wayzfam

How did you get a refund? Was on phone with ha for over 45 minutes today and spoke to three different departments. They said no refunds.

DTWpistons

I also tried to cancel a future ticket and was told no refund as well. I have sent an email to their consumer affairs address and to the DOT as well (not that it will do any good).

Aloha1

Called Customer Response first and explained why I was calling. They transferred me to Reservations. Asked for a supervisor right off the top. Got a brief argument before I explained that it meant no sense for the agent to be a go between on an issue that would require a Supervisor anyway.Explained to the Supe why I was calling and that I wanted a FULL refund. Supe said 'call Customer Response". Said I did and THEY transferred me to her. Was put on hold for about 10 minutes and Supe came back and said OK, your refund is in process and "we're sorry".

This is an absolutely ridiculous policy change that I predict will cause HA more in lost revenue than any "liability" issue ever will.

squatopus

So if my Delta flight arrives at 2:30pm from ATL, do I have enough time now to make my Hawaiian flight that leaves at 4:25pm?

donnyb

You should be good.

Aloha1

Depends on how fast they unload the plane and how quickly you can get your bags rechecked and thru TSA. Should be enough time but could be close. You will need to go from the main terminal to the inter island terminal with them for recheck.

AZ Travels the World

I would have no problem taking this risk at HNL.

I have one coming up myself. Arriving OGG at 5:20 PM on US (in F), connecting to HA to HNL (in F) at 6:38 PM. (I don't know that F on either sector is going to help me much other than my bags could be near the first onto the carrousel. There is still no F security line at OGG is there?)

How is OGG security that time of day? My recent experience has all been late evening, when all the red-eyes depart. I'd never consider something like this at that time of day.

Do you OGG experts think this is workable? I just can't believe HA is hiding behind their, "It's been in the fine print on our website since January, so no leeway on changes," stance. Absolutely no Aloha by HA, on any level, with this change -- so typical of them in recent years.

Aloha1

Still no F line at OGG. Around 6 PM, lines should be moderate. Your biggest problem will be if US is late getting in as you only have one hour...and HA is notorious for closing the ramp door early.

Denal1

No one can predict what the lines will look like. Right now I would guess the majority of passengers arriving from the mainland to HNL/OGG have their bags transferred. What will security be like when most arriving passengers have to re-cear security?

Unfortunately, I am traveling to HNL then on to KOA on June 1......

sullim4

I bet most people won't even understand what they have to do and what rechecking a bag really means. Granted, those flying on miles that have the experience will understand and be quite upset, but will the honeymoon couple, or the leisure traveler from the west coast really know?

Of course this doesn't even take into consideration the number of bags that end up getting gate checked, which is becoming more and more common. When a gate agent ends up taking a bag, what are the odds that they're going to tell a customer that they'll have to recheck at HNL?

I have a feeling HNL is going to become inundated with misconnected luggage, and that HA's partners are going to throw a fit over the number of calls they'll have to field on "missing" bags. Someone might want to open one of those unclaimed luggage shops up on the islands!

Aloha1

Solid point. This is gonna the Mother of all CF's. How much Pakalolo is HA smoking?

JenGal

As I was rechecking our itineraries on HA website for a hawaii trip in a week, I just noticed the Interline Baggage Statement and FAQs. Wow -- I didn't know this was happening! Was no problem interlining on my previous two trips. Should have been checking this forum

So, the website says they have delayed implementation until June 1. I sure hope it is delayed. I'm traveling with my folks to Big Island, but am returning home via HNL 4 days before them. I have plenty of time at HNL to re-check my bag but it would still kinda tick me off, that's for sure. However, I REALLY don't want my folks to have to deal with this on their return journey when I won't be there to help them negotiate this whole cluster* process. I had already explained to them how they would request at check-in that HA process their bags on both itineraries (HA, then AA).

Just wondering if anyone had any information on whether I am still good with interlining through the month of May or if some agents are already implementing the restrictions (you can tell I fly UA alot as there are so many discrepancies in agents actions I never am confident they will follow the rules ).

channa

11 mainland locations, 8 or 9 of which have nonstop service to the neighbor islands on another carrier anyway.

For many of these locations, HA is under significant price pressure from AS, which has reversed the tradition where HNL was usually cheaper to fly to. In many cases, service to the neighbor islands is now cheaper than flying into HNL anyway.

HA doesn't play nice with OAL mileage programs; they don't work well as a mileage program for most who don't live in HI, their coach cabin is cramped, and now they don't play nice with interline bags.

As a mainlander, I didn't see the point of flying them before, and I really don't see it now.

HNLbasedFlyer

The baggage change issue made the Honolulu Star-Advertiser today, Section B (Local news) page 7. They basically said it won't impact most people and they'd face fines if they didn't implement the policy. The article was pretty much buried.

Also available in today's May 9 online edition but you need to be a subscriber to read the story online.

JA610

Thanks Ripper

From: The Honolulu Star-Advertiser Online

Hawaiian Air alters its baggage policy
Fliers might face extra luggage fees if they book separate tickets for travel on more than one airline


By Dave Segal



POSTED: 01:30 a.m. HST, May 09, 2012


It's soon going to take more time, effort and possibly money for some Hawaiian Airlines passengers to fly between the neighbor islands and the mainland.

The state's largest carrier is implementing a new policy June 1 that will require passengers who booked their interisland tickets separately from their Hono.lulu-mainland tickets to exit security in Hono.lulu, reclaim their bag, run it through agricultural screening, re-check their bag, pay any required baggage fees and then re-clear security.

"This is going to be a huge pain in the okole for folks, and perhaps cause loads of missed connections for people who book ‘normal' connection times," said Rick Cabral, a frequent traveler from Wahiawa and a member of FlyerTalk, an interactive community of frequent travelers.

But Hawaiian spokes.man Keoni Wagner stressed that most passengers won't be affected.

"This change is not going to apply to the vast majority of our customers, who already fly on a single-ticket itinerary," Wagner said.

"The same holds true for most travelers today whether you're booking travel through an individual airline or an online agency. Almost all travel that has connecting flights in the itinerary is today booked on a single ticket."

Hawaiian said it is making the change in its "interline" baggage policy due to new federal Department of Transportation regulations that the airline says make it increasingly difficult and risky for it to accommodate through-checked bags on separate tickets.

"Hawaiian Airlines faces serious fines if we through-check bags between carriers on separate tickets and incorrectly apply the carriers' bag rules," Hawaiian said in a question-and-answer section on its website. "That rule means we can no longer afford to accommodate through-checked bags as a courtesy to our guests unless the travel is on a single ticket."

The airline said it also was concerned by incidents in which passengers through-checked their bags from other airlines on separate tickets and had bags delayed.

"It was possible, when booking tickets separately, to circumvent the minimum connection times intended to ensure that bags have time to connect between flights," Hawaiian said on its website. "It is too difficult to be as vigilant as we would like in handling our guests' baggage without the control provided by a true interline or code-share booking. This is an important distinction. When the connecting flights between airlines are booked on the same ticket, our systems are able to consistently apply the baggage rules and ensure adequate connecting time for your bags."

Code-sharing allows a carrier to sell flights on another carrier. Interline e-ticketing allows customers to purchase a single e-ticket, check in once at their originating airport, receive boarding passes for connecting flights and pick up their luggage at the final destination.

The DOT regulations require, in part, that airlines apply the same baggage allowances and fees throughout a passenger's journey if their ultimate ticketed origin or destination is a U.S. point. If you fly on two or more airlines with one ticket, you will pay a baggage fee only once. If you have separate tickets, you may need to pay a baggage fee each time you change airlines.

Hawaiian said it has interline and code-share agreements with a wide range of domestic and international airlines that allow passengers to book flights operated by multiple carriers on the same ticket.

"We never did have a provision that would through-check bags booked on separate tickets," Wagner said.

Wagner said the change in Hawaiian's policy is not an attempt to generate more revenue, but airline analyst Bob Mann disagreed.

"This is clearly a revenue enhancement effort designed to defeat split-ticketing and preserve their higher O&D (origin and destination) pricing," said Mann, president of Port Washington, N.Y.-based R.W. Mann & Co.

"Hawaiian has better nonstop, through and connecting service, O&D service for which they hope to extract a premium."

———

On the Net:

» http://www.hawaiianair.com/help/Page...Statement.aspx