Pleasant Travel Service
By Russ Lynch
adding Tahiti packages
Star-BulletinPleasant Travel Service Ltd., which pioneered Hawaii vacation packages from the mainland in the 1950s through its Pleasant Hawaiian Holidays, is extending to Tahiti. Hawaiian Airlines will provide the Hawaii-Tahiti link and four other airlines will provide direct mainland-Tahiti service. They are Air France, AOM French Airlines, Air New Zealand and Corsair.
Ed Hogan, founder and president of the Westlake Village, Calif., company, said today Pleasant will sell mainland-Tahiti vacations and Tahiti trips as an extension to Hawaii trips by mainlanders.
"Although Hawaii and Tahiti are both tropical destinations, they are very different," Hogan said. "We fully expect to see some of our customers spending a week or so in Hawaii and, then, continue on to Tahiti for another week or more."
Trips to Tahiti and nearby French Polynesian islands also are likely to be popular with Hawaii residents, he said.
Pleasant brings some 300,000 people to Hawaii each year in a variety of vacation offerings that range from low-priced airline-hotel-rental-car packages up to the high-end trips planned for individuals.
The company uses a fleet of charter aircraft in the Hawaii service, owns four hotels in the islands and books guests at many others.
In recent years, it has been offering Mexico as an alternative destination through its Pleasant Mexico Holidays.
"We're expanding now into other markets to give our customers and travel agent partners more selection," Hogan said. The company's Hawaii and Mexico business continues to increase in the 8-to-10 percent range a year and Tahiti offers a similar economic opportunity, he said.
Pleasant initially is working with 25 hotels on Tahiti, Bora Bora, Moorea, Huahine, Raiatea, Rangiroa and Manihi.
Brochures will go to travel agents nationwide at the end of July and the trips will start Sept. 1, the company said.
Hogan said the company has a high level of repeat customers who are looking for alternative destinations.
