Snuba mixes snorkeling and scuba
December 14, 2009 ·
Breathing underwater was a strange sensation. It was even stranger because I’ve never been scuba-certified. Stranger yet that my wife — who is reluctant to even duck her head under water — was happily swimming 15 feet underwater behind me as we plumbed the depths on this island off the coast of Honduras. We had [...]
Hawaii among several destinations luring Chinese
November 30, 2009 ·
Hawaii, California and Las Vegas are among American tourist destinations vying fiercely for a vast and largely untapped new market segment. Yes, to be a Chinese tourist these days is to be a widely-sought traveler. Hawaii has beaches and its famed “aloha spirit” as its siren call. Las Vegas offers gambling and its entertainment-oriented attractions. [...]
Trump Hotel opens in Waikiki
November 17, 2009 ·
The Trump International Hotel & Tower Waikiki Beach Walk, the first new Waikiki luxury property to open in more than 20 years, welcomed its first guests Monday. Guests were greeted with Hawaiian dance and live music. The 38-story, 463-unit tower is located steps from the sand and Fort DeRussy Park. It features a library, wine [...]
How to avoid a customer-service nightmare
November 12, 2009 ·
Bad service is everywhere. The latest American Customer Satisfaction Index finds that airlines score a failing 64 percent. Hotels? Guests give them a gentleman’s “C” (75 percent). Ditto for car rental companies. Even though there aren’t any reliable customer service surveys, the one or two I’ve seen suggest no one is particularly happy with the [...]
Escape your family for the holidays
November 9, 2009 ·
When Lulis Leal’s family gets together for Christmas, she is usually sunning herself on a beach surrounded by palm trees and turquoise waters, with not one extended relative in sight. For more than 10 years, Leal has been spending the holiday season in exotic locales like the Bahamas or Hawaii — anywhere warm, the Cedar [...]
Hawaiian Airlines to impose first checked bag fee
September 3, 2009 ·
Hawaiian Airlines says it will join its competitors in charging a fee for the first checked bag on interisland flights. Hawaiian announced Wednesday that the $10 fee will go into effect Sept. 14. Glenn Taniguchi is Hawaiian’s senior vice president of marketing and sales. He says fares haven’t kept pace with rising costs. Such items [...]
Hawaiian Airlines plans to add 170 more workers
August 18, 2009 ·
Hawaiian Airlines has hired 100 employees in recent months and plans to add 170 more by early next year to meet the company’s growth needs as it prepares for the first of its new Airbus A330-200 aircraft. Recent hires have included aircraft mechanics, service representatives, contract agents, ramp agents, maintenance and cleaning personnel. The new [...]
