Hawaii Travel: Could This Be The End of Cheap Fares?
When go! buzzed into the islands with rock-bottom fares, inter-island dogfights kept prices low to the delight of locals and tourists alike. Fares have fallen from an average of nearly $200 round trip to $50-$80 round trip as the cozy duopoly of Aloha Airlines and Hawaiian Airlines has given way to a ménage à capitalism.
Before starting operations, go!'s parent company, Mesa Air, considered buying both Hawaiian and Aloha out of bankruptcy, going so far as to examine confidential business documents from the carriers. When Mesa decided to go its own way and launch an all-new airline, Hawaiian got mega-miffed and sued. The court case ended with a judge awarding Hawaiian $80 million in damages.
It's such a hit that go! might be forced to shut down. The big loser in all this? Clearly travelers, as you can expect fares to skyrocket once go! flies off. The next stop for the case is US District Court for an appeal.
Alex Salkever is the editor/founder of Hawaii travel blog Hawaiirama.com
Related Stories:
· Mesa to Pay $80M [Star Bulletin]
· Hawaii Travel [Jaunted]
· Hawaii Hotels [HotelChatter]
[Photo: aspengull]
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