The great airplane seat recline debate has long divided Hawaii travelers, with opinions ranging from staunch opposition to full support of the practice. This topic is even more intriguing on Hawaii flights, where the journey itself is often as anticipated as our tropical destination. The stakes feel higher, with flight durations ranging from five to ten hours. These include the longest domestic flights in the U.S. So, just how does this debate play out on our island routes?
Long-haul flights to Hawaii: A space squeeze gets worse.
A 2023 study on airline passenger behavior found that over 70% of travelers feel frustrated when the person in front reclines their seat, particularly on longer flights. Hawaii flights decidedly fall into this category.
One traveler, Amy, recently commented on this issue: “Flying to Hawaii is supposed to feel special, but when the person in front reclines their seat fully into my lap, it ruins the whole vibe.”
This frustration isn’t unique, and Hawaii flights often highlight this polarizing debate in ways that shorter flights do not.
Hawaii flights present a somewhat different scenario compared to generally shorter domestic routes. With travelers often spending long hours in tightly packed, mostly narrow-body cabins with inadequate legroom, reclining seats become a hot topic. Unlike hops across the mainland, Hawaii’s allure attracts everyone from honeymooners to families, retirees, and adventurers, all vying for comfort on flights that can feel like an endurance test.
While reclining relieves passengers’ backs and necks, it also encroaches on the already tight space of the passenger behind you. Conflict can become unavoidable as airlines continue to find new ways, such as basic economy differentiations, to maximize profits. Economy-class passengers bear the brunt of this crunch.
Hawaiian Airlines tried non-reclining seats and other techniques.
Several years ago, Hawaiian Airlines, a staple for interisland travel, took a bold step by outfitting its Boeing 7-1-7s with non-reclining seats. This decision, designed for efficiency and practicality, has been a game-changer for their short, high-frequency flights between the islands. And it has been, in our opinion, well accepted.
The non-reclining feature has simplified cabin preparation for flight attendants, allowing for quicker turnarounds and fewer passenger conflicts. For travelers, it eliminates the debate entirely.
However, the non-reclining setup is limited to interisland flights and is not likely to be introduced to long-haul routes. Passengers on these, among the further domestic journeys, must still navigate the challenges of reclining etiquette, leaving room for tension, especially during peak travel seasons.
Previously, many airlines made announcements during mealtime asking passengers to adjust their seats to a fully upright position. Now that their meal service has largely become a roll and chips, we haven’t heard that announcement for some time.
Seat etiquette is inspired by Hawaii itself.
Reclining a seat doesn’t have to be a conflict if approached thoughtfully. Polite practices can go a long way in maintaining harmony on a long-haul flight to the islands. For example, before reclining, a quick glance back and a simple acknowledgment—perhaps an apologetic smile—might soften any irritation for the passenger behind. Similarly, returning the seat upright slowly during meal service or when reclining is not needed is another way to avoid unnecessary friction.
One etiquette expert recommends a gentle approach to reclining: “Acknowledging the person behind you before reclining and moving the seat back slowly shows that you respect the shared space.”
On flights to Hawaii, where many travelers seek to start their trip on the most positive note possible, embracing this spirit of Aloha can at least make the journey pleasant for all.
Could a no-recline policy work for Hawaii flights or elsewhere?
With Hawaiian Airlines already proving the success of non-reclining seats, at least for short flights, the question arises: Could a similar policy work for longer routes? Some travelers, like BOH commenter Bryan, a Hawaii travel enthusiast, think it has the potential to be a game-changer. He said, “A no-recline policy would remove the guesswork and keep everyone comfortable.”
On the other hand, frequent flyers like Maria counter that passengers deserve to use every feature they’ve paid for, including seat reclining. “Flights to Hawaii are long, and being able to recline is one of the only ways to stay comfortable,” she said.
While a full ban on reclining seats seems highly unlikely, it’s clear that this debate continues to spark strong opinions. For now, airlines rely on passengers to exercise mutual respect and consideration.
While most passengers navigate the reclining seat debate with civility, there have been instances where tensions have escalated into altercations. For example, disputes over reclining seats have led to verbal confrontations, mid-air shouting matches, and even diversions in extreme cases. These incidents underscore the need for airlines and passengers alike to address the reclining seat dilemma carefully.
The reclining seat debate has occasionally escalated into full-fledged in-flight altercations, with incidents ranging from heated arguments to flights being diverted due to unruly behavior. In one infamous case, a confrontation over a reclined seat led to a flight attendant using duct tape to restrain a disruptive passenger.
The invention of devices like the “Knee Defender,” now banned but designed to block seats from reclining, has added fuel to the controversy, with their use sparking clashes between passengers. These examples highlight the need for mutual respect and clear etiquette when sharing such tight spaces on long flights.
Navigating the reclining seat dilemma.
The reclining seat debate on Hawaii flights underscores the importance of mindfulness and mutual respect among passengers. With today’s flights’ increasingly tight quarters, maintaining harmony requires small yet meaningful gestures.
On Hawaii’s longer flights, a balanced approach to reclining can make the journey more pleasant for everyone. At the heart of this is the Aloha Spirit, a commitment to kindness and consideration that reflects the values of the islands and makes travel to paradise all the more enjoyable.
How do you navigate seat reclining on flights across the Pacific?
Lead photo: Beat of Hawaii on American Airlines.
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I am almost 7′ tall. I have one personal rule regarding recline. If the person Behind me reclines, then I go for it – albeit gently. No warning, nothing. If not, I usually have no trouble Not reclining my seat on flights to Hawaii (or anywhere else). It’s such a small recline these days, anyway. Hardly makes a difference.
The passenger next to me mentioned “Hey isn’t that a spider on the ceiling?” as the people in front looked up. Sorry don’t know where it went. They seemed to not recline their seats after that.
The airlines should not and will not discontinue the reclining “rule” Besides it’s not really a rule. If you pay for a seat that reclines and the recline mechanism is operational, you have every right to recline your seat. However it does not give the person in the seat behind you the right to be a jerk about it or act like a spoiled brat
I had someone slam the seat back as far as it would. The person was almost in my lap. Had to get up and gave me a sparky look when I held on to the back of their seat. Maybe airline should adjust all seats so recline can be a few inches.
The seats only recline a few inches. Your claim is an exaggerated one. There is no way the person in front of you was almost in your lap as you claim. Do better
Maybe it’s time for the pilots to select disable seat recline option from the power control computer program so nobody has to worry about the little silver switch in the seat. Problem Solved. Nobody has preference over another. This way it makes it where nobody is “Entitled”. If you have a problem with it then Please leave the plane before leaving the terminal.
I totally agree! I have claustrophobic and a reclined seat in front of me starts a bad reaction! But a neck pillow and lay forward on your own tray! I don’t want to smell your hair
That’s not going to happen. The pilots already push enough buttons. Plus the seat recline is not electrically controlled in coach.
Yes indeed , it also encroaches on the already tight space of the passenger behind you! I am 6’1. Had to pay to sit in a scroungy area by the bathrooms, just to have leg room. It was cold, smelly. and I believe the airlines should discontinue the reclining rule. It is so rude of those that use it now!
The airlines should not and will not discontinue the reclining “rule” Besides it’s not really a rule. If you pay for a seat that reclines and the recline mechanism is operational, you have every right to recline your seat. However it does not give the person in the seat behind you the right to be a jerk about it or act like a spoiled brat
This could easily be resolved if the airlines we quit making the seats smaller, narrower and not cram them so close together. Take out a row or two, give Everyone a little bit of legroom and then divide whatever the cost of those removed seats cost to the rest of the seats on plane and keep everybody happy. For the extra $$ on a ticket removing two rows to give everybody a few extra inches of space would be well worth the less hassle, altercations and disruption on flights because someone is sitting in your lap. I dropped something between my feet and I could not even get to it because I couldn’t lean forward enough because of the other seat to be able to pick up what I dropped. The worst part is it was something that was wrapped and what I was going to eat on the flight. I literally had to wait till we landed to be able to pick up what I had dropped. Ridiculous!
It was tried and failed miserably. I’m afraid you’re in the minority here. When American Airlines did exactly what you’re suggesting, it was an utter failure. American wasn’t able to match the same prices as its competitors, and when people were deciding which flight to book, they invariably went with the cheapest fare.
The airlines obligation is only to get you from point A to point B. The comfort level is segregated as premium, first class etc. If the airlines really wanted to they could give you the choice of a 5 gallon bucket, hard rail bleacher, or even the good old church pew seating. The airlines all in all isn’t forcing anyone to go. Sorry but passengers are just considered cargo in the same aspect as cruise ships. The seat really only designates said person’s identity to a designated location on the plane in case of a mishap. With this seat comfort seems petty.
If this is such a problem then I guess airlines should disclose seats to be such as a long leg passenger or a short leg passenger in the same manner it does with weight stipulations. The onboard video screen on the back of the seat or tray don’t belong to the passenger in front. It belongs to the passenger in back. Taking away this tool or passenger ammentity is kind of not right. It would really help if airlines used more padding or memory foam in the seat to compensate for the seat pitch. It really don’t help how some of these seats are a brick and not comfortable to begin with. I guess airlines need to add height restrictions like they do weight.
I never recline my seat unless no one is behind me, even if the person in front of me does. I didn’t pay for that space behind me. It’s just rude, IMHO. The fact that the person in front of me might be rude to recline doesn’t make it OK for me.
No you didn’t pay for the seat behind you. You paid for the seat your sitting in. Therefore, you are free to use your seat as you wish. Ask the passenger behind you politely that you’re going to recline and do it slowly.
“While reclining relieves passengers’ backs and necks, it also encroaches on the already tight space of the passenger behind you.”. Bingo! The problem is not the passengers, rather the airlines getting greedy for $. My bad, that extra row will put revenues over the top.
I spend the time, effort, and money to assure that my seat reclines. And the silver button is in my arm rest not the person behind me. If they’re in basic economy and get assigned a seat by the airline that’s their fault for being cheap or dimwitted. If it’s so important to you choose a row behind a row that doesn’t recline for instance the exit row. I say this as a million miler on United with a bad back and bad neck.
It is rare that a person acknowledges the person behind them before reclining the seat back quick. Unfortunately it has become common practice over the past several years to be rude to others.
It was never a problem until entitled people with the cheapest seats in the plane started to feel that they were more important than the frequent flyer.
Not sure how exactly reclining your seat is rude.
Could Hawaiian airline possibly make the seats recline half as much as it does now. The front seat reclined so much when I woke up it was dark I bent forward I hit my head hard on the front seat. Also I couldn’t comfortably watch the tv screen since it was not adjustable.
None of the seats recline to that extreme on any US aircraft
I’m one of those people who hate when people seated in front of me recline. They are never in “my lap” as others have said, but they are in my face. A middle ground solution may be workable, perhaps less of a recline allowed?
Maximizing profit for the investors is the issue. Having the department of transportation create minimum requirements for seat spacing could solve it immediately in my opinion.
Hi Glenn, I’m with you. It might be interesting to see the Department of Transportation give the measurements of what is allowable on an aircraft to be human.
If they were involved, several rows would be removed and huge pushback from the for profit airlines would ensue.
Get the popcorn and sit back and watch.
I fly nonstop from Boston to Honolulu. I respectfully expect to be able to recline my seat. I also request not to be kicked by children or others.
This is a pointless debate. Yes, the seat pitch is tight, and reclining only makes it worse. But the public repeatedly votes for cheaper fares, which means tighter legroom.
American Airlines learned this the hard way when their short-lived “More Room Throughout Coach” initiative (2000 – 2003) proved that the public is not willing to pay even the slightest bit more for a little extra comfort.
I’ve flown on one of those. Great idea! The person reclining gives up legroom. Problem solved.
Use Google Flights to see what the seat pitch is Before buying your ticket. Hard to believe some don’t!
Here’s some of today’s flights from different airlines to Hawaii.
Some Airlines have different pitch (space from row to row) on different aircraft types. It’s worth a look if you care about knee room.
United 30″
American 30
Hawaiian 30-31
Delta 31
Southwest 32
Some of United narrow body airplanes have the pivot of the recline high on the seat back, and the seat bottom itself moves forward. This makes the person reclining reduce their knee space when they recline without impacting the person behind them.
What do you mean by a long 5 hour flight? That’s a hop, skip and a jump. Try a true trans-Pacific flight – at least 10 hours (SFO to SIN is 18 hours, LAX to SIN is 19 hours – yes, those are real numbers). And, yes, I have flown the UA flight from SFO to SIN, more than once. That is a long time to sit in E+ on a 787. Or SFO (or Vancouver BC) to Sydney. Not quite as long, but still long. And I have done both, more than once. I do get tired of you complaining about 5 hours is a long fight. Heck, a trans-con is at least 5 hours. Now, would a reclining seat be nice? Heck, yes!
I have back issues. I will recline the seat that I paid for without guilt, every single time. You recline yours if you wish. If you dont like it, stay home or pony up for a first class ticket. Cant afford it? Simply recline your seat too.
If I pay for a seat that reclines (non-emergency exit row or against a bulkhead) I’m reclining my seat once we are at 10,000 feet. I have been doing this since I started flying as a kid many years ago. The seats on most aircraft had a very minor pitch to them. They do not recline into someone’s lap as some people have claimed in this article. I will agree that not having the seats recline on inter island flights is ok as they are very short in duration. But if I am on a 5-6 hour flight across the Pacific, you better believe I’m going to try and get as comfortable as possible.
I really try not to recline my seat during the flight to Hawaii, but if the person in front of me reclines their seat, then I feel that I have no choice but to recline my seat in order to have ample room.
The real problem lies with the airlines not providing enough leg room in between seats. Yet, the customer is somehow blamed when they want to recline their seat.
I do like the suggestion of letting the person behind you know that you are about to recline your seat.
I only recline if the seat in front of me reclines. It’s claustrophobic to be 3 inches from the seat in front.
If the seat in front reclines I can’t get out of my seat for a bathroom break or to wall around to prevent blood clots. I also have to use the seat in front of me to lever myself out of my seat
How about the airlines get into the Aloha Spirit and take out a couple of rows of seats so they can extend the space between the rest of the seats?
If they take out a row the price will go up. If you want most airlines allow you to pay for more leg room.
Increasing the price is not holding to the Aloha Spirit I was talking about, but you are probably right. I do try to get extra legroom seats when possible, but they fill up fast!
Yeah, that’s not going to happen. Losing seats means loss of revenue. It’s one of the reasons upper management gets in a tizzy when we in maintenance have to block off a seat due to due a mechanical issue that can’t be properly addressed until significant downtime.
Sorry “Amy” but there is NO way that the person in front of you seat is “fully in your lap” unless you have a very large lap! It just doesn’t work that way whether you are in first class or coach!
Question? What is the real point of this article other than to stir even more controversy about getting to Hawaii? Anyone that has flown at all knows by now what to expect out of any airlines seating arrangements.
To me the underlying cause of the seat reclining issue is the airlines maximizing profits, and seat comfort seems to be a pretty low consideration.
We could protest by not investing in airlines that do not take passenger comfort as importantly as other airlines, but that is pretty tough to filter those airlines out.
What’s left is to be courteous to our cabin mates and make sure reclining a seat is not discomforting to the person in the seat behind us. I certainly sympathize with the people in the inner seats who try to get to the aisle.
The airlines flying to Hawaii are the ones who should have the aloha spirit. There would be no debate if there was ample room for a passenger to recline without infringing on a fellow passenger’s space. This is a problem solely created by the airlines, not the passengers, and it is the airline’s problem to solve. Airlines increase profits while the passengers pay the price. The increasingly meager services provided creates unnecessary stress and tension while flying. I find it hard to believe that this is the only way for airlines to survive financially. Add more room between seats, problem solved, debate ended.
Sorry but the problem now days is too many entitled people who think they’re above everyone else. Probably like the lady in the article who exaggerated like an infomercial saying the seat was laying in her lap.
Sorry but it’s really the entitled people who think they are above everyone else just like the lady in the article who exaggerated like an infomercial saying that the seat was in her lap. Or people just blow up over the stupidest things these days cause they don’t get their way.
I don’t recline my seat unless the seat behind me is empty even when flying to the mainland.
However I also don’t really get upset if the person in front reclines because the function is there after all.
What bothers me much more is when the person behind me keeps hitting my seat back or banging down on their tray. That’s super annoying.
I fly Southwest because unlike Hawaiian, they allow me to recline my seat which is a feature I highly value. The person sitting ahead of me has every right to recline his or her seat. The space used in front of my legs when the seat is reclined, belongs to them, not me.
Can’t imagine choosing an airline for a 20 minute flight because you need to prioritize yourself above all else. I’m sure you love (or should I say LUV) SWA’s me me me seat grab on boarding too. Personally I’ve found the vertical seat position is better posture, at most on a transpacific flight I’ll very slightly move the seat back after awhile if I need a change. I’m just not comfortable leaning way back knowing it’s inconveniencing someone else.
I’m going to miss SWA’s “me me me” seat grab because for some reason we have had great luck getting one of the front rows with all the legroom one could want, no seat in front of us, first serving of drinks, and just steps to the bathroom! And first off the plane! A number of times we’ve had high B boarding numbers and still found 2 seats right up front. We had single digit A boarding last trip and a gal took the seat beside me with a B54 boarding!