Hawaiian Airlines Cuts Free Meals For Economy Passengers July 1

Above, an Ellison Onizuka Kona Airport boarding gate. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

There was a time when air travel was a joy. Included were friendly first class service, even in Economy. Free meals (well, they were a part of the flight ticket). 

Since then, airlines treat their passengers like cattle and impose charges for any food items above the crappy crackers, cookies and drinks they hand out.

Hawaiian Airlines has joined the list of airlines doing away with free meals to Economy passengers. 

The Travel reported:

Hawaiian Airlines has announced a complete overhaul of its in-flight dining options, and with it comes the end of free in-flight meal service on most transpacific flights connecting the United States mainland to Hawaii. This is the next step in a series of integrations and changes since the airline was acquired by Alaska Airlines that has included revamping its loyalty program and implementing controversial new dress code rules for employees.

Though the new in-flight meals were designed by a James Beard Award finalist and offer far more options than the previous complimentary menu, many customers only see the change as just another cash grab. Initial reactions online are mixed, though we won’t get the full review of the new menu until after it goes into effect July 1.

To read more, go here. 

Hawaii Flights: Once Iconic, Now Misery

Above, a Ellison Onizuka Kona Airport boarding gate. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Nine years ago, I took a trip to Hawaii. The flight wasn't too bad, being only about five hours from Los Angeles.

Since then, I have read how flying to Hawaii was once iconic splendor has now become a miserable start to a vacation. 

Beat of Hawaii has posted an article on why Hawaii flights feel more uncomfortable than ever.

It begins with:

“Even though we purchased upgraded tickets, flying is not what it used to be with cramped seats,” said Ann B., a traveler who flew from the East Coast to Hawaii. Her upgraded seats didn’t help much on the eleven-hour flight.

Another reader, Engineer_Lou, added, “Airlines have removed the TV displays from headrests on long flights to Hawaii. Makes the trip harder for six hours.” And Andy C., who’s been flying to Hawaii since 1972, told us, “I can’t take the discomfort of economy, and I read that economy seats are about to get even worse.”

These aren’t isolated grumbles. Hawaii travelers, including us, are getting louder about the shrinking space, harder seats, and missing amenities that define the new narrow-body era now dominating Hawaii flights. The industry calls it optimization. Passengers call it something else.

The problem is magnified by distance, among other factors. Hawaii flights rank among the longest in the United States, equal to or longer than many transcontinental routes. Now that these journeys are predominantly on narrow-body aircraft, the experience has shifted from a once iconic, relaxing start to a Hawaii vacation into something far less appealing. For many, the flight itself has become something to face and endure rather than anticipate.

To read more, go here. 

Hawaii Travelers Brace As Comfort Collapse Spreads Across Airlines

Above, a Kona Airport gate. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Flights to Hawaii from Los Angeles are five hours in length. At one time, wide body aircraft ruled the routes from the mainland to the islands. 

Airlines are dropping two-aisle aircraft for smaller one-aisle aircraft sacrificing comfort. Flying to Hawaii was once an enjoyable experience. No longer. People are treated like cattle.

Beat of Hawaii has posted an article on how the airlines are treating air travel to Hawaii like any other domestic flight. 

They begin it with:

Flights to Hawaii once defined aviation. There was a time when flying to Hawaii was not only a big deal for passengers but also for the airlines themselves. Pan Am, TWA, and United all built prestige around their Hawaii services. The Boeing 747 and other wide-bodies turned the Pacific crossing into a statement of comfort. Lounges, two aisles, and a sense of occasion were part of the journey.

Those days are gone. Hawaii has now been reduced to what airlines treat as another domestic run. For the carriers, it is simply a five-hour flight to manage with maximum efficiency, no different in their playbook than service to Des Moines. The sense of grandeur that once surrounded Hawaii flying has slipped away.

To read more, go here. 

Runway Cracks Closed Kona International Airport

Above, a gate at the Ellison Onizuka Kona International Airport. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

The Ellison Onizuka Kona International Airport on Hawaii's Big Island had to be closed due to cracks in the main runway. The closure lasted 24 hours.

TheStreet reported:

While common fears such as the plane missing the runway or running out of fuel keep many from flying, few think of a cracked runway as their nightmare scenario — even if, in the case of a plane, this can seriously imperil it from landing safely.

A number of runway cracks kept Ellison Onizuka Kona International Airport on Hawaii’s Big Island closed for more than 24 hours. The large crack caused by a few days of heavy rains led to an airport emergency closure, a number canceled flights and over a thousand stranded people over Jan. 15 and 16. 

I flew in and out of the Ellison Onizuka Kona International Airport in May 2016. Nice airport.

To read more, go here.

Hawaii Airfare War Starting Up Again

Above, air passengers arriving at Kona International Airport. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Back in the day when gasoline was way under a buck a gallon, we would see "gas war" signs at gasoline stations. Each brand of gasoline competed for the dollars of consumers by lowering prices.

A similar thing is taking place between competing airlines to Hawaii. The winner of this airfare war is definitely the consumer.

Beat of Hawaii begins with:

It seems odd to us that Hawaii would continue to have that distinction. After all, once on the ground, Hawaii is usually more expensive in every way when compared with the mainland. But not when it comes to airfares, and at least not for now when you travel interisland.

This all comes as another fare war was started today between bellwether Hawaiian Airlines and still relative Hawaii newcomer Southwest Airlines. The lowest mainland price now begins at $119 each way from the west coast, and we predict they can go lower.

If one has a vacation to Hawaii in mind, now is the time to buy airline tickets.

To read more, go here.

Why Hawaii Has Cheapest Airfares In The U.S.

Above, new arrivals disembarking at Kona International Airport. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

At one time, Hawaiian Airlines was the "Big Kahuna" when it came to flights to Hawaii. Not anymore. Other airlines have entered the Hawaii travel market and competing for market share.

Now there's a price war between the airlines serving Hawaii and travelers are the beneficiaries.

Now, Hawaii has the cheapest airfares in the U.S.

Beat of Hawaii reported:

It seems odd to us that Hawaii would have that distinction. After all, Hawaii is usually more expensive in every way when compared with the mainland. But not when it comes to airfares, at least not for now.

Another fare war was started today by Southwest Airlines, still a relative newcomer to the Hawaii market. The deals are both from the mainland to Hawaii and interisland too. They were quickly joined by Hawaiian Airlines and by Alaska Airlines.

So why are we seeing the cheapest airfares in the US?

By their admitted nature, Southwest is acting aggressively relative to the other airlines and moving in on their rival’s territory with low prices. Southwest continues to look for whatever opportunities exist to expand and dominate Hawaii flights. As mentioned previously, the pilot head of SWAPA (Southwest’s pilots’ union) has described the airline’s expansion strategy this way: “Predatory and opportunistic—which we like.” In fact, there is a photo of a shark labeled “Southwest” which sits in one of the company’s offices.

 To read more, go here.

Hawaii Flight Delays

Above, passengers arriving at Kona International Airport. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

It is interesting to see so many flight delays and cancelations of flights almost everywhere.

The state of Hawaii is not immune to flight delays. The Beat of Hawaii said yesterday 272 flights have been delayed. Some blame staff shortages, some blame COVID-19 and some blame mismanagement.

According to Beat of Hawaii:

We were shocked to find that 152 flights were delayed into and out of Hawaii Monday, as reported by the flight-tracking service FlightAware. And on Sunday, they reported that there were 122 delayed Hawaii flights. It’s too early to see how many will be delayed again today, but we do see some starting to be listed as of this morning.

To read more, go here. 

T + L: The Best Small Airports In The U.S.

Above, a gate at the Ellison Onizuka Kona International Airport. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

When Mitch Geriminsky and I went to Dallas and Fort Worth, Texas last year to see the John Wayne: An American Experience exhibit at the Fort Worth Stockyards, he arranged for our flight to land and depart from Dallas Love Field. I was glad of that as Love Field is a much smaller airport than Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport and far easier to navigate.

Travel + Leisure has posted an article on the best and worst small airports in the U.S. Of the airports they mentioned, I have been to one of them, the Ellison Onizuka Kona International Airport on the Big Island of Hawaii. It is what they call one of the best ones, by the way.

They begin their article with:

Flying into smaller airports can be a delight with fewer crowds and less distance to navigate between terminals. On the other hand, they can also come with a side of frustration, with fewer flights options and without the larger staffs major airports benefit from. So, research company ValuePenguin looked at the nation's 50th to 150th largest airports to find the best and worst small-scale American airports to fly into.

To read the full article, go here. 

Hawaii: What To Expect On In-Flight Food and Beverage Service

Above, passengers arriving at Kona International Airport. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Over the past several years, the airlines have cut back on meals and beverages on their domestic flights, yet at the same time, jacked up air fares.

The pandemic has also given them an excuse to cut backeven further, particularly on flights to Hawaii (at least five hours in duration). 

The Points Guy takes a look at what food and drinks people can expect on flights to Hawaii.

The article begins with:

With international travel restrictions still largely preventing Americans from leaving the country, many are looking for their next getaway a bit closer to home — and Hawaii naturally fits that bill. Despite some early hiccups, the Aloha State has reopened to visitors, albeit with some stringent testing and pre-registration requirements to keep COVID-19 under control across the islands.

And while reaching Hawaii from the U.S. mainland is relatively easy, the state’s location means that you’ll still need to spend at least five hours in the air. As a result, the food-and-beverage selections on these flights is critical to know if you’re planning a trip there.

Here’s everything you need to know about what the major U.S. airlines are offering onboard flights to Hawaii right now.

To read more, go here. 

Hawaii Visitor Arrivals Dropped 99.5% In April

Above, the Kona International Airport on the Big Island. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

The COVID-19 pandemic has taken a major toll on Hawaii travel.

The figures are now out on how many visitor arrivals to Hawaii there were in April. They are not good.

According to the Honolulu Star-Advertiser:

Only 4,564 visitors traveled to Hawaii last month, according to preliminary statistics released today by the Hawaii Tourism Authority. 

That’s a 99.5% drop compared to a year ago when 856,250 visitors came by air and cruise ship. HTA did not provide a spending estimate for this April’s visitors, but it would have been minuscule compared to the $1.3 billion that visitors to Hawaii spent in April 2019. 

The decline was due to COVID-19 fears and tourism lockdowns.

To read more, go here. 

Hawaii Travel: Check With Your Airline

Above, one of the gates at Ellison Onizuka Kona International Airport. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Officials in Hawaii are warning passengers to check with their airlines before heading to the airport to fly to Hawaii due to Hurricane Lane.

According to the Washington Post:

Hawaii’s 15 airports remain open, but officials are reminding travelers to check with their airlines about the status of their flights before heading to the airport. On the Big Island, which received more than 30 inches of rain, officials said there was no reported damage at either of the airports, Hilo and Ellison Onizuka Kona International. On Maui, Kahului Airport temporarily lost power but it was restored Thursday evening, officials said.

To read more, go here. 

Southwest Airlines Plans Service To 4 Hawaii Airports

Above, Ellison Onizuka Kona International Airport. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

As more airlines are beginning service to Hawaii, travelers will be seeing lower airfares as competition heats up.

Southwest Airlines expects to offer service to Hawaii later this year once all approvals are completed.

According to the National Post:

KAILUA-KONA, Hawaii — Southwest Airlines says it intends to offer flights to four Hawaii airports. 

West Hawaii Today reports the Dallas-based carrier announced this week that it plans to offer service to Ellison Onizuka Kona International Airport on the Big Island, Lihue Airport on Kauai, Kahului Airport on Maui and Daniel K. Inouye International Airport on Oahu.

To read more, go here. 

Cheap Flights To Hawaii This Winter

Above, sunset in Honolulu. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

If one would like to take a trip to Hawaii but think it is too expensive to fly there, think again.

Airlines are flying people to Hawaii for a lot less this winter.

Travel + Leisure reported:

Flights to Hawaii are once again available at a great price, so you can still book that winter getaway to a warm, sandy beach without breaking the bank. 

For example, round-trip fares to Honolulu for winter travel are starting at $337 from San Jose, $357 from Los Angeles and San Francisco, $442 from Denver, $480 from Dallas, $522 from Chicago, $568 from D.C., and $582 from New York City (and many other cities). The cheapest dates to fly are in January, February, and the beginning of March. 

Of course, there's more to Hawaii than Honolulu, and there are deals across the islands. According to Scott's Cheap Flights, fares to Kauai, Kona and Maui are starting in the $300s. From Denver, travelers can fly to Kona for $362 round-trip.

To read more, go here. 

Hawaii Tourist Spending Up 8.7% In May

Above, a hillside view of Honolulu with Diamond Head in the background. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

May tourist spending is up 8.7% over last year, according to the Hawaii Tourism Authority.

Travel Agent Central reported:

Visitor spending in Hawaii rose 8.7 percent year over year in May for a total of $1.3 billion, according to the latest statistics from the Hawaii Tourism Authority (HTA). 

Total visitor arrivals also rose 4.5 percent, fueled by growth in air arrivals (up 3.9%) and cruise arrivals (up 49.1%). 

Hawaii’s four largest visitor markets -- the western United States, eastern United States, Japan and Canada -- all reported year-over-year increases in visitor spending and arrivals for the third straight month in May. Spending from the western U.S. rose 9 percent, while spending from the eastern U.S. was up 16.4 percent. Visitor spending from Japan rose 9.7 percent, buoyed by the introduction of direct air service to Kona and increased air service to Honolulu, while the Canada market continued to rebound with an increase in visitor spending of 19.2 percent. Visitor spending from all other international markets combined declined in May by 3.9 percent due to a drop in visitor arrivals and lower daily spending.

To read more, go here. 

Japan Airlines Resuming Non-Stop Service To Kona International Airport

Above, one of the gates at Kona International Airport. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Japan Airlines is resuming non-stop air service to Ellison Onizuka Kona International Airport on the Big Island of Hawaii.

Pacific Business News reported:

Japan Airlines will resume nonstop flights between Tokyo and the Kona airport on Hawaii Island this fall after a seven-year absence, providing $84.2 million in annual visitor spending 

The daily flights between Tokyo’s Narita International Airport and the Ellison Onizuka Kona International Airport begin on Sept. 15, and will be operated with Boeing 767-300ER aircraft.

To read more, go here.

Hawaiian Airlines To Begin Tokyo To Kailua-Kona Service

Above, the baggage area of Kona International Airport. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

No sooner than we departed the Big Island of Hawaii to return home, news was released that Hawaiian Airlines will be offering service between Kona International Airport at Kailua-Kona to Tokyo.

Japan Today reported:

HONOLULU —Hawaiian Airlines on Friday secured the right to begin flying nonstop between Tokyo and Kailua-Kona, bringing a regularly scheduled direct flight from Japan to the Big Island for the first time since 2010. 

The U.S. Department of Transportation said it awarded a new nighttime slot at Tokyo’s Haneda International Airport to Hawaiian Airlines. 

Hawaiian plans to use it to fly to Kona three times a week and to Honolulu the other four times. The airline already flies between Haneda and Honolulu. 

Hawaiian Airlines spokesman Alex Da Silva said the company anticipates beginning service between late October and late January.

Above, one of the gates at Kailua-Kona. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

The Kona International Airport looks much different than today's mega-terminal airports. It consists of bungalows and the baggage area is open air.

To read more, go here.