HAWAII

Hawaiian on top for on-time arrivals

Hawaiian Airlines said yesterday that 89.6 percent of its flights arrived on schedule in November, according to data released by the U.S. Department of Transportation.

Hawaiian placed No. 1 in the country for on-time performance in the month.

The airline ranked fourth nationally for fewest misplaced bags, reporting 2.41 mishandled baggage reports for every 1,000 passengers. It also ranked fourth for fewest customer complaints, with only one reported to the department.

Separately, the carrier said yesterday it is lowering its one-way fare for travel from Honolulu to Lihue, Kona and Kahului to $27 during February, along with go!, in response to an announcement by Mokulele Airlines that it is lowering its fare on those routes to $28.

HECO costs drop 12% in January

Oahu households are seeing an average 12 percent drop in month-over-month electricity costs in January as the price of fuel continues to plunge, according to Hawaiian Electric Co.

Rates also have fallen on the neighbor islands. The Big Island has seen a 12.4 percent decrease, while Maui's electricity prices are down 15.7 percent.

This means a typical Oahu household that uses 600 kilowatt-hours of electricity will pay $138.98 this month, compared to $158.05 in December. A Big Island household that typically uses the same amount of electricity will see its monthly bill fall to $211.79 this month, down from $241.88 last month. The bill for a typical Maui household is expected to drop to $161.61 from $191.78 in December. HECO's rates generally lag oil prices by two months.

The utility company also expects rates will fall in February and March, coinciding with a drop in fuel prices from a high of $147 a barrel in the summer to below $40 a barrel yesterday, said HECO spokesman Peter Rosegg.

Finance Factors to open new branch

Finance Factors Ltd. said this week that it will open a new Chinatown branch tomorrow. The branch will be the financial institutions' 13th in Hawaii.

In celebration, Finance Factors is offering special rates on certificates of deposits at all of its locations.

The new branch is at 102 A N. King St., with hours Mondays through Thursdays from 7:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., and on Fridays from 7:30 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Finance Factors will also open its 14th branch in Manoa later this year.