Hawaiian Air passengers scale back November trips

Hawaiian Airlines' passenger load decreased in November. The Honolulu-based airline said it carried 436,403 passengers last month, a drop of 11.6 percent from 493,855 in November 2000. Revenue passenger miles fell 12 percent to 391.5 million from 444.9 million in the year earlier. A revenue passenger mile is one paying passenger carried one mile.

A reduction in the airline's flights shrunk available seat miles by 18 percent, to 488.3 million from 595.1 million. A seat mile is one seat available for one mile. Because of the cutback in flights and seat capacity, the airline increased its load factor -- the number of available seats divided by the number of paying passengers -- by 5.4 percentage points. Load factor last month was 80.2 percent, up from 74.8 percent in November 2000.

Tourist spending in isles mixed in 3rd quarter

Daily spending by U.S. mainland visitors slipped during the third quarter, while Japanese tourists increased their consumption slightly, according to a report released today from the state Department of Business, Economic Development and Tourism.

On average, visitors from the U.S. West market spent $147.16 each day, a 1 percent decrease from $148.78 in the third quarter of last year. Per-trip spending from the West Coast was about the same at $1,432 per person. The drop was stronger in the U.S. East market, which spent $166.73 per day compared with $172.29 in the year-earlier, a 3.2 percent slide. Per-trip spending fell 2.1 percent to $1,687 from $1,724.

The Japanese --- already Hawaii's biggest tourism spenders on a per-person per-day basis -- increased their daily spending 1 percent to $228.17 from $225.86. Per trip, the Japanese spent $1,441, up 14.2 percent from $1,262 last year. The per-trip number is lower than the mainland because the Japanese typically don't stay as long.

The state gathered the U.S. mainland figures from diary surveys and the Japanese statistics from departure surveys at the airports.

CPB Inc. increases quarterly dividend

The parent of Central Pacific Bank said yesterday it is increasing its fourth-quarter cash dividend 5.9 percent to 18 cents a share from 17 cents in the previous quarter. The dividend is payable Jan. 25 for shareholders of record as of Dec. 31.

Total dividends declared by CPB Inc. in 2001 were 67 cents, up from 61 cents in 2000.

Ford settles two suits for $10.5 million

DETROIT >> Ford Motor Co. agreed today to pay $10.5 million to settle two class-action lawsuits accusing the automaker of discriminating against older, white men in the name of diversity.

About 620 current and ex-Ford employees could get some of the money, plaintiffs' attorneys said. Some will get up to $100,000, minus attorney fees, depending on how long they were employed and other factors. The reverse-discrimination suits claimed that Ford's employee-evaluation system favored so-called diversity candidates -- namely younger women and minorities -- and that a disproportionate number of older, white men were given low grades, costing them raises or promotions. In settling, Ford admitted no wrongdoing.