When a passenger deliberately takes a seat not assigned to them, it’s called “seat squatting.” The situation has hit Hawaii flights hard. It’s igniting onboard drama and turning aisle confrontations into viral content. This also includes times when passengers who did not book tickets together attempt to get others to change seats.
On long flights to the islands, where assigned seating in ever so tight planes matters more than ever, Hawaii travelers and airlines increasingly say enough is enough.
This has become one of the hottest flashpoints in the sky. Judging by how readers reacted the last time we covered it, you’ve experienced it, too.
It happened again: Passenger asks to swap, then sits down anyway.
Our readers have already sounded off. One said: “On my recent trip to Honolulu, someone was in my aisle seat and gave me a look like I was in the wrong.” Another shared, “This happened to me twice last year, both on red-eyes back to the mainland. People want the better seat without paying for it.”
It happened again—this time on a New York-bound flight. A woman refused to swap her assigned aisle seat for a middle one and posted about it. Her story quickly racked up millions of views and sparked national media coverage. But for Hawaii travelers, it was nothing new—just another day onboard.
And now airlines might be preparing to take the issue more seriously than perhaps anyone ever thought.
Europe’s Ryanair sets the pace, taking seat squatter to court.
Across the Atlantic, giant budget airline Ryanair (which has over 600 aircraft) is cracking down in the biggest way. In January, a passenger sat in a seat that wasn’t his, became verbally abusive when questioned, and delayed the flight by 40 minutes. The airline responded by filing a private criminal prosecution in Spanish court.
If found guilty, the man could face up to a year in prison or pay a fine worth 18 months’ salary. In another case, Ryanair sought $15,500 in damages after rerouting a flight due to unruly behavior.
This level of enforcement might seem extreme—but it reflects rising frustration with in-flight entitlement and mounting passenger complaints. And while U.S. airlines haven’t “yet” followed suit, it raises the question: how long before stricter rules land on Hawaii flights? Our guess? It won’t be long at all.
With 5+ hour routes, often packed with families or couples booking months in advance, Hawaii flights are more vulnerable to chaos when seat swapping gets out of hand. After all, this isn’t a 1-hour commuter flight between LA and San Francisco. And an airline that delays departure due to a passenger dispute at a West Coast to Hawaii gateway isn’t just inconveniencing a few—it’s disrupting hundreds.
A clash between entitlement and the Aloha spirit.
At the center of the Hawaii seat drama is something deeper than travel etiquette. It’s a culture clash. The Aloha spirit emphasizes respect, patience, and care for others. But some travelers are testing that generosity by assuming they can override assigned seats with charm—or pressure.
One frequent Hawaii traveler said, “We were flying into Maui, and a woman demanded I move so her boyfriend could sit with her. When I declined, she told me I lacked compassion. Sorry, but I also paid $89 extra for that seat.”
On the other hand, a commenter named Julie described a successful swap: “We kindly asked the man in the window seat if he would switch with my husband so we could sit together with our baby. He was happy to, and we made sure to thank him with a drink from the snack cart.”
So is it about the request—or the attitude behind it? That’s where things seem to diverge.
U.S. airlines are quietly ready to tighten the screws.
While they’re not broadcasting it, airlines flying to Hawaii are already making changes. Assigned seating enforcement is increasing. Boarding staff now more frequently ask passengers to confirm seat numbers, and both gate agents and flight attendants are quicker to intervene when there’s a mismatch.
Some readers and BOH editors have witnessed gate agents issuing stern warnings, while others say they’ve seen seat squatters escorted off the plane before takeoff. These crackdowns may still be rare, but the writing is on the overhead bin.
This shift also coincides with the rise of basic economy fares, where seat assignments are often withheld until check-in or gate boarding. Passengers booking those fares sometimes gamble that they’ll be able to switch seats mid-flight. But with planes fuller than hoped, that bet is no longer paying off.
Why are Hawaii flights ground zero for these disputes?
There’s something unique about long-haul Hawaii travel that makes these confrontations more common and disruptive. Many travelers book early to ensure seats together for honeymoons, multigenerational vacations, or couples’ getaways. When a stranger takes one of those seats, it doesn’t just feel like a social faux pas but a violation.
Unlike short hops, where passengers might shrug off a last-minute switch, a long-anticipated five-to-six-hour haul to the islands is a different equation. Travelers want comfort, routine, and, above all, the seats they choose.
And the consequences can ripple outward. Flight crews may hit their duty limits when boarding is delayed due to seat confusion.
Will stricter enforcement come to Hawaii flights next?
The Ryanair move may seem like a headline for Europe only, but that isn’t the reality, and it could well mark the beginning of a broader shift. As in-flight behavior escalates, U.S. carriers may feel pressured to adopt stronger policies, including fines or bans for repeat offenders.
In the meantime, Hawaii travelers are taking matters into their own hands. Some now print their boarding passes to have a paper copy handy. Others politely inform squatters that they selected and paid for their seat and suggest they speak with a flight attendant if there’s a problem.
One reader wrote, “I hate confrontation, but I stood my ground. I told the person, ‘This is my assigned seat. If there’s an issue, I’ll let the crew handle it.’ That ended the conversation.”
A little respect goes a long way.
Seat squatting might seem like a minor issue—but in the tight, high-stakes world of Hawaii travel today, it’s touching a nerve. With more passengers calling for order and airlines watching closely, the era of casual seat-swapping may at last be coming to an end.
Have you had a seat squatter on your Hawaii flight? Did you give in, hold firm, or find a creative solution? Tell us what happened in the comments.
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A “Good Samaritan” type of law must be devised, whereby any bystander is able to help airline staff restrain belligerent flyers. And this law must protect the bystander from any, and all legal action taken even in the event of injury/death to the troublemaker!
This seemingly uncontrolled type of flight disruptions will immediately stop if such laws were passed!
Fines have never stopped these troublemakers; for sure a Good Samaritan law shall put a stop to “air rage.” Could even apply it to “road rage.”
We have booked window aisle seats for years. Every so often that middle seat stays open. The rest of the time when the occupant arrives I offer the aisle and the person is delighted I have never been refused as that person is getting a better seat
My job had me flying to Denver from Maui every 2 weeks for 3 years, so I got quite used to ‘seat squatters’. FYI: Seat squatting happens across all classes on a plane. I’ve boarded a plane only to find my First Class seat already occupied by someone telling me “You don’t mind, do you?”. Oh yes I do! I picked my seat for a specific reason when I booked my flight. The seat squatter is usually part of a couple who didn’t plan ahead, and had already made themself comfortable before I appeared. I politely tell them to ‘get out of my seat’. Of course they get all huffy, give me attitude at which time I buzz for the flight attendant. It’s amazing how many times the flight attendant had already told the offender they need to ask first, before parking their ‘behind’ in a seat that isn’t theirs. Entitlement is rampant.
Never had a squatter on a Hawaii flight, but I have on cross country 5 hour flights. While there may be some “entitlement” in this more often it’s becoming a unwillingness to back down and admit an error or bad behavior that causes the disruption. Alerting an FA and letting them handle it can take some of the impression of a confrontation out of the situation. If the FA asks to see the boarding pass and offers to show the passenger to their correct seat then it can make it easier for the squatter to give up the seat without looking they “lost” an argument. Most of the time an FA can handle a seat assignment conflict in a way that resolves it quickly and without delaying a flight. People who want to switch seats, and become angry and rude when someone doesn’t want to give up the seat they were assigned, especially if they paid extra for it, that’s another problem but one that usually doesn’t cause a delay.
Back in the day, this very polite lady asked if I could switch seats with her son. I replied nicely that i specifically reserved an exit seat. She was alśo attractive (which helped) and said it was okay. We had a very pleasant flight back to Honolulu, she was charming.
Mind you this was a full 747 and it you were lucky and able to snag a two seat exit row, you didn’t pay extra. People had manners back then.
I would demand the airlines enforce the seat rule you bought it it’s yours and the airline enforce the rule by having passengers that refuse to move be arrested. End of problem. Get the fbi involved as they are acting like terrorist and then the problem ends once and for all
LOL… they do enforce it.
Like I’ve said before… this is much ado about nothing. Show the passenger or FA it’s your seat and they will be moved one way or another.
With inflation hitting everyone in every state and tourist’s shopping for less expensive alternatives my guess is there could be more open seats to select from in the future. Window and aisle seats may be unoccupied while the middle seat may never be sold. The two seat option might be there without ever doing the two seat option for extra room. New TAT fee’s and rising airline prices plus all the unexpected surprise Hawaii fees will dictate how full the airlines get. Lower tourism means more open seats. Interesting maybe the airline is curbing this insight because chances of open seats may be more real as a everyday citizens disposable income evaporates.
I’ve had one “incident” in over 50 years of riding the airlines. And that one I wasn’t selected to move. I don’t remember the details, it was too long ago. As far as a seat squatter goes, unless they are offering an improvement in seat, there’s no way I’m moving. And that is highly unlikely.
Southwest had it correct- no assigned seats. But now there will be delays in takeoffs and less bin space because of no free bags. Terrible
I Always print my boarding pass to be able to immediately verify my seat assignment if necessary. I’ve only had one problem in all these years. I was flying AA P/E and had booked an aisle bulkhead seat months before. The P/E cabin wasn’t full so they upgraded a couple from the rear.
They were separated w the man sitting in the window seat next to me. He immediately started haggling with me to switch seats with his wife a couple rows back in a window seat. Very pushy S. Asian? guy. I told him “Nope” I had paid almost $1000 for that seat and I was staying.
He got upset and went back to work on the guy sitting next to his wife. That gentleman had no problem switching for a bulkhead seat. Nice guy, we chatted through the trip. The pushy one kept “Geeving me Stinkeye” every time I passed on the way to the toilet.
Tough Pettuties Fella…
I think making the seat space more physically comfortable would go a long way towards solving this problem. Congress nd the bureaucracy missed the mark when they failed to establish minimum sizes for space. But we have what we have, so I am all for airlines cracking down on squatters. If a person wants a better seat they can pay for it.
I held firm. My brother and I paid for priority boarding on Southwest so we could share snacks and talk story to Vegas. A lady boards late and singles me out wanting me to switch seats. Hell No!
I’m happy to switch seats with someone if they move me to a better seat. But that’s the only situation I would switch for. It’s almost always a “couple” or a family preying on your good will and compassion to get their own free upgrade. So- almost always – big fat nope.
Seat squatters are usually 1 of 2 types of travelers.
First one books a ticket as cheap as possible hoping the plane will be less than full giving them an opportunity to chose their seat without an issue.
Second group books last minute travel again looking for cheapest ticket. They then try to charm their way into a better seat or bully their way into a better seat. These are the ones that are causing all the issues.
Don’t confront a seat squatter on your own, instead immediately get a flight crew member involved by simply asking for help with locating your seat.
Let them deal with the squatter.
The real reason seat swapping is not allowed is because if there is an accident the person who is supposed to be in that seat might be reported to be injured or dead. Not a happy thing!
Flight attendents have no way to change a seat assignment on board.
Regarding ” seat squatters” . People need to think ..what happens if you were to crash?? They need to be able to identify everyone! Not everyone may be able to be identified by looks or id’s!! That happened by seat numbers!!! The airlines have the info of who was supposed to be seated where!! How would you like to be told someone you loved died, when they were in the wrong seat!!!!!( I was a flight attendant for 42 years. We always told people that for takeoff and landing they had to be in their assigned seats!! That’s when most incidents happen!! )
One reader wrote, “I hate confrontation, but I stood my ground. I told the person, ‘This is my assigned seat. If there’s an issue, I’ll let the crew handle it.’ That ended the conversation.”
This is all that needs to be done.
It’s not a big deal. Much ado about nothing.