Hawaii's Interisland Air War - Chapter 3

[mel]

I stand corrected. You get a $10 discount for holding a HawaiianMiles card and booking a trip from the Mainland to Hawaii.....

While this topic has drifted, the central theme of this thread is "Hawaii's Interisland Air War," not the competition local airlines face on mainland and overseas route. So naturally when anyone mentions another discount, I am thinking "interisland" because this is where the "war" is taking place.

The air war was top of the news on Channel 2 KHON tonight. It's at a point where the Hawaii Tourism Authority is concerned about the long term effects of the battle:

“Unprofitable airlines will cut back on service or ultimately could go out of business, which ultimately would not be good for the service of this state,” says Frank Haas, the Vice President of Marketing for Hawaii’s Tourism Authority....

Still the flying public loves the low prices afforded by the competition. They interviewed one lady who brought her children with her from Kauai to HNL for the price on what it cost her to fly alone last year.

And while the air fare war may not benefit the "local" airlines in the long run, the public definitely benefits as there are all kinds of price options to choose from in the current climate.

The report ended on a note that prices may rise next year.

So as I have said several times in these threads, "enjoy the ride" because we can never tell when prices shoot up to $100 each way between Lihue - HNL -Kahului - Kona - Hilo....

[joshuatree]

Re: Hawaiian outsourcing some jobs

So as I have said several times in these threads, "enjoy the ride" because we can never tell when prices shoot up to $100 each way between Lihue - HNL -Kahului - Kona - Hilo....

If the airfare ever goes back to the "old" days, you will see history repeat itself. The number of people flying interisland will contract again, maybe even more this time because we will supposedly see the Superferry in the near future so that should shrink the size of the interisland pie regardless. Then the local airlines will lose money until the next bankruptcy.

[mel]

Re: Hawaii's Interisland Air War - Chapter 2

Aloha Airlines is reporting a 3rd Quarter loss of $10 million.

Details at this link.

Aloha Airlines lost nearly $10 million in the third quarter -- more than four times its loss from a year earlier -- as an interisland fare war helped drag down revenue 13 percent.

The new financial loss piles on top of the $20.3 million Aloha lost in the first quarter of this year and the $2.8 million it lost in the second quarter.

On another note Island Air will fly a commuter route in California.

[Miulang]

Re: Hawaii's Interisland Air War - Chapter 2

According to a story in the Puget Sound Business Journal, Horizon Air (the sister carrier to Alaska Air) will also be flying into Long Beach, possibly in competition with Island Air. Island Air and BAG were awarded 17 slots while Horizon got 3 of the 20 slots that the FAA opened up in that market. I guess Long Beach is a desirable market because of its proximity to LAX.

Miulang

[joshuatree]

Re: Hawaii's Interisland Air War - Chapter 2

According to a story in the Puget Sound Business Journal, Horizon Air (the sister carrier to Alaska Air) will also be flying into Long Beach, possibly in competition with Island Air. Island Air and BAG were awarded 17 slots while Horizon got 3 of the 20 slots that the FAA opened up in that market. I guess Long Beach is a desirable market because of its proximity to LAX.

Miulang

Long Beach is a good relief airport to the Southern LA region since LAX is always clogged. It also has the right sized runways too because it served the production of 717s, now only the C17s.

[pzarquon]

Re: HNL - Honolulu International Airport

You know, Hawaiian Airlines has been crowing about its national ranking as the best "on-time" airline for so long (three years), it was starting to get monotonous. So it was unexpected, for me at least, to find that Aloha Airlines dethroned its longtime rival, at least for November. They also reportedly had the fewest complaints and lowest volume of misplaced luggage.

There must be something about the constant, short-haul flights that interisland airlines make to give them such a statistical edge in these national surveys. Still, number one is number one, and even as a flyer who prefers Hawaiian, I gotta give Aloha some props.

By the by, the family and I flew "go!" over the New Year's holiday weekend. No frills, to be sure, but efficient, fast, and reasonably friendly. With price matching, I doubt I'd use 'em again, but if they happen to have ridiculous low fares compared to Aloha and Hawaiian for a particular trip, I'd consider it.

[GeckoGeek]

Re: Hawaii's Interisland Air War - Chapter 2

I take the "on-time" thing with a grain of salt. I'm not sure what the exact rules are, but I think there's ways they can re-schedule so it arrives "on-time". Even if it isn't the time that the printed booklets say is the right time for it. If it takes off late, it's got a "new time".

[aloha-anon]

Re: Hawaii's Interisland Air War - Chapter 2

I take the "on-time" thing with a grain of salt. I'm not sure what the exact rules are, but I think there's ways they can re-schedule so it arrives "on-time". Even if it isn't the time that the printed booklets say is the right time for it. If it takes off late, it's got a "new time".

go! Airline are the experts on this!

[GeckoGeek]

Re: Hawaii's Interisland Air War - Chapter 2

go! Airline are the experts on this!

So how cum they not on top of the ratings?

[aloha-anon]

Re: Hawaii's Interisland Air War - Chapter 2

So how cum they not on top of the ratings?

oh padawan you have no idea what is going on over there.

If I posted what I know NOBODY would believe me it is incredulous.

[Miulang]

Re: Hawaii's Interisland Air War - Chapter 2

Little Pacific Wings is launching PW Express beginning Feb. 1, and will offer seats on regularly scheduled flights between Honolulu, Maui, Lanai, and Moloka'i for $29, all seats, all times.

Considering what it costs to fly Island Air to Lanai and Moloka'i (albeit in larger planes), more residents of Lanai and Moloka'i will be able to take advantage of the cheaper fares that people on the larger islands enjoy during the interisland airfare wars. Like SWA, you can only purchase tickets on PW Express via their website or on the phone.

Miulang

[Miulang]

Re: Hawaii's Interisland Air War - Chapter 2

Little Pacific Wings is launching PW Express beginning Feb. 1, and will offer seats on regularly scheduled flights between Honolulu, Maui, Lanai, and Moloka'i for $29, all seats, all times.

Considering what it costs to fly Island Air to Lanai and Moloka'i (albeit in larger planes), more residents of Lanai and Moloka'i will be able to take advantage of the cheaper fares that people on the larger islands enjoy during the interisland airfare wars. Like SWA, you can only purchase tickets on PW Express via their website or on the phone.

Miulang

Island Air has decided to match PW Express' cut rate fares to Lanai and Moloka'i (sorta). They will now have fares that are $32 OW for 9 of the 37 seats on their prop planes, to match the $29 OW fares of the 9-seat PW Express planes. That's kind of an interesting strategy for Island Air, but it's a good opportunity for people who live on Oahu and Maui to go holoholo on Lanai and Molokai and ride in a larger plane.

Miulang

[joshuatree]

Re: Hawaii's Interisland Air War - Chapter 2

Island Air has decided to match PW Express' cut rate fares to Lanai and Moloka'i (sorta). They will now have fares that are $32 OW for 9 of the 37 seats on their prop planes, to match the $29 OW fares of the 9-seat PW Express planes. That's kind of an interesting strategy for Island Air, but it's a good opportunity for people who live on Oahu and Maui to go holoholo on Lanai and Molokai and ride in a larger plane.

Miulang

Where is go! Express in all of this?

[Miulang]

Re: Hawaii's Interisland Air War - Chapter 2

Where is go! Express in all of this?

I think go!Express (aka Mokulele Air) is being held up in court because go! announced the name of the company prematurely.

Miulang

[joshuatree]

Re: Hawaii's Interisland Air War - Chapter 2

I think go!Express (aka Mokulele Air) is being held up in court because go! announced the name of the company prematurely.

Miulang

Wow, I wonder how they get by then if they are shut down for now?