As airlines swiftly acquire new aircraft such as the Airbus A321neo and Boeing 737 MAX to attain significant fuel efficiency gains, there’s a big price to be paid. That push for economic benefits comes at the expense of traveler comfort. While the width of seats on ubiquitous narrow-body aircraft is largely fixed by the fuselage, the space between rows, or seat pitch, is both highly variable and noticeably shrinking.
We recently flew on United Airlines from and to Hawaii and were surprised to see just how bad the legroom offered in economy was. On another trip, we also flew in their extra legroom economy (featured image), and the amount of legroom was quite extraordinary and provided an amazing difference in overall comfort.
Prioritizing profits over Hawaii flight passenger comfort.
Our 737 MAX flights in United Airlines economy provided just a 30-inch seat pitch. That was a significant reduction in legroom over what we’d experienced before and made for an overall worsening of the conditions onboard, as passengers contended with more discomfort and seemingly less ability to move around.
The concept continued with their deployment of “compact” lavatories, another aspect of downsizing passenger space. The lavatory strategy, together with less seat pitch, allows for the insertion of two additional seat rows on these narrow-body planes, maximizing seating capacity. Airlines are extending these changes by retrofitting older planes to emulate these measures to pursue heightened earnings.
Updates on US airline legroom.
In air travel, and especially long Hawaii flights, legroom isn’t a measure of luxury but rather of endurability related to a pleasant or at least tolerable journey to your island destination.
Not all airlines are created equal regarding legroom (seat pitch). Some airlines prioritize passenger comfort in the economy cabin itself, while for others, more space is a function of paid upgrades to an extra legroom product. Whether you are flying economy or choosing to pay extra can thus become an important part of deciding which airline to choose for your Hawaii vacation.
The U.S. Airlines With the Most and Least Legroom
For airlines flying to Hawaii, upgradedpoints.com confirms our prior finding that Southwest Airlines has the most legroom, with an average of 31.8 inches of seat pitch. Since Southwest offers no upgrades to more legroom for a fee, it is a part of their basic offering for all seats.
The next best were both Delta Air Lines and Alaska Airlines. These both average a tight but bearable 31.0 inches of seat pitch. These were followed by American Airlines with an average of 30.2 inches of legroom, then United, just slightly worse with 30.1 inches of seat pitch.
On average, Hawaiian Airlines was rated as having 29.0 inches of legroom. However, like American, Delta, and United, Hawaiian has paid upgrades to vastly more legroom, as seen below and in our Hawaiian Airlines economy review.
Aircraft With the Most and Least Legroom
The article also reported on which aircraft generally have better or worse legroom. That’s important as widebody aircraft certainly feel more roomy and comfortable, even if the legroom is no different.
Boeing was reported to have the most legroom when flying on their Boeing 767, 777 and 787 aircraft. As a side note, Hawaiian Airlines will start flying its first 787 this spring. These planes are reported to offer 31.0 inches of legroom on average. On the other hand, Airbus, especially their narrow-body A321neo planes, were said to have generally less legroom. According to SeatGuru, the A330, which was not included in this report, will offer 31.0 inches of pitch at Hawaiian Airlines. Based on the same source, their A321neo planes have just 30.0 inches of seat pitch.
How does legroom affect your decision when choosing an airline for longer Hawaii flights?
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Leg room is mandatory for our flights from LA to Hon.
Not being able to rest our legs (feet and calf area) is detrimental to our health. Affects leg circulation, creates swelling and days to get back walking normally. Already negatively affecting our vacation time. Will not book with any airlines with the lack of this feature.
I will upgrade to Economy Plus whenever it is available. The additional room from the increased pitch makes a difference in comfort.
Being tall and a big guy, leg room is everything. I fly back and forth from LV to Hi on business multiple times a year, and being cramed into a seat isn’t a fun experience. Paying or getting upgrades to extra comfort seats are great, but, not alway possible. Economy is okay, but, we all feel pretty pinned into our seats.
Oh Me Oh My Oh Oh Oh! I am a very tall female. I ignorantly scheduled my flight based on the shortest time. Unfortunately, first the flight was cancelled due to the fires, then after rescheduling, it has been changed 4 times by the airlines and each time the seats were changed by said airlines and unable to pick my seats. soooo, unable now to even change airlines and stuck with my a320neo flights ……should i even go after all the now Greene fiasco going on. I hate throwing away hard earned money, but it may come down to just forgetting the flight. It has been so much stress and work on this vacation plan and now to think about my bad knees in a short seat for hours…is…..just toooooo much.
Is it possible to complain about this to the FAA or NTSB? With the seat pitch being so small is this contributing to more passenger rage? It is bad enough that the airlines are charging so much and giving so little. Is the flying public being price gouged for profit?
It was 53 inches on a tape measure from backrest to seatback over seat cussion. That was a safety feature, properly bucked-in passengers should be able to double over lap with room for head not to impact seatback during anticipated hard or crash landing. The order was to “Assume the crash position” without the sufficient headroom, there needs to be a pilot’s style lap and shoulder harness, I think four point seat belt. But that’s still with distance between seatback and knees even so at no extra cost, and more distance for passengers with longer legs, also at no extra cost. If they don’t want the legs, they don’t want the passengers, because passengers have legs.
I’ve always loved flying Hawaiian, but I’m a guy with long legs, and I need legroom! So my next flight is going to be on southwest. I hope it will be a good experience.
Profit, profit, profit. Maybe flying is getting to be an unjustified expense??? As a person whose first flight on a commercial airliner dates to the early 60s, I remember cloth covered wide and comfortable seats, plenty of leg room and served real food. Flight attendants (then called ‘stewardesses’) were all female (the purser, if a long flight, was usually male) in their twenties, and the aircraft were a mix of jets and props.
Now we fly faster, cramped into seats that larger persons can barely tolerate, and if food is served, the dog would turn it down. This is progress? Airlines compete these days via ‘fares’, not ‘service’, which used to be their ‘bragging points’. Flying isn’t ‘fun’ anymore, it’s an ‘endurance’.
The old days of flying were good except the harassment of flight attendants. It’s still rough on the females, but more harassers, “pursuers” do get contained and male flight attendants can be helpful in causing respect onboard. “Fun” is supposed to be for everyone, not just some men who fly. If ever we go back to anything from the old days of flying, I hope all men will learn to appreciate flying itself and let people work. Your flight attendants were and still are for your safety, not for your fantasies. They need the credit due for their smarts, training and the extra services of foods, drinks and items they conveniently offer.
Have you checked the cost of a ticket in constant dollars since the early 1960’s?
If you want to pay early 1960’s fares in constant dollars, you can get a 1960’s experience.
My last flight on Hawaiian Airlines was on 1/16/2024. It was one of the most uncomfortable flights I’ve taken. The aisle seats have the least leg room. When I dropped my pen or tried to tie my shoe laces it was near impossible. There was so little room to reach down there. If it wasn’t for the empty middle seat I would have ended my journey with severe leg cramps. Traveling by air used to be a pleasure, not any more. Its probably the most dreaded part of one’s journey. I would prefer more leg room than a free meal!
With the “Assume the crash position” seat pitch distance you could retrieve the pen and tie your shoes. But then, you could also have a hard or crash landing without a head injury or neck injury too, as long as you buckled up properly, that could save your life without suffering life altering injuries even so.
With all the profits that airlines have been accumulated since the bailout by taxpayers why aren’t the lawmakers look at this dilemma for the general public? I’ve traveled a lot lately and I’ve noticed the constant decline in airline service not to mention the legroom, seat comfort and the bathroom capacity…. It’s Awful
When airlines are making decisions about spacing they should really be thinking about health of the customer also. People need the ability to move their legs, feet, ankles to prevent swelling and blood clots, ask any primary care physician. Flights over the Pacific take quite awhile and customer safety should be above 1 or 2 extra rows of seating.
I have long legs (35.5″ inseam) so even a 31″ pitch is uncomfortable. I will not fly on planes in economy now. If they don’t have extra leg room seats, i will look elsewhere.
We usually take Air Canada, opting for their Comfort economy seats. It costs more, but I need room for my legs! United also has Comfort seats, but would require an additional flight for us, as we are traveling through Vancouver.
I personally would never fly Hawaiian. Did it once and that was more than enough. There are far more options and for a few $$ more you can get a great non-stop flight with leg room and a great staff. I love Southwest. More room. Pay the extra for auto check in and you get a great seat. Been going to Hawaii many times over the years. It’s getting rather disappointing and more work than fun. But it’s still beautiful…
Traveled with Hawaiian Economy on their A321 r/t SJC-OGG once. Once was more than enough- lack of legroom as noted but also intolerable seat cushion thickness for a flight of this length. Never again!
Premium class from mainland to OGG and back for me. Only way to go. If exit rows are available I will sit there, I don’t need the upgraded service – but they are often taken. I am almost 7-feet tall so there’s no option. I flew first class a few times before Covid but each time the service and quality got worse and worse – no longer a value there. After Covid first class service everywhere, not just Hawaii, was weak. But two months ago I flew Alaska First Class from OGG to mainland – It was everything good I missed about First Class; in fact it was better than I remembered. Might have to spring for that again on a special occasion.
So is it any wonder – with the reduction in space afforded passengers – that passengers have become hostile with other passengers and flight crew? The 321 Neo is an abysmal transport device, rendering passengers unable to leave their seats if the row ahead reclines. Even the 5 hour flight from the west coast in the 321 Neo has had us rethinking our adventure. Thank you for your articles – very informative and helpful.
At this point abd with some medical issues, I only fly 1st class to Hawaii from the Midwest. I flew on the Airbus321Neo and it was quite a disappointment and about like Economy was 20 years ago. But it’s often the only option I have if I want to get to/from Hawaii in less than 14 hrs total. I fly to Europe often for my work and it’s less flight time and business class is amazing compared to going to Hawaii on the 321NEO – what does the neo stand for “Not Enjoying Our ✈️”
Isn’t this becoming a safety issue in case evacuation is needed? On the long flight back from Hawaii last year, I dropped my glasses and could not retrieve them. Seatmates sleeping and seat apacmce too tight. Grrrrr.
We have been paying for extra legroom for years on Hawaiian.
My favorite plane is A 330 with the 2-4-2 seating.
Unfortunately, the A 330 will probably be replaced in 2 or 3 years
No way we would fly over 5 hours in a seat with a 30 inch pitch.
My HNL flights average ~ 8 hours after a roughly 2 hour connector to the main departure airport (DFW or ATL normally). Too long to be cramped in an increasingly abysmally narrow seating slot for my battered knees… I’ll fly plain economy Anywhere in the CONUS but not to the islands. I’m flying an AA 788 in premium econ Tue out of DFW, haven’t ever flown AA’s version. First row, bulkhead. I’ll let ya know how it goes!
Best Regards
Hi Jay.
We can’t speak for the soft product, but the hard product should be quite pleasant. Please do let us know.
Aloha.
My wife and I just dropped United for this reason. We considered Hawaiian but found the website very unfriendly and tight seating too. Now, we are into Southwest and will take our first mainland flights soon. We also like the Southwest morning departures as we can avoid the red eye flights.
We appreciate all you do to keep us informed!
Big Mahalo!!
Hi Glenn.
Thanks. We appreciate your comments. Please do let us know how it goes.
Aloha.
Leg room means alot on anything over a two hour flight. Airlines should make every seat the same except for first class. They would be less angry passengers.
Thanks to Southwest having the best leg room.
Reducing the size of lavatories is not a good idea. I was a flight attendant for 25 years. There was a very obese passenger that could not close the first class bathroom completely and could not reach to wipe himself. It wasn’t pretty, I felt sorry for him. At least keep the lavs a decent size!
It is a matter of time until something fatal happens in these planes and emergency help cannot get to the person to even try to do their duty to serve and protect. Why does safety and comfort always have to come with money???
This may ultimately be a self regulating issue, see “New Hawaii Tourist Fees: Creative Hikes Set to Curb Tourism” on this web site. Fewer tourists, fewer seats needed on each plane, greater seat pitch. Problem solved.
Unfortunately I am medically forbidden to fly coach due to dvt risk so I have to pay up and business/first long haul is not cheap…
My question would be is it “Prioritizing profits over Hawaii flight passenger comfort” or “Prioritizing price over Hawaii flight passenger comfort”? I am reminded American’s “more room throughout coach” failed because most people voted with their wallet for the cheaper fare.
Hi Rich.
Yes that’s true as well. Thanks.
Aloha.
Just found out our flights between Phoenix & Honolulu in May changed to Hawaiian’s 787 Dreamliner. Had to contact Hawaiian Airlines as they had me in row 33 and my husband in 14! You would think they could put us together when they made the change. Oh well
Went to make our summer flight reservations – Phoenix to Honolulu – and were appalled to see that the whole plane (except First Class which is another story!) was 3-3-3. In other words, if you’re a couple flying you have to fly with a stranger! There is one row towards the back of the plane that has 2 on each side but who wants to pay $10 per seat to sit towards the back of the plane – guess we will – it’s a 6 hour flight! (Would have changed to Southwest after decades of flying Hawaiian but SW was actually more expensive)
Ah, am I missing something? Isn’t Southwest a 3 + 3 configuration?
JoergH… Never got so far as to look at SW seating – the prices were higher than Hawaiian and I just stopped there.
Yeah, they are 3+3 on nearly every row. There is ONE row at the exit isle that only has 2 seats, but that’s not on every aircraft SW flies. In general, it’s tough to find a “modern” commercial aircraft these days that doesn’t have 3 across seating, especially on long flights.
An uncomfortable 3+3
Mike G, you said “An uncomfortable 3+3.” Just as that came, I saw an ad for a vehicle, I think Lexus TX. It said “The middle child knows no elbow room until …” to paraphrase while showing three children seated tight and then seated in a different configuration. I say and will always say, three or more seats in anything and occupied isn’t right unless the middle seats have space and their own armrests. Two seats built together sharing middle armrest might be okay, I got along fine on small airplanes and trains with 2+2 seats, two each side of an aisle. I hope more people back these messages and pressure transportation systems manufacturers and owners to use proper configurations or do something else to not fill tight middle seats.
Talking about Hawaiian – sorry but BofH knows we only fly Hawaiian And meant $140/seat! What I said was we “would have changed to Southwest” – the implication being that we were not on Southwest.