Missed flight equals useless ticket

[SouthKona]

Aloha Airlines told me that they have a new policy that effects full fare paying passengers. If you miss your flight without "contacting them first", your ticket will be valueless. It will not be honored an any other flight (even for a fee), and will not be refunded. Sounds to me like the penalty that you'd expect when traveling on a cut-rate charter (miss the flight, out of luck), but I was very surprised to learn the Aloha is using this rip-off on full fair paying passengers. Guess if you are going to fly on Aloha, you'd best be sure to be a cel phone subscriber, per chance on the way to the airport you get stuck in traffic from an accident .... they explained it is the passengers responsiblity to call them no matter what the excuse. Anyone else heard about this?

[helen]

Re: Missed flight equals useless ticket

Last time I flew was in November 2003 (with Aloha no less). I got to the airport before the flight left but after the so called 1/2 hour before the flight leaves and even though I paid my fare in advanced, they sold my seat to someone else and I got bumped as a stand by. I had to wait for the next flight, luckly that had space and I was able to get to where I was going.

[Miulang]

Re: Missed flight equals useless ticket

Hmmm...sounds like subtle discrimination against locals to me. I doubt they can enforce that with mainland touristas like me who are at the mercy of connecting flights. Lots of times I've arrived in HNL "on time", which means there's usually a 2-hour window between the mainland and the interisland flight. I've been able to fly standby on an earlier flight with no problems (Of course, there's the hassle of having to wait at the other end for your bags which come on the flight you were supposed to be on, unless you only had hand carries). But then again, I always fly Hawaiian. If Aloha gets away with that tactic, no doubt Hawaiian will follow suit. Maybe one reason they imposed that rule is because of the mainland touristas and the "tradition" of always being able to fly standby if the interisland flight you were ticketed on wasn't convenient for you. Nonetheless, I do think it sucks when you have bought a ticket and followed their rules and you're still denied boarding and you're not compensated in some manner. You could write a letter of protest to the FAA or the FTC or Aloha Air, I suppose, but I don't know how far that would get you unless there was a concerted effort by a lot of people to start a letter writing campaign to complain.

Since I do travel 3-4 times a year, I've made it a habit to get to the airport at least 2 hours in advance (even for local interisland flights). That way, they have no excuse to bump me and if there are long lines at security (notorious at OGG), or a traffic accident that ties up traffic, I'd rather arrive too early at the airport than too late to miss a flight.

Miulang

[SouthKona]

Re: Missed flight equals useless ticket

yeah, well gone also are the days of just catching an earlier flight, unless you are willing to pay a fee (usually $25). i was early for a flight, and there was another flight leaving for the same destination right then, but i was not allowed to board the earlier flight unless i was willing to pop for the $25. both aloha & hawaiian are playing that game now. it gets more and more expensive to fly interisland, you can just about go to the mainland for the cost of an interisland flight (off season, that is).

[craigwatanabe]

Re: Missed flight equals useless ticket

Yep...can't wait for the Super Ferry...that seems to be the mantra from a lot of us from the neighbor islands.

I used to be a staunch Aloha Airlines customer until they dropped their Executive Club for non frequent flyers. I used to buy into the program but you can't do that anymore. Hawaiian offers their Premiere Club (similar program to Aloha's) and you can buy into it if you don't meet their frequent flyer qualifications.

So now I fly Hawaiian exclusively unless I absolutely need to be on a neighbor island at a certain time and Hawaiian cannot accomodate me. And yes I have a Hawaiian Airlines mileage credit card. As for Aloha airlines...there's no Aloha in their name at all and to think I've flown Aloha almost exclusively for over 40-years.

[SouthKona]

Re: Missed flight equals useless ticket

I was a SuperFerry fan, too, until I read that the weekend prices were not going to be inexpensive, that the cheap fares that are being promoted (ie advertised) are based upon weekday travel. that would mean the average working person who only gets weekends off will not be able to get the cheap fare. SuperFerry is promoting themselves as an affordable alternative for interisland travel, it will be interesting to see what the weekend fares are! and, be sure to bring your flashlight if you plan to come to Kawaihae, they've talked about it being a night time arrival and it's mighty dark in Kawaihae!

[Miulang]

Re: Missed flight equals useless ticket

I was a SuperFerry fan, too, until I read that the weekend prices were not going to be inexpensive, that the cheap fares that are being promoted (ie advertised) are based upon weekday travel. that would mean the average working person who only gets weekends off will not be able to get the cheap fare. SuperFerry is promoting themselves as an affordable alternative for interisland travel, it will be interesting to see what the weekend fares are! and, be sure to bring your flashlight if you plan to come to Kawaihae, they've talked about it being a night time arrival and it's mighty dark in Kawaihae!

Well, there's always a canoe if you have the time...if it was good enough for Kamehameha, then I guess it's good enough for those of us who can't afford to fly! Don't they have charter flights flying out of Kona? Aren't those substantially cheaper than Aloha and HAL? I think it's a crime that Aloha and HAL are treating the locals like crap at the expense of keeping their Mainland customers happy. The airlines are forgetting the whole reason they were created in the first place...to serve the citizens of Hawai'i.

Miulang

[craigwatanabe]

Re: Missed flight equals useless ticket

Okay here comes one of Craig's non-PC jokes...

What's the difference between a Canoe and a Canadian?

Canoes tip!