BEAT OF HAWAII AND BEYOND

Beat of Hawaii landed in New York early Wednesday morning. After a staggering 5,000 plus mile, two flight journey in coach on United, we arrived Newark at 6 am. We love islands and they don’t come any more culturally different or geographically remote than Kauai and Manhattan.

Once we’re back home we’ll tell you about the best money saving strategies we found for entertainment, food, lodging and transportation. And we’ve got a surprising report on United Airlines.

We’re really excited and looking forward to a great week in the Big Apple. Stay tuned for more posts.

I’ve been very fortunate to spend the majority of my life’s flying time in the front of the plane. It started decades ago and I’ve rarely flown in economy since. One of those rarities is pictured above when we made the mistake of flying economy from LAX to Bangkok. I’m not sure however that the photo does justice to exactly how uncomfortable it was.

We’re off to New York this week, and we’ll be flying in economy. This tide may now be shifting not only for us, but as an industry trend.

Why are we flying economy?

We aren’t premium passengers with United Airlines, with whom we’ll be flying, although we once were. We haven’t flown UA in years, and do not have any of their miles. So for us, the cost to upgrade from economy to Economy Plus was several hundred dollars and to upgrade to First, over $1,200. We decided to take our chances and spend the money on a better hotel and more theater.

I’ll report back on how this 5,000 plus mile journey in UA Economy works out.

Why does this look to be an industry trend?

USA Today is reporting information from American Express Business Travel Monitor, saying that as air travel becomes more expensive, passengers are choosing to upgrade less often than before. Will this be an industry trend? If our plans are an example, I’d say the answer is yes, which will hit airlines hard.

The report says that the number of international business class seats is down 2 percent recently, compared with last year. At the same time, the number of first class seats sold for North American travel dropped from 4 percent to 3 percent. Since domestic First travel typically yields airlines hundreds of extra dollars per seat and international First yields thousands of extra dollars, if this trend continues, it will be yet another blow to the airlines’ coffers.

I think that we as passengers as well as the airlines are in uncharted waters.

I’ve been following a recent controversy between the Skin Cancer Foundation and Environmental Working Group over how sunscreens are tested. Beat of Hawaii previously wrote about sunscreens back in May.

According to the New York Times, the Skin Cancer Foundation, which also tests sunscreens for safety and effectiveness, complains that the testing done by the Environmental Working Group (EWG) is “junk science.”

EWG concurs that they are using their own system, inasmuch as no formalized standards of evaluation presently exist. EWG , however, questions the objectivity of the Skin Cancer Foundation by stating:

At a cost of $10,000 to the manufacturer, the Skin Cancer Foundation endorses sunscreen products based on an evaluation that fails to consider two critical factors: whether or not the product protects against UVA protection, and whether the ingredient soaks through the skin and raises health concerns.

Based on my read, it certainly appears that there is a conflict of interest vis-à-vis the Skin Cancer Foundation and the manufacturers who are footing the $10,000 bills.

Moreover the controversy speaks to the clear-cut need for a standardized system of evaluating sunscreens in relation to all aspects of their effectiveness and safety.

So where is the U.S. government when we really need them? The FDA has yet to approve a set of final sunscreen safety standards, a project which EWG says was begun three decades ago.

If and when they do, we understand the standard will likely remove the importance of current SPF ratings on sunscreens, and replace them with a new rating system.

One star would signify the sunscreen offers the lowest protection, while four stars would mean the highest level. It isn’t clear to me how product safety concerns will be addressed by the FDA standards.

As EWG points out, “with more than a million cases of skin cancer diagnosed each year, people can’t afford to wait any longer.”

I concur and again suggest you check the EWG’s Skin Deep database, in order to find safe and effective sunscreens.

Back in June, I mentioned mentioned TripHub, a site which I’d used previously for group trip planning.

Well frankly I haven’t used it in a while, and so was sad to see a post on TechCrunch today, which lead me to TripHub’s site:

“TripHub’s trip planning service will no longer be available after Friday August 22, 2008….”What happened?” There is no single, simple answer to this question. Certainly we made mistakes, and unfortunately we were impacted by factors beyond our control including the current economic environment and state of the travel industry….”

I’m sorry to see TripHub go, but at the same time I’m not surprised.  They simply ran out of money, and there was nothing adequately distinguishing about it to attract either users or investors.  There are just too many Web 2.0 travel sites, and TripHub won’t be the last one to close.

Whole Foods Markets will soon be joining Hawaii’s established health food stores. If you’re looking for healthy grinds during your stay in Hawaii, here are some of our favorites to consider:

• On Oahu and Maui, try Down to Earth, which has nice moderate sized stores and a good selection.
• Big Island scores with Kona Natural Foods in Kailua-Kona (two locations), Healthway in Kamuela, and Abundant Life in Hilo.
• Kauai has Papaya’s in Hanalei and Kapa’a, Koloa Natural Foods in Koloa, and Vim ‘n Vigor in Lihue.
• Molokai’s small Outpost Natural Foods in Kaunakakai has great produce.

Whole Foods will join our line-up on September 10 when their first store opens at Oahu’s Kahala Mall. It’s occupying the space where Star Market used to be.

There are three other Whole Foods stores coming over the next two years. Look for them in the future at Ward Village Shops near Waikiki, the Maui Mall and Big Island.

Whole Foods had originally planned to open its first store at Ward Village Shops. That was delayed, however, when they discovered more than 50 sets of native Hawaiian remains on the property. Originally scheduled for 67,000 square feet, the store has been reduced to half the size due to the downturn in the economy.

Will Whole Foods Put the Smaller Stores Out of Business?

We are big fans of and support local producers and retailers. At the same time the existing stores are relatively small. So I’m excited about the potential impact in both consumption of organic foods and promotion of local organic farming that Whole Foods may have here in Hawaii.

Whole Foods philosophy is to support local, organic and sustainable products. The $6 billion retailer is committed to selling locally available products, whenever possible. They also supports humane treatment of animals.

We think that there’s room for both Whole Foods and the smaller, local health food stores here in Hawaii.

This isn’t exactly the deal we’ve been waiting for (from California cities), but is an excellent airfare nonetheless.  It represents a savings of at least $200 off the next best fare.  Travel is via Denver or San Francisco.

• United Airlines
• Advance purchase:  21 days
• Travel dates:  September 1 through December 16
• Minimum/maximum stay:  3/60 days
• Availability:  Excellent!

In this final part of our four-part series, I’ll both explore some remaining clauses as well as other types of coverage and policies.

The first topic is something we don’t want to think about. What happens if I don’t make it back or if some of my parts are missing? The words I’m avoiding here are “death” and “dismemberment.” Insurance companies look at both similarly. While the chance of this happening is rare, you may want to check and see how policies cover this.

Accidental death coverage comes in several parts, based on the cause, and may be included as part of a package plan. Check for limitations or exclusions that may apply.

• Accident coverage typically extends for a pre-determined period (may be up to one year), if it occurred while on your covered trip. This provides no coverage for illness.
• Common carrier includes public transportation, other than commercial flights, and is sometimes a part of the accident coverage above.
• Commercial flight may be part of accident coverage or a separate coverage entirely. It sometimes covers charter flights, and while enroute to or from, or while within airports. You may have an option to increase the amount of coverage, typically up to $500,000, for an additional fee.

Policy Fulfillment.

This is how your policy gets delivered. Policies bought online typically only offer the option of emailing you the policy.

Other Types of Coverage.

There are many other types of trip insurance options, some of which may be available options as part of a trip package. Here are some of them:

• Umbrella. For an additional payment, this coverage can raise the limits of a number of other parts of the insurance package.
• Roadside assistance. This can include flat tire replacement, towing, fuel and oil delivery, locksmithing, etc.
• Itinerary changes. Protects you in the event a provider schedule change impacts your ability to take part in other separately booked activites.

Other policy types.

Also remember that there are different types of insurance other than trip packages. These can be for specific purposes, instead of or in addition to a trip package, and can extend the coverage options available to you. Some of these include:

• Flight accident policies.
• Medical evacuation policies.
• Multi-trip policies.
• Travel medical-only policies.
• Business travel policies.

I plan to write yet another post on travel insurance, not as part of this series. In that I’ll share what my personal experiences have been with travel insurance, what’s worked and what hasn’t.

I hope this series on travel insurance will prove useful to you, now or over time. Here’s wishing you safe and healthy travels!

I’m prone to seasickness (though not to airsickness). Sitting in the back seats of cars and buses doesn’t leave me feeling all that great either. How about you?

If you’re bound for Hawaii, the water starts getting rough here, generally about October. Today’s post might help if you’re planning on any of the following:

• Hawaii Superferry
• Na Pali boat tours
• Mainland to Hawaii cruises
• NCL Inter-Island cruises

As for my own experience, we recently took an Alaska cruise which started in California. The trip up to Alaska was beyond rough. I was in bed and drugged for the first two days after applying a Scopalomine patch. In short, I was miserable, and as a result, so were my traveling companions.

We are now planning a cruise across the infamously rough Tasman Sea between Australia and New Zealand this Fall. I’m really determined to enjoy myself, not get seasick, and not spend my cruise time in bed and/or drugged.

Here’s a list of what I’ve tried that hasn’t been very satisfactory:

1. Scopalomine patch. This took too long to work, and really should be started well in advance of rough sea conditions. I never felt quite right until I took it off.
2. Dramamine. These should be called sleeping pills, given how drowsy they make me.
3. Bonine. Better than dramamine, but still completely unacceptable in terms of how they leave me feeling and how ineffective they have been.
4. Wrist pressure bands. The manual bands that have what feels like a marble inside that presses on the inner wrist. These just did nothing in my experience.
5. Ginger candy. Tastes great, but doesn’t do a thing to alleviate my seasickness.

In preparation for our upcoming trip, I’ve started reading all of the forums again, including Cruise Critic and Frommers.

Here’s a list of what I’m planning to do next:

1. Follow the ocean conditions closely using this oceanographic site. That way I can know what is coming, and plan my action plan accordingly. If I’d seen what was ahead when we sailed to Alaska, I’d have used the Scop patch sooner, and it might have worked better.
2. Relief Band. I’m really excited (and hopeful) to try this. This is an electronic, battery operated adjustable stimulator designed to prevent motion sickness (and other kinds of nausea). It has very favorable reviews in the forums, so, for $80, I’m going to give this a try. The only real negative things I read are that some people are annoyed by the constant tingling feeling in your hand it produces. But I’ll take tingling over nausea in a heartbeat.

I’ll let you know how my new plan works out.

In the meantime, what have you tried, and what works for you and what doesn’t? I’m anxiously awaiting your input and suggestions.

Right on the heals of this morning’s related post, I saw some nice new fares this morning from US Airways between Phoenix and Hawaii (Honolulu, Kahului, Kona and Lihue).  Don’t delay if you are interested however.  I used Travelocity flexible date search to find available dates.

$445 RT (all-inclusive)

• Travel now through December 12
• Minimum stay is 1-3 days (depending on departure day)
• No maximum stay
• Limited availability, but it is there, if you do it today

We’re quickly approaching Labor Day which marks the all-important shift from high to low season in Hawaii travel.

Other than the few deals we’ve reported on recently, the airlines are keeping fares at record highs, even with a recent decline in oil prices of nearly 20 percent.

Here’s what I believe is happening:

At the present pricing and flight schedules, there will be an extreme overabundance of air service for off-season travel to Hawaii.

Passengers are unwilling to pay $500 or more, plus taxes and other fees, for fall and winter, non-holiday airfares from California cities. Considering all costs, the fares are now running $200 or more than for this time last year.

Here’s a sampling of the current unworkable fares:

• Los Angeles to Honolulu – $517+
• Los Angeles to Lihue – $495+
• San Diego to Kona – $555+
• San Francisco to Kahului – $505+

Airlines serving Hawaii are immediately facing two choices: both start with reduction.

Either they will have to reduce off-season fares or they will have to significantly reduce air service. We should see one of these, or some combination thereof, within the next one to two weeks at most.

What this means to you:

Stay put and watch. This is truth or dare time, and I’m betting that price reductions are imminent. Why? Because airlines simply do not want to give up positioning for these generally lucrative routes.

If and when these cuts come, you’ll need to act fast. Look for:

• Steep discounts
• Availability for travel through Spring 2009 (except for holidays)
• Short-lived in terms of fare availability

Buckle up. It’s going to be an interesting fall.

Staying with friends in the islands not only saves money but gives you an opportunity to experience local life. We like hosting people in our home and have come up with some ideas on how to make this a good experience for both host and guest.

Arrival Tips:

1. Shoes off at door.

Here in Hawaii, it is customary to remove footwear before entering a home. We do that to keep bugs and indelible dirt off of our floors. It makes a nice impression when you do this without being asked.

2. Bring a Welcome Gift.

Something from your local community is a nice touch.  We also have a welcome gift in our guest’s bedroom.

3. Don’t arrive with jet lag (Updated)

Your visit will probably go better if you spend the first night in a hotel to recover from the flight and jet lag. Alternatively, remember that your hosts likely already have a schedule, and in Hawaii, it usually doesn’t include late nights.

Update:  If you’re staying with friends a few nights, you’re probably spending half (or more) of your vacation in a hotel.  I’m suggesting you start your vacation in a hotel and book in with your friends later.  This way you’ll be over jet lag and feel more like socializing with your host.

4. Rent a car.

Be self sufficient so you can come and go as you please.

During Your Stay:

1. Keep the sand outside.

If you’ve come from the beach, wash sand off your feet before entering your host’s home. For example, we have teak floors which sand makes a mess on and turns slippery. Here’s a tip. Fill an empty bottle with water and keep in car to wash feet.

2. Conserve electricity.

We have by far the most expensive electricity in the USA. Help your hosts by turning off lights not in use. Conserve hot water for the same reason.

3. Be your own tour guide.

Even though you’re on vacation, your host isn’t. I usually offer to be a guide for a half day if I can. Do not expect your host to entertain you.

4. Plan your own meals.

Eat out and buy your own food. As a host, I usually prepare one dinner for guests. If your host has invited you for meals, be sure to be on time.

5. Respect property and leave your room clean.

Keep your room clean and don’t damage furniture. One of our guests left permanent water rings on an antique night stand. She completely missed the coaster, and left a lasting impression on us too.

When it’s Time to Go:

1. Donate your beach equipment.

Your hosts probably do not want leftover beach towels, snorkel gear, and more. Ask first and then donate anything left to Salvation Army.

2. Leave a gift.

You may also want to consider taking your hosts out for dinner or buying them a gift certificate to their favorite restaurant.

3. Don’t overstay your welcome.

Ben Franklin once said, “guests, like fish, begin to stink after three days.” We normally have a 3 night maximum stay (unless we’re entertaining relatives or close friends). With a three night stay you don’t wear out your welcome.

4. Send a thank you note soon after you arrive home.

Final Thoughts:

I think it’s important to be honest with yourself about the reason for staying in someone’s home. Am I doing this just to save money, or do I want to see and spend time with my hosts? I think it’s a mixture of both. If the reason is only financial, from our experience, it’s better to pass on the idea.

Big Island’s beloved Mauna Kea Hotel is scheduled to reopen next Spring. I received this preview today of what it’s going to look like.

The hotel was closed due to damage from a 2006 earthquake, which was strong enough to be felt throughout all the main Hawaiian Islands.

When the hotel opened in 1965, it was the first hotel on the Kohala coast and the most expensive one ever built at that time, at a cost of $15 million. In today’s market that would be a steal. The renovation of Mauna Kea is a whopping $150 million.

Rockefeller’s Vision

Revolutionary for its time, the open air architected hotel was developed by Laurence S. Rockefeller and designed by Skidmore, Owings & Merrill.

Rockefeller, who died in 2004, was asked by Hawaii governor William Quinn to find a resort location that would help reduce congestion at already popular Waikiki. The chosen setting was an isolated location on the Kohala Coast. There was no highway at the time to easily transport guests. The only route from Kailua-Kona was the Hawaii Belt Road over the mountains.

Rockefeller’s vision of the hotel was that it should respect the people, culture and environment of Hawaii. Accompanying the hotel would be the beautiful Robert Trent Jones golf course.

Rockefeller envisioned the hotel as a private, personal (100 room) estate, offering a multi-cultural experience.

Amazing Art Collection

On my last trip to Mauna Kea just prior to the earthquake, I took a tour of the hotel’s art collection which included a look at its history. Rockefeller brought 1,600 Asian and Pacific museum art pieces to adorn every corner of the interior and exterior. My favorite is the 700 year old Buddha’s head sculpture, which came from Thailand. A book, “The Art of Mauka Kea,” in its second printing, gives an in-depth look at the amazing collection.

Mauna Kea is the Setting of a Mystery Book

On a side note, mystery writer Edith Skom, used the Mauna Kea as the setting for her book, “The George Eliot Murders.” You can read the book and feel like you’ve already been to the hotel.

Two Properties for the Price of One

Mauna Kea has an adjoining sister Hotel, Hapuna Prince, which is another great Kohala Coast hotel. Guests can use facilities at both hotels, and it is a short walk between the properties which we’ve done.

We’ll keep you updated on their development and intend to be there for the grand reopening.