No more flight coupons?

I can't believe it... First it was Hawaiian Airlines and today Aloha Airlines has announced the discontinuation of interisland flight coupons.

Being that my job often takes me to the neighbor islands for work, I have relied on the flexibility and convenience of interisland flight coupons. To think that they will no longer be available is a shock to me.

I don't really have anything substantial to say about this issue, but I just wanted to share my chagrin at this new development in interisland travel.

Just don't tell me that they're not going to honor my Aloha Pass frequent flyer miles. I'm liable to get really bent out of shape about that one...

Comments

What I find strange is the practice of paying a higher ticket fee if you reserve a flight too late.

I don't quite get it either, but anything to make a buck, I guess.

Ahhh... capitalism. ;)

Sad, but inevitable.

There were some good details in this article from The Honolulu Advertiser.

"For consumers, the end of coupons means travelers no longer can walk up to the ticket counters and hop on a flight at a predictable price." A great convenience, but a pain for the airlines, and I'm surprised not more has been said about the security angle.

Advance "hard" booking also cuts down on a longtime bane of local air travel - folks who "soft" book seats on three consecutive flights from one island to another, figuring that way they can take whichever one is most convenient given when they get to the airport. The problem is, of course, the airline can't sell those empty seats, and had little recourse for the no-show cancellation.

I also mourn the demise of flight coupons. They were convenient to use even though they have increased in price over the years.

That said, I have never flown on a "E-ticket" before and am very skeptical about this new system.. especially if I am required to pay for it only with a credit card and computer connection. What about people without computers?

You know this eticket thing and the new 7 day, 3 day and same day pricing structure is only the beginning of making interisland travel an expensive pain for Hawaii consumers. The next thing the airlines will look at will be distance pricing, which will of course be expensive for those who have to travel between Honolulu and Hilo or Hilo and Lihue. This is the next thing that will come.

While the economy is too weak to support a 3rd major interisland airline, this is exactly what is needed in the Hawaii interisland market... a third carrier to compete with Hawaiian and Aloha airlines to bring ticket prices down and perhaps (though not likely) re-instate the traditional flight coupons.

SouthWest? Jet Blue anyone?

Man, I would love to see Southwest. I mean, c'mon guys! (I'm talking to you, Colleen C. Barrett and Herbert D. Kelleher.) You can't get more southwest than Hawaii!

And competition on Mainland-to-Hawaii routes - in addition to interisland - from a carrier like Southwest would kick serious industry butt. Surveys have always shown that people will put up with a lot (i.e. a lack of the usual amenities) just to plant two feet on Hawaii soil. Hell, I have relatives that are regularly on waiting lists to get out here on clunky, grimy military transport planes!

Remember Mahalo Airlines? The lesson there wasn't "don't compete with the Big Two," it was, "people prefer jets."

I used to have to jump on the first available flight early in the mornings, going back to school after some sort of meeting on Oahu. It's an end of a sort of era, being that so many of us are so depended on cupons.

I hope the the new bookings will allow for cheaper rates in the long run.

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