Will You Be Flying To Hawaii Standing Up? Airlines Push The Limits

You’ve seen slim seats, shrinking legroom, and basic economy—fares with no bags, changes, or mercy. But what if your next “seat” in Hawaii wasn’t a seat at all?

Standing-only airline seating, once dismissed as a pure gimmick, is back in the headlines—and not just in Europe. Known as the Skyrider concept, these vertical, saddle-style leaning “seats” are designed to fit more passengers per row by keeping them mostly upright. With global travel demand insatiable and airlines desperate to cut costs, some now wonder: Could this model actually make it to Hawaii flights?

When Ryanair talks, Hawaiian/Alaska Airlines listens.

The European budget behemoth, which is 2–3 times the size of Alaska and Hawaiian combined, has more than 700 aircraft and a reputation for shaking things up, often in ways that once seemed unthinkable. Back in 2010, CEO Michael O’Leary floated the idea of standing berths. He was laughed at then, but that didn’t stop the industry from inching closer to his vision.

Today, seat manufacturers, including Italy’s Aviointeriors, have revived and refined the idea with updated safety testing, presenting versions like the Skyrider 2.0 and 3.0. While they haven’t appeared on any commercial aircraft yet, they’ve reportedly passed key crashworthiness standards. And Ryanair is once again in the middle of the conversation.

If regulators in Europe approve these designs for short-haul flights, it’s only a matter of time before U.S. airlines—especially those flying in Hawaii on budget models—start eyeing them too.

And you can be sure that when Ryanair talks, the global airline industry is listening. With the Alaska–Hawaiian deal dominating and reshaping interisland and West Coast service, every airline move to cut costs or boost margins matters. Ryanair’s push for standing seats may sound extreme, but if it works in Europe, don’t be surprised if it starts quickly showing up in strategy plans here in Hawaii.

Why this matters for Hawaii travelers.

At first glance, standing-only seats may seem irrelevant for Hawaii-bound flyers. After all, flights from the mainland take five hours or more—far too long to stand. Or at least so we all hope. But there’s a catch: not all Hawaii flights are long.

Interisland flights often clock in under 45 minutes, and sometimes less than 30. West Coast–to–Hawaii flights and the ever-increasing number of red-eyes are already price-driven, with basic economy at the bottom of the heap. But it’s Hawaii’s short-haul routes that might be among the first, if any U.S. route were to test a standing model.

Some wonder if this could be part of Hawaii’s upcoming interisland fleet.

As airlines reconsider their role in Hawaii, especially on short routes, some readers and aviation watchers—including Beat of Hawaii—have raised the question: Could standing seats be part of an eventual interisland fleet refresh?

In our recent article These Hawaii Flights May Soon Lose All Competition, we noted signs that Southwest could retreat from specific Hawaii routes, leaving Alaska Airlines (via Hawaiian) as the dominant or only player interisland. If that happens, cost-saving options like standing seats—especially for 30-minute hops—might resurface as a bold way to keep fares lower while maximizing capacity.

Aviointeriors claims Skyrider seating can increase aircraft passenger capacity by up to 20 percent. If that proves viable on short Hawaii flights, it could theoretically lower this week’s $39 fares to around $31, at least in terms of base pricing.

Ultra-basic fares could go even lower.

Beat of Hawaii has tracked the rise of ultra-basic economy, where fares are stripped of nearly every amenity. Many of those stories, like No Free Legroom: Airlines Lock Down Seats on Hawaii Flights—sparked reader frustration and hundreds of comments.

But what if you could fly in Hawaii for as little as $31? That’s the promise implied by standing-only seating. Without needing recline mechanisms, tray tables, or even full seat cushions, airlines could dramatically reduce costs and offer fares that feel more like bus prices.

Real Hawaii travelers are already skeptical.

In our previous article entitled Ultra-Basic Economy to Hawaii? FAA Weighs In, one reader wrote, “I don’t need a hot towel or a meal, but at least give me a seat that lets me walk when I land. We’re not cattle.” Another added, “I now dislike flying and avoid it if possible” after struggling to fit in standard seats as a tall passenger. A third wrote, “I paid extra for premium, but the seat didn’t recline, the audio didn’t work, and the person in front of me took up my whole tray table.”

That tension—between frustration and resignation—makes the idea of standing seats both outrageous and strangely plausible.

The FAA’s role and what might happen next.

While the FAA hasn’t approved standing seats for U.S. flights, it hasn’t closed the door on them entirely either. Prototypes like the Skyrider are periodically reviewed, and as safety testing advances, the pressure to reconsider grows. The agency’s criteria include crash protection, evacuation time, and g-force limits. Passing those tests doesn’t mean automatic approval, but it keeps the idea alive.

These seats have never been meant for long-haul travel. Aviointeriors has consistently said they’re targeting routes under two hours, with designs that offer little padding, minimal support, and almost no ability to shift position. They’re not built for five-hour hauls from L.A. to Honolulu—and hopefully never will be. They’re for flights more like Honolulu to Maui.

If U.S. regulators eventually greenlight the concept, it would still require a full certification process tailored to short-haul use. That opens the possibility—however distant—for standing seats to appear on interisland flights, most of which run under 45 minutes.

According to the manufacturer, overhead bins would remain, but we don’t see that happening. BOH editor Rob is very tall and can hardly stand straight with the overhead bin above him. What we see more likely is expanded storage under each seat.

Once this becomes possible, it wouldn’t take long for an airline to retrofit planes as they do with new interiors and quietly roll out a new, albeit excruciating, ultra-budget, basic-economy option.

Could this reshape Hawaii travel?

Hawaii airfare competition has hovered between full-service legacy carriers and low-cost challengers like Southwest for years. But the pandemic, rising fuel costs, and recent airline mergers have all disrupted any existing balance.

As Beat of Hawaii noted in Hawaii Flight Squeeze Hits Tipping Point, there’s already a growing discomfort with the new normal. From families squeezed into 29-inch pitch rows to travelers shocked by base fares that double once fees are added, the frustration is real.

Even on a limited basic economy basis, introducing standing—only options could further redefine the travel experience, for better or worse.

What to watch for next.

This isn’t science fiction anymore. With huge Ryanair pushing hard in Europe for these to start as early as next year, U.S. carriers watching closely, and FAA pathways technically appearing to be open, the next few years could bring significant changes in what it means to even “have a Hawaii airline seat.”

What do you think? Would you ever fly standing up if it meant a fraction of the cost? Would you want a separate standing-only class for short hops? Let us know in the comments. Mahalo!