With the new B717's coming on line in 2001, is there any reason why a passenger would choose Aloha over HA? I'm going to to be moving to Oahu and doing a lot of inter-island travel...I just want to make sure I'm accumulating miles on the right carrier http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/smile.gif

I'd appreciate any opinions.

Thanks!

Interisland flights are too short to notice the service difference btwn two airlines.

Otherwise, Aloha for 500 UA miles (I'm not sure whether you still can double dip or not) or Hawaiian for 250 AA/NW miles or 500 CO miles. CO requires 10K instead of 5K miles for HA interisland award flights...

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[This message has been edited by DH (edited 12-14-2000).]

Since you are from Chicago and seem to be a regular on United Airlines, you will probably prefer Aloha Airlines, as you can earn 500 Mileage Plus miles for your Aloha flights. But you do not earn UA points for Aloha's service to the mainland USA (Oakland and soon Las Vegas).

United has the most flights to the most places to and from Hawaii, so it's a good idea to keep your loyalty with them for those times you will be traveling outside of Hawaii.

Like DH said, the flights are so short (20-45 minutes) you will barely have time to notice whether you are in a new Hawaiian B717 or an older Aloha B737.

And if you are going to be travelling to West Maui often (all the big hotels are out on the West side of Maui), Aloha flys to Kapalua (on an Island Air turbo prop) whereas Hawaiian only flys to Kahului (OGG).

And just today, it was announced that Aloha Airlines is the most on-time airline in the nation.



[This message has been edited by anthonyanthony (edited 12-16-2000).]

I don't know if you can double dip or not. I either have to use my AlohaPass number or my M+ number. I started with the M+ number, but switched to using the AlohaPass number recently, after I paid $120 to join the Aloha Executive Club.

With enough AlohaPass credits, renewal is free, or I think you can use points. The real benefit is a separate checkin line and you get to board in the front of the cattle heard. They have a club room, but it isn't much .. the one in HNL is nicer than the one in Lihue, and they sometimes have check-in agents working in the one in HNL.

One time, checking in at LIH with bags, the agent at the curb upgraded us because of my executive club card, which was very nice and much appreciated, but doesn't matter too much on a 20 minute flight.

We don't like the older DC9's on HA, so we've been avoiding HA. There was also a story in the paper about how they kept flying one of their aircraft for 3 days after a tail hit the ground on a landing several months ago. In both cases, the planes take a real beating because of the number of takeoffs and landings.

On one occaision, we went HNL for a couple of days, and then I was off to the mainland and my wife and kids were returning to Kauai. I drove the rental car to the airport myself, and my wife was going later via taxi. When I got the airport, I realized I had the kids carseat. With the HA agents help, I was able to check it for my wife and post a message in her record, which she received at checkin.

Aloha has two flights a day to Oakland, one from HNL and one from OGG (Mauai) which will continue on to LAS starting in mid-February. AlohaPass members had the opportunity to earn a coupon for a $99 r/t between the islands and LAS, simply for flying 3 interisland r/ts in a couple of month period. I earned one, and have the coupon. Aloha plans to continue to expand their mainland service, so you might expect more deals like this in the future. One point here, AQ's mainland flights use new 737-800's, believe it or not.

HA has more flights to the mainland, and they also fly r/t to Tahiti a couple of times a week. Both have lots of island partners where you can earn extra miles or points. HA uses old DC10s for their mainland flights, and from what I've heard, they aren't very comfortable.

Since UA expanded their Kauai service, and with the demise of the 3-class equipment they were flying between HNL and the mainland, I've been doing less interisland flights and more non-stops to SFO or LAX out of Kauai.

In the end, I tend to use AQ for interisland flights, and take AlohaPass credits when I fly them.

-David

But you do not earn UA points for Aloha's service to the mainland USA (Oakland and soon Las Vegas).
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That's incorrect. I earned M+ miles on all AQ flights, even the ones to the mainland. When we first moved here, before I had status on UA, I used AQ's mainland service several times, because in the beginning, their F-class tickets were really cheap. AQ is a M+ partner airline, and not part of Star Alliance.

AQ flights do not earn elite status miles on M+, and there is no class of service bonus for flying in F on AQ.

On one return flight out of Oakland, they needed one volunteer to give up their seat. I had an F ticket, volunteered, and got a free LIH-OAK r/t paper ticket, transportation to SFO, and an F ticket on UA, in a 3-class 747 later that afternoon! I did get both status miles and a class of service bonus on M+ for that flight!

-David

Originally posted by LIH Prem:
That's incorrect. I earned M+ miles on all AQ flights, even the ones to the mainland


Yep, you're right, I misinterpreted something I read on Aloha's web site. It appears that Aloha's flights to places like Midway Island, Marshall Islands, Christmas Island, Kwajalein, and Johnston do not get Mileage Plus credit. Hope that's not a problem http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/smile.gif