United’s exit out of bankruptcy following the pattern the majors have set for looking at long haul flights to destinations that will absorb higher costs. They have added new service to Honolulu from Seattle and San Diego starting June 10th.

United flew between Seattle and Honolulu a generation ago, but in recent years its direct U.S. flights to Hawaii have all come from Chicago, Denver, San Francisco and Los Angeles.

The Seattle-Honolulu service will compete with Northwest Airlines and Hawaiian Airlines, while San Diego-Honolulu service will compete with Hawaiian Airlines and Aloha Airlines

United also said it will launch service from Toronto to Denver, which will allow residents of eastern Canada to fly to Hawaii with one change of planes at the Denver hub. Pacific Business News

Two TSA agents, Benny Arcano and Christopher Cadorna, working at the Honolulu International Airport were charged with theft after stealing money out of the suitcases of Japanese tourists heading back to Japan. In a study released in 2004, Honolulu ranked 30th in the nation with over 100,000 dollars in reported claims of theft by TSA agents.

The two men, Benny Arcano and Christopher Cadorna, were charged by information complaint Friday with felony theft for allegedly stealing yen valued at more than $1,000 in U.S. currency from Japanese tourists during 2004 and 2005.
“We will always take government corruption in any form very seriously, and whoever decides to line their pocket because of greed should always expect us to aggressively investigate and prosecute them,” said U.S. Attorney Ed Kubo.
The men were two of four TSA employees suspended in March 2005 after several federal agencies opened investigations into allegations of theft at Honolulu International Airport.
“TSA holds its officers to the highest standards,” said Jessica Altschul, a TSA spokeswoman in Washington, D.C. “The actions of a minuscule percentage in no way reflects the organization as a whole.”

2 airport workers charged in thefts - The Honolulu Advertiser.

US Airways is expanding its service between Phoenix and Hawaii. They have  found this  to be  a profitable and successful route for the airline.

The airline also is adding a second daily round-trip flight from Phoenix to Honolulu.
In addition to the new service from Phoenix, Las Vegas also benefits from new daily service to Kahului, Maui beginning Wednesday.
“The response to our Hawaii service that we started in December 2005 has been tremendous, and we are excited to initiate our second phase of service,” said Scott Kirby, US Airways executive vice president, sales and marketing.
US Airways will provide the service with Boeing 757-200 aircraft, which have capacity for 190 passengers, 14 of which are in first class. via the The Business Journal of Phoenix.

I thought that this complete list of Spring Break 2006 Schedule for Colleges and Universities was helpful to those who are planning on hitting the beach in the next few weeks. Panama City, South Padre Island, the Bahamas, and Daytona are all gonna be hopping.

Sometimes it is awesome to have know what other schools are going to be out so you can plan accordingly. So here is the list.

Spring Break from 2/25/2006 -3/5/2006

• Northeastern University-Boston
• University of Michigan-Ann Arbor
• Western Michigan University

Spring Break from 3/4/2006 - 3/12/2006

(more…)

If you are looking to fly inter island in Hawaii in the near future, there is a fare war between Hawaiian Airlines, Aloha Airlines, and (as soon as they enter the market entrant) Mesa Airlines. Fares have dropped in the last few days to as low as 55 dollars each way.

Mesa Air, a Mainland regional carrier which plans to enter the Hawaii inter-island market this year, has virtually promised a fare war when it launches. But this week the two legacy inter-island carriers both cut fares.

It started when Aloha Airlines, which turns 60 years old later this year, notified Pacific Business News on Sunday that it was posting a $60 fare through Tuesday. PBN reported it Monday morning on its radio and television broadcasts.

During the day Monday, Hawaiian Airlines announced a $55 fare for Hawaiian Miles members through Thursday. The carrier said it “responded to a competitor’s inter-island fare sale by offering a lower fare and longer booking window.” Pacific Business Journal

Delta will be adding a direct flight from Atlanta to Kahului on Maui and once stop service from Atlanta via Salt Lake City to Kona on the island of Hawaii.

Delta’s newest service to Kona and Maui provides our customers with some of the best that our 50th state has to offer,” said Bob Cortelyou, Delta’s vice president of Network Planning.

“In addition to witnessing the fiery beauty of an active volcano, visitors to these beautiful islands can take advantage of a multitude of other activities, including diving or snorkeling to marvel at the color and diversity of Hawaii’s marine life, hiking in a tropical rainforest to spy rare native Hawaiian birds or horseback riding across a black sand beach.”

Northwest Flight 91 from Los Angeles to Honolulu had a scary incident overnight according to the Honolulu Advertiser. A man stalked a family in coach and then towards the final minutes of the flight, rushed the cockpit and had to be subdued.

 The baby’s 30-year-old father, who would only give his first name of Jean-Francois, said the couple and their sleeping girl were seated in Row 16 against the cabin’s bulkhead when the man moved from the back of the airplane and sat down in a seat on the other side of the aisle, one row in front of them.

“He was behaving very strangely,” Jean-Francois said. “Stand up. Sit down. He was not listening to the orders of the crew.

“He looked mentally affected. His mind was not all there. … He had a (cell phone) cord in his hand. We started to be afraid of that because it could be a weapon. … He said to the flight attendant that he wanted to kill the baby.”

For the next two hours, the man kept staring at the baby. The parents said the tension in the cabin lasted for the rest of the trip across the ocean.

Flight attendants several times asked the man to move toward the back of the plane, but he refused, the parents said. At one point, Sheila, who was sitting in the aisle with the baby in her arms, switched seats with her husband.

“Personally I’m upset that they left this guy with a weapon in his hand for so long,” Jean-Francois said. “We’re quite upset with how they handled it. If he really wanted to do something, he could have done a lot of things.”

After this ordeal, which is reprehensible that the flight crew did not take action previously, the man then really crossed the line.

 About 10 minutes before landing, the flight attendants suggested that the parents instead move toward the back of the plane and they began to comply, they said.

But two men seated in business class intervened and jumped on the man, Jean-Francois said. Two others quickly joined in. “They got him on the floor and tied his hands with plastic,” Jean-Francois said.

He said the unruly passenger had been holding what looked like a telephone cord and was wielding it like a weapon.With the man restrained, the pilot then came onto the plane’s intercom system about five minutes before landing.“He said, ‘We’re very sorry for what happened’ and apologized for the trouble,” Jean-Francois said.

More Coverage:

• KHNL

Travel Weekly has a couple of fun things to do in Hawaii over the next couple of months. The first is aimed at golfers, the second is for the coffee lovers.

From Travel Weekly:

TURTLE BAY RESORT on the North Shore of Oahu will host the Champions Tour Turtle Bay Championship of Golf, Jan. 23 to 29. The tourney includes a 36-hole professional-amateur competition and a separate 54-hole pro tourney, both on the Palmer Course. Each will be broadcast live on the Golf Channel. The total purse for the event is $1.5 million, and the resort has signed a four-year agreement with the Professional Golf Association to host the tournament until 2008. Go to www.turtlebayresort.com for more information.

THE KONA COFFEE CULINARY INVITATIONAL will take place on the Big Island at the Outrigger Keauhou Beach Resort on Nov. 9. Wine and beer are paired with dishes created with the coffee bean by local chefs, including Outrigger executive chef Jason Koppinger, who oversees the event. The invitational will take place in the Royal Gardens from 6 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. Tickets are $35 in advance or $40 at the door. Call the hotel at (808) 324-2554 or visit www.konacoffeefest.com for more information.

I think I would go to both!

golf tips activities tours oahu fun tour hawaii coffee

Are you planning on traveling in Hawaii before the end of the year? Well, there is a a inter island fare war going on between Aloha Airways and Hawaiian Airlines.

From KESQ:

To get the cheap fares on Aloha and Hawaiian, travelers must book the first flight in the morning out and the last flight of the day to return. The first flight typically leaves around 5 a-m.

Hawaiian’s fare of 39-dollars-and-50 cents is good for the first flight each day from Honolulu to Kahului, Lihue, Kona and Hilo. The return on the last flight of the day costs the same, but if travelers want to take other flights they must pay full price.

Aloha says it will match Hawaiian’s offer.

Aloha started the latest fare competition yesterday when it announced that passengers who book the first flight of the day to Neighbor Islands could return free on the last flight of the day.

Both fare offers are good until December 31st.