An American Samoa businessman who filed a complaint with the US Department of Transport against Hawaiian Airlines questions the rationale the airline has given for their new ticketing policy.
The airline no longer allows any pre-flight seat selection before check-in on flights between Pago Pago and Honolulu.
It is the only sector where this rule applies.
The airline says it will now weigh passengers at check-in before allocating seats in order to manage weight distribution across the cabin.*
The airline says it is a response to higher than projected fuel burn on the sector and is a safety issue.
The president of Haleck's Enterprises, Avamua David Haleck, says if it were a safety issue he would understand but it would mean passengers had been flying unsafe for years.
Avamua told Dominic Godfrey about his complaint.
*UPDATE: the airline says it will not weigh passengers at check-in but will still take charge of seat allocation to control weight distribution.
Listen
Hawaiian Airline Boeing 717 at Honolulu International Airport on 23 January 2013. Photo: Copyright: backyardproduction / 123RF Stock Photo