Associated Press has placed the TripAdvisor review fraud issue front and center after their recent interview with me. With that bold step, the subject has gone from the cloaked domain of travel writers into open public view. Kudos to AP. What is TripAdvisor doing now that they’ve openly admitted to reviewer fraud? I spoke this week with April Robb […]
TripAdvisor removed their fraud warning badge on Honolulu’s Hotel Renew last week. With the badge gone, the hotel is now listed as the number one property in all of Honolulu. So how did Hotel Renew go from being a problem child last week to top property this week? TripAdvisor has removed almost all fraud warnings from their reviews. My […]
Updated: Sources indicate that the aircraft were bought on behalf of Allegiant rather than directly by Allegiant. Allegiant is denying that they purchased the aircraft, which is likely technically true. Allegiant Air may really be the new airline in Hawaii skies. Three sources tell me that they have just purchased six Boeing 757-200 aircraft in the UK. The planes […]
As you may have heard, US Airways has announced daily non-stop service from Charlotte to Honolulu starting in December. While I’m always happy to see any new lift coming to our state, this announcement wasn’t one that I expected, nor thought made sense. First, the good news: Three carriers will offer non-stop service to Hawaii from the East Coast. […]
I noted with interest that ownership of bankrupt Hawaiian clothing retailer Hilo Hattie has transferred today to Royal Hawaiian Creations. While I’ve never heard of Royal Hawaiian, their half-working website indicates that they manufacture and wholesale Hawaiian wear. They are Honolulu-based, and previously owned two Waikiki stores that apparently closed last year. News reports indicate that Royal Hawaiian, which […]
I couldn’t believe my eyes when I read the WSJ article yesterday, indicating that American, Continental and Delta’s 737’s are being reconfigured with 160 seats. That’s an additional 10-12 seats in economy depending on airline. While this may not make big news on a one or two hour flight, it’s noteworthy on the long haul between the mainland and […]
Updated June 23: This article has been picked up and written about by Travel Weekly, WalletPop, Hotel Chatter, Chris Elliott, Arthur Frommer and others. The conversation continues. Thank you. Updated June 4: I was asked on Twitter how many other such warnings exist on the TripAdvisor site. As of this morning I find a total of 92. The warnings […]
Hyatt Hotels Twitter can really help. In what may be an important indication of the future of Twitter in travel, the hotel chain has introduced their online virtual concierge. You can now contact your Hyatt hotel via Twitter with questions, or even just to tell them you’ll be arriving late. If you’re not yet on Twitter, maybe this is […]
We’ve both been flying around Hawaii on Mokulele Airline’s Embraer 170 jet service again. That is a big change for these two guys who have been Hawaiian Air’s most frequent fliers for years. Inter-island airfares are still cheap, so its a great time to see more than one island the next time you are in Hawaii. Since we last […]
U.S. domestic airlines charged us more than $1 billion last year for excess baggage, as reported today by CNN. Given that 2008 was the year the airlines started tightening the screws with the unpopular baggage fee, expect to see at least double or triple that number for 2009. In the last quarter of 2008 alone, the fees were one-half […]
In some much needed good news for Hawaii’s tourism-based economy yesterday, we began to see the fruition of our State’s work to encourage travel between Hawaii and Korea. Hawaiian Airlines is seeking approval to serve Seoul directly from Honolulu. Starting June 15, Hawaiian wants to significantly expand their code-share agreement with Korean Airlines. It was almost a year ago […]
As I’ve stated before, Go! may not be long for aviation. Many industry analysts have questioned their ongoing financial viability. For a plethora of reasons, both those stated below and not, I suggest flying Hawaiian, Mokulele, or Island Air. 1. Go! parent sells only other off-shore venture. Go!’s parent, Mesa Airlines, is in the process of selling its Chinese […]
