Visit Hawaii for Less Money During Uncertain Economy

You might be wondering whether this is a good time to visit Hawaii, given the economic slowdown. The answer is a definite and resounding, YES. Here’s why:

1. Capitalize on fewer advance bookings. Economic woes are causing people to plan and book trips with less lead time. We’re seeing this as a great opportunity to find better deals by thinking ahead of the crowd and making your plans early, while bookings are softer than usual for summer or after Labor Day.

2. Consistent value. Hawaii prices are quite reasonable when compared with international alternatives. Foreign currencies, including those of Australia, New Zealand and French Polynesia for example, have become more and more expensive (when bought with U.S. dollars). On our recent trip to French Polynesia, we saw costs jump 20%+ from trip planning to our actual travel. Coming to Hawaii, you can be assured of value without regard to the dollar’s strength.

3. Competitive air fares. Even with Aloha’s bankruptcy this week, there is a great deal of competition in the U.S. Mainland to Hawaii air corridor. While prices may not be the cheapest we’ve ever seen, they will likely remain reasonably low, especially when you take advantage of seasonal fluctuations. Until early June, and following Labor Day, are excellent times to find good prices. During the summer, try shopping for different days of the week, using a tool such as Travelocity’s flexible date search. Prices from one day (or week) to the next can vary by hundreds of dollars.

4. Negotiate hotel deals. Watch for hotel deals, in much the same way as for air fares. In addition, consider booking a reservation and then just prior to the non-refundable cancellation period, look again to see if you can find a better deal directly from the hotel (try website and phone), the online agencies, last minute specialists like wotif.com, or on bidding sites, with help from the biddingfortravel.com forums.

5. Car rental options. Same advice I suggested for hotels applies here.

Once the economy starts to sense a bottom, Hawaii will be on an up-tick in terms of pricing. I suggest you get over here as soon as you can to take advantage in the interim.