Hawaii update
In Hawaii-related activity, Northwest Airlines has inked a major code-share deal with Hawaiian Airlines for interisland flights, a new discount airline is preparing to lift off, and a Honolulu firm is making it easier to putter about paradise.
Northwest travelers booking transpacific flights to Hawaii can now connect seamlessly to Kauai (LIH), Maui (OGG), or the Big Island. Ticketing is hassle-free; so is luggage handling.
To sweeten the deal, Northwest WorldPerks frequent flier members earn 500 miles for every interisland flight on Hawaiian, and actual miles for Hawaiian’s service from Honolulu (HNL) to Sydney (SYD), Pago Pago (PPG), or Papeete (PPT).
Hawaiian is about to take on more interisland competition. While Aloha Airlines already competes on interisland routes, another carrier is about to take wing. Discount airline go! plans to launch interisland service June 9 with one-way fares starting at $39.
Go! is run by Mesa Air Group, a major regional airline operator. Mesa Chairman and CEO Jonathan Orenstein explained the initiative: “We think people want a reliable, quick, no-hassle way to get from point to point across the state.”
It will be interesting to see whether three airlines can make a go of it. Past attempts by a third carrier to crack the Hawaiian Airlines/Aloha Airlines duopoly have failed.
However you get to the Islands, if Honolulu is your destination, there’s an easy way to get about Waikiki. Segway of Hawaii has set up shop in Tapa Tower of the famed Hilton Hawaiian Village. Operated by Alan W. Rice, a well-connected travel and media entrepreneur, Segway of Hawaii offers everything from hour-long Waikiki Glide Rides to sales and servicing of the personal transportation devices.
Segways are quiet, environmentally friendly, and a great way for senior citizens, or folks with disabilities, to get around. These machines aren’t, of course, designed for the road. The upright, self-balancing personal transports blend in nicely with pedestrian traffic. You move as the same pace as people around you.
© Cheapflights Ltd Jerry Chandler