When United announced this week that it is axing 50 flights a day out of Newark, the handwriting on the wall became clear. Hawaii flights, which have been relatively untouched for various reasons, won’t likely remain so.
United wants to tame uncontrollable delays, such as we are also seeing in Hawaii. In this case, United said delays were based on airport constraints including construction and capacity. Hmm. That isn’t likely the whole story, but UAL is denying its staffing shortage is a contributing factor.
The current rate of Hawaii flight cancelations is unlike anything that’s ever happened. With Hawaii flights, weather is almost never an issue, so it comes down to staffing and particularly pilot shortages, perhaps discontent at the airlines, as well as management (according to the pilots’ union). So far this year, United has had a third of its Newark flights delayed.
Delta, Southwest, American and Alaska, have all reduced their schedules. So far, Hawaii flights have been relatively spared, except for one airline.
Thus far, Alaska has canceled flights between Anchorage and Honolulu until November. When they announced that in April, Alaska said, “We continue to adjust our operating schedule to meet our staffing levels.”
Southwest on the other hand has axed its nonstop flight between Maui and Long Beach. They’ve also removed upcoming flights between Los Angeles and Lihue, Los Angeles and Kona, Phoenix and Lihue, and Phoenix to Kona.
American Airlines is cutting some routes from Charlotte, Chicago, Dallas and Philadelphia. But nothing to Hawaii
Last month, Delta announced it’ll eliminate 100 flights from its daily schedule to better align its resources with flights. Routes cut include some from Atlanta, Boston, and Detroit. Here, too, Hawaii flights as far as we see, remain on schedule.
Starting this month, Southwest Airlines is cutting six routes from Dallas, Washington, and Richmond.
Hawaiian Airlines hasn’t indicated any specific problems or plans to reduce flights.
Every airline flying to Hawaii, except one (Hawaiian), has said that flight schedule adjustments are either in process or upcoming in relation to reduced staffing, and especially pilot shortages. Clearly, last minute cancelations and flight delays of the scope which we’ve seen, benefit no one.
We asked Hawaiian Airlines about the unprecedented flight delays they and other carriers have been encountering, especially at Honolulu and Maui. Alex DaSilva, Director External Communications, responded to us by saying, “There hasn’t been a single issue that’s driven delays. It’s a mix of factors and varies, but the one constant this summer is the volume of travelers (overall airport congestion). We take our reliability and punctuality seriously and the teams continue to meet daily to find ways to keep us on time.”
We’ll keep you updated on this developing story…
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People have saved, planned, coordinated air fares, scheduling, locked in flights, made hotel reservations, arranged family dinners, made tour arrangements, rented cars, for their much anticipated travel to Hawaii. And for the air carrier to unexpectedly cancel the flight because of their poor decisions on flight crews and overselling is failing the purchasing public and decreases my faith in this business.
Auwe…air carriers have no class if/when they do that!
And yet they still want us to believe only 60 employees were fired over the vaccine. Doctor and nurses gave up mega dollar careers and someone pulling down 28k to get yelled at by management and customers drive into the worse traffic in their city when they could make more sitting at home are going to bend the knee. I doubt it. Now we can see what really happened.
Hawaii was once a beautiful place no more.Very overrated to expensive,locals are very unhappy and it shows towards visitors.There are better places to bacation.
Hawaiian airlines has doubled their points too. I just got 80k points and now they jacked up return flights to 70k.
I just flew American nonstop from LAX TO MAUI 6/7/22, zero issues then hawaiian back 6/14/22, zero issues..In fact significantly nice overall travel…Counting my blessings cause i had kids with me and couldnt imagine issues…flight was booked in November 2021.
The mainland airlines always “adjust” their schedules. Hawaii is just one destination out of many for them and the decisions they make encompass their entire system. I.E they will drop a Hawaii route if they can make more flying that aircraft elsewhere in their system.
In the past we’ve had to give up Alaska, mainly because they would reroute in the last few days just before your flight, that would leave you stuck in the Seattle airport for the night and that was unexceptionable and I had to give them up. SW will reroute you but nothing that has been ugly so far. All of the airlines like to give you a hard time now and then.
Aloha
Hawaii’s new plan is to reduce the number of tourists, right? Sounds like the airlines are doing the state a favor.
Southwest HAS actually cut flights to Hawaii. LAX AND PHX have both lost nonstops to KOA and LIH this fall. Sadly!!! I hope they come back or I’ll be forced to change my loyalty to another carrier.
They are now routing most people through LV. that’s OK with me, it’s timely.
I hope Delta keeps their Seattle to Lihue for a long time so I could fly direct and visit my parents on Kauai, I’ve flown Delta Seattle to Lihue in the past, I’m very pleased and satisfied.
My hope is that there is not another reason to look for a different destination. Our every other year visits have been the source of satisfaction and, recently, a source of discussion in our home. If Hawaii access is limited, Florida, the Caribbean, or other warm weather destinations will get our business. They may anyway, so we won’t stress over what affects our beloved Hawaii. Best of luck. Aloha.
I have heard in the past hawaii is t really a money maker for airlines. It’s more of a rewards flier perk. Anyone k ow if that is true? Be interesting to know what percentage of people are paying and how many are free tickets?
My wife daughter and I are coming to the big island in December on frequent flyer miles. We probably would have come anyway if we would have had to buy the miles but it certainly didn’t hurt.
The ‘Road Warrior’ game may be stilted since the Pandemic, but for myself before retiring in 2015, Hawaii was always upgraded to First Class, Status, U.S. Air also had 2 System Wide Ugrades Annually based on Status, one has to expect, the Hotel Programs are worked into the mix on the category of traveler, Marriott used be 125,000 7 Days/6 Nights at the Marriott Kaanapali, now a Timeshare. I’m sure that’s not a 100%, or even 50%, but Marriott now restricts the category of Room even for the most Elite. Our last 5 trips to Kauai, Waikiki and Maui at Hyatt’s were all gratis, save for Airfare, but upgraded for Points however the Carrier had set.
Liam G., We booked our Feb. 2022 flight to Kona in April of 2021 using frequent flier miles. A couple months prior to our flight, American called us because the flights we booked no longer existed and the only way to use our miles was to take 2 days to get to Kona. Consequently, we ended up purchasing tickets the old fashioned way. Frequent flyer miles are useless in this era of cancellations.
Free dies not necessarily mean the airline isn’t paid. When you earn air miles on your credit card, the credit card people pay the airlines out of money they receive for their high interest rates to their customers. So those who keep paying high interest rates fund my free air trip to Hawaii.
I have a bunch of miles, not in the multi-millions, but enough. But, I always pay for tickets. At 78 (in August) I should be using those miles before I kick the bucket and they go to waste.
We are coming to Waikiki in September, bought our tickets in April.
I’d like to use those miles for a cruise, the spousal unit says no, I tell her I’ll take my “girlfriend” and she just laughs.
So, I tell her I’d like one more trip to Europe, she says we have memories, I tell her I’ll take my “girlfriend” and she just laughs.
Same for a trip to the Caribbean. I don’t want those miles going to waste!
Why would anyone give that last post of mine a negative rating?
Because it has absolutely nothing to do with this article, maybe.
If you cannot find a way to travel with your miles, here are some ideas:
See if your points program allows points to be used as a dollar credit to your card account. I have Chase Sapphire and it does.
Donate your miles to a charitable organization like Make A Wish, etc. Many accept them.
Donate your miles to help women who need medical abortions to travel to a state where such health care is still legal.
Please, Thank you, and Aloha, Diane E
Majority are paying’