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Flight to Hawaii interrupted for ukulele lesson

Passengers on board a Southwest Airlines flight were treated to free ukuleles and an in-flight lesson on Friday, Sept. 16, 2022 (Guitar Center)

(KTLA) – A flight from California to Hawaii was interrupted, but not because of an incident or safety issue. Passengers were instead directed to pay attention to a musical type of in-flight instruction.

On Friday, passengers on the Southwest Airlines flight from Long Beach to Honolulu were surprised with a free ukulele lesson mid-flight.


Guitar Center, the music instrument retailer, organized the lesson. Over the course of the six-hour flight, passengers onboard were taught how to play “Hello, Aloha. How are you?” in its entirety on Hawaii’s most famous instrument.

“I’ve taught students through Guitar Center Lessons since 2014, but never in an airplane,” said Alexandra Windsor, educational affairs specialist for Guitar Center Lessons. “It was inspiring to see how quickly passengers of all ages picked up the ukulele – many with no musical background.”

As the plane touched down in the Aloha State, each passenger deplaned with a special gift: They got to keep their new instruments and a carrying case to keep them safe.

“The ukulele is the perfect instrument for beginners, and it shows just how fun and easy learning something new can be,” said Windsor.