Today we talk about how to budget for your Hawaiian vacation especially in the light of recent airfare increases. We discuss what approach you should take when booking in advance which most people have to do when they’re planning a Hawaiian vacation. We go over current pricing as compared with prices just a few months ago. This is a great podcast if you’re in the planning stages of your Hawaii vacation. We also go over packages that have been booked in the last 24 to 48 hours which will give you a chance to see what Hawaiian packages are pricing for these days. We also thank our newest customers and welcome them to our ohana (family )and also the agents that booked them.
In this week spotlight we visit a true Hawaiian landmark aloha Tower immortalized in the opening credits of Hawaii 50 this lighthouse has long been a gathering place welcoming ships and people to Honolulu for over nine decades.
it’s Aloha Friday, or as we like to call it, Mai Tai day here in Hawaii. Today we talk about the aftermath of both the ATA and Aloha shutdowns again and discuss how the whole problem has escalated to Washington, DC where lawmakers are calling for tougher regulations on airlines so unfair competition doesn’t come into play ever again for smaller airlines here in Hawaii. We talk about how most of our customers have happy endings even with all of the problems because we were able to issue complete refunds and reschedule 99% of the customers who were affected by the two shutdowns. We thank all of our customers for remaining patient and to our experienced travel agents who worked tirelessly to get everybody re-booked and rescheduled. Our hats off to our major supplier Blue Sky Tours, who really stepped up to the plate and made the best of a very difficult situation, without their support we never could have done it.
Folks are planning their trips and finalizing plans already for next year. We go over packages that have been booked in the last 24 to 48 hours. Prices are holding steady and we have been able to secure good pricing for the beginning of next year if you can plan that far ahead. We thank these new customers and also the great agents who booked them, welcome to our Ohana.
Today we talk about the ATA shut down and the impact that this has had on the Hawaii tourism front as well as the ripple effect through the entire economy for Hawaii. We go over some of the scenarios we’ve run into as a result of the cancellations. We talk about what you can do if you purchased tickets on ATA and discuss from our perspective what people doing about this bad news. In some cases people of had to reschedule, in some cases cancel their entire trips as a result of these last-minute cancellations. As travel agents our hearts really goes out to folks who’ve been affected by this and are trying to do everything we can to help anyone we can. We answer a question by Anna who wants to know what to do on her Maui trip and give her some suggestions and ideas about where to stay for their anniversary. We also go over some packages that have been booked in the last 24 to 48 hours and we welcome new customers to our Ohana.
Kilauea Volcano is off-limits to tourists at the moment because of an eruption which is sending noxious sulfur gas into the air. Over a thousand people were evacuated from the park itself and more than 2000 people recommended to leave the area. It’s happening in a part of the park just outside the volcanoes national Park and near the Kilauea Caldera. Needless to say if you’re planning a trip to this part of the big Island you should probably check before you go as this is expected to continue for quite some time.
It’s been a tough week for Hawaii tourism as 2 major airlines, Aloha and ATA have ceased operations. Aloha’s last day was March 31st and this gave passengers just 1 day to make alternate flight plans. Following ATA’s bankruptcy filing on Thursday, Oakland International Airport was left without any direct flights to Hawaii. All the lastest news, including weather, spotlight and Celebrity News.
We learned late last night that ATA, a discount airline which services Hawaii from Los Angeles Oakland, Phoenix, and Las Vegas canceled all their fights and has gone out of business. Coming on the heels of the Aloha Airlines bankruptcy, this is yet another blow for travelers who wish to come to Hawaii. The company issued a statement Wednesday night saying they could not stay in business after losing a key contract for military charter flights. These charter flights were a big part of their business and they say they cannot operate without that income.
For those of you who are holding ATA tickets with our agency, we are working diligently to get through each of the bookings and find options for you. We are working on a priority basis handling the bookings that have immediate need first. With regards to cancellation fees and re-booking fees, we are working to keep those at a minimum and try not to charge any fees at all. If you’re thinking about calling your credit card company contact us first before you do that because chances are that’s not going to yield you much benefit either. The credit card company needs to get the money from somebody and if the airline is out of business, there is a good chance you will not get any monies back. Our hope is that we will be able to minimize the costs are customers as much as possible. Please be patient with us as we will work as fast as we can to get your booking finalized and settled.
The company issued this statement on its Web site:
"After filing for Chapter 11 on April 2, 2008 in the U.S. Bankruptcy Court in Indianapolis, IN, ATA Airlines has discontinued all operations and cancelled all current and future flights. Following the loss of a key contract for our military charter business, it became impossible for ATA to continue operations. Unfortunately, we were not in a position to provide our customers or others with advance notice.
"We apologize for the disruption caused by the sudden shutdown of ATA and regret the impact on passengers, employees, suppliers, and other parties. ATA customers should seek alternative arrangements for current and future travel. A list of other airlines serving ATA’s destinations is available here.
"ATA customers who purchased tickets using a credit card should contact their credit card company or travel agency directly for information about how to obtain a refund for unused tickets.
"ATA currently is unable to provide refunds to customers who purchased tickets directly from ATA with cash or a check. These customers may be able to obtain a full or partial refund for their unused tickets by submitting a claim in ATA’s Chapter 11 proceedings. Information about submitting a claim will be available at the following website: http://www.bmcgroup.com/ataairlines.
"Customers who purchased tickets from Southwest Airlines for flights operated by ATA under the codeshare agreement should contact Southwest Airlines directly at (800) 308-5037."
Today we talk about how to budget for your Hawaiian vacation especially in the light of recent airfare increases. We discuss what approach you should take when booking in advance which most people have to do when they’re planning a Hawaiian vacation. We go over current pricing as compared with prices just a few months ago. This is a great podcast if you’re in the planning stages of your Hawaii vacation. We also go over packages that have been booked in the last 24 to 48 hours which will give you a chance to see what Hawaiian packages are pricing for these days. We also thank our newest customers and welcome them to our ohana (family )and also the agents that booked them.
it’s Aloha Friday, or as we like to call it, Mai Tai day here in Hawaii. Today we talk about the aftermath of both the ATA and Aloha shutdowns again and discuss how the whole problem has escalated to Washington, DC where lawmakers are calling for tougher regulations on airlines so unfair competition doesn’t come into play ever again for smaller airlines here in Hawaii. We talk about how most of our customers have happy endings even with all of the problems because we were able to issue complete refunds and reschedule 99% of the customers who were affected by the two shutdowns. We thank all of our customers for remaining patient and to our experienced travel agents who worked tirelessly to get everybody re-booked and rescheduled. Our hats off to our major supplier Blue Sky Tours, who really stepped up to the plate and made the best of a very difficult situation, without their support we never could have done it.
Today we talk about the ATA shut down and the impact that this has had on the Hawaii tourism front as well as the ripple effect through the entire economy for Hawaii. We go over some of the scenarios we’ve run into as a result of the cancellations. We talk about what you can do if you purchased tickets on ATA and discuss from our perspective what people doing about this bad news. In some cases people of had to reschedule, in some cases cancel their entire trips as a result of these last-minute cancellations. As travel agents our hearts really goes out to folks who’ve been affected by this and are trying to do everything we can to help anyone we can. We answer a question by Anna who wants to know what to do on her Maui trip and give her some suggestions and ideas about where to stay for their anniversary. We also go over some packages that have been booked in the last 24 to 48 hours and we welcome new customers to our Ohana.
Kilauea Volcano is off-limits to tourists at the moment because of an eruption which is sending noxious sulfur gas into the air. Over a thousand people were evacuated from the park itself and more than 2000 people recommended to leave the area. It’s happening in a part of the park just outside the volcanoes national Park and near the Kilauea Caldera. Needless to say if you’re planning a trip to this part of the big Island you should probably check before you go as this is expected to continue for quite some time. 
We learned late last night that ATA, a discount airline which services Hawaii from Los Angeles Oakland, Phoenix, and Las Vegas canceled all their fights and has gone out of business. Coming on the heels of the Aloha Airlines bankruptcy, this is yet another blow for travelers who wish to come to Hawaii. The company issued a statement Wednesday night saying they could not stay in business after losing a key contract for military charter flights. These charter flights were a big part of their business and they say they cannot operate without that income.
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