Still a time to find cheap flights - Hawaii

[JParm]

I figured the deals to Hawaii would be over or at least coming to an end, but we just booked our family of 4 to Honolulu in March for $776 total on Hawaiian Air from San Jose. Decided to use points to stay at the Royal Hawaiian and save even more money.

Putting it out there as a PSA that there are deals to be had, even to Hawaii over the typical spring break month!

[Blansky]

When the Governor asked people to stay home, there were about 30% cancellations when we went in Sept. which was good because we needed a van and there were none available until he said that. Also we got bumped to first class both ways due to the cancellations.

People are still shy about going I guess.

When you do the State of Hawaii SAFE TRAVELS protocols from their website, make sure you get your wristband in the US at the airport and you'll breeze through at Honolulu instead of waiting in line for a long time. CLEAR is a free app and from there you can link your proof of vaccination to the Hawaii SAFE TRAVELS site.

This is a great website to keep up with the rules and regulations.....https://beatofhawaii.com/

https://beatofhawaii.com/guide-to-va...hawaii-travel/

[JParm]

Originally Posted by Blansky

When the Governor asked people to stay home, there were about 30% cancellations when we went in Sept. which was good because we needed a van and there were none available until he said that. Also we got bumped to first class both ways due to the cancellations.

People are still shy about going I guess.

When you do the State of Hawaii SAFE TRAVELS protocols from their website, make sure you get your wristband in the US at the airport and you'll breeze through at Honolulu instead of waiting in line for a long time. CLEAR is a free app and from there you can link your proof of vaccination to the Hawaii SAFE TRAVELS site.

This is a great website to keep up with the rules and regulations.....https://beatofhawaii.com/

https://beatofhawaii.com/guide-to-va...hawaii-travel/

Good stuff! Thanks Blansky.

[Blansky]

Originally Posted by jpeezy14@hotmail.com

Good stuff! Thanks Blansky.

Sounds like fun.

You'll also need the proof of vaccination on your phone at hotels, car rentals and restaurants.

[TheVTCGuy]

Jesse is taking me with him this time!!!

[JasoninDenver]

Make your restaurant reservations immediately!!!

[Atone]

Jesse, can you add one more? A fellow Jesse . . . i mean . . .

[JParm]

Originally Posted by TheVTCGuy

Jesse is taking me with him this time!!!

Originally Posted by Atone

Jesse, can you add one more? A fellow Jesse . . . i mean . . .

Sorry gents, looks like my flight is sold out...

[DonRickles]

My oldest just got back. I’m sorry to repeat his report, but he said the folks were not as welcoming as you’d hope or expect…. To put it nicely. And to further Mr. Blansky, the COVID restrictions and “protocols are extremely strict and enforced well.

Have a great “cheap” (haha), trip!

Waiting for pics!

[Blansky]

We found no evidence of non-welcoming that has been reported by some. Although it definitely exists by comments on different sites.

The lock down devastated business in Hawaii and everyone we met or saw at our usual haunts were happy to be working again.

You have to remember that there is a vocal minority in Hawaii that would wish to become it's own nation-state and resent haoles and prefer it's nation to revert back from all the tourism and "foreign ownership". Average house price is something like one million dollars.

There is also the situation where much of covid was brought back and forth by residents and not tourists. And the fact that some people are just sick of tourism in general.

So there is internal conflict on some of these things.

Have fun.

[Wahlberg]

Originally Posted by Blansky

People are still shy about going I guess.
]

Shy about going to Hawaii? I follow a couple of local surfers on instagram and they are pissed off how the islands are (were) getting flooded.

I would love to go though.

[Blansky]

Originally Posted by Wahlberg

Shy about going to Hawaii? I follow a couple of local surfers on instagram and they are pissed off how the islands are (were) getting flooded.

I would love to go though.

This is what I meant. 30% decrease, which may not even be the case now.

https://www.wsj.com/articles/hawaii-...sm-11631828751

[JParm]

Originally Posted by DonRickles

My oldest just got back. I’m sorry to repeat his report, but he said the folks were not as welcoming as you’d hope or expect…. To put it nicely. And to further Mr. Blansky, the COVID restrictions and “protocols are extremely strict and enforced well.

Have a great “cheap” (haha), trip!

Waiting for pics!

Originally Posted by Blansky

We found no evidence of non-welcoming that has been reported by some. Although it definitely exists by comments on different sites.

The lock down devastated business in Hawaii and everyone we met or saw at our usual haunts were happy to be working again.

You have to remember that there is a vocal minority in Hawaii that would wish to become it's own nation-state and resent haoles and prefer it's nation to revert back from all the tourism and "foreign ownership". Average house price is something like one million dollars.

There is also the situation where much of covid was brought back and forth by residents and not tourists. And the fact that some people are just sick of tourism in general.

So there is internal conflict on some of these things.

Have fun.

Yes - there are always two sides when visiting heavily-trafficked locales. Some that want places to remain closed off to tourism, and others that welcome tourists as a driver for the economy.

I would say that you never want to see it get to the levels seen in places like Venice and Amsterdam in terms of over-tourism, but at the same time you don't want a ghost town closed off to the rest of the world.

Either way, we always have fun wherever we go and take the locals' feelings in stride. I tend to be happy go lucky and do my fair share of interacting with people while on vacation, and really have never had what I would call a bad experience (save for that time in Rome when I was shushed away with a broom for trying to use a restaurant bathroom!). In this day and age, you either travel and accept the way things are now (masks, testing, local attitudes, etc.) or don't travel at all. I'd gladly take the former 1000 times over the latter.

[Blansky]

I remember our bartender friend Jimmy, at Leilani's in Maui. Sadly he just retired.

But he enjoyed his job which he did your YEARS. His complaint was that it started taking an hour and half and longer to get to work on some days due to tourist traffic. He lived up-country and it was getting worse and worse.

Some locals LOVED the lockdown because it was a dream to get around, and some are retired. Of course the downside was no business-no money for everyone else.

So for some it's like Monday morning again and time to get to work, dammit.

[DonRickles]

Originally Posted by Blansky

We found no evidence of non-welcoming that has been reported by some. Although it definitely exists by comments on different sites.

The lock down devastated business in Hawaii and everyone we met or saw at our usual haunts were happy to be working again.

You have to remember that there is a vocal minority in Hawaii that would wish to become it's own nation-state and resent haoles and prefer it's nation to revert back from all the tourism and "foreign ownership". Average house price is something like one million dollars.

There is also the situation where much of covid was brought back and forth by residents and not tourists. And the fact that some people are just sick of tourism in general.

So there is internal conflict on some of these things.

Have fun.

Agreed.

I'm not really one to spew gossip but this came from my son. He had way more positive thing to say about his trip. This was kind of just mentioned, in talking with him.

He took a young girl and had the time of his life. Diggin the LA life, too!

[Blansky]

Originally Posted by DonRickles

He took a young girl and had the time of his life. Diggin the LA life, too!

Livin' the dream.

I tried to take a young lady but my wife wouldn't let me, which I think was kind of selfish. But we had fun anyways.

[DonRickles]

Originally Posted by Blansky

Livin' the dream.

I tried to take a young lady but my wife wouldn't let me, which I think was kind of selfish. But we had fun anyways.

Originally Posted by Blansky

Livin' the dream.

I tried to take a young lady but my wife wouldn't let me, which I think was kind of selfish. But we had fun anyways.

Like Jessie and his family!

Remember him? lol

This is the red sand beach on Maui called Koki Beach. I’d named my male dobe Koki after it RIP! My son packed up a little sand for me!




Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[JParm]

Originally Posted by DonRickles

Like Jessie and his family!

Remember him? lol

This is the red sand beach on Maui called Koki Beach. I’d named my male dobe Koki after it RIP! My son packed up a little sand for me!

Did somebody say Red San Beach in Maui?

Back when we were a tad younger on the Road to Hana...

[Blansky]

Sorry about Koki.

Road to Hana. 52 miles, 620 curves and 59 bridges.....5 to 20 miles an hour. Then you turn around and come back.

Last time I did that was on a motorcycle. My clutch hand hurt for a week. Fun but exhausting.

[DonRickles]

[DonRickles]

Originally Posted by Blansky

Sorry about Koki.

Road to Hana. 52 miles, 620 curves and 59 bridges.....5 to 20 miles an hour. Then you turn around and come back.

Last time I did that was on a motorcycle. My clutch hand hurt for a week. Fun but exhausting.

Thanks! Koki’s mother’s name was Hana!
Oh, if I’ve never mentioned I spent my honeymoon on the islands, with my bride just about 40 years ago! Oahu, Maui, Kauai triple!

Drove the road to Hana, in a Camaro! lol
Got lei d too!

[mannyv11]

Originally Posted by DonRickles

Thanks! Koki’s mother’s name was Hana!
Oh, if I’ve never mentioned I spent my honeymoon on the islands, with my bride just about 40 years ago! Oahu, Maui, Kauai triple!

Drove the road to Hana, in a Camaro! lol
Got lei d too!

I also had my honeymoon on Maui and Kauai. We did the road to Hana in a mustang, except we didn't turn around, we did the full loop in the mustang all the way along cliffs hanging over water lol.
I'll never forget my wife leaning over my while driving so she could take a picture of the ocean, while my knuckles were white going around those turns in the mustang not knowing if a car was coming the other way .
Great memories and I can't wait to go back!

[warren G.]

I just got back from Honolulu for my mini-moon. It was awesome, beautiful, and fun. I thought everyone was welcoming, I didn't get any "why the * are you here?" stare.

But they are def not messing around with their Covid protocol. Lol even the food trucks were asking for our vaccine card.

[JParm]

Looks like the Governor is working on relaxing the protocols over the next couple of weeks. If all things remain the same with COVID, March should be an even better time than now to visit the island.

[Blansky]

Originally Posted by DonRickles

Got lei d too!

"those were the days, my friend, we thought they'd never end"........

Boy, were we mistaken.

[Blansky]

Originally Posted by jpeezy14@hotmail.com

Looks like the Governor is working on relaxing the protocols over the next couple of weeks. If all things remain the same with COVID, March should be an even better time than now to visit the island.

Hopefully. We're gonna be in Maui in March. I miss sitting at the bar BSing with people. Now the bars (bar stools) are only allowing groups or couple to sit together. So you can have empty stools but unless you're with the person/group beside them you can't sit there. Then there are maybe 2-3 empty stools between the groups.

It's all about the ICU's and how full they are. And some islands have far better facilities than others. Kauai's is very small, apparently.