Mokulele Airlines’ Inaugural Maui Flight Report
Mokulele Airlines had their inaugural flight on Monday between Honolulu and Maui’s Kahului Airport. As members of the local press, we were invited by their CEO, Bill Boyer, to take part in the festivities. It was our first opportunity to fly Mokulele since they began inter-island jet service in November.
Our Report on Mokulele Airlines
The Local Vibe: Many of the flight attendants and other employees are from now defunct Aloha Airlines. They are a strong group of people dedicated to Mokulele’s success. Even more local is the fact that this privately held corporation is the only Hawaii based airline registered in our state. Island Air and Hawaiian Airlines are Delaware corporations and Go! is registered in Nevada.
Interior Comfort: I’m 6’4″ and was able to walk down the aisle standing up. Their 70 seat Embraer 170 jet has the widest seats and the most legroom in Hawaii. The comfort is far beyond that of the other inter-island carriers. There are two large restrooms on board; one for first class and one for coach. I also liked the 2 and 2 seating for great views.
Flying Comfort: The Embraer jet has a significantly lighter feel than Boeing aircraft. An analogy might be the difference between a Toyota and Mercedes. The jet flies well, is fuel efficient, and has a range of over 2,000 miles. I felt safe and secure.
Reservations: Mokulele is a code share partner of Alaska Airlines. In the next few weeks Alaska will offer Mokulele seats in conjunction with their flights. It will be another 45-60 days before Mokulele flights can be booked on Travelocity, Orbitz, Expedia and others. For now you can only reserve seats directly on the Mokulele website.
Price: Mokulele competes in price with all of the other inter-island carriers. When you’re pricing an itinerary, don’t forget to check directly with Mokulele for deals.
Inaugural Flight Fun: To celebrate the first Kahului flight all passengers were given leis, Mokulele t-shirts and boxed chocolates. We also had a special in flight treat prepared by Kona Paradise Candies. There were speeches made in Honolulu, a pre-flight celebration in the lounge and Hawaiian music and hula at Honolulu and Kahului airports. The water cannon blasts from the Maui Fire Department provided a royal greeting.
