Hawaiian Airlines has posted special holiday fares for Hawaii residents traveling to the mainland, starting as low as $485.20, including taxes and fees. Hawaiian drops prices
for yearly ‘Mele’ air faresBy Russ Lynch
rlynch@starbulletin.com
The program is like the "Mele Kalikimaka" discounts first offered by United Airlines in 1984 when it wanted to fill seats on aircraft returning to the mainland after dropping off holiday visitors.
Several other airlines had the same fares posted today but had made no special announcements.
Hawaiian itself has a lower fare of $412.70, for Web bookings only, for some dates within the range of its holiday-special period, but the airline cautioned that it is good only through mid-December.
Internet booking systems have a number of bargains that are subject to a variety of conditions. In general, however, the Hawaiian fares posted yesterday are about 30 percent lower than those posted previously for the same dates, the airline said.
Its discounts apply for travel originating in Honolulu from Dec. 3 through Dec. 30 and returning Dec. 28 through Jan. 13. Hawaiian has daily service between Honolulu and Los Angeles, San Francisco, San Diego, Sacramento, Seattle and Phoenix and goes five days a week between Honolulu and Ontario, Calif.
Hawaiian said seats are limited. Reservations must be confirmed seven days before travel and the fares are non-refundable and non-transferable.
Aloha Airlines said it will soon post its own special fares. "We will be competitive with their fares," said Stu Glauberman, an Aloha spokesman, but he said its discounts will not be exactly a "Mele Kalikimaka" program.