Hawaii-bound travelers for later in 2020 and beyond increasingly frustrated and in need of answers.
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219 thoughts on “As Desperation Ensues, Hawaiian Airlines Speaks on Restarting Tourism Now”
Hawaii-bound travelers for later in 2020 and beyond increasingly frustrated and in need of answers.
Get Breaking Hawaii Travel News
Surprised the citizens of Hawaii, with 50% + unemployment, are not being more vocal and are not demonstrating to re-open or a least force government to come up with a plan. Seems way too laid back:)
Aloha all,
My kids are coming tomorrow. Yes, they’ll quar antine, then we’ll be together the nexttwo weeks.since they work from home, this will be doable. We will give them the house and big yard for their kids and stay at a local resort ourselves, since we can go to the beach etc. As an artist with no sales in closed local galleries the last few months, this would end our savings. Thank goodness the kids still have jobs to pay forthe hotel, and we’ll enjoy it, and support the Sharaton which has stayed open. Please come back. We love sharing our island, and our art, with all of you.
Hi Phyllis.
Thanks.
Aloha.
We have a weeks vacation planned on Kauai
July 7th . Is there a chance Kauai will be open!
Aloha,
My wife and are in the middle of trying to move to Hawaii county with our daughters. We purchased a house in kailua Kona and will be moving from Wyoming. Our situation is a little different in that I will be helping them with the move but will not be moving myself until April of next year. I’m a volunteer fireman and am waiting to make the move until I qualify for retirement next year.
At this point, I am planning on being there with the girls for two weeks to help them get settled. Things may get a little interesting if we we have to quar antine and are not able to get the necessities as well as the furniture we need to make our new house a home.
We are looking forward and are so excited to be moving to Hawaii!
Thank you for allowing Me to comment on our situation.
Hi Carl.
Best wishes on your upcoming move.
Aloha.
We’ve rescheduled from May 2020 to August 2020. We really can’t reschedule again for 2020, so we’d be looking at 2021. Still hoping for an acceptable resolution by August.
Temperature and pre-C0VID testing to travel are both useless. Pre-test covers you for THAT DAY only, you could wake up the next day with the vi rus. It’s not like a one day screening covers people for a week or so.
There will have to be a comfort level. It appear to be a slip-n-slide issue….. Degree of safety for all (travelers and Hawaii residents) vs. restarting Hawaii’s economy with tourists arriving. I’m not saying which is right, but saying the choice will have to come…
This is a very good article. I just had to cancel my June 13, 2020, trip to Maui. I found it very difficult to get reliable information on the quar antine. Glad the Governor finally made a decision instead of just talking about it! I found the information provided by you to be invaluable. THANK YOU! I am thinking about rescheduling my trip
(my granddaughter high school graduation trip), but all the negative comments I keep reading from residents seems like they have nothing but disdain for tourist! I go to one of the islands 3-5 times a year, but now am rethinking Hawaii as my vacation destination.
Again, thank you and keep up the good work!
Hi Randy.
Thanks very much.
Aloha.
Holy Cow!!! Where is your leadership on the islands??? Locals, residents and tourists alike must be getting frustrated, annoyed and disheartened by the lack of a real feasible plan. If every time a new unknown vi rus hits the US, is this how the state of Hawaii is going to respond? I am all about states rights, and local citizen input, but Hawaii seems like it wants to be in a “wait and see the state crash” mindset that does not serve the lovely residents of Hawaii well, as I imagine they want to get back to earning a living for their families…and yes, the lack of road congestion, ease of use of my local beaches, etc…in Orange County CA has been nice:)..with our beaches are now fully opened for at least two weeks, and our road traffic getting back to normal, stores/restaurants opening, most people I talk to just want common-sense safety protocols in place, as we get back to work and back to living with our freedoms restored.
Thank you for the constant updates. We have had a trip planned for a week toward the end of October, (since Christmas 2019.) We are holding out for the best. We have not given up any plane or condominium reservations that we made months ago until it gets closer and we hear if things get cancelled (airline tickets, etc…) We are only coming for one week and at this point will not come if we had to be in a 14 day quarantine, that’s longer than we are there. I love the islands and have traveled many times, but was bringing some newbies along this time. I do not want them to get an unwelcome feeling if locals don’t want us there. (I totally understand your Ohana wanting to be safe), because I live it so much, don’t want hard feelings from my family to maybe not want to come again, etc…
Keep the updates coming, still holding our hope on my plans. Mahalo!
Hi Sheryl.
Thanks.
Aloha.
Already rebooked for June 2021, June 2020 was cancelled out of respect for Kauai residents!
We cancelled our 2 week vacation in June and will not reschedule. We will not get testing to travel.
How about this:
Hawaiian Air negotiates with the governor a ‘bypass of quar antine’ if customers purchase a ‘value added service’ that actually tests for corona virus antibodies prior to folk boarding their flight ending in Hawaii. They can be given a (proof of testing) bracelet, segregated to one area of the plane and wear masks for the duration of the flight.
They could then be allowed to enjoy their vacation unhindered by a 14 day quar antine and the costs thereof. Folk that choose not to get tested can still do the 14 days.
Thank you for the update!
My sister & I go to Maui at least every other year, & have a trip planned/paid for at the end of October. I hope we are able to go, & we have no issues with taking a rapid test &/or temperature test in order to get There! But if we cannot, we will just reschedule for next year, & hope for the best. We love the Islands, & would never want the people or beauty to suffer!!
Hi CC.
Thank you.
Aloha.
Hawaii used to be a “friendly” and welcoming place to visit – but it sure seems like a large segment of Hawaii’s population is enjoying not having tourists around! The message being sent with arrests of visitors, no reopening plan published, rumors of requiring negative test results before arriving to your economic engine is very unwelcoming! This behavior sure makes looking at alternative places to travel more attractive! If you treat your main industry like unwanted guests – they will spend their discretionary dollars someplace else and your unemployment will remain among the highest in the free world. Act like you value tourists – or you won’t have any! I know if I treat my customers poorly I won’t be around too long!
I agree 100 percent! You just can’t treat your “customers” with this amount of contempt and hostility, and then expect them to want to come back. People aren’t going to be so quick to forget Hawaii’s message throughout this pan demic.
Just finishing my last cancellations for my 2-week trip that was scheduled for June. About $6,000 of already paid money is flowing out of the Hawaiian economy and back into my bank account, not to mention the other thousands of $$ I would have spent on entertainment and food. On other social media platforms many residents in Hawaii are celebrating the end of tourism because the beaches and roads are empty. However, something tells me their joy will be short lived when the additional $600 per week unemployment checks stop coming or they start having to pony up more tax dollars to support the local governments because tourism is no longer paying that bill for them.
Agree completely. Surprised so laid back about their tanking economy and their high unemployment rate!
We cancelled our July family vacay b/c of the travel restrictions and 14day quar antine of mainland arrivals. Too much money to lose for 10 travelers; do not have confidence that the state of Hawaii will not continue changing the travel guidelines. Too risky!
I am so sad for all those affected– I’m sure it’s devastating the economy of the beautiful Hawaiian islands. From various groups I’m a member of, many are choosing to find alternate locations to vacation within the continental US, so I can see how the impact could last until 2025, if not longer. If people find alternate locations that are easier to access, then they may continue to visit those places from here on out.
Since Hawaiian refused to refund my money, I will be returning sometime after Hawaii is open to vacationers. It should be interesting to see what the islands are like upon my return. Best wishes to you, and thank you for your wonderful and very informative site. I’ve been a loyal reader for years.
Hi Jackie.
Thanks so much!
Aloha.
In the process of rescheduling a late June trip to the islands for mid-December. However, I don’t have much faith they will be opened up by then. 50-50 at best the way it looks now. :/
We have vacation planned in March 2021,not sure if we will be able to return to our favorite island of kauai. We were hoping to introduce our grandchildren to the Aloha spirit.
Thank you for your most helpful newspost. It’s the only one I use. We have one week booked on Maui followed by two more on Kauai leaving the first week in Sept. We planned this a year in advance (staying at small oceanfront ground floor condo (no elevators needed, kitchen etc).). We are holding off on cancelling hoping we can still go. I’m an RN and wish everyone would wear masks all the time and be smarter on social distancing. Thanks again for helping us stay informed. I quote your posts to my friends. LC
Hi Linda.
Thank you!
Aloha.
I find it interesting that they would open up to other countries before opening to mainland visitors. Please help me understand the logic in that thinking….
Governor Ige
You need to do something. NOW. We need leadership. NOW.
Thank you for your continuous updates on our home away from home. Right now with no solid timeline in place for a reopening, it feels like quicksand trying to make a decision about when we can return. I hope they’re not seriously considering reopening to other countries before their own people.
We totally understand the need for caution, but Kauai has had no new cases for over a month now. Plans need to be made. Thank you Hawaiian Airlines for coming out on this. Can they give the governor a kick in the behind?
Hi Kathi.
Thank you.
Aloha.
We cancelled our trip to the Big Island scheduled for May. I am thankful that Hawaii has stopped tourism to control and mitigate the spread of C0vid. The very worse situation would be to open too soon resulting in increases of C0vid. That would put a halt to tourism in a hurry. The islands are not equipped to handle a surge in illness. I am content to wait til the vaccine is available or a treatment is available. The beautiful Hawaiian Islands should not be tainted. Let science dictate. See the Mainland states that have reopened too quickly resulting in increases of cases. Sell me some KONA COFFEE!!!❗️Aloha and heartfelt wishes for good health to HAWAIIANS. Health is everything!🌺
Hi Judy.
Thanks.
Aloha.
Thank you for your continuous updates on our home away from home. Right now with no solid timeline in place for a reopening, it feels like quicksand trying to make a decision about when we can return. I agree with the previous commenter, should we have to pay our property taxes if we aren’t allowed to come? I hope they’re not seriously considering reopening to other countries before their own people.
We totally understand the need for caution, but Kauai has had no new cases for over a month now. Plans need to be made. Thank you Hawaiian Airlines for coming out on this. Can they give the governor a kick in the behind?
I have tickets to Kauai and a condo rental scheduled for November, but I have to make a decision no later than September, when my final payment for the balance of my condo rental is due. I won’t take the chance on losing $4000 when I’m pretty sure I’ll only get a credit for future travel, not a refund on what I’ve already spent. While I really want to go, I can’t take a chance on will they or won’t they. I won’t put good money after bad.
I am so glad I found this site. We have been coming to the Big Island for nearly 39 years and have a condo booked for the month of Feb. again in 2021, but we have not made our air reservations yet because we still don’t know if we will be making the trip. When we come, we want everything to be open to visitors again. We want to be able to not only walk on the beach, but also sit on the beach. We want to be able to walk around without masks, and we are concerned about the number of restaurants and businesses that will be shuttering their doors for good. If it is at all possible, could you please compile a list of Big Island businesses that will not be re-opening? This would greatly help us in our decision making process. I know there is no way of knowing all the businesses that will be closing but if we just had some idea, it would help. I am also wondering about the farmer/flea market in Kona town. I know they have torn it down. Do you know if they are planning to re-open it or if it is another C0vid casualty? Thank you for any insight you can give us.
Hi Sheryl.
Perhaps someone on the Big Island can give us a hand and comment on your specifics.
Aloha.
We have not changed our travel plans for Hawaii. We are scheduled to fly ALB/EWR/OGG January 17. Hoping for the best.
It’s been six weeks since Kauai has had the last new case. And still there is no plan, not even a discussion of what needs to be in place in order to lift the traveler deterring quar antine. This is what indecisive, passive-aggressive, lazy leadership looks like. Maybe if the politicians in charge had their state salaries cut to zero they would be working a little harder to come up with a realistic plan.
For now my 2021 vacation is all booked and I really hope it is a go!
So if The State of Hawaii chooses to keep U mainland people from coming to the islands and only allowing Japanese, New Zealanders and a chosen few other counties to visit, those of us US Tax payers from the main land that own property there to forego our taxes for the years that travel is restricted by the State of Hawaii?
A real life example of the downside speculative real estate in a market contained within the highly volatile economy based on tourism… your choice – your risk, so… your gain or your loss. No one is ‘owed’ anything for a loss on personal investments
I’m just floored at the lack of a game plan. 1 month, 3 months, 1 year? I agree in waiting until it’s safe, but seems like there is no plan to move forward. At the governor level, you can’t just wait to “see what tomorrow brings” as viable plan. You need to have definitive dates and procedures.
Hawaii politicians are constipated with ineptness. They can’t make a decision to save their lives (and ours). The political rust is being exposed that accumulates when we vote in the same Party decade after decade. We need a change. They have no plan, no will, no clue as to how to make a decision. No one has the backbone to make a decision for fear of losing their “place in line” for the next elected position.
Get off your butts and do something….we’re dying out here
Our family had a Maui vacation planned starting on 6/18/2020 and rescheduled it to mid-August because of the obvious epi demic issues. We love the island, its people and have visited this island several times each year for the past 25 years.
I completely understand that Hawaii needs to keep great control of the health of the islands and its people – they simply do not have the medical infrastructure to take care of people if this gets out of control. I am also of the opinion that there definitely needs to be some protocols put in place for people who are boarding a plane to Hawaii, or rules for social distancing when they arrive. I don’t believe that the FAA can enforce a pre-board request like this so it may mean that strict social distancing rules are in place in Hawaii. This latter would also mean that locals would have to abide by these rules as well. Testing obviously should be considered as well when they arrive.
I am not sure what the right answer is for travelling to Hawaii or when the state should open back up to tourism (essentially lifting the 14 day quar antine requirement) but it does appear that the Governor has a “deer in the headlights” attitude right now. Regardless of ones opinion on tourism in Hawaii, it is needed to support the local economy; it cannot be eliminated overnight. I know there are locals who say keep the tourists away forever and return to a self-sustaining environment, but that would take years, if not decades. My humble opinion, set the date for reopening to tourism and provide progress reports on the ability to meet that date.
And to the tourists out there heading to Hawaii now, respect the rules! You are the ones giving the rest of us visitors a bad name.
C0vid is killing Aloha. The Hawaii travel restrictions at this point are an unconstitutional restraint of trade and burden on interstate commerce. I like the Hawaiian Airlines ideas and temperature checks if that is what it takes to re-open.
So good to see that a major employer and not just the medical & science profession are going to give some insight on moving forward on returning jobs to the islands. Needed are those three legs of information for the leadership of Hawaii to be able to make clear decisions which the locals and tourist so desperately need to avoid continuing devastation to the economy. A plan for the unemployment “pan demic” is just as critical as the effects of the chaos caused by leadership overreaction to the pan demic itself.
” When the frightened are in charge, chaos is the outcome”
I understand the rationale for the temperature checks, and want to keep everyone safe. However, it costs my family approximately $4,000 for round trip flights to Hawaii, and if one of us can’t fly due to a temperature, then we all have to cancel. Until the airlines can guarantee our choice of either a refund for all of our tickets if one member of the party is unable to fly due to illness, or rebooking (if possible) at no extra cost, I don’t see how I can feel comfortable booking flights to Hawaii again. There’s too much money to leave on the table, and getting all of our schedules to align to re-book is virtually impossible. Thank you for all you do to keep us updated on the situation in Hawaii.
Hi Mary.
Thanks.
Aloha.
We have reservations for three weeks in the Hawaiian Islands Hawaiian airlines. All the reservations are made including first class tickets. Every day we talk about canceling, but we love this place so much it is difficult to contemplate canceling our trip. This is over 30 such trips we have made to Hawaii! But… No matter, we are seriously considering canceling our trip to Maui Oahu, and Kauai. Just wanted to vent.
Chuck, I totally understand. We. consider the Big Island our home away from home for the last 39 years, but like you, we are considering canceling as well. We have our condo deposit down and have a refundable car rental but have not made airline reservations yet, which is unusual for us. If they don’t open everything soon, there will be nothing to there to do or see. We will not go if we cannot enjoy sitting on a beach. This is all so very sad and so unnecessary.
Aloha Chuck,
We were in the same boat but realized if we were proactive in cancelli g our flights there was a chance we may be penalized. We contacted Hawaiian Airlines via Twitter and explained we’d like to rebook for a later date “at tge same discounted fare.” They replied that wasn’t possible but offered a full refund. Then as luck would have it Beat of Hawaii posted a fare sale and we jumped on it. Things are so fluid now it’s hard to predict what’s going to happen. Good luck!
The woes of living in a 1st World country…
especially when traveling to a state that has the medical capacity/availability of a 3rd world country
We know how government works it’s reactive verses proactive until the island population puts the heat on to reopen then government will do little to make it happen. I’m on a lot of Hawaii travel forums I’ve found majority of posts come from transplants and long time residents that are anti-tourism. I read very little from small business owners or 1099 tax status residents. My feeling is Hawaiian government officials will feel no pressure to reopen the state to tourism until the federal governments $600.00 additional unemployment benefit sunsets. I’ve also found that most people receiving the benefit have no idea that it ends July 31st.
We own a condo on Maui and want to come over to our home. We usually only come over for a month at a time. With the quar antine, it makes no sense what so ever to come and be locked down for 2 weeks. We will survive, but I worry about about our friends in the hospitality business, without tourism, they will not be able to reopen, the island is going to take a long time to recover if ever. My heart goes out to all the locals. The best solution I have heard to allow visitors is to require testing, nothing wrong with that.
Aloha,
How can the lieutenant governor say they may open “… tourism to New Zealand, Australia, and Japan first…”? I don’t think the United States is letting people in from other countries. Did I miss something?
Thanks for all the info and I do like reading the comments. So many opinions!
Lanell
Hi Lanell.
Thanks again.
Aloha.