When I wrote recently about Filterstream, it was to tell you about how it allowed hotels to show you only those TripAdvisor reviews that made them look good.  The problem is, that entirely subverted TripAdvisor’s integrity. At the time, I checked with our contact at TripAdvisor, who said:  “We have no comment for now on the Filter Stream widget.” On […]
Here’s yet another tale in Hawaii’s never ending saga of inter-island transportation. Less than one year ago we were excited to see a new and local player, Mokulele Airlines, enter the prior duopoly of Hawaiian Airlines and Mesa Airlines’ Go!. Low Airfares drove Mokulele’s financial problems. So much has occurred  in such a short time span. First we’ve been […]
Air Canada announced today that beginning in December, they will launch the only non-stop, seasonal service between Calgary and Hawaii. We’re always glad to see new service added to bring our Canadian friends to visit here in Hawaii. WestJet has had most of the recent news, and in December will start their latest service between Vancouver and Lihue, Kauai. […]
Last month we reported, based on multiple sources, that six Boeing 757’s had been acquired on behalf of Allegiant Air, likely in preparation for service to Hawaii. It is believed that at least one of these 757’s is in the shop at Goodyear, Arizona. We’ve been reporting Allegiant’s plans to begin service to Hawaii for some time. While the […]
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 […]
