We had just landed in San Francisco, midway through a two-part journey returning to Hawaii. The flight had been uneventful—until the final descent. Then came a surprising announcement over the cabin PA: anyone who stood up before the seatbelt sign was turned off could be reported and fined.
Not just warned. Fined.
We recorded it—not once, but twice—on two separate Turkish Airlines flights, including the one that brought us into SFO yesterday. And while it might sound like a foreign policy quirk, this was not a flight into Turkey. It took place on a U.S. arrival. That made the warning far more revealing and peculiar than it might seem.
What the airline said.
“Our aircraft has not reached its final parking position. For your safety, please remain seated with your seat belt fastened until the seat belt sign has been turned off….An administrative penalty will be applied by the Directorate General of Civil Aviation in case of any breach as per the applicable legislation. Thank you for your cooperation.”(Flight attendant).
Here’s the gist of what Turkish Airlines announced: you may be reported as a “noncompliant passenger” and fined under aviation regulations if you stand up early. The crew emphasized this wasn’t just for safety—it was mandatory.
However, Turkey has no legal authority to issue fines on U.S. soil. The FAA certainly does and has, but those fines are processed through a formal regulatory system and are not announced over the PA by foreign carriers. So why say it?
According to a Turkish flight attendant we spoke with, the reason is behavioral. Too many passengers post-COVID have become unmanageable, they said. It’s not about jurisdiction—it’s about sending a message to unruly travelers.
We recorded the Turkish announcement:
The unruly passenger era has changed everything.
If this were an isolated warning, we might’ve brushed it off. But it’s not. You’ve told us, and we’ve experienced it ourselves: the tone on many flights to and from Hawaii has shifted. Some passengers do test airline limits. They bicker with flight attendants. Sometimes it escalates further.
Most recently, we’ve covered this repeatedly in Seat Squatters on Hawaii Flights: The Rise of Entitlement vs. Aloha and Latest Hawaii Unruly Passenger Diversion. In those cases, tensions reached the point of forced diversions and emergency landings.
But yesterday’s event wasn’t a crisis. It was quieter: a preemptive strike if you will. Airlines are simply done asking nicely.
Reader voices: frustration vs. realism.
When we ran our last piece on mid-flight disruptions, reader Keoki had a strong take. He said, “These out-of-control people putting everyone in danger need to be fined with stiff penalties. Money talks, and hopefully it’ll teach them a lesson they haven’t learned at home.” He also felt that even jail time and no-fly bans should be considered for serious offenses.
Tom H, however, saw it differently. He wrote, “This has nothing to do with Hawaii travel. People everywhere are acting out. This country is a mess financially, and people are stressed. Some portray it in different ways.”
That contrast—between punishment and empathy—gets to the heart of what’s happening on planes. Not just in Turkey. Not just in Hawaii. Everywhere.
Why this matters for Hawaii flights now.
Flying to Hawaii is rarely casual. It’s a longer-haul journey compared with most domestic flights that often involves milestone events, family gatherings, or once-in-a-lifetime vacations. Expectations are high, emotions run hot, and the slightest disruption can ripple across the cabin. It’s not always malicious, but it’s happening.
Airlines are increasingly shifting from polite reminders to firm deterrents, and this one is taking the lead. On the connecting United flight to Kauai, the flight attendant announced to the flight, “please don’t take your frustrations out on us.”
So we had to wonder if we could see some version of this “stand up and get fined” warning on Hawaii flights. Maybe not in those words, but the intent is already spreading. And the story has also made global headlines.
From warnings to consequences.
In the U.S., the FAA can fine passengers for disobeying crew instructions, especially when ignoring the seatbelt sign. But enforcement is slow and largely invisible to the flying public. And we have never heard any similar warnings.
Turkish’s tactic may be clumsy, but it’s seemingly quite effective. Saying, “You’ll be fined,” and people listening gives cabin crews leverage—even if the threat isn’t enforceable under U.S. law.
In contrast, we’ve heard U.S. flight crews—especially on Hawaii routes—repeat “please remain seated” like a chant, only to be ignored by part of the plane when the aircraft stops short of its final parking position. The seatbelt sign has become a suggestion. Maybe this is where that all starts to change.
Airlines want order, not just safety.
On the surface, this kind of warning seems all about injury prevention—avoiding sudden stops or turbulence. But what one flight attendant told us suggests something deeper, too: psychological control.
Cabin crews are burned out. Post-COVID travel is relentless, and Hawaii flights are often packed, high-stakes, and emotionally charged. Crews want a way to reset expectations before something explodes mid-air.
In that sense, the Turkish announcement wasn’t about fines. It was simply about drawing a line.
A culture shift in the sky.
This isn’t just about any particular airline, and it’s not just about fines. It’s part of a growing shift across the global airline industry—away from informal reminders and toward strict enforcement.
We’ve seen it with forceably blocked middle seats, restricted reclines, denied carry-ons, and now, in-flight warnings of financial penalties. Some of it is about safety and control, but increasingly, it’s about preventing chaos before it starts.
And for Hawaii-bound travelers—where the flight is personal, emotional, and one of the more expensive parts of the trip—that shift is already being felt.
What travelers can do.
If there’s one takeaway we had from yesterday’s warning, it’s that air travel etiquette is no longer optional. On any flight, but especially on Hawaii routes, passengers need to slow down, follow crew instructions, and stop assuming the rules are just suggestions.
It also means calling out bad behavior when appropriate, without escalating tension. Flying has just become harder for everyone.
What Turkish Airlines did may not be legal in the U.S. yet, but the message behind it is very real—and it’s gaining widespread traction.
Have you seen this happen on a Hawaii flight?
Have you been on a flight where passengers ignored crew instructions or acted like the rules didn’t apply? We want to know, because what we heard yesterday may not stay on one airline for long.
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I have always believed that airline profits could justify flying standing up like the NY Subway. Everybody grab a strap and hang on. The Greyhound Bus of the skies can’t be far off. Remember the airlines had a sheet in the seatbacks for exercising in your seat? They came out quickly when it turned out there wasn’t enough room to do them.
We are witnessing a society of petulant childlike behavior of “we can do whatever we want to, whenever we want to do it!”
I’m all in favor of aggressive tactics if it will help change even modify selfish, unruly and inconsiderate people.
Oh, by the way…my name is Karen.
“Turkish Airlines” – leading the way in threatening passeners!
Small hard seats, no food, exhaust-filled ventilation, rude staff, excessive alcohol, tarmac delays, restroom resrtrictions, TSA….
Blame the airlines not the victims.
Give me a break. To relate uncivil behavior to not following a seat belt sign is idiotic and repugnant. Uncivil behavior is just that, stop serving alcohol and give breath tests before boarding. A seat belt sign fine. Let’s see, somebody is in the bathroom, there’s turbulence, seat belt sign comes on, then what. Stay in the bathroom, jump in first available seat? You go to sleep no turbulence, sign comes on while asleep, aha, busted. Do not pass go, go to jail and pay $50. Hey, make more money this way.
Surely you must be kidding. Being that many pax do not behave as the adults their age, these more draconian measures are being developed.
Their arrogant self important selfishness is evidenced by the ‘wheelchair Jesus’ boarding scam, to rudely delaying the deplaning process as they rush forward in the aisle ‘out of turn’.
I personally think it would be poetic justice if they were indeed injured while standing & the aircraft came to an abrupt stop. But I do care about the safety of the other pax/crew/property they might endanger/damage when they fell !
So many pax are self-centered jerks (phrased mildly). They are the reason it has come this and will continue until these policies are seriously enforced. This is why we can’t have nice things ..
Fine ’em &
Ban ’em !
{but we know the airlines won’t, 🙁 }
We flew home to Hilo from HNL last month. Full flight. Everyone tired. The second we landed, three people stood up immediately—including one who opened the bin and nearly clocked me. Flight attendants were clearly frustrated but didn’t say much. I get why some airlines are going further. It’s exhausting watching people ignore basic instructions and having no respect for others.
We were on a flight from Chicago to Hawaii in April. Right after landing, some guy bolted down the aisle like he had a connection. He didn’t – what connections are there? The flight attendant told him to sit and he literally waved her off. That’s where we are now. Warnings aren’t working. So maybe threats are what’s left.
Hawaii flights are a mess lately. You can feel the tension from boarding to deplaning. This isn’t about standing—it’s about people acting like they’re the only ones on the plane.
This isn’t so far fetched for Hawaii. I flew from LAX to Honolulu and saw several people stand up while we were still taxiing. The flight attendants just gave up trying to stop it. So maybe this is where we’re headed.
One warning’s enough. Threatening passengers with fines feels over the top, especially if it’s not even enforceable.
I’m actually surprised this hasn’t happened sooner. People jump out of their seats the second wheels hit the ground, and it’s gotten worse lately. I wouldn’t mind if U.S. airlines started doing the same thing.
This is brilliant. I hope that they follow through on their promise of appropriate action. Just like in kindergarten, if kids don’t behave, they are taught about the rules that apply for their own good.
People should remain seated with their seatbelts fastened until the sign goes off. I have no desire to fly on Turkish airlines and they do not fly to Hawaii. I think threatening to fine someone for standing up is proportionate however I think airlines should reinforce the message passengers are required to obey crew instructions under Federal law and I think that anyone injured, who injures another or causes any damage to property by any means in breach of crew instructions should have no claim against the airline or any of the airline personnel.
I’ve never run into any airline’s flight safety rules that were anything but common sense and reasonable. The only thing I’ve disagreed with was the draconian masking policy that’s now been totally debunked – I was actually on a flight when that policy was dropped and virtually everyone, including crew, yanked that thing off and cheered.
Looking at the cattle car conditions that economy passengers have to endure – especially on those long 8 hour nonstop flights to HNL, I have to say I do understand the urgency to get the heck off that sardine can…
Best Regards
I live on Hawaiʻi Island and frequently fly to Oahu on Hawaiian Airlines 717’s. Nearly every time when we arrive people at the back stand up early and as soon as we hit the gate they walk up the aisle to the door. The entire aisle is full. Making it difficult for passengers at the front to get off the plane. It’s the locals that do it. I don’t understand why they are in a hurry, did they forget about Hawaiian time?
These problems could be avoided if airlines enforced existing rules but they don’t. I blame the airlines .
I applaud the airlines for doing this. It’s about time to drop the hammer on the unruly and entitled people.
I used to travel to Hawaii monthly. Much inter-island travel. There, more than on the mainland, people typically stayed seated until it was time for their row to deplane.
A welcome relief from the mainland where people can get downright aggressive trying to get off the plane.