Midair ukulele lesson on Southwest Airlines Honolulu flight

Passengers on Southwest Airlines flight from Long Beach to Honolulu were surprised with the first-ever in-flight ukulele class on Friday, September 16.

Above the clouds, passengers onboard the Boeing 737-800 aircraft all received a Mitchell MU40 Soprano ukulele, a Road Runner carrying case and a unique lesson in the sky.

Best-in-class Guitar Center Lessons instructors taught passengers how easy it is to learn to play the ukulele, one of Hawaii’s happiest and most familiar instruments – so easy, passengers were able to learn to play the song “Hello, Aloha. How are you?” during the flight.

Passengers on board kicked off their weekend travels flying across the Pacific Ocean, unified, one chord at a time, with a sweet-sounding surprise, and an unforgettable travel day to Honolulu.

Alexandra Windsor, educational affairs specialist for Guitar Center Lessons, and Ryan Miyashiro and Ryan Imata, Guitar Center instructors at Guitar Center’s Pearl City store, led passengers in a group lesson to kick off their travel to the beautiful island of Oahu, Hawaii. “I’ve taught students through Guitar Center Lessons since 2014, but never in an airplane. It was inspiring to see how quickly passengers of all ages picked up the ukulele – many with no musical background. The ukulele is the perfect instrument for beginners, and it shows just how fun and easy learning something new can be,” said Windsor. 

“Our Customers anticipate warm Southwest Hospitality throughout their journeys with us, and these Surprise and Delight events are a unique way to create memorable experiences,” said Brandy King, Senior Director of Public Relations at Southwest Airlines.

“Today’s celebration of Hawaiian culture and Southwest Hospitality underscore our everyday commitment to serve and celebrate the spirit of Aloha.”