwing exits), book the rearmost overwing exit row.
Do not book if you can not physically or mentally (tend to freeze up in stress) assist in opening the exit….you have a responsibility to your fellow travellers when sitting in that seat.