iamq

I'm hoping that Virgin America will start flying to Hawaii.

Barbara

I just priced tickets from San Diego to Honolulu on Hawaiian Air in September and it would be $560 each round trip. That's not much, if any, different than it ever was.

Traveling on the same dates from San Francisco would cost $500.


Using United, on the same dates (Dep. Sept. 8, return Sep 17), the round trip fare would be $588.90.

IMO, this is not a "sharp rise in fares" and by itself isn't enough to deter people from going to Hawaii on vacation. I think the decline in travel to the islands is the result of a combination of everything, the general economic climate, and it's really not fair to put the blame on the airlines and less competition.

GoTravel

Barbara, try pricing them from the east coast and multiply that times two or four.

You'll see this start to really hurt the Hawaiian economy.

Fodorite018

We went to Hawaii in March over spring break this year. Our tickets were $406 apiece for our family of 4. While we were there, we booked our hotel for next years spring break. Well, airline prices have risen so much that we just cancelled yesterday. I have been watching fares for months and have not found anything under $851 per ticket for our dates, even being flexibile within that week. This is from Portland, OR. So yes, unforuntately airfares were the determining factor and we just couldn't justify spending that much.

Tried for FF tickets, and they wanted 75k per ticket. Nope, won't do that from here either.

So ended up getting FF tickets to Paris instead for in the summer. Much cheaper all around.

Barbara

GoT, it's always been more expensive from the east coast, and surprisingly, it's now more expensive to get to the east coast, or the Caribbean, from the west coast.

But, the thread title relates to the Bay Area and California visitors, so that is what I addressed.

I think the mortgage debacle has more to do with there being fewer visitors to Hawaii than air fares.

GoTravel

Dukey had asked about East coast visitors.

Yes, the caribbean is up for us to but not like Hawaii has risen. It is almost double for what I've found.

dmlove

I think the mortgage debacle has more to do with there being fewer visitors to Hawaii than air fares.

Maybe if they'd stayed home instead of going to Hawaii, they could have paid their mortgage

Barbara

No, I know several people who took equity out to pay for trips, cars, etc. Now that it's harder to do that and the value of homes has dropped a lot, it doesn't happen so much.

iamq

Because of my job I usually can only travel during school holiday periods and that has always been more expensive, but I've haven't seen it this bad. SFO to OGG nonstop on United over the Easter break now runs around $1200. Last year this flight in the $800 range.

JohnD

Hotels react to decrease in tourism:
http://starbulletin.com/2008/08/06/b...s/story01.html

OO

People are traveling less because airfares are so high and the economy is shaky. With fewer people in the hotel you sure as heck better not have the same staff levels as when you were running high occupancy. Oh...you were suggesting they cut their rates because airlines have raised theirs to sort of balance things out? That may come, but it doesn't come first. This is step # 1...you don't operate a half full hotel with full staff.

iceeu2

I have been watching airfare from Atlanta to Honolulu and also from Atlanta to Lihue....Right now the fares are

ATL-HNL - $680
ATL-LIH - $720

These are both Delta flights. You can usually get the same rate from Newark to Honolulu that you can from Atlanta.

iamq

At those rates it would be cheaper for me to fly to Altanta and then to Hawaii! If I did that, would you and the real icee come see me in Hotlanta? What time of year are those rates quoted iceehoney?

iceeu2

Billyboy, just playing around, I found United Flights leaving ATL on Friday, June 12 and returning from HNL on June 29th. These connect thru Chicago, so you could see us, then you could also see Makai1! Priced out with all taxes to $719.90. The other airlines have latest travel dates of November 19th(the day the real icee got so lucky to marry moi)!

iamq

Wow. I could see you both coming and going!

The lowest fare from SFO to Lih on those dates is a one stop on Alaska at $956. The United non-stop is $1010. Any cheap fares to Atlanta? Then I could do:
SFO-ATL-ORD-HNL-LIH-HNL-ORD-ATL-SFO.
Wouldn't that be fun!

I understand it was a "shotgun" wedding?

iceeu2

...Yes, we did "have" to get married! Time was running out as I had already sent out invitations to a post wedding party! The party was on Saturday night and we got married on Thursday!

Jack

One suggestion is to fly out of the bay area on Tuesdays. It is generally cheaper. I recently bought tickets to go over for Thanksgiving. By flying over and returning on Tuesdays, the fare was $850. If we flew any other day, the fare was over $1,000.

JBHapgood

I thought about going to Kauai in September or October. Then I checked out some airfares-- over $1000 from Los Angeles. So I'm doing a "staycation" instead. Fortunately some of the beaches here are nearly as nice as those in Hawaii, even though the water's a lot colder and the fragrant ocean breezes are perfumed with oxides of nitrogen and ozone instead of hibiscus. And I can carry all the bottled water and sunscreen I want without incurring punishment from some TSA goon.

But I'm really sad that the Islands are becoming unaffordable for many who once enjoyed visiting.

bortoldr

My wife and I were also casualties of the ATA/Aloha fiasco. We were foreced to rebook with United for an upcoming September trip and had to pay $150 more per ticket (from $420 to $570 nonstop roundtrip). The only way to get a decent fare nowadays is to fly with at least one stop. You can find tix in the $500 range for that type of route. But to fly nonstop from the Bay Area nowadays is mucho bucks!

hawaiifanatic

Report in the Honolulu Advertiser. Hope Hawaii can get through this okay.....

http://www.honoluluadvertiser.com/ap...D=200880814028