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.
My first trip to Hawaii was paid for by Queen’s Hospital to work there as a medical student. I returned a year later to be an intern at the hospital. I can’t remember the exact fare but it was less than $500 from Newark to Honolulu via SF. I would like to steer your attention to inter-island travel over the next 5 years that we lived in Hawaii: inter-island air travel. No-one seems to recall Royal Hawaiian Airlines it seems. There will never be another like it. They landed at small airfields throughout the islands. We’d fly at levels that allowed us to see waterfalls and other beautiful views. They had their own airfield just beyond Lahaina. It was truly NO KA OI
Hi Allen.
We’ve published a number of articles that include Royal Hawaiian if you care to use our website search.
Aloha.
My first flight was from Travis AFB to Hickham AFB in 1984 as part of a C-130B crew. Soooo much better flying direct from DFW to OGG on a 787 .
I was a flight attendant for Pan Am and later for United. Loved my island flying!!!! Spent my last ten years flying trips to Kona. Will be going to Maui next year! Miss my islands!!
My husband graduated from UH in 1973 and always loved the islands. It was only natural that when we married in 1999 he took me to all the islands on two separate trips. He then asked me which island was my favorite. I chose Kauai, so we bought a condo on the north shore. We loved it for many years before having to sell due to unforeseen circumstances. Traveling from Florida became difficult as we were visiting twice a year. We still travel to the islands every year but mostly to Kauai. Occasionally we’ll stop in Honolulu so he can walk around the UH campus. It’s so beautiful there, but my love for Kauai will never wane.
BOH, I found like I found a friend that I can Finally share my deep deep love of the islands! This is such a wonderful site. I just loved reading the experiences below! So very nice to share. My first trip was in 1973!. I studied Hawaiian history for 10 years before borrowing a backpack and hiking all the islands. What a wonderful experience. I can’t say that I was a hippy, but I just wanted to really know the land and meet such wonderful locals. I do remember having my backpack taken from a beach on Kauai so flew onto Maui, where the AAA owner/manager helped me replace travel checks, then took 3 of us for a tour to show us safe places to camp. There was only One hotel on West Maui then. All Wonderful Islands! Great Memories!
Our first of several trips from Atlanta to Hawaii was our 1978 Honeymoon trip. We paid for it with a Gulf Oil credit card. A lot has changed since then, both for us and Hawaii. Aloha.
I first went to Hawaii in 1998 and have been going back every year some times twice a year will be flying over on 17th November from Australia I just fell in love with Aloha and its beauty still takes my breath away my favourite island is Kauai and my favourite town was Lahaina I still can’t believe all these shops and building have gone
My first trip to Hawaii was a belated honeymoon in 1964. When it was time to leave Oahu I said to my husband “I want to live here.”….he said “Are you crazy, we don’t know anyone here.” I said “Something inside of me feels like this is where I belong.” We went back to Detroit and immediately put in a transfer with his company United Airlines and 6 weeks later we were living in Hawaii. Later, we adopted two local babies and although my husband left us after 12 years, I raised my daughters alone and spent 45 years living in paradise before moving to the mainland to care for my elderly parents. Hawaii will always be Home! I still read Beat of Hawaii in my email.
The best way at this point and time to get travelers back to Maui is simple.Lower airfare and Lower accommodations. It’s far to expensive in this economy.Its the perfect strategy. San Diego vacation cost less then half then Hawaii.We went Sept 4th family of 6.Enjoyed emmensely yet all agree it was to expensive.
My first trip was with my family in 1968 to Oahu from Alaska. My dad had been stationed in Hawaii from 1961 to 1964 and my mom always wanted to see it. I was young, but I can remember the smell of tropical flowers filled the air when we deplaned. It was magic.
Fast forward to present day and both my mom and I have lived on Maui, she in Kula and I in Lahaina, for the last 13 years. Every day here is a blessing.