Putting Hawaii travel costs in perspective. From the Honolulu Clipper take off to today’s landing.
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191 thoughts on “Prices Went From $5,500 To $99 As Air Travel Reshaped Hawaii”
Putting Hawaii travel costs in perspective. From the Honolulu Clipper take off to today’s landing.
1976
My first flight to Hawaii (Oahu) occured in October 1976. Fresh out of US Army boot camp, I was travelling to my duty station at Schofield Barracks. It was a U ited Airlines DC-10 wide body with two aisles. Not sure of the cost as Uncle Sam was footing the bill. My three year posting in Hawaii led to my ‘affliction’ for the islands. I now return to Maui quarterly each year. It’s all good.
My dad made a career move to work as an attorney for Dole right after I was born, so we flew as a family of five to Oahu from CA in 1964, after a road trip from NY to California. I’m just now understanding what a bold move was made by my parents. This includes the cost of the plane tickets, the acceptance of a whole new culture at school for my brothers, and living beyond a continent away from anyone we knew, including our grandparents.
We really enjoy the Beat of Hawaii. Thank you. Our first flight to Hawaii was in June, 1974 on a Northwest Orient Airlines Boeing 747. We were thrilled to be on such an enormous airplane. The round trip tickets for the two of us cost $487.80. After 20+ flights to Hawaii I don’t pay much attention to the airplane but way back when it was such an adventure.
Hi Danelle.
Thanks. It fascinating for us to read so many comments representing a plethora of experiences in the islands over many years.
Aloha.
My family moved by ship to Hawaii in 1954. I remember sometimes going to the airport to watch the planes land and take off in late 50s.
All that separated boarding passengers and planes was 3′ chain link fence. Walk across runway. Almost like in Bogart film Casablanca.
Remember real meals free on plane. Pilot would give Kids wings. From 1956 to 2005 flew periodically, went from prop to jet, interisland and mainland saw major changes.
My first flight to Hawaii was in 1966….when my mom, three siblings and I flew on Braniff from SFO. We had to spend a night in Hawaii before continuing our flight to Guam and then the Philippine. My dad’s submarine was moved from San Diego to Subic Bay. That B-707 looked so huge to my six-year old eyes! Thirteen years later I returned to Hawaii for a wedding…on a Western Airlines Boeing 707.
Mahalo for writing and sharing this well-informed and entertaining article with us. I love your historical articles about Hawaii and aviation. Glad to hear that you are both doing well.
Aloha
Hi Debi.
Thank you! We appreciate you being a part of this for more than five years.
Aloha.
First flight to Hawaii was in August 1969, Pan Am 707, LAX to HNL, one way $75. Flight to Maui was prop Hawaiian Airlines, cost about $10.
I remember the free pineapple juice dispenser at HNL. Had to walk pretty far through the parking lots to Hawaiian inter island terminal.
Are you Margo’s husband?
I wasn’t very clear in my question….If so I know you guys from the Hansen/OP days! 🙂 Aloha!
Aloha and mahalo for the brief history. Would you have any idea how that plane was brought to Hawaii in 1910 that was the first flight ever in the Islands. Thank you for all your info.
Hi Mike.
We don’t know the answer but perhaps fellow aviation buffs here will lend a hand.
Aloha.
My first flight to Hawaii was with the Air Force in 1968. I worked in a KC-135 tanker unit that ferried fighter jets to Southeast Asia during the Vietnam war. Fellow officers had told me about the deadly Mai Tai’s in Hawaii, so after we landed at Hickam AFB, checked into the BOQ, changed out of our flight suits into “civvies”, we headed to the O’Club for cocktails and dinner. Being a brash Lieutenant at the time, I bellied up to the bar and proudly ordered a Mai Tai. “Pretty tasty”, I thought as I downed the drink like it was a can of soda. When we were called for dinner, I got off the barstool and…. almost fell on my ass! Lesson learned. I flew to Hawaii so many times during the war I should qualify for Kamaaina fares.
Mike here’s two site for ya should have the info you want.
Bob B
airandspace.si.edu/exhibitions/hawaii-by-air/online/early-flights/crossing-the-pacific.cfm#:~:text=The%20Navy%27s%20Ordeal%20at%20Sea%20The%20Navy%20decided,31%2C%201925%20from%20the%20waters%20near%20San%20Francisco.
aviation.hawaii.gov/aviation-photos/1910-1919/
I wish I could click on that first link (covered by an ad; once I got rid of the ad, it still wouldn’t click/copy) — I just saw what I swear was one of the Pan-Am Hawaiian Clippers on display at the Udvar-Hazy Smithsonian annex in DC.
So far this is all I found will have more time to research tomorrow.
airandspace.si.edu/collection-objects/sikorsky-jrs-1/nasm_A19610112000
There is a company in Carson City NV that restores the military twin engine Albatross amphibians.
I remember when they used to fly up to Lake Tahoe, land out in the middle of the Lake, party awhile, then fly back to Carson City.
Most likely brought to HI as deck cargo on a freighter or broken down then reassembled in HI
Bob B.
On Dec 19, 1910, Whipple Hall, an agent for Curtiss Aircraft arrived in Honolulu aboard the S.S.Manchuria (Pacific Mail Steamship Company out of SFO). He announced that within a week two airplanes and men to fly them would arrive by ship.
On Dec 27, 1910, J. C. “Bud” Mars, a company demo pilot, arrived on the S.S. Wilhelmina (Matson Line). The strange looking metal birds were taken to Samuel Damon’s Moanalua polo field for assembly. Each was a pusher craft with propeller and engine behind the pilot.
Soon after 2 pm, Dec 31, 1910, the group finished preparations and Mars climbed aboard the Curtiss B-18 biplane. It took Mars nine seconds to get airborne. Thousands of people burst into shouts of approval … guess they liked it.
My first flight to Hawaii was from San Francisco to Honolulu in 1983, when I was 5 years old. I don’t recall much about the flight other than it was on United Airlines and took a long time (probably on a 747). I do recall that we took a United DC-8 the following year nonstop to Kahului, which was not common at the time. I liked the little packs of Mauna Loa macadamia nuts United handed out as snacks in those days (which you can still find at stores like Foodland).
Mauna Loa macadamia nuts thought they were “unique” I bought 4 cans while on Maui in 2000. Took to UPS to ship back to the mainland, no room in luggage. So cost $45 to ship them back to the mainland. When we landed back in San Francisco, I saw the same cans of nuts at half the price we paid on Maui already on the mainland, lesson learned!
My brief comments two months ago on my first trip to Hawaii weren’t entirely accurate. Having read some of the unforgettable stories the past few days, I want to fill in the details on that trip.
In the summer of 1962 when we were sixteen, my best friend, Gary, and took our first plane trip, the “Pink Cloud Flight”, on a four-engine prop plane out of Los Angeles to Honolulu. The plan was for us to stay with my uncle in Kailua and work at his building materials business. That changed the second day when my uncle told us he already had enough “yard men” and, instead, we were going to paint his house. Plus, we weren’t going to stay at his house and he had arranged other living quarters for us with a friend. That friend happened to be Don Lord, owner of Lord’s at Lanikai.
Behind the steakhouse/bar was a shack attached to a rental room which was already occupied. We got the shack for 50 cents a day. Don was an unforgettable, somewhat notorious character. We got steak dinners for hauling his trash to the dump. His clientele mostly consisted of USMC pilots from the Kaneohe Air Station, and their dates. They wanted us to play our guitars and sing, but we were too intimated – a real missed opportunity.
There are other stories, but all in all, it was a dream trip. During the week, my uncle let us use his second car, a 1957 Chevy Nomad wagon with a 3-speed shift on the column – perfect for hauling surfboards and checking out Honolulu.
Gary and I talked about not going back to California, but just couldn’t come up with a viable plan. His dad would have come after us and that wouldn’t have been pretty.
We stayed most of the summer. My uncle got what he paid for in house-painting. In 1969 when my naval ship stopped in Pearl on the way to pick up Apollo 10, Uncle Bob toured the ship, then took me over the Pali Highway for a night at his house. I noticed it had a very professional paint job with no signs of our hard work!
Thanks for the opportunity to share this.