42 thoughts on ““Ultra-Basic” Economy To Hawaii? FAA Weighs In”
RegY
I was on a flight once when the people in front of me, my wife and daughter reclined their seat all the way back. I couldn’t recline because the poor guy behind me had to spread his legs wide just to be able to sit in his seat!
I asked the flight attendant if she could ask the people in front of us to raise their seat, and they didn’t even sit all the way back but they wouldn’t. So, every time I or my family members had to use the lav, we had to grab their seats and shake them just to get out of our seats.
I’m not to small; 5’11”, 190, wife is 5’4″, 110 and daughter was 5′, 95.
When I have to reach down to get something out of my backpack from the seat in front, I have to stick my head into my wife’s lap, and she gets upset.
I have often thought that since seats are so close that the seat recline should be reduced so that you can exit your seat without seeing the reclined person. I was on a flight where the person in front of me reclined immediately and was practically in my lap.i had to grab his seat to get into my seat and he gave me a look. If I have to recline my seat I recline about an inch.
i agree. I am tall with most of my height coming from the knee to the thigh so when one feels they have to recline the seat, it is usual and I really think it is so rude. I dont recline just out of respect. But i sure wish the airlines will discontinue this since making seas smaller. Is there a place to write airlines and express our feelings?
It also seems unsafe for evacuation of the plane. No one’s going to be kind and put their seat in upright position before stepping on several people trying to exit.
I remember when AA removed a couple of rows on their MD-80’s back in the 90’s. It was a welcome upgrade as I flew to DFW twice a month for business. I applaud the FAA for even considering what the flying public thinks should be the minimum requirement for seat pitch.
As someone who makes several trips to Hawaii from the West Coast LAX/LGB area, I certainly think we need a bit more room in economy. We have standardized and become Hawaiian frequent fliers. On the A330 the extra comfort legroom is ok, but the seat width is tight. I am 5’11 and hardly overweight with a 35 inch waist. Even to me the seat width is too small. On the A321eno even the EC seat on that single aisle plane is too tight.
I know that complete evacuation is supposed to take place in 90 seconds. If a night and a true emergency is taking place it will be darned near impossible for people to get out in 3 or 4 minutes!
I am thin but tall and I end up booking aisle seats because it is so hard to get out to go to the restroom. I usually have to pay a premium for that seat now, just charge a little more for a ticket and get rid of all the premium, etc. seats. Also, once someone reclines their seat my knees are in my chest! Please make bigger seats!!
Yeah, the attempt to jazz up and brand SRO as sexy “Skyrider” seats certainly went over like a lead balloon. How stupid do they think we are?
I am a small person, and yet, especially as I get further along in years, these incredibly shrinking seats are dysfunctional. I look around at passengers much larger than I, and can only imagine their discomfort, especially on longer flights. The seat pitch means that you are pitched back, off balance, anytime you try to stand, or exit the row. Applaud FAA for finally, hopefully doing something.
I hope more people will comment to the FAA. I totally understand Rob’s dilemma, as my grandson is 6’3″ at 14 and most of that is in his legs. We always purchase extra comfort seats because he just won’t fit in economy–although I have to say that the “extra comfort” seats on the Neo aircraft flown by Hawaiian offers very little in extra comfort. If he continues to grow, we will have to look at upgrading, and maybe take fewer trips. That would be sad. Thanks for including a link so that people can comment to the FAA. I did that last week after getting the link on another site. Safety and comfort should be taken seriously.
This was quite possibly the most idiotic proposal ever conceived for airplane travel. I wouldn’t do it even for the short inter-island flights, much less flights from the mainland!
I do wish they would point out in the departure videos that the aisle armrest for coach seats is movable and makes exiting your seat so much easier. This would be especially helpful in an evacuation situation. I doubt 10% of people on any given flight know about it, though.
I typically sit in a window seat when I can, and the person sitting in the aisle seat almost never raises the armrest when they they exit the row at our destination. If everyone would do that before they stand up, it would be much faster for the rest of the passengers to exit! And for those of us bent down under the overhead bins it’s not easy to reach the button on the outside of the armrest – I often have to ask another passenger waiting in the aisleway to raise it for me.
Hawaiian could be the comfort leader if they cared to be.
Remove 3 rows, some with less than 6 seats across.
To retain the same revenue, Hawaiian would have to increase prices in coach and premium coach $40-$60 round trip. They would also save on fuel and snacks and in premium coach “meals”.
Sure they would have to promote this more than most other things. The b/s about being Hawaii’s Hawaiian airline – isn’t working – United is the real Hawaiian airline. No, we usually fly Hawaiian. And, now that they are the only airline that flies nonstop from Ontario, it’s a no brainer.
We need one airline to be the comfort airline – min 35 inches in coach and 39″ in premium coach. Will it be Hawaiian?
Won’t Happen. Southwest is so predatory and will sell cheap seats to hurt their competitors. Remember when Costco was cheap. After they destroyed the mom and pops they now can charge whatever they want.
I hurt my neck trying to get something out of my backpack under the seat and again the times I dropped something and struggled to pick it up. There is not enough space front to back.
It’s hard to get out to go to the bathroom when I sit by the window.
The type of aircraft is critical to one’s flying experience. I fly Alaska to Maui frequently. The 737-800 and 737-900 are comfortable for me at 6’1″ and 235 lbs. In three weeks I’m headed to Oahu on a 737-900 Max ETOPS and am curious to see what the seat comfort and personal space is going to be like. Also, I always sit on the aisle…these long legs require it. Mahalo for your timely updates, BOH gents!
Thanks for sharing your experiences on flights to Hawaii. Editor Jeff is 6′ while Rob is 6’4″, I want to say that difference is huge when pasting oneself into an economy airline seat, especially for a five-hour Hawaii flight.
Interesting on a number of levels. Full disclaimer…I haven’t sat in economy in years when I do travel back to the mainland but…
1) Hawaii is overcrowded as stated many times on this forum…if you need bargain prices to get here you probably won’t have the finances to do much else to contribute to the economy and are probably not the “valued” tourist that the tourism agencies and government have said they want to focus on.
2) I’d assume most people that can afford Hawaii would be happy to spend more for a seat With some leg room without having to pay 2-3k for first class. Seems the airlines are hurting the majority to cater to the few by adding rows of seats.
I was on a flight once when the people in front of me, my wife and daughter reclined their seat all the way back. I couldn’t recline because the poor guy behind me had to spread his legs wide just to be able to sit in his seat!
I asked the flight attendant if she could ask the people in front of us to raise their seat, and they didn’t even sit all the way back but they wouldn’t. So, every time I or my family members had to use the lav, we had to grab their seats and shake them just to get out of our seats.
I’m not to small; 5’11”, 190, wife is 5’4″, 110 and daughter was 5′, 95.
When I have to reach down to get something out of my backpack from the seat in front, I have to stick my head into my wife’s lap, and she gets upset.
I have often thought that since seats are so close that the seat recline should be reduced so that you can exit your seat without seeing the reclined person. I was on a flight where the person in front of me reclined immediately and was practically in my lap.i had to grab his seat to get into my seat and he gave me a look. If I have to recline my seat I recline about an inch.
i agree. I am tall with most of my height coming from the knee to the thigh so when one feels they have to recline the seat, it is usual and I really think it is so rude. I dont recline just out of respect. But i sure wish the airlines will discontinue this since making seas smaller. Is there a place to write airlines and express our feelings?
It also seems unsafe for evacuation of the plane. No one’s going to be kind and put their seat in upright position before stepping on several people trying to exit.
I remember when AA removed a couple of rows on their MD-80’s back in the 90’s. It was a welcome upgrade as I flew to DFW twice a month for business. I applaud the FAA for even considering what the flying public thinks should be the minimum requirement for seat pitch.
As someone who makes several trips to Hawaii from the West Coast LAX/LGB area, I certainly think we need a bit more room in economy. We have standardized and become Hawaiian frequent fliers. On the A330 the extra comfort legroom is ok, but the seat width is tight. I am 5’11 and hardly overweight with a 35 inch waist. Even to me the seat width is too small. On the A321eno even the EC seat on that single aisle plane is too tight.
I know that complete evacuation is supposed to take place in 90 seconds. If a night and a true emergency is taking place it will be darned near impossible for people to get out in 3 or 4 minutes!
I am thin but tall and I end up booking aisle seats because it is so hard to get out to go to the restroom. I usually have to pay a premium for that seat now, just charge a little more for a ticket and get rid of all the premium, etc. seats. Also, once someone reclines their seat my knees are in my chest! Please make bigger seats!!
Yeah, the attempt to jazz up and brand SRO as sexy “Skyrider” seats certainly went over like a lead balloon. How stupid do they think we are?
I am a small person, and yet, especially as I get further along in years, these incredibly shrinking seats are dysfunctional. I look around at passengers much larger than I, and can only imagine their discomfort, especially on longer flights. The seat pitch means that you are pitched back, off balance, anytime you try to stand, or exit the row. Applaud FAA for finally, hopefully doing something.
I hope more people will comment to the FAA. I totally understand Rob’s dilemma, as my grandson is 6’3″ at 14 and most of that is in his legs. We always purchase extra comfort seats because he just won’t fit in economy–although I have to say that the “extra comfort” seats on the Neo aircraft flown by Hawaiian offers very little in extra comfort. If he continues to grow, we will have to look at upgrading, and maybe take fewer trips. That would be sad. Thanks for including a link so that people can comment to the FAA. I did that last week after getting the link on another site. Safety and comfort should be taken seriously.
This was quite possibly the most idiotic proposal ever conceived for airplane travel. I wouldn’t do it even for the short inter-island flights, much less flights from the mainland!
I do wish they would point out in the departure videos that the aisle armrest for coach seats is movable and makes exiting your seat so much easier. This would be especially helpful in an evacuation situation. I doubt 10% of people on any given flight know about it, though.
Mahalo BOH!
Hi Ed.
Thank you for this comment, which makes number 203. Much appreciated.
Aloha.
I typically sit in a window seat when I can, and the person sitting in the aisle seat almost never raises the armrest when they they exit the row at our destination. If everyone would do that before they stand up, it would be much faster for the rest of the passengers to exit! And for those of us bent down under the overhead bins it’s not easy to reach the button on the outside of the armrest – I often have to ask another passenger waiting in the aisleway to raise it for me.
Hawaiian could be the comfort leader if they cared to be.
Remove 3 rows, some with less than 6 seats across.
To retain the same revenue, Hawaiian would have to increase prices in coach and premium coach $40-$60 round trip. They would also save on fuel and snacks and in premium coach “meals”.
Sure they would have to promote this more than most other things. The b/s about being Hawaii’s Hawaiian airline – isn’t working – United is the real Hawaiian airline. No, we usually fly Hawaiian. And, now that they are the only airline that flies nonstop from Ontario, it’s a no brainer.
We need one airline to be the comfort airline – min 35 inches in coach and 39″ in premium coach. Will it be Hawaiian?
I totally agree. I’d be willing to pay a bit more and have all seats uniform.
Won’t Happen. Southwest is so predatory and will sell cheap seats to hurt their competitors. Remember when Costco was cheap. After they destroyed the mom and pops they now can charge whatever they want.
I hurt my neck trying to get something out of my backpack under the seat and again the times I dropped something and struggled to pick it up. There is not enough space front to back.
It’s hard to get out to go to the bathroom when I sit by the window.
The type of aircraft is critical to one’s flying experience. I fly Alaska to Maui frequently. The 737-800 and 737-900 are comfortable for me at 6’1″ and 235 lbs. In three weeks I’m headed to Oahu on a 737-900 Max ETOPS and am curious to see what the seat comfort and personal space is going to be like. Also, I always sit on the aisle…these long legs require it. Mahalo for your timely updates, BOH gents!
Hi Tom.
Thanks for sharing your experiences on flights to Hawaii. Editor Jeff is 6′ while Rob is 6’4″, I want to say that difference is huge when pasting oneself into an economy airline seat, especially for a five-hour Hawaii flight.
Aloha.
Interesting on a number of levels. Full disclaimer…I haven’t sat in economy in years when I do travel back to the mainland but…
1) Hawaii is overcrowded as stated many times on this forum…if you need bargain prices to get here you probably won’t have the finances to do much else to contribute to the economy and are probably not the “valued” tourist that the tourism agencies and government have said they want to focus on.
2) I’d assume most people that can afford Hawaii would be happy to spend more for a seat With some leg room without having to pay 2-3k for first class. Seems the airlines are hurting the majority to cater to the few by adding rows of seats.
My 2 cents at least.
Happy aloha Friday gents
Hi Chris.
Thanks. We appreciate your input (and enjoy reading it).
Aloha.