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Business Briefs

Reported by Star-Bulletin staff & wire

Wednesday, January 19, 2000

Airlines tacking on $10 fuel surcharge

Reacting to rising fuel costs that have cut into earnings, the nation's big airlines have begun tacking $10 each way on to their fares, calling it a fuel surcharge. At the current cheapest round-trip fare between Hawaii and California, which is $307 for a 21-day advance purchase, the $20 add-on equals about a 6.5 percent gain. On the cheapest Honolulu-New York fare, $797, it is a 2.5 percent gain. So far, Continental Airlines Inc., UAL Corp.'s United Airlines and AMR Corp.'s American Airlines have added the fee.

CSX's shipping rates to isles to go up 3.9%

CSX Lines, formerly Sea-Land Service, will raise its mainland-Hawaii freight rates by 3.9 percent, effective Feb. 20. The increase matches one that competitor Matson Navigation Co. posted earlier, to go into effect Feb. 14. Like Matson, CSX is exempting privately-owned vehicles, household goods and animal feeds from the increase.

GE Capital campaign: We're not a bank

GE Capital Hawaii this month will launch an advertising campaign to emphasize that it is not a bank, an advantage to financing for businesses and individuals.

"Because we don't have the same federal restrictions as a bank, we have less bureaucracy and more flexibility in our approval process," said Michael G. Wright, vice president of commercial real estate financing. The nondepository lending institution has retained ADWorks, Inc. and Communications-Pacific, Inc. in the campaign.

Castle, JAL form marketing pact

The Castle Group, Inc., parent of Castle Resorts & Hotels, announced a marketing agreement with Japan Airlines that will expose its properties in Hawaii and Micronesia to frequent flier airline passengers. The partnership, which takes effect March 1, designates Castle Resorts & Hotels as an official partner in JAL's Mileage Bank program. Castle has 20 hotel and condominium properties in Hawaii and Micronesia. JAL has 6.6 million frequent flier members.