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Tags: Airline Mergers / Airline News / Airlines / Hawaii Travel / Mokulele Airlines / → All Tags

Passengers Feel The Merger Pains Between go! and Mokulele In Hawaii

There’s trouble in paradise now that go! and Mokulele Airlines have merged. Within the last couple of weeks the two airlines have shacked up in hopes of doing some damage to the market share owned by Hawaiian Airlines. The new combined airline aims at bringing low cost cutthroat interisland fares for tourists and locals looking to hop islands for different adventures or just to get to work. Well, things have been a little bumpy as the new combined service tries to work out all the kinks quickly.

The combined effort go! Mokulele reported a lot of minor delays, and most of them were related to passengers that they couldn’t talk to about schedule changes. There were a couple travelers that complained about waiting a couple hours to take-off even though they spoke with the airline regarding schedule changes. Apparently the law says until a merger is complete, you can’t share passenger information. So they only had a few days to cut and paste all those new reservations into the new systems. It didn’t help much that the combined airline now only uses go! planes, as the old Mokulele jets aren’t going to be used in the islands.

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Portuguese Culture Mixed With A Hawaiian Bakery Makes One Tasty Donut

No matter what donut is your donut—we know many people who can't go without ordering a Boston Creme or strawberry frosted—when you're in Hawaii, you've got to get down with the local flavor. In Honolulu, the donut of choice is Portuguese confection called the Malasada, first cooked up at Leonard's Bakery after it opened in 1952.

While they are very similar to the Polish pączki in that they are sweet, filled donuts traditionally consumed on Fat Tuesday, the day before Lent, a true Malasada however is not supposed to have any filling. It is a solid ball of fried dough, coated in granulated sugar and fed to the drooling patrons who flock to Leonard's. Because of the popularity of the Malasada in Hawaii, Leonard's has also begun serving Pao Doce (Portuguese sweet breads) and Malasada puffs.

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Tags: Hawaii / Hawaii Travel / Movie Travel / Film Festivals / Film Festival Travel / → All Tags

Hawaii Heats Up the Film Festival Circuit

A scene from Noriben, playing at this year's Hawaii International Film Festival.

Though the time for Tribeca, Cannes, and Toronto has come and gone, the film festival circuit hasn't screeched to a halt. There's Sundance to look forward to, of course, but a welcome alternative to similar large-scale hype galas are festivals held far away from Los Angeles, New York, and other metropoles.

Hawaii may not be Hollywood, but there's still creativity abound on the big island. And while it may not attract as much attention as, say, Berlin, the Hawaii International Film Festival has earned a well-respected reputation among cinema's inner circle, with people like Roger Ebert praising its East-meets-West sensibility.

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Hawaii Is A Regular Fantasy Forest For Hunters, Wild Boar Included

If sitting on the beach and having an adult beverage in tropical paradise is too boring for you, then we’ve got an alternate adventure for your next trip to Hawaii. Parker Ranch on the Big Island welcomes one and all for a unique hunting opportunity. Just in case your true travel dream is to kill something in all 50 states. No ducks here, they are all about the big game hunting.

Year round hunters are able to chase after wild pig, wild goat, and wild cattle. Organizers claim they maintain a 98 percent success rate on these types of hunts, so if this is your thing you should be good to go. For those who prefer feathered friends, turkey and pheasant hunts are open during different times of the year. Gobblers are only available in the spring, so bringing a fresh one home for Thanksgiving isn’t an option.

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Tags: Checked Baggage Fees / Baggage Fees / Hawaii Travel / Hawaiian Airlines / Airline News / Airlines / → All Tags

Hawaiian Air Adds $10 First Bag Fee, Tells Customers 'Fees Here To Stay'

We're running out of sarcastic ways to blog about new airline fees. The latest comes from low-cost carrier Hawaiian Airlines, which announced yesterday that they're adding a $10 fee for the first checked bag on interisland flights. It is what it is. And look how charmingly the announcement was made:

Mark Dunkerley, president and chief executive officer of Hawaiian, said the airline makes $20 million to $30 million a year from ancillary revenue — mostly from checked bags — and that baggage fees are here to stay as long as airlines need that revenue.

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Hawaiian Airlines One Of The Few Airlines Hiring, Not Firing

If we had to work for an airline, we’d probably select Hawaiian Airlines as our number one pick. After all, the likelihood of scoring a freebie flight to somewhere good and tropical is pretty high with these guys. Well, if you’re like us, now is your chance to join the team as they are looking to add some new worker bees. They’ve already added 100, and are looking to add about 170 more employees.

They need all the new employees to work the bells and whistles on the new Airbus A330-200 jets that they’ve already ordered. The 100 workers that just joined the crew are primarily mechanics, ramp agents, and service representatives in preparation for all this new growth. Their first fancy new jet is set to arrive in April 2010, so get your resume ready.

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Tags: Rental Cars / Enterprise / Hawaii Travel / Oahu Travel / Maui Travel / Green Travel / Hybrids / → All Tags

Happy Anniversary Hawaii: Here's Some New Hybrid Rental Cars

Last week was the Aloha State’s birthday as the islands officially commemorated its fiftieth anniversary of statehood. State leaders usually downplay celebrations as some Hawaii residents aren’t too thrilled about how the island chain was admitting into the union. We don’t want to get into the debate, but there are still some who demand independence from the United States.

Although not an official birthday present—they couldn’t find that much wrapping paper—Enterprise Rent-A-Car is gifting the island with some new hybrid rental cars. The chain teamed up with Governor Linda Lingle to announce that four locations are becoming hybrid branches. There will be three on Oahu and one on Maui to answer your green car dreams during your vacation.

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Pack an Extra Duffle: United Airlines Charges $125 for Overweight Bags

We've already expressed our repulsion at the baggage fees that airlines keep piling on passengers these days but we were appalled at this fee that we saw United Airlines leveraging on passengers at the Kahului Airport (OGG) in Maui, Hawaii yesterday.

The sign says,

$125 charge for checked bags over 50lbs.

Usually, we understand that overweight bags should be dinged for their heftiness but $125? That is just thievery. And according to United's website, oversized baggage costs $175. Ugh. Better consider shipping that luggage instead.

Got an outrageous checked baggage fee experience? Unlike the stone-faced check-in agents, Jaunted is ready to listen to you! Send us your story.

Related Stories:
· The Airlines Are Just Not That Into Us: New Baggage Fees Announced [Jaunted]
· Oversized, overweight and excess baggage [United Airlines]

Tags: Summer-Signature-Cocktails-Map / Drinking Travel / Hawaii Travel / → All Tags

Say 'Aloha' To A Lilikoi Margarita In Hawaii

If you could have your way in Hawaii, what would you do? Probably lay on the beach getting lei'd and drinking fruity cocktails with umbrellas perched in them? Well that's all fine and dandy, but getting up off your butt and heading out for some culture in the town of Volcano Village will reward you with one of the island's best drinks: The Lilikoi Margarita.

Essentially a passionfruit margarita, since that's what "lilikoi" means in Hawaiian, the drink does make some scrumptious switcharoos to adapt to the tastes of the island. For instance, instead of a tequila margarita, this baby uses vodka, but if you prefer the tequila they can do that too. Even the rim gets the tropical treatment; instead of salt or sugar, you will instead taste the tart purple magic that is "li hing mui," or salty dried plum.

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A Serious Storm Is A-Brewin' Off The Hawaiian Islands

If you’re hanging out in Hawaii this week, please make sure your tropical umbrella drink is securely placed in a cup holder. Paradise is going to be a little stormy over the next few days as Tropical Storm Felicia nears the Aloha State. The storm was hurricane strength over the weekend, but it has slowly lost its mojo. Still, a tropical storm is serious, so visitors should still be cautious heading out into the surf and keep watch for rip currents.

Despite some beaches being closed on the Big Island, we’re thinking that passionate surfers aren’t going to heed these warnings. After all, the bigger the storm, the bigger the waves.

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Float Through The Tunnels of an Old Sugar Plantation In Hawaii

Most of the tubing adventures that we’ve covered so far can be easily accessed by car, but today’s trip will cost you a little bit more cash to get there. If you find yourself on the island of Kauai, and need a little bit more excitement than relaxing with umbrella drinks, then you may want to consider giving Kauai Backcountry Adventures a call. They offer exclusive access to the irrigation system of the former Lihue Plantation, and you get to see it all from the comfort of a tube.

The ditches and tunnels were once used to keep sugar crops nice and hydrated, but things have been quiet since 2000, and are now open for us to enjoy. Hop in your tube and take in views of the coastline, ocean, and the island’s vast valleys. Just be thankful that you are enjoying the hard work of the former plantation workers—all the irrigation channels were dug by hand.

Tours depart throughout the day, so if you want to hit up that buffet breakfast at your resort, you’ll be fine. The trip is a little expensive at $100 per person, but you will get a picnic lunch and everything else to float safely through the plantation. They even throw in headlamps so that you don't get too scared floating through the tunnels.

Related Stories:
· Kauai Backcountry Adventures [Official Site]
· Tube Flotilla Set To Travel 8 Miles Down Michigan River [Jaunted]
· Best Tubing Spots coverage [Jaunted]

[Photo: Official Site]

Tags: Deep Sea Fishing / Fishing / Big Island / Hawaii Travel / Events / → All Tags

If You Are Wishing You Were Fishing, Head To The Kona Coast

You’ve done a good job sharing your travel plans this summer. Since one of the best travel deals has been to Hawaii, we’re thinking that you’ll need something to do when you arrive. If the Big Island is in your travel plans, and it should be, then you might want to take the time to check out the Hawaiian International Billfish Tournament—t’s their fiftieth anniversary.

The deal is, anglers from around the globe gather on the Kona Coast to head out in search of some huge fish. The biggest and the baddest is usually the Pacific blue marlin, and hooking one of these big guys will definitely provide an afternoon of excitement and exercise. You should probably skip the beer on this fishing trip and ensure that the cooler is stocked with Red Bull.

Things run throughout the week of July 20 and the tournament is open to 50 teams. Even if you don’t want to join a team and compete, you’ll definitely be able to cheer on the teams as they return from their three-hour tours. Best of all, if you’re in the right place at the right time, you’ll be able to snag a picture with a 600-pound fish and Miss Hawaii Billfish 2009. That's a way better picture for Facebook than you holding a Pina Colada with an little umbrella in it.

Related Stories:
·Hawaiian International Billfish Tournament [Official Site]
·Crazy Kiwi Man Teaches Us How To Deep Sea 'Heli-Fish' [Jaunted]
·Fishing coverage [Jaunted]

[Photo: Official Site]