'You Harassed an Entire Flight:' Southwest Airlines' Ukulele Marketing Stunt Is Getting Mixed Reviews The airline partnered with Guitar Center to make sure passengers were ready for their trip to Hawaii.
By Sam Silverman •
Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.
Southwest Airlines joined forces with Guitar Center to give passengers en route to Hawaii a taste of what's to come on their tropical vacation.
Passengers flying out of Long Beach, Calif., were met with a ukulele and a tropical-theme protective case on each seat as they bored the flight, according to photos shared by the airline via Twitter on Tuesday. They were also given a short lesson on how to play.
"By the time they arrived in Honolulu they were pros," the brand wrote, sharing a photo of the full flight with smiling passengers.
Guitar Center: You can learn how to play the ukulele in 20 minutes.
— Southwest Airlines (@SouthwestAir) September 20, 2022
Us: prove it. pic.twitter.com/9YTtz9Q71G
However, some critics on Twitter said they wouldn't be happy with the surprise in-flight entertainment due to medical conditions or the forced circumstances for those wanting peace and quiet.
You harassed an entire flight for a promotional partnership?! As someone with sensory processing issues related to noise, I would literally have been bent double in my seat, arms over my head, sobbing, and having a panic attack.
— Alex (@VockLobster) September 21, 2022
I AM a music teacher and I would object to this. as much as I would personally like a free ukulele, I don't think other people should be subjected to that against their will.
— janae (@janaejeanmusic) September 21, 2022
What if you didn't want to hear a cacophony of ukuleles? What if you just wanted to sit in silence for the entire flight and watch TV or read, like a regular flight?
— Benjamin Baena (@BenBaena) September 21, 2022
On the other hand, others said they would welcome the music lesson.
Never heard such a bunch of fun-free whiners in my life. This is a great idea and if you can't take 20 minutes of ukulele practice without it threatening your piece of mind, maybe you should try swimming to Hawaii next time if you need that much quiet.
— McGrain v. Daugherty, 273 U.S. 135 (1927) (@Joseph_Joe_M) September 21, 2022
Southwest responded to the backlash and confirmed the interruption was brief.
"Don't worry, y'all, everyone put their ukuleles away after 20 minutes since they had already mastered how to play," the airline wrote.
