IAH to MAUI BYE-BYE?
 

Anyone know if CO is ceasing IAH/OGG non-stop later in '05? Can't seem to book a non-stop for later in the year. Growing up in Hawaii and currently working in Houston, flights 49 and 48 have been one of my sanity links for two years now. I hope it's not going away...

?????
I found nonstop availability IAH-OGG on 7/1/05, 8/1/05, 9/1/05, 10/1/05 and 11/1/05.

My instincts are telling me that this may go away as a direct flight from IAH since they will need the equipment elsewhere. Maybe a 752 or 753?

Reduced Service?
 

I thought CO was trimming back this service ...down to once a few times a week due to lack of interest in the route.

It's a shame too --I was looking forward to CO expanding service to the islands, not reducing it. If CO ever brought a nonstop to KOA, I'd be on it at least 1x/month :)

After my first visit to KOA year I completely agree with you! Beyond the fact that the Big Island is amazing, you just have to love the convenience of KOA. Too bad the State was not able to garner more interest from the airlines given the huge runway. But then again, could you imagine a couple widebodies dumping passengers off at the same time? :D

December '05 IAH/OGG Cutbacks
 

IAH/OGG 49 in timetable 12/3,5,6,7,10,12
not showing in timetable 12/1,2,4,8,9
Didn't go thru whole month....

They're either reducing schedule or timetable screwed up. I sure like choosing the day of the week I want to get on CO49 at IAH and stepping off same plane in Kahului. Also like getting on plane in Kahului on a Sunday night, landing at 6:30am Monday and rolling right into work a half hour later.

Sure would be a bummer to have the choice of days reduced.

Continental will reduce frequency on the IAH-OGG route, like Northwest sometimes pulls the second HNL-MSP flights for certain days during off-peak periods...

The extension for the runway at KOA, though, was to get that 747 from Japan to come in and dump Japanese tourists. It's served its purpose well. All other pax are just an extra perk. ;)

aloha

I had no idea they parked that big of a bird there on a regular basis! For the love of god that must be comical.

I'm sure the comical part about is is deplaning using stairs!

Course, this isn't JAL, but it's UA:
http://www.rizbee.com/2000/Kona/PlaneCare.jpg

But, you get the point...

aloha

Ahh, yes, that was a UA flight that used to go to LAX or SFO on a 747. Now it's 767's and 757's. :(

I chuckled when I got off the 717 and saw the sparce terminal. I can only imagine if it was off of a 777 or 747!

But seriously, what a great airport!

Not a 747, but recent nonetheless: JAL DC-10 at KOA. :p

Now we're really getting off topic, but that's a DC-10 at HNL not KOA.

Back to the subject... AQ has recently eliminated service from BUR-OGG... Maybe loads are low out of OGG (well duh, we know that....).

aloha

I think it's just a temporary reduction for the off season. They did that this year as well. Anyway, I would never completely trust the schedule more than six months out -- a lot could change between now and then. Nothing for next fall or winter is final.

The Traffic on OGG is Coming From Somewhere
 

I don't know why CO is reducing service to OGG. Hotels are often booked to maximum occupancy, the roads are always congested with traffic, and the once quiet and quick ride from OGG to the resorts at Kannapali is frequently gridlocked --so bad that on my last trip there, traffic was backed up to the tunnel prior to getting into Lahaina!

And there's definitely a ton of air traffic at OGG --the security lines seem to wrap around endlessly out front.

So while those passengers may not be flying CO, they're flying someone into the island somehow. Maybe CO wasn't competitive enough on the pricing (or the timing/frequency of the flights) to be successful there.