United Announces Nonstop Flights from Washington DC
Just when I was thinking there was no relief in sight from all of the high airfares this year, United airlines announced this week that they are beginning nonstop service from Washington DC to Honolulu in June. Ironically,  this is the same month that Hawaiian Airlines is beginning air nonstop service from JFK. This is great news for our friends on the East Coast who have been struggling  to find decent airfares this year. Increased competition is always good and having more airlift from that region will be a big boost to the Hawaii tourism market.

Second "Iron Chef" to open restaurant on Oahu
Iron chef Hiroyuki Sakai whose most famous for his appearance on the food network is opening a restaurant in Waikiki. This will be the first restaurant for Sakai outside of Japan and will specialize in French cuisine. It will be located in the heart of Waikiki on Kalakaua Avenue in a 3500 ft.² space on the ground floor of the Galleria which is currently the home of a Starbucks.

North Shore waves HUGE!
If you’re planning on visiting the islands in the next week you may want to check out the North Shore of Oahu which which is having some of the highest ways of the season. The waves were so large this week that they canceled one of the most popular surfing competitions because of the treacherous waves. Some of the waves were reported to be 35 feet. If you’re planning on visiting the North Shore to see the waves make sure you get there early because the traffic can get very congested.

Whale watching on Kauai
We got a question this week from Martha who wanted to know if we had any suggestions for whale watching on Kauai. While the most popular islands for whale watching are Maui and Oahu, Kauai has spectacular whale watching as well. We recommend checking out the blue dolphin catamaran evening cruise. They do a great job in the crew is very knowledgeable on the Eco-system as well as where the best places to see the whale pods are in the Na Pali coast area. And to top it off the food is excellent with a complete luau style dinner give us a call at 1-800-843-8771 in any of our agents can hook you up on this great adventure.

Hawaii Airfare Wars
Usually every year the first couple of weeks brings a belated Christmas present in the way of airfare wars to Hawaii. While we’ve seen a few specials, the typical lower prices on airfare to Hawaii have been few and far between. United Airlines typically has the most airlift  to Hawaii than any other major carrier. This year we have not seen them drop at all in their prices which is affecting the marketplace. The Continental /United merge has not made anything any better with regard to pricing because there is less competition and forced a lot of the flights that used to go to Houston and Dallas  to the Chicago & San Francisco hubs instead. This is a way for United/Continental to consolidate flights and also fill planes between Chicago and San Francisco. This is not been good for the consumer traveling to Hawaii.

Hawaii Airlines Update
Hawaiian Airlines recently announced some sale fares through January 31 and  they announced this week that they are forming a reciprocal code share agreement with JetBlue which means that the airlines will be selling each others flights. Customers will also be able to earn frequent flyer miles between the airlines as well.

Superferry returns to Hawaii
Remember the Hawaii superferry? The now defunct ferry service which would have provided commuter services between the islands has long since left Hawaii. Ironically the ferries were sold to the Navy and it looks like they may be headed back to Hawaii retooled as military vessels and stationed here in the islands. Unfortunately they won’t be using the ferry for commuter trips between the islands but instead to shuttle equipment around the world.

Disney to end cruises to Hawaii in 2013
It looks like the Disney may not be bringing their cruise ships to Hawaii in 2013. In looking at the latest schedule we see that Hawaii has been omitted. This may be something that’s temporary however sources say that they have decided to pull the cruise ship pending the evaluation of the route. There’s been a lot of increased competition in the Hawaii cruise market so it may just mean that there is no room left for another ship to travel to the islands.

Hawaii Vacation tips for families
Today we answer a question from Monica who wants to know the best island travel to with a couple of kids 11 and 13. While all the islands have lots of activities for children I recommended that they come to the island of Oahu where Waikiki is located. In general, it has the most variety of activities and if you’re staying in Waikiki there’s plenty to keep kids busy all of the time.

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Gambling in Hawaii
Today we talk about a new survey which was released in Hawaii which found that 76% of local people questioned said they would visit an entertainment center with a casino in Waikiki. This comes as a bit of a surprise because traditionally gambling has not gotten much support in Hawaii. Today we talk about the reasons why this comes up every year and discuss the possibility of casino
gambling coming to Hawaii.

Keep your distance from sea mammals in Hawaiian waters
We’ve been seeing very disturbing images over the last couple months of people taking pictures with sea turtles and monk seals underwater.  While this may seem like an innocent activity, it’s wrong and completely illegal. Today we got a question from Donna wanted to know how much distance you should keep when viewing sea turtles or monk seals either on land or at sea. Interfering with these  very delicate mammals constitute a federal violation. You are not to disturb them or their natural behavior  patterns. The rule of thumb is that you should keep at least 150 feet from  many marine mammals such as monk seals or sea  turtles. You should also be especially concerned if you see any of these creatures in shallow waters because it could mean that they are sick,

Disney Aulani Update
Mike wants to know what I think of the Disney Aulani resort now that it’s been open for a while. Some of you may know that we stayed at the property during its soft open back in September of last year and thought that they needed to work out several problems. I’m not backing off my initial review of the property however,  for families with children I think they have worked out  a lot of the issues and the pricing has stabilized. We have a couple of specials now with the property which I think are a good value because they bundle in the Paradise Cove luau and a few other value added activities which makes this property worth another look for families.
 

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Using a Travel Agent
It’s that time of year again when Hawaii vacation planning is in full swing. Today I share  the top 10 reasons for booking a Hawaii vacation with a local based company like ours. There really are a lot of advantages. Obviously,  the most important is that we’re actually in Hawaii. This goes a long way in helping you get the most out of your Hawaii vacation because we can share with you our personal experiences and give you honest feedback. Most of the customers I talk to  tell me they book with our company because of that very reason. Our local knowledge combined with our excellent customer service not only gives you the most bang for your buck a gives you peace of mind as well. I hope this podcast this is not too much like a commercial but I think it’s important to outline some of the reasons why you really should get assistance when booking your Hawaii vacation.

Deals and Specials
We got some great deals right now which we share on today’s show. If specials from the West Coast were quick getaways to Hawaii as well as a great deal on the Disney Aulani resort which includes a luau, Dolphins cruise in a gourmet burger picnic. We’re always finding new specials and you can catch them on our website here.
We also take some time today to thank new customers who have recently book with us and we share they are itineraries. This gives you a great idea of what things are costing right now for a vacation to Hawaii.

Don’t forget to follow us on twitter Facebook and Google+. If you have a question you’d like us to address on the show please feel free to drop me a line at bruce@hawaii-aloha.com
 

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Start Planning you Hawaii Vacation!

If you’re thinking about coming to Hawaii now is a really great time to start planning. Very often I recommend people do advance bookings because you can lock in a good package price and with our flexible terms we can keep an eye on the price;  if it goes down we adjust your package price accordingly. This is great if you’re on a budget and want to get your trip paid off in smaller chunks. We’re also seeing some great getaway deals for the winter from the West Coast. For example, you could spend three nights on Oahu for only $589 per person and that includes round-trip air, accommodations, hotel taxes, and a free rental car on five night packages!!

Facebook questions answerd

Rod wanted to know where the best snorkeling beaches are on Kauai. One of my favorite spots is Ha’ena Beach Park on the north side of the island. You’ll find perfect conditions for snorkeling where you can see beautiful reefs and Hawaiian fishes. Another popular location is on the south side of the island in Poipu at Poipu Beach Park. Water is clear and you can see a lot of beautiful coral and plant life.

Terri one of our Facebook friends want to know where a good place to stay is on Maui. While it’s difficult to make suggestions without knowing all of her needs, most people stay on either the West side of the island in the  Kaanapali area or the south side in the Wailea/Keihi of Maui. Both of these areas have pros and cons and we discuss those in today’s podcast.

Krista wanted to know if she should use a company like ours for airfare only if she’s traveling to Hawaii. She’s staying with friends and doesn’t need any hotel accommodations. You should always check with us to see if we have competitive rates, sometimes we can combine a car or a throwaway night in the hotel and still be cheaper than what you find in published air fare, so it always makes sense to check and see if we can be competitive. We work with a lot of suppliers and sometimes can grab air fares through our GDS system faster than consumers on the Internet.

 Today we had the opportunity to talk story with Brian Brigner, the CEO of Legends in Concert.  While we haven’t seen the show yet,  I’m pretty confident from this interview that this production will deliver.

Brian has an interesting background. He’s done pretty much everything there is to do in the entertainment business from producing top names in country music to Broadway shows. Not only is he excited and dedicated to his art, he is fully engaged with eight LEC productions all over the world. I was impressed with his sensitivity to the Hawaiian culture and how he has made a commitment to present the show differently than the others in the franchise. This is the only production that varies in format from the other shows the company produces. Brian recognizes that for the show to succeed,  it must have Hawaiiana as of part of the program. He’s is in for the long haul and is definitely up for the challenge to make this part of our community.

This new production will be taking place at the newly renovated Royal Hawaiian Theater. This is a 700 seat venue with huge vaulted ceilings with professional top notch special effects, lighting and sound setup. The cast and crew of the production is mostly made up of local talent with the exception of the main headliners which includes a rotating cast of over 80 live band members, performers and dancers.

 The show is entitled Rock a Hula and has performances six nights a week starting at 8:15 PM with many packages available ranging from general admission to VIP seats which give you backstage access, For more information give us a call at 1-800-843-8771 and you can also get more information by visiting their website at www.legendsWaikiki.com you can find them on twitter @legendswaikii and Facebook

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