Flying Interisland

[marc_saenen]

I live in Molokai and have to get to Maui this afternoon. I checked Island Air-website : $165.10 for a one way ticket. Is this a joke or what ?

Next. I called Interisland Airways. I got a round trip ticket for $100. (one way = $60).
Shame on you, Island Air !

[Miulang]

I live in Molokai and have to get to Maui this afternoon. I checked Island Air-website : $165.10 for a one way ticket. Is this a joke or what ?

Next. I called Interisland Airways. I got a round trip ticket for $100. (one way = $60).
Shame on you, Island Air !

Eh Marc, anybody who is local and who chooses to fly Island Air is NUTS! Most locals who have to fly from MKK to OGG would probably use one of the charter flights because it's way cheaper. I was a tourist who flew to MKK from OGG and of course I chose to fly Island Air, but the planes were only half full coming and going and the Moloka'i Princess was full, as were most of the charter flights. I think Island Air caters to the tourists who don't know any better, which is why their fares are so ridiculous!

Miulang

[Kalihiboy]

I flew one of the last Hawaiian flights R/T to Lanai from Honolulu and I think it was $178 total. Going there is easy as it was a direct flight to Lanai. However, coming back we had to land in Molokai, then Maui and finally Honolulu. At least I could brag I was on 4 islands in one day.

I flew from Honolulu to the West Maui Airport in Kapalua (no hassles there whatsoever with security) and came home via Kahalui, bought them via Oahu Travel and they cost about the same.

OGG security lines were ridiculous last week, it took us 90 minutes to get through all the lines and guess what we missed our plane, we had to then wait for 3 hours on a stand-by flight before we finally made it home. Granted I might miss the IHOP and Krispy Kremes near OGG but that West Maui Airport is awesome and I really like flying there.

You HAVE to fly Island Air if you want to fly to the West Maui Airport, which is very convenient and close to Lahaina if that is where you are staying and you dont even need to rent a car if your staying in Lahaina then. A taxi ride to most hotels from West Maui Airport is about $10-15 tops. Whereas, if you fly to OGG, then you have to rent a car or get a shuttle for the 25 miles or so to Lahaina.

You can book flights on Island Air on either Hawaiian or Aloha's websites now I believe.

KalihiBoy

[oggboy]

eh, kala ma`i .... dis my 1 time on dis space so go easy.....
but any way I remember wen da aloha 737 use to fly in to Molokai
back in da 70`s. I wen take one flight from HNL to MAUI but had one stop
on Molokai. Braddah fo see how dat bird wen huki into the Hoolehua airport
wuz unreaaaalllllll..... The airport stay in one mountain area wet plenty good
size wind. But wen da big bird wen touch down. Talk about hold on to your
OKOLE....
So okay we drop off and reload whatevas... time fo we go......
The bird go all the way to almost I think the plane goin fall off on cliff
den do one 360...turn b-4 we wen do one full choke burn rubba...
But some good fun wuz dem days...
OH WELL DOSE WUZ DEM DAYS........

[Miulang]

eh, kala ma`i .... dis my 1 time on dis space so go easy.....
but any way I remember wen da aloha 737 use to fly in to Molokai
back in da 70`s. I wen take one flight from HNL to MAUI but had one stop
on Molokai. Braddah fo see how dat bird wen huki into the Hoolehua airport
wuz unreaaaalllllll..... The airport stay in one mountain area wet plenty good
size wind. But wen da big bird wen touch down. Talk about hold on to your
OKOLE....
So okay we drop off and reload whatevas... time fo we go......
The bird go all the way to almost I think the plane goin fall off on cliff
den do one 360...turn b-4 we wen do one full choke burn rubba...
But some good fun wuz dem days...
OH WELL DOSE WUZ DEM DAYS........

Hui Kahului Boy! No be scaid. Nobody going bite your head off. Not so scaid now land Hoolehua because oni small kine prop jets fly ova dere. Wen holoholo ova dere las year. K'kai one nani place. Neva even notice da mountains wen we wen go land. Nice place foa kick back, though.

Miulang

[mel]

The longest runway at Molokai's airport is just short of 4,500 feet. So yes, when a Boeing 737 or 717 landed there, the moment the wheels touch the pavement, the pilot has to throw the engines into reverse thrust. This is done to rapidly slow the plane down before they run out of space at the other end. I think a fully loaded jet could never land nor takeoff from the islands' shorter runways... so they would fly not at full capacity. Because of that and other factors, the 2 major airlines, Hawaiian and Aloha have discontinued flights to both Molokai and Lanai. Hawaiian last flew to Molokai in August 2004.

Long ago Hawaiian Airlines used to fly their DC9 jets into Waimea-Kohala airport on the Big Island. The runway there is only 5,100 feet long. A landing in Waimea was the same as it was on Molokai. Jet reversed thrust all the way to the end.

Today Island Air is the major island hopper to Hawaii's smaller airports. Several other smaller air taxi and charter airlines fly to these small airports too. Most notable is Pacific Wings. All of these little airlines fly prop planes into these airports. Prop planes can handle the smaller runways better than the jets.

New airline Fly Hawaii will use turboprop planes.. the ATR 72.

Links:

http://www.hawaiianair.com
http://www.alohaair.com
http://www.islandair.com
http://www.pacificwings.com
http://www.flyhawaii.com

[oggboy]

Eh Muilang,
Thanx 4 Da Comment, Now I Stay Good No Moa Sked.. I Get Ohana Live Mkk.
Jus Wen Like Let You Ohana Out Dea No. Last Time I Wen Fly In To Mkk Wuz
On Da Aloha Island Air Dash-6... Now Days Mo Betta Take The Ferry Cause
To Much Kala The Airlines Stay Like.... Anyway Wey Back Wen... We Use To Fly From Ogg To Hnl Along The North Coast Of Mkk. On Hal Wuz On Da Convairs, On Aloha Wuz On The F-27s, I Neva Get To Fly Da Viscounts...
Any Ways B-4 The Jet-props Use To Take These Routes To Hnl, Just As The Smaller Prop Planes Going To Mkk Do Now. Along Came The Jet Age And That Was It For Flightseeing.....
Now Days No Blink Your Maka Or You Wen Miss.......aaaalllloooohhhhaaaaa

[Miulang]

Eh Muilang,
Thanx 4 Da Comment, Now I Stay Good No Moa Sked.. I Get Ohana Live Mkk.
Jus Wen Like Let You Ohana Out Dea No. Last Time I Wen Fly In To Mkk Wuz
On Da Aloha Island Air Dash-6... Now Days Mo Betta Take The Ferry Cause
To Much Kala The Airlines Stay Like.... Anyway Wey Back Wen... We Use To Fly From Ogg To Hnl Along The North Coast Of Mkk. On Hal Wuz On Da Convairs, On Aloha Wuz On The F-27s, I Neva Get To Fly Da Viscounts...
Any Ways B-4 The Jet-props Use To Take These Routes To Hnl, Just As The Smaller Prop Planes Going To Mkk Do Now. Along Came The Jet Age And That Was It For Flightseeing.....
Now Days No Blink Your Maka Or You Wen Miss.......aaaalllloooohhhhaaaaa

Hala e! Good fun was watching da peeps getting off/on da Moloka'i Princess at K'kai one time. Ho da beeeg kine boxes and coolers lidat dey wen go carry on board, yeah? Next time we go holoholo K'kai (I usually stay go Maui), maybe I go take da Moloka'i Princess, too. I bet good fun when da boat go cross da channel, yeah? All kine rocka rocka foa shuah going get seasick!

Das true about da flying next to da cliffs wen go Hoolehua, though. Man, Halawa side, ho da big da mountains and da cliffs stay look! Look jess like Jurassic Park (and almost scary lidat to get to Halawa side on dat kapakahi manini kine road coming from K'kai).

Miulang

[oggboy]

Yeah mo betta next time chance-um on da ferry. Small kine rocka rocka wen u enter the mkk channel. But yeah only funny 4 watch da kin stuffs come off. I mean talk about wen buy ou K-MART, WAL-MART AND COSTCO.. some good yeah.... Oh but the ohana`s ova dea, day get`um.... sssssoooooo much ALOHA!!!!!!!! AND DAT WHAT ITS ALL ABOUT....
BUT fo real miss that secenic view of HALAWA side going island hopping during hana budda days..... oggboy

[Miulang]

Yeah mo betta next time chance-um on da ferry. Small kine rocka rocka wen u enter the mkk channel. But yeah only funny 4 watch da kin stuffs come off. I mean talk about wen buy ou K-MART, WAL-MART AND COSTCO.. some good yeah.... Oh but the ohana`s ova dea, day get`um.... sssssoooooo much ALOHA!!!!!!!! AND DAT WHAT ITS ALL ABOUT....
BUT fo real miss that secenic view of HALAWA side going island hopping during hana budda days..... oggboy

Eh, das why dey go call Moloka'i da "Friendly Island", yeah? Da peeps so "real" not dakine shibai kine friendly. Wen see da Purdy MacFarm and da buggah was selling one bumpa sticka someting go like "Come visit friendly Moloka'i, spend your money and leave". Hahahaha! Too bad too many high mucka mucka kine peeps wit da kala buying up everyting and trying foa change da 'aina. You know if da ahupua'a dat has Ili'iliopae heiau still stay foa sale or wat? Das da one McAfee was going buy but wen change his mind...

Miulang

[oggboy]

I not sure if stay 4 sale. What I read in the pepa was, the bugga wen change his mind about buying the place.... As why hard wen dis guys come ova and like make pilikia with the people and the aina....
Like the term goes.....KEEP HAWAII GREEN BUT NO FOGET TO GO HOME
OGGBOY

[mel]

Fare War Reduces Prices for Interisland Travel

Not since the days of flight coupons have interisland air fares been this low, and consumers are benefiting from a fare war that has pushed round-trip prices below $90.

The catch is that the fares are only good on the first early-morning flight from Honolulu and the last evening flight back from the neighbor islands.

Still, the response has been "extremely good," said Hawaiian Airlines spokesman Patrick Dugan.

Aloha Airlines spokesman Stu Glauberman said, "The 39.50 fares have proven very popular. People are willing to get up early or stay out late on neighbor islands."

"If it's cheap like this, I'm coming every other weekend," said Maui resident Thomas Takeshita, 28, whose girlfriend is finishing school on Oahu in May.

Aloha Airlines had initially offered free return trips on interisland travel to AlohaPass members flying on the first flights out of Honolulu to Kona, Hilo, Kahului or Lihue and last flights in to Honolulu from those locations.

Glauberman explained Aloha was trying to stimulate the early and late flights, which are not as popular.

Hawaiian Airlines swung back with a $38.25 fare in a full-page ad. The Hawaiian deal gave customers the option of using the discount for one leg of a trip. But the Hawaiian rate does not include a $2.50 security fee, bringing the total to $40.75.

Read entire article at link posted above.

So is anyone taking advantage of these lower fares?

Hopefully with more competition in the marketplace by next year, we can see further reduction in fares between the neighbor islands.

[aloha-anon]

Yeah the Molokai landing by a big jet can be the highlight of your Molokai stay. Oh then there's the take offs!

the 717 is a big jet? If you like Molokai you'll love Lanai! Both our local jet operators go in there on a charter basis. Maybe you'll get lucky one day.

[mel]

Here are a few pics that I shot today as I flew out of HNL and to ITO on HA.


World famous Diamond Head crater from up high.


East Oahu view and Hanauma Bay.


Interisland Airways charter plane parked at Hilo Airport.

Photos are taken from my album at Flickr.com

[mel]

With the demise of Aloha Airlines passenger business, everyone can safely say that the fare war started by Go! airlines 2 years ago is long over.

Today for the 3rd time this year, Hawaiian Airlines increased their interisland airfares. Go's airfare is at $59 for the cheapest seat. Hawaiian will go toe $64 soon. Those cheap seats are hard to find as most range from $64 to $94 each way.

We are back to 2004 again folks, which is why I am bumping this thread.

So what are you doing (if anything) about interisland travel? I know for sure I will be flying less. It's cheaper to stay home these days and not even drive for leisure purposes since gas prices are high everywhere.

From today's Honolulu Star-Bulletin:

Hawaiian Air lifts fares as fuel costs fly higher

Hawaiian Airlines, citing higher fuel costs, said yesterday it will boost its lowest one-way fare for interisland flights by $10 and raise its fuel surcharge for mainland travel by $35 each way.

Both increases, which take effect Tuesday, mean that Hawaiian's lowest interisland fare will increase to $64, while mainland-Hawaii travelers will see the one-way fuel surcharge go to $100 from $65. For most of Hawaiian's non-U.S. routes, the fuel-surcharge increase will range from $35 to $55 each way.

Go's lowest advertised price yesterday was $59.

[joshuatree]

No surprise given that oil hit $135 a barrel. Anyone think airships for interisland will work?

[helen]

I suspect not. I think ships would be more practical to travel between the islands than airships.

[joshuatree]

But they go faster than the superferry and won't hit whales.

[Amati]

We are back to 2004 again folks, which is why I am bumping this thread...

...So what are you doing (if anything) about interisland travel?

Probably what we did back in 2004 regarding family trips. It was just about as cheap to travel to the mainland as interisland, so we would forgo interisland travel and save up for a mainland family vacation.

When the interisland airfares were down to $9 and $18/19, it spelled doom. There was no way the airlines could afford to fly at those fares. Now, we are going to suffer for it. (Well, we won't be suffering on an Aloha Airlines flight, will we? )

[acousticlady]

So what are you doing (if anything) about interisland travel? I know for sure I will be flying less. It's cheaper to stay home these days and not even drive for leisure purposes since gas prices are high everywhere.

We have to go to Oahu in August. We're going to try the ferry.

[mel]

Superferry prices each way will be $49 per person and $65 per standard size vehicle. The $49 is cheaper than the cheapest published air fare of $54, $59 or $64. And the chances of finding one of those seats on any local airline is slim. Most seats are selling for more than $64.

With the Superferry, people going to and from Maui currently have the best interisland deal. It still remains that Superferry will eventually tack on a fuel surcharge to all of their ticket prices sometime later this year.

[oceanpacific]

I just booked my flights to Kona in mid-July: $94 over, $64 return + taxes for a total tariff of $176.00. OUCH! No more $39 one-way fares, much less the $29, $19, and even $9 fares (got that once for a round trip of $18 + taxes).

Looks like I have to combine the reasons for traveling and stay on the neighbor islands 4-5 days once instead of 2-3 days twice. I'm awaiting HSF's start of Honolulu-Kawaihae service in 2009. $200 RT may also allow me to take my car. Kawaihae is a great drop-off point for me to go either to Kona or Hilo.

[mel]

Bumped!

Seems like inter-island flying is in for some changes in the coming months as Hawaiian Airlines and Island Air start flying ATR prop-jet aircraft.

Larry Ellison Buys Island Air

The much rumored sale became official today. Island Air will be upgrading its fleet from Dash 8's to larger ATR 42 and ATR 72 prop-jet aircraft. Their first ATR 72 will go into service this week after getting FAA approval.

And of course Hawaiian Airlines is getting back into the prop-jet arena with the leasing of 2 ATR-42s for the launch of their new airline subsidiary Ohana By Hawaiian. More information. | HNL Rare Birds blog

Both airlines with their ATR aircraft will probably increase and compete actively for service to and from Lanai and Molokai. Also in the mix is Mokulele Airlines with their smaller Cessna 208 Grand Caravan... as well as Pacific Wings who also fly Cessna 208 Grand Caravans.

The big question is with added competition what will the fares be like? Island Air says there won't be ridiculously low pricing.

In the overall scheme of inter-island air flying, Hawaiian Airlines is still the big boy on the block, flying their Boeing 717 jets to the major island airports (Lihue, Honolulu, Kahului, Kona, Hilo) charging any price they want to since Mesa's Go! doesn't seem to be much of a factor in the marketplace these days.

[lensperson]

The acquiring of the airline company indicates some
feeling for the dwellers on that noble Isle.

With that kind of capital the owner of the isle should supply daily free flights to
Honolulu and Hilo.

The experience of seeing the islands from small jet planes is always cool.

[lensperson]

Oops, I should add that the free flights should only be for citizens of Lanai.

This level of service can easily be brought to bear and probably will be soon.

The creative brains that crafted the internet will hopefully adopt these
new flight plans.