A Hawaii flash sale arose in the past day or so. It is on offer in varying forms from all of the airlines flying to Hawaii, Alaska, American, Delta, Hawaiian, Southwest, and United. The prices start at $90 and go up to just over $100 each way on the most competitive routes from Northern and Southern California to all islands. Several big questions arise to consider, however, as to the current Hawaii flash sale.
Is this a good time to visit Hawaii?
Answer: Hawaii is on overload and beyond its capacity for medical care due to the explosion of Delta Variant Covid cases. Adding anything to that mix, even trauma from a visitor’s hiking accident, illness, or worse, simply isn’t good.
How long will that overload continue to be the case? We don’t know, and it doesn’t appear that anyone else does either. While other countries have experienced a very rapid drop-off of cases from this variant (the UK as one example), no one seems to know if that will be the case here. There were 647 new cases in Hawaii today and 8,536 cases in just the past 14 days.
Many believe that the sharp rise in cases is attributable to Hawaii visitors. The governor and the lieutenant governor, however, have both indicated that is simply not the case. Others are certain that the case explosion emanates from those Hawaii residents who have traveled to the mainland and then returned without either vaccination or testing. They instead go into what appears to now be an unsupervised quarantine at home, wherein they can infect others via community spread. You decide who to believe.
And it isn’t just those factors to consider. For example, Hawaii had extraordinarily high unemployment, and most people have only gone back to work in the past six months. We have already noted and mentioned a recent and marked drop-off in forward reservations and an increase in cancellations due to concerns about traveling once again. Without visitors, unemployment will once again rear its head, and this time, it wouldn’t appear to have a big federal lifeline behind it.
Lastly, we’ve said many times before that this is “normally” our favorite time of year in the islands. For innumerable reasons, late summer and fall is a fantastic time to visit Hawaii most years. The weather starts to cool from the peak of summer. The sun is even more beautiful, the ocean water is perfect, and there are epic sunrises and sunsets to enjoy too. There are normally fewer visitors in this period, which makes everything more accessible and personal.
Then again, this isn’t an ordinary year. Restaurants have been hard to get into, Hawaii car rentals have been sky-high, and activities have been sold out. But things are changing, and quickly. We just found some Hawaii car rentals for this fall at a fraction of the cost we found just a couple of weeks ago. A friend couldn’t get their desired hotel reservation for September, and then suddenly they just did.
Can you get a refund or credit on these flash sale tickets if you change your mind and decide not to visit now?
Answer: Great question. The answer is no on refunds, as tickets are non-refundable. Regarding credit, it depends entirely on which airline you are flying and that has recently gotten a lot more interesting. Three airlines are offering to change flights for free, on even their cheapest tickets. For the full overview of that situation, read:
Airlines Again Offer Free Changes On All Hawaii Flights
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It is the right time, and it is also the right time for residents of Hawaii to get vaccinated.
End the pandemic; get vaccinated.
The alternative is;
Refuse vaccines; stalling economy and death
I am so sick of people making excuses for unvaccinated people who prolong the pandemic and overburden our health care system
Since this pandemic has Kauai started to actually clean up and sterilize their public restrooms and include hand soap. That would help alot in curbing outbreaks. You know what I mean Polihale restroom barely got the toilet paper changed, the Lucy Wright Park was given up on long before the pandemic, The Russian fort restroom always dirty and trash overflowing, Kapaa beach park and the Lehi. Just because an area is deemed bad does not mean don’t do the job you are paid for. Closing these places down is not an answer and you wonder why the spike in illness and waste. BTW Vaccines is a preventative measure not a cure please stop taking it personally if someone opts out of the vaccine.It is their choice and nobody’s business why. Build up your immune system. Vaccine is not a cure, does not mean you won’t get it or transmit the disease.
No Annette the vaccine is not a “cure” anymore then staying healthy and building up your immune system is. But just like staying healthy certainly increases your odds of not needing hospitalization or dying from Covid, so does the vaccine, only more more so. Despite the focus on the breakthrough cases as everyone is doing, the numbers still prove the vaccinated are very very rarely needing hospitalization. They are also much less likely to catch and spread the virus then an unvaccinated person. Yes to not get vaccinated is your own business, just know that to get vaccinated is an act of Aloha and concern for others.
Amen JohnW!
a resident.Increase in covid!
As long as you have young people Vacinated? In droves no masks or distancing partying drinking in cafés clubs and on the streets in ka’aako till the early hours of the morning 2 – 4am then there will be an increase in covid. Reporting to the police has made little difference.
Better check out hotel prices first! They are very high now! Don’t even think about a rental car or even a bike! LOL I’m a resident and I see these cheap tickets but everything else is extremely expensive or non existent. Don’t forget food!
This is the airline and governors fault for this. They just need to limit the amount of flights / people into the state of Hawaii. Yes let people in of course but just slow down bringing in thousands. I think it’s great of course the cheap tickets but look at the window of travel of these cheap tickets. DUhhhh during the rise in Covid cases so it’s the airlines fault flying so many over in BUNCHES in this time frame 🤬. Why are the airlines not selling these tickets in the new year at this price when things hopefully get better??????
This is the airlines fault
Is October..a better month to visit …”OAHU?”..& Maui….this yr.??
I attribute this to the so called “Southwest effect” …they jump into a market and try to get as much out of it as they can.
In the case of Hawaii, it doesn’t work so good.
Will I be able to book a safe trip toHawaii for my sister’s birthday I am fully vaccinated and we plan on just a small reunion with her and I staying in her apartment most of the time but would love to see the waterfalls we have a car so no problem ther
This is a tough time for places that depend on tourism! Here in Las Vegas our COVID numbers are way up. Unfortunately when the mask mandate was dropped for vaccinated people, pretty much no one was wearing a mask… vaccinated or not. Venues are changing. Allegiant Stadium will now require proof of vaccination to attend an event there. The Smith Center is requiring proof of vaccination or negative COVID test . The largest convention in Las Vegas every year,CES, Has stated that they will require proof of vaccination to attend. I wouldn’t be surprised if more venues follow suit and if Hawaii begins to do the same. I know a lot of people object to it, but there has to be a way to get a handle on these cases or we’re gonna be stuck in the cycle with this virus a very long time. That benefits no one.
We know 3 people personally who were fully vaccinated and all contracted Covid and got very sick and spread it to their families…one even hospitalized at 83 yrs and best part is they ALL survived! So proof of vaccination isn’t going to help with this virus.
Let everyone live life and look after their own fears and we’ll all be better off.
Vi…..you said it yourself, no one died including an 83 yo……that’s what the vaccine is supposed to do. Lucky they were vaccinated, especially the 83 year old! If he hadn’t been vaccinated his chances of survival were much lower. Seems we are learning more and more how much worse the delta variant is ( as the CDC warned) and while it’s rarely fatal to a vaccinated person it is problematic, early on I thought “I’m vaccinated, why mask up?…now I understand. Hopefully enough people get vaccinated before a more lethal variant comes out…..glad you are not dealing with a death in the family. Just spoke to a friend who lost her 58 year old niece…unvaccinated.
Aloha,
Of course the airlines would run cheap deals when they’ve recently had so many cancellations from responsible and considerate travelers!!!
It’s ALL about the money not the well being of the Hawaiian people!!! Just like the government has been, worried about the dollar and profit and that’s it!!!
There needs to be a limit on flights and numbers of travelers entering the state!!!
If you love Hawaii you WILL NOT book a flight until 2022 at the earliest!!!
Mahalo!!!
Now is the worst possible time to come to Hawaii when we are facing a possible shut down again. Please be responsible and don’t travel when it is not safe to especially if it’s non essential. Mahalo!
Thanks, greedy profiteering car rentals, thanks, careless unvacinated Hawaii locals,, bring the new virus back from the mainland, and thank you, too, Marriott, not lifting a finger to help with local transportation, if only for shopping. Nevermind, the Kauai Beach Club hotel sale of Marriott francisee is an apparent sh*t show, screwing both long time employees and timeshare owners left holding the bag. Oh! and lets not forget the convuluted new bus service on Kauau. It shuts down by 5pM. A little early to get to Kintaros or your other favoritte restaurants. Any special assistance for handicapped visitors? Again, forget it!
Great article. It is nice to see that your comments are reflecting things on the ground here. I would imagine that in the coming days beaches and parks here on the BI are going to close, making access a walk in proposition.
These are not good times here in Hawaii.
Thank you for the forthright comments.
Hi Kelly.
Thanks for your comment. We appreciate the input.
Aloha.
Anyone planning to go to Hawaii right now is litterally crazy.You really want to eat at a restaurant that has an unvaccinated local cooking your food? The locals DO NOT want you there. They want to mandate that visitors get vaccinated before coming yet don’t get vaccinated themselves.
Good luck tourists. You are going to have a terrible time and most likely get sick.
My husband and I are leaving for Oahu on August 31st and staying until September 7th. We are both fully vaccinated and have had 5 negative for covid tests done already and will be doing another one 48 hours before we leave. We are going to see our grandkids for the 1st time ever that are almost 3 and 4 years old, but due to covid we have already rescheduled our flights twice before and United was gracious enough to change our flights for free both times, but as for our hotel reservations. No way, We lost $247 the 1st time and $200 the second time and just now tried to confirm our reservation for this 7 days and they claimed they have no reservation and have received no money from us. I was on the phone with management for over 3 hours today trying to get this fixed only to be told that they will have to investigate what happened and that could take up to 30 days before anything is resolved or if and that’s a big if the manager said if any money is owed to us it could [make up to 90 days before| being refunded. oh and they have no available rooms for those dates. So there goes $1,244 down the drain thanks to Hilton Hawaiian Village at Waikiki. I don’t care if I have to sleep in the confirmed rental car from Enterprise we are going to see our grandkids this time. My son chose to serve his country in the Army and has just made corporal and I don’t want to have to reschedule our trip again. Any where to stay on Oahu that’s low discounted price for an older couple? I have been looking everywhere until I’m cross eyed and my head hurts. I’ll try again tomorrow I guess.
Sounds like you feel entitled to travel to Hawaii. You aren’t. Your son served in the military, not you. He can bring your grandchildren to you. It’s not safe here. Stay away, please. Do it for us. We would do the same for you. Aloha.
Wow, that was harsh…I read her post and felt nothing but empathy for her situation….she’s vaxed and trying to do everything right.
Sorry for what you are going through Candace! Tough times for so many and you deserve a break…good luck and hang in there!
Thanks John I really do appreciate it. I don’t want to cause anyone to be upset at us for wanting to come see our grandkids. We are going to keep safe with wearing masks at all times, social distancing and having a covid test 24 hours before we get there and then I have also scheduled us covid tests for the day before we leave to come home. We don’t want to get sick ourselves or cause anyone else to become sick either. I don’t like going anywhere that I know I’m not wanted, but this one time I’m just gonna have to for my grandbabies and everyone else can just get over it. I’m sorry!
No I don’t feel entitled at all. I feel blessed that I have the opportunity to get to come to see my grandkids. My son is stationed in wahiawa for another 3 years and I’m sorry but the army doesn’t just let you come home whenever you want to. Besides plane tickets for 6 ( my son & daughter in law & their 4 babies) from Oahu to Atlanta aren’t cheap especially not on a military salary. But with us getting senior, AARP & AAA discounts, plus having member rewards points to use for united airlines, Hilton, Marriott, Wyndham and IHG hotels and then we saved up for almost 2 years to have money to come. I’m sorry you wouldn’t do everything you could to go see your family at least once, but we are firm believers that tomorrow is not promised to us. So we will maintain our safety measures the whole trip because we’re coming, sorry you don’t want us there.
Wow , sounds like a mess . Did you not get a confirmation email for your hotel booking ? All hotels send out a confirmation booking with confirmation code and the dates and your name . Did you use a online booking company ? They also would have emailed a confirmation to you .
Yes Tim I had all my confirmation emails from the hotel, but the manager couldn’t find the reservation anywhere in their system. I booked the stay on their website, so I didn’t use a third party like priceline because I used our member rewards points. I forwarded all the information that I had received from the hotel regarding our confirmation for those dates and the payment confirmation showing it was sent and they received it, plus a confirmation from our bank showing the transaction numbers of who, when and the total amount sent to them. So I have done everything I can to prove to them that we did what was asked of us to do. I don’t want to have to file charges on them when we get there, but they basically stole $1,244 from us and that’s not okay for them not to do as promised.
Just a thought Candace but I wouldn’t give up, maybe send the info you have to corporate HQ or perhaps enlist a third party like AARP or a consumer advocate to help you get your money back. It will take time but you explained it well enough here, I’m sure you could to someone who can do something about it. Good Luck!
Candace, good that you stated,”I don’t want to have to file charges on them(emphasis)when we get there”. I got beaten on that when I left the islands. Money owed was not returned. And(in my situation anyway),to have contested this ripoff would have required me to be in the islands-I’d just moved away.(Small island, people know.) I have a second matter which would also require me to be in the islands to settle. Only my experiences, but it seems that if you are going to contest this matter then you might need to be physically present on-island….that’s how it “works” it seems.
Good luck. Seriously. 👍