Beat of Hawaii Blog

What happens when some Hawaiian Airlines’ iconic widebody jets leave the islands? Alaska Airlines just rewrote Hawaii travel with its bold new vision. From the nostalgia of spacious cabins to ambitious plans for 12 international destinations from Seattle, here’s what’s changing and why it matters.

Could sky-high Hawaii hotel taxes climb even higher with a new visitor green fee planned for 2025? There’s a great deal at stake.

Hawaiian/Alaska are launching new flights to Kauai and the Big Island and beginning first Hawaiian widebody routes from Seattle to Asia. These are just the beginning of what will reshape Hawaii travel in 2025 and beyond.

This high-stakes rivalry will have a huge impact on Hawaii travelers. Alaska Airlines and Delta Air Lines reignite their battle over Hawaii flights. With new routes, intensified competition, and strategic moves, travelers could experience fare battles, route shakeups, and more—all with Hawaii’s skies at the center.

Long flight duration and tightly packed cabins amplify tensions. From mid-air altercations to innovative, now banned “preventive” gadgets, the stakes have never been higher than on island-bound Hawaii flights.

From treating Hawaii passengers as little more than walking piggy banks to embodying the complete opposite, even the most criticized companies, like United Airlines, can deliver the unexpected.

Two hubs are missing from the latest five airports to see Hawaiian and Alaska co-located. Hawaiian Airlines will at long last reset its now frustrating presence at LAX. Here’s what else is planned, and what isn’t yet on radar.

Outrageous resort fees, combined with Hawaii’s 18% state and county accommodation taxes, plus a host of questionable add-ons like ‘conservation fees,’ can inflate your hotel bill by over 50%—leaving travelers reeling from unexpected costs.

Extremes of airline tattoo policies spark intense debate in Hawaii. A Hawaiian Airlines employee termination reignites scrutiny, even as Southwest celebrates Hawaii with a tattoo-inspired livery and Hawaiian unveils their Moana themed plane.