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U.S. visitors happiest with Hawaii vacations

Nearly 70 percent of U.S. vacationers to Hawaii gave the state an excellent rating in 2002, while 49 percent of Japanese visitors gave the state the same mark, according to a new state visitor satisfaction survey.

The area in which Japan visitors were most critical was flight length.

Canadian and European visitors fell in between, with 60 percent and 67.4 percent rating the state as excellent, respectively.

The survey found that U.S. visitors tend to flock to supermarkets, convenience stores and hotel stores, while Japanese visitors opted for duty-free stores, convenience stores and designer boutiques.

The entire "2002 Visitor Satisfaction and Activity Report" is available at www.hawaii.gov/dbedt/stat_pubs.html on the Web.

Hawaii residents to get $2 million

More than 2,000 Hawaii residents will share more than $2 million as part of a settlement with Household and Beneficial Finance.

The state Office of Consumers Protection joined other states in alleging that Household had overcharged borrowers with fees and interest, and had misled borrowers about other loan terms such as prepayment penalties and credit insurance.

Household agreed to pay $484 million to the states, the largest monetary settlement ever obtained in a consumer protection case.

State Commerce and Consumer Affairs Director Mark Recktenwald said the Hawaii consumers involved in the lawsuit will received checks ranging from $25 to more than $14,000.

Hawaiian to return plane engines

Hawaiian Airlines Friday obtained permission from the federal Bankruptcy Court to cancel the lease on two Rolls-Royce engines and one of its aircraft, which it says it no longer needs because of a reduction in its interisland schedule.

The company, which filed for bankruptcy reorganization in March, wanted to return the Boeing 717 interisland jet engines to lessor Boeing Capital Corp. to reduce costs.

Tom Roesser, an attorney for Hawaiian, said Hawaiian also will continue to seek permission to return another 717 to Boeing.

Steel supplier changes name

Steel service center company Ferro Union Hawaii plans to change its name to Macsteel Service Centers USA, effective January.

The company, which supplies the construction industry in Hawaii, said it is not changing ownership.