help picking seats for JFK-HNL trip on Hawaiian
 

I'm flying JFK-HNL-JFK in May with my wife and 3-year old son. Economy tickets booked on miles through Virgin Elevate.

My son is really good on planes, been on over 30 flights, but this flight will be his longest by far (current longest is 7 hours).

I have the new a330 plane with lay flat first. Ideally I would rather not pay $145 x 6 to have us all in economy plus both ways.

I was considering a few options. Does anyone know if the armrests fold up in economy?

I was consider taking a row of 3 seats in the back - like row 43 or 44 - that way we get the whole row, can put the arm rests up if they go up and also have room with a slightly bigger aisle on both sides.

I was also considering taking something like 34HJ for my wife and I and put my son in 34G (since 34G not considered exit row seat). Only have to pay for 2 economy plus seats and that way we would have the entire bulkhead area on floor for him to stretch out and stand up if he needed too. Anyone think the flight attendants would not allow him to "hang out" on floor on front of those seats near the exit door?

Barring that, a similar idea in for example 20HJ and 20G - same price (2 Economy plus seats) but lose benefit of bulkhead space.

I think my bigger concern would be the red eye home HNL-JFK and trying to get space for him to sleep.

On that leg home row 11 and row 12 and row 14 are all booked. 34HJ is available. Or should I try to get the row of 3 (row 43-45) and have an entire row to myself?

I've seen online the blow up pillows that can go on floor and up agasint seat to make a "bed" for little kids - has anyone used something like that before? Not sure how good it would be.

I also called to ask if I paid the $145 to economy plus and then tried to upgrade to first right near departure would the $145 count towards the upgrade or be lost. They say it would be lost. Which would make no sense to do. I think I can use miles to upgrade to first but that is only based on availability 24 hours out.

Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated. thanks!

34J has a huge amount of space and while YMMV, my experience with HA FAs has been very positive, so they may allow your son to hang/stretch out there.

thanks! I'm trying to find a picture of that space/that seat 34HJ on the new planes. When I look on Seatguru, the older a330 (v1) shows a crew seat on the wall there. The newer a330 with layflat first (v2) does not show a crew seat on the wall there. I can't tell if that is accurate or not.

example 1: http://cdn-www.airliners.net/photos/.../3/1806362.jpg

example 2:http://cdn-www.airliners.net/photos/.../8/2207814.jpg

Thinking the crew seat (if it is there) would get in the way and don't want to disrupt the crew there either.

Actually, last time I sat in 34 it was pre-lieflat, but the FA only used his seat during take off/landing and that FA seat is opposite the aisle pax seat.

A 3 year-old sacking out by window seat would not interfere, if new A330 still has same layout in row 34.

Hope whatever you choose works out...

Thank you, that is helpful to know!

There was virtually no change in configuration behind the mid galley. There are more ExtraComfort seats, but the addition didn't change the bulkhead layout or the FA jumpseat positions.

This.
Simplest, cheapest and most straight forward.

I think you will find that seats 34G-J are out of the question for your situation. While 34G is not an exit row, 34H,J are, and if you are traveling with a passenger under the age of 15 you will not be allowed to book them. I'm pretty sure that this is an FAA rule (it has certainly applied on all the other major airlines that I use) but you should check with HA to make sure.

"Simplest, cheapest and most straight forward." RE: row 43 --- Does this equal BEST? HA is not WN.

"I think you will find that seats 34G-J are out of the question for your situation. While 34G is not an exit row, 34H,J are, and if you are traveling with a passenger under the age of 15 you will not be allowed to book them." HA customer service says 34 is considered exit row all the way across, but 3-year-old could be seated in 33G

So you automatically believe everything that HA Customer Service tells you? That's a surefire recipe for trouble!

Here are the legal regulations, direct from the HA website (https://www.hawaiianairlines.com/leg...d-conditions):
"Customers seated in an exit row must meet the FAA requirements including: Must be willing and able to assist; Must be 15 years of age or older; Adults must not be travelling with children under the age of 15; Must speak English and be able to comprehend the instructions to operate the emergency exit.
As I originally surmised, this is a government regulation, not at HA's discretion. The rationale behind the rule is that parents will be too distracted in taking care of their children to fulfill the emergency exit tasks.

I don't know what you mean by "RE: row 43 --- Does this equal BEST? HA is not WN." Please explain.

thanks for replies all. Did not know the rule about adults sitting in exit row traveling with children - good to know! thanks.