jenny19

Just wondering which inter-island carriers you recommend? So far I've seen good rates with both Aloha Air and Go. Is one carrier more reputable than the other? Thanks!

Linleedo1

We used Aloha. It was crazy. They don't seem to care what time you have on your ticket. It was like a mass of people at rush hour catching a plane(instead of a bus). The airline people suggested taking the earlier plane than our scheduled time(everyone does it!) It wasn't nice of them putting people on that weren't supposed to be on there(when the whole family arrived that was really scheduled) & couldn' t fly together. They had also sent our luggage on the early flight, while we waited for our scheduled time. It was just sitting on the airport floor when we arrived. Really weird.Realize that as people line the aisle seats at the airport waiting for the plane, other ignorant people will barge right down the aisle & jump onto the plane. We never saw anything like it.

Jolie

I think Go! has the smallest planes of all the carriers (but I haven't actually flown with them yet),and Hawaiian has the largest.

Go is the newest airline that has the older airlines grumbling about unfair competition (Go was involved in Aloha's bankruptcy restructuring and Aloha claims they are now using inside information against it, or something like that). Go offers fares that mean a loss to the airlines, but the others have to match the fares or fly empty. Which brings me to point #2: If you research more, you can probably find similar fares on all the airlines - they tend to match each others' specials.

Hawaiian has reserved seating so you probably won't see as much cutting in line or taking earlier/later flights. Aloha still has open seating so you can take an earlier flight, as long as there are unsold seats. Also, people will tend to line up before the boarding is announced. One line is for the first class, frequent fliers, business or government specials, people who need assistance, etc., and the other line is for everybody else. I don't usually bother to line up because the flights are so short that I don't care where my seat is.

Also, if you are flying to, say, Molokai, you may get a prop airplane (I think we used Island Air), and have maybe 12 people on it total. On my last trip to Molokai my luggage was put on the next flight because our plane already met its weight limit (I hope they have a factor of safety built in for people who fudge on their weight).

So, it's all so variable. I don't really have a preference as to airline, and just pick the one with the best schedule.

MelissaHI

....or best schedule and price. I've flown all 4 airlines, with similar experiences, but as Jolie says, research more and find the best price from all 4. sign up for their emai promotions and you'll get the best scoops on that.

Aloha & Hawaiian have been around the longest. they offer free juice on the flight, which may or may not be important to you, but it's always a nice touch. Go! Airlines is bare-bones, no juice service unless you pay for it. However, every inter-island flight is what....20 to 40 minutes? The same endurance as a bus ride.

One thing that I liked when I flew Go! in January--it wasn't flying full yet so I could arrive at the HNL terminal about 15-30 minutes prior to the flight and had my choice of seating. I know they are promoting the heck out of their airline, though--they're partnering with Aloha Tower Marketplace!--and my friend told me that their flights are much fuller. (She flies standby on go! and now has to wait a couple of hours for a seat to open up.)

Rusty

Linleedo1, I don't understand your problem.

"It wasn't nice of them putting people on that weren't supposed to be on there"
Anyone has the right to change their flight if there is room on the flight !!

Your luggage "was just sitting on the airport floor when we arrived."
What is wierd about that? So you didn't have to wait for your luggage to come off the plane and you picked it up immediately. You didn't even have to look for it on a conveyor. I would say that is a big plus.


"The whole family couldn't fly together".
I assume they got on the same plane. There is no guarantee on ANY flight that a whole family can sit together.

"people line the aisle seats at the airport waiting for the plane"
Some people get up and stand in the line. They naturally get a better seat than those who choose to wait while sitting down.

"We never saw anything like it."
Is this your first time traveling?

Wherenow

GO! flies 50 passenger regional jets and are why you can now fly as cheap as you can between islands. Hawaiian flies B717s (newer version of the old DC9) and Aloha flies 737's - some that are old, very, very old and they're due for replacement. Generally speaking, the flights are always nearly full on the latter two and its essentially like riding a bus between islands.

GO!, which owed by Mesa, which flies their RJs for US AIrways, United, Delta, and others, isn't that reliable in the US, but is on a mission to shake things up in Hawaii and is running on-time and has fares as low aas $19 if you're lucky.

It's such a short flight, and the only real issues to take into consideration are whether you want a viable option at stand-by, or if your flight is cancelled, how long you'll be sitting around waiting for the next flight. GO! doesn't have the frequent fliights of the others.

Oh, and Aloha has always, always left our bags on the ramp at Kaui...no matter what time we've checked in. Thus, we've scratched Aloha from our list of carriers to fly... But, I've friends who won't touch Hawaiian either. And, RJ's are a little tight for those who're heavy or tall...

Ag3046

I have always had great flights with Aloha. Several times I have arrived early to get through security, and been allowed to board the earlier flight. My baggage has always made it. One flight from Maui to Hawaii went over Haleakala with clear weather and had a beautiful view. I, too, don't know what Linleedo1's problem is.