Note to tourism board directors: Don't use your work computer to send out porn to your buddies! The future of Hawaii Tourism Authority CEO, Rex Johnson, is in jeopardy after he admitted to sending at least one racy email to friends. But after a lengthy closed-door meeting yesterday, the authority board still hasn't made a decision on whether to fire Johnson, who's been working in the industry for more than two decades.
Yesterday, the board heard more than 60 pieces of testimony in favor of the work Johnson has done, including positive comments from tour operators, airline employees and community leaders. But a senior vice president at Starwood Hotels says people are speaking out not because they like Johnson but because they want to catch the attention of his buddies at the Hawaii State Legislature:
Please know that this [pro-Johnson] view is not the majority of the industry but there is a reluctance to speak out due to the legislative support he has gotten.
The board of the authority hopes to reach a decision on Johnson's future "within days."
Get ready for packed airplanes on the routes to the islands this fall--and possibly more connections to get there: The number of airline seats landing in Hawaii from the US mainland and other parts of the world is expected to fall by roughly 13 percent this fall.
Seats from the West Coast should fall by 15 percent; from the East Coast capacity is only declining by six percent. Seat tallies into Hawaii from Japan, Australia and New Zealand will all fall by double-digits.
The news does make some sense considering that two of the largest fliers into Hawaii--ATA and Aloha--both went belly-up recently and that the cost of long-haul flights has skyrocketed with the ever-increasing price of fuel. The upshot? A Hawaii seat squeeze is likely here to stay for some time.
[Alex Salkever is the editor and founder of Hawaiirama, a Hawaii travel blog]
After lots of drama, it seems that the Hawaii Superferry is finally catching on. Seats on the boat sold out on some trips over the Fourth of July weekend, and officials say ridership is on the rise. But is that because people genuinely enjoy it?
The best deal through September 30 for Oahu-Maui travel is the Superferry, which is $98 round trip. But you must book by August 4.
Hawaiian Airlines and go! are doing the same duopoly that Hawaiian and Aloha Airlines did for years. The average round trip is now back at about $200, which was what it was before go! entered and sometimes dropped prices to below $20 round trip.
Ah hah! So it's not really that people enjoy the Superferry any more than they like flying; it's simply the cheapest way to go island-to-island. We will give 'em some credit though: You can actually take liquids aboard the boat!
Starting August 10, your first checked bag on Hawaiian airline go! will cost $10 and the second piece of luggage will cost $17. Guess the carrier figures there's not really any goodwill to lose.
Meanwhile, Delta has announced that it's still holding off on adding a checked baggage charge, while potential merger partner Northwestrecently announced a $15 fee for the first bag.
To keep up on all the latest fees, your best bet is Rick Seaney's Domestic Airline Fee Chart, which is always up-to-date.
For a terrifying nine minute stretch last Thursday, all FAA air traffic control systems over the state of Hawaii went offline and radar scopes went black. Federal officials have said there were no close calls but, then again, who really knows? At least there were no crashes.
The cause of the mysterious computer blackout remains unknown, although a technician was working on the system right before it went down. Hawaii's airspace is relatively uncrowded but has enough regular comings and going to make even a mild outage like this a nail-biter.
Antiquated air traffic control systems are an epidemic in the US and get blamed for just about everything that makes commercial air travel miserable. The Congress has thus far refused to pony up for a much-needed new system, and the FAA is quarreling with airlines and private pilots about who will have to pay for what.
[Alex Salkever is the editor and founder of Hawaiirama.com, a Hawaii travel blog]
If you love the Big Island of Hawaii and rubber duckies, then have we got a Fourth of July celebration for you: the 17th Annual Great Waikoloa Rubber Duckie Race. The whole day is filled with family fun including face painting, duck waddling contests and free-style quacking. There's even free popcorn and cotton candy.
The main draw of the event comes during the afternoon when the plastic ducks are released. The top 50 finishers are eligible for prizes, including a week-long stay at an Outrigger Villa or the Hilton Waikoloa Village. If your duck doesn't come in first, hope it comes in 17th, as that will get you 17 $100 bills.
Best of all, the proceeds from the event go to the United Cerebral Palsy Association of Hawaii. Last year the group was able to raise almost $40,000 for charity. Ducks start at $5 per bird, or get a $20 "quack pack" which includes three ducks and a shirt. If you didn't get up at the, uh, quack of dawn (sorry!), then you'll be able to stay up and enjoy the fireworks display around 9 pm.
That little taste of summer vacation you had this weekend just wasn't enough! You've just got to get away before that Croc tan line fades. That's what Woody Harrelson must have been thinking when he told a reporter he wants to do a 40-day fast on an uninhabited island--when he has time in his work schedule, of course.
Harrelson already lives on Maui but that isn't deserted enough for his swimming and surfing sojourn. Nor, apparently, did biking from Seattle to LA or winning this weekend's Cannes celebrity poker charity challenge do it for him: Nothing will work except a full fast:
I mean, I don't take it lightly. I know it's gonna be hard. But can you imagine? Eating nothing for 40 days? Swimming and surfing every day in a remote place? Where does the mind go?
A separatist group occupied the Iolani Palace in Honolulu yesterday, closing the landmark to tourists to protest the "occupation" of Hawaii by the United States. The peaceful demonstration by the Hawaiian Kingdom Government lasted about eight hours, and no arrests were made.
The group says it wants to reestablish the Iolani Palace as the seat of the islands' sovereign government. The HKG plans to reoccupy the grounds today, though the organization doesn't plan to lock people out like they did Wednesday. Still, might not be the best day to visit.
The palace was the residence of the last two Hawaiian monarchs and it's now a National Historic Landmark. When it's not being occupied, you can visit on a docent-led "Grand Tour" for $20 or just take a self-guided tour of some of the galleries for $6.
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