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.
That is awesome!! Kauai has always been my favorite!
My Dad used to fly to SF on the China Clipper back in the 30’s. My first airplane flight was on a HA DC-3 to Lanai.. They passed out chewing gum, the planes were not pressurized!
My first trip to Hawaii was in 1977. My sister and I traveled there together. I almost stayed. It was a big temptation but family duty called me back to the mainland. I’ve since made 4 trips back to the islands. The cost if airfare and the long flight which kills my back and hips ( auto accident) keep me from going more often. I introduced my husband to Hawaii in 2012 and he immediately started talking about moving there. But now with the cost of living and low pay in his field (SQL database administrator) and my being retired it really isn’t feasible. Hopefully, once this pandemic has died down we can plan another trip. I feel so at home and less stressed as soon as I step off the plane with the ocean breeze and scent if plumeria.
Flew from LAX in 1963 on a prop not a jet, don’t remember airline or aircraft. We try to go Hawaii almost every year from PDX.
The day after I graduated high school in 1968, my girlfriend and I hitchhiked to the San Francisco Airport and sat in front of the Pan Am building with a small sign that said “Please help us get to Hawaii!” Within a few hours we had been given enough donations to walk inside and buy a ticket to Honolulu. I can’t remember the price but it seemed awfully cheap. My girlfriend stayed a week and then flew back to California to be with her boyfriend. I refused to fly back because I had fallen in love with Hawaii! I lived in the area known as the “Jungle” in Waikiki, learned how to surf, and eventually moved to Sunset Beach on the North Shore to live in a house with a tribe of hippies.
Fast forward 50 plus years: I’ve owned a house here on Kauai for 40 years, lived through hurricanes, tsunamis, and now a worldwide pandemic. I’ve traveled all over the world and this is still the very best place to live. I love Kauai!!!
That is awesome!! Kauai has always been my favorite!
I remember the Waikiki “Jungle”. When my wife and I stayed at the Princess Kaiulani alot dring the 60’s and early 70’s. Most nights you could hear random gun fire, and always the police/fire sirens. This article brought back fun memories!
I was born at Tripler in 1955, still have my original Territory of Hawaii birth certificate.
My mother to say that flying to the mainland (with an infant and two year old) was the longest flight of her life.
As a kid growing up in the SF bay area, I was familiar with the Matson ships and C&H sugar ship, and plant in Crockett. United had a show on TV every week promoting the islands in the 1950’s. I would watch it every week.
In 1970 I was serving in Vietnam, and was offered R&R in several locations, so I chose Hawaii. My wife flew over on a new United 747. I had arrived a few hours earlier on a PanAm 707, and we took Hawaiian to Kauai. The CoCo Palms had offered 50% discount rates for those of us on R&R.
What a beautiful place and I am sad every time we drive by now on our visits to Kauai.
We love Hawaii, and visit yearly. We were in Maui in May, coming to Honolulu in two weeks, and again in December.
Thanks for your timely information. I forward it to friends who are coming to visit.
Northwest Airlines (they had just dropped the “Orient” a couple months previously) flight, I think it was a 747. December 14th, 1986, or within a day of that. Flight departed LAX several hours late due to maintenance issues with the plane’s landing gear.
Got to Honolulu, found the military desk, and signed into my unit at Schofield Barracks later that night/morning.
Our (husband and 6-month-old daughter)first trip to Hawaii was in 1978. Don’t remember the airline, or hotel in Waikiki; we were there for two weeks. Our second time was to Maui last month for the wedding of our youngest daughter. Had a wonderful time both times. Our next trip will be to Waikiki so we can see how much it has changed in 43 years.
Mahalo, Hawaii, for the wonderful memories.
Oh no! I’m almost a little sad for you. Two very different Waikikis. I miss the old buildings that actually were there even just a few years ago.
Wow! What a great historic article! Loved the early commercial! The 1930’s Clipper was awesome! Thanks so much for your endless and amazing newsletters you put out so often with the most up to date and accurate information. We were fortunate enough to to visit with my son and family this past summer for a few weeks. You always post the most up to date information and we so appreciate your hard work on maintaining this info! Thanks so much! Aloha!
Hi Toni.
Thanks! We appreciate your kind words and first-time comment. Hope you see you again.
Aloha.