Hawaiian Airlines Continues Efforts To “Travel Pono” On Maui And Debuts Stunning New Leihoku Suites

04.01.2024 - 01:57 / forbes.com / Airlines

If you’re seeking a special place for a vacation, honeymoon or business conference, you may just want to consider Maui in 2024. Always a spectacular destination, there is a reason for the saying “Maui No Ka Oi,” which means “Maui is the best.”

Of course, people worldwide have come to know of the devastation that was wrought on Maui by the August 8 wildfires that destroyed the town of Lahaina (and parts of Upcountry Kula) and immediately surrounding areas on the island. Hundreds of people lost their lives, and almost everyone who lives in that area lost their homes and housing. Historic landmarks that had been in Lahaina for a hundred years or more were destroyed, and billions of dollars in damages was done to both residences and businesses. But luckily, many areas such as the luxury resorts in Kapalua and Wailea were untouched — and are welcoming travelers with warm aloha. Despite the August tragedy, Maui is open for tourism.

How to get there, if you do indeed consider Maui this year? You may want to consider flying on the islands’ flagship carrier: Hawaiian Airlines (which recently partnered with Alaska Airlines). For starters, consumer surveys by Condé Nast Traveler and TripAdvisor have placed Hawaiian Airlines among the top of all domestic airlines serving Hawaii. The carrier was named Hawaii's best employer by Forbes in 2022 and has topped Travel + Leisure's World's Best list as the No. 1 U.S. airline for the past two years.

But there are two more distinctive reasons.

Probably most important, Hawaiian Airlines has undertaken great efforts to help the island of Maui to recover responsibly from the disaster. Since the tragic Aug. 8 wildfires in Lāhainā, Hawaiian Airlines has been steadfast in supporting the West Maui community's recovery needs. The carrier’s Mālama Maui Desk – their special operation created to assist in Maui recovery efforts - has been a pillar in the airline’s ongoing response, helping manage a consistent stream of calls for kōkua (help).

Hawaiian Airlines (which recently merged with Alaska Airlines) established the Mālama Maui Desk on Aug. 15 as part of its second phase of support for Maui, alongside significant volunteer commitments and donations for local nonprofits. Since its inception, the program has assisted more than 230 individuals and organizations with urgent, high-impact requests for support related to travel, cargo shipping, baggage waivers, volunteers, sponsorships and more.This included delivering nearly 19,000 pounds of donations to West Maui, answering hundreds of calls for kōkua.

These efforts overlapped an already-existing Hawaiian Airlines program to encourage responsible tourism in Hawaii, called “Travel Pono.” Travel Pono means to explore with care, offering