New airline flight routes serving Makena and Wailea visitors from San Francisco bay area.
Alaska to add new Oakland-Hawaii flights in fall
reprinted courtesy SFGate.com 5/10/09
Bay Area travelers will have another option for nonstop flights to Hawaii come November, when Alaska Airlines starts service to the Big Island and Maui from Oakland.
The new nonstops help fill in the gap left by the abrupt shutdowns of Aloha and ATA airlines in spring 2008. While Hawaiian Airlines picked up the Oakland-Honolulu route a few weeks later, it did not replace the nonstop service to the Big Island (including Kona and Hilo), Maui or Kauai, offering connecting flights instead. Combined with high fuel prices, the dearth of outer-island service led to high ticket prices for last year's summer season.
Airfares to Hawaii dropped some time ago, but so have visitor numbers, spurred by global economic woes. That's why it's encouraging that the airline named for the 49th state is stepping into the breach just before the traditionally busy winter holiday season in the 50th -- and with some introductory sale fares.
The carrier will fly between Oakland (OAK) and Kahului, Maui (OGG), four times a week, beginning Nov. 9, and three times a week between Oakland and Kona (KOA), as of Nov. 10.
Ka'anapali Beach Hotel
A stay at the Ka'anapali Beach Hotel is part of an Alaska Airlines package featuring its new nonstop Oakland-Maui flights.
Alaska's nonstop OAK-OGG service will operate Monday, Wednesday, Friday and Saturday. Flights will depart Oakland at 7:45 a.m. and arrive in Maui at 11:05 p.m.; eastbound flights will leave OGG at 12:05 p.m. and arrive at OAK 7:10 p.m., local times.
The OAK-KOA service will run Tuesday, Thursday and Sunday. Westbound legs leave at 7:45 a.m. and arrive at 11:15 am., eastbound legs depart at 12:15 p.m. and land at 7:30 p.m.
As for fares, the introductory one-way base fare for either the Maui or Kona is $169, meaning you can fly nonstop for as low as $359.20 round trip, taxes included. That fare is valid for travel between Nov. 9, 2009 and Feb. 10, 2010, if you book by May 21; baggage fees begin at $15 for the first bag, and there are blackout dates around Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year's.
Discounted vacation packages are also available, including round-trip airfare and a four-night stay at either the Royal Kona Resort or the Ka'anapali Beach Hotel. See the Alaskan Airlines Web site for details.
reprinted courtesy SFGate.com 5/10/09
brought to you by Wailea Makena Real Estate Inc.
www.Wailea-Makena-real-estate.com
Peter Gelsey R (PB)
Wailea Makena Real Estate, Inc.
direct (808) 344-8000
Toll free 800-482-5089
fax (808) 442-0946
email peter@petergelsey.com