Question: Spleen or Emi

[john&kelly]

We are taking our 2nd trip to paradise this summer in July. This time we are arriving on the Big Island, & several days later want to spend a full day in Maui. What is the best way to find the best deal for inter-island travel??

Thanks much!!

[spleen93]

Inter-island travel? It's a big crap shoot in a lot of ways. You can think that you got the best price and then the airlines will announce a special that'll cause the offered ticket prices to drop. You can always look for interisland coupons but I had heard rumors that they were being phased out. Otherwise, you can check with the respective airlines' website and see if they're offering specials. It's going to be expensive no matter what - expect to spend upwards of $75/person/one way ticket.

 

Spleen

[john&kelly]

Thanks, Spleen- that's what I was seeing online, but I thought I was missing something.

John

[spleen93]

This is why people in Hawaii go to Vegas on vacation instead of going to the neighbor islands. :)

 

Spleen

[beachchick]

We are taking our 2nd trip to paradise this summer in July. This time we are arriving on the Big Island, & several days later want to spend a full day in Maui. What is the best way to find the best deal for inter-island travel??

Thanks much!!

 

When you say "full day" do you mean overnight? If not and you intend to fly back to the Big Island the same day, then I can tell you that your day probably won't be as full as you'd like. There are no late night flights anymore. And you still have to go through the full security hassles. If you took the first flight in the morning and the last flight back (probably around 6 or 7 pm--I'm guessing), you'd have about 10 or 11 hours on Maui. This may give you enough time to do all you want. It just depends on what you have in mind.

 

beachchick

[bug_dan]

beachchick,

Are there any direct flights from the Big Island to Maui anymore? Two years ago we had to go by way of Honolulu.

[spleen93]

I think Island Air does direct flights. And Pacific Wings may also. But I don't think that the big interisland airlines (Hawaiian, Aloha) do.

 

(edited to add - I checked Hawaiian's schedule and it appears that they have one flight a day that's a direct flight between Kona, Big Island and Kahului, Maui - midafternoon)

 

Spleen

[beachchick]

beachchick,

Are there any direct flights from the Big Island to Maui anymore? Two years ago we had to go by way of Honolulu.

 

Actually there are, but I could only find one. It is in the early morning (ITO-OGG). I don't remember if it's Hawaiian or Aloha. I didn't look for return because we are only going one way. All the other flights had a stop at HNL. Last flight ITO to OGG was at about 6 pm.

 

beachchick

[SweetEmi]

You can try bidding on tickets too or getting them from one place that has wire in the name. *smile* I got RT for $134 at the beginning of January (to BI to Honolulu).

 

Can't wait for the ferry. But with the price breakdown I saw on the news last night, it might not be as economical as I thought unless you took your car for a week or so instead of renting one.

 

Emi

[spleen93]

Pacific Wings: https://www.radixx.cc/PacificWings/booking/KOASCHED.asp

Island Air: http://www.islandair.com/flightinformation/timetables/TimetableasofJan102005.pdf

 

Emi - I'm still excited about the ferry though ...

 

Spleen

[kapoho2]

So,what did you hear about the ferry?? We have been so overwhelmed by "visitors" lately, that I have not seen the local news in weeks!! We thought that the ferry would be great for a quick trip to Maui...last I heard it would be about half the cost of a round trip airline ticket...but have not heard about how much $$ to take our car also. We thought it would be something to look forward to. Are there any links to the ferry tariffs?

 

Mahalo,

 

Laurie

[beachchick]

What's this about a ferry? Please tell us more. I was just about to book our one-way air for June. Will it be running by then? Is it Kona to Lahaina?

 

I'll check the Hawai'i news online.

 

beachchick

[SweetEmi]

This is what I think I remember from the news report last night. They need another 40 billion or million dollars to fix up the harbors for the ferries. But they've already raised a bunch more than that - so probably no big deal.

 

I don't remember the exact prices, but I think it was $55 for a car. They said it would take 3 hours (I think from BI to Oahu). They said it was about half the price of airline tickets but the prices they were quoting for the airline tickets were about twice as much as I usually pay ($270 they were quoting R/T). I got a R/T a couple of weeks ago for $134.

 

And it won't be ready until early 2006 I think they said...a while from now anyway.

 

Sorry for the vague info but I wasn't taking notes and I don't remember well anymore without writing notes... :(

 

HEY! I found a link. http://hawaiisuperferry.com/index2.html

 

Emi

[spleen93]

Yes, not running until at least 2006.

 

Spleen

[beachchick]

Oh well. Guess we'll just have to plan another trip to try the ferry. Sigh. (LOL)

 

Mahalo for the info.

beachchick

[SweetEmi]

:D That will work, Beachchick!

 

Emi

[beachchick]

Thanks Emi. We can't get enough of the islands, so any excuse (or no excuse at all) is enough. BTW, we'll be on your island in June. DH has been on the Big Island for business, but it's only our second BI visit together (first time was winter, lots of storm and rain, but beautiful anyway). We're going to stay at Volcano House, do Volcano NP (neither of us has done this yet), and also take the UH weekend trip to Mauna Kea summit. Then it's over to Maui where our DD is meeting us for a week. I can't wait; although, I guess I'll have to. Keep the volcanoes warm for us. LOL.

 

beachchick