If you thought ancillary airline fees simply couldn’t go any higher, think again. In a seemingly never ending industry cycle, Hawaiian Airlines announced this afternoon that inter-island baggage fees will be increasing. For tickets purchased after 3/10/14 the cost will be $25 for the first bag and $35 for the second bag. They had been $17 each. This increase will likely be followed by competitors.
The good news is that there are two ways to avoid or reduce these baggage fees:
1. HawaiianMiles members.
Free to join, HawaiianMiles frequent flyer membership will reduce inter-island bag fees to $15 and $20 respectively. We suggest signing up for membership prior to purchasing Hawaiian Airlines tickets.
2. HawaiianMiles Visa card holders.
Those who have the new HawaiianMiles MasterCard from barclaycard will receive their first checked bag for free. We’re awaiting additional details regarding the new card and its benefits, especially for existing HawaiianMiles Visa card holders.
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I purchased Hawaiian Airlines tickets in January for a May 10th trip–does this mean I will be “grandfathered in” under the old $17 rate? How will they know when I arrive? Thanks.
Hi Lisa,
That is the indication from Hawaiian Airlines. That should not be difficult for them to calculate.
Aloha.
If you are okay with renting your snorkel gear you may find that you can get away with just carryon bags (If you love your snorkel gear, be very careful packing the mask. I broke a very expensive one while trying to cram it into a suitcase). The weather is usually warm so you don’t need bulky jackets or sweaters. If you hike in the rain then light-weight durable boots will probably be the heaviest item to pack. Most likely, you will find yourself going more casual, without makeup and wearing the same comfy clothes over and over again. See what the owner of your condo or hotel supplies. For example we have ponchos for our guests and other personal items. Your most important items are a bathing suit, phone/camera and medicine, a couple of shirts, shorts, a dress. Sarongs have multiple uses so support our locals and buy one to use as a coverup, shawl (as protection from sun or for warmth at night or in the mountains), dress, blanket, skirt, privacy screen. Sunscreen can be purchased on island and you can buy just about anything you forget.