Hawaiian Governor Josh Green proposed a number of reforms concerning taxes for tourists and vacation rentals in his State of the State address Monday.
04.01.2024 - 01:57 / forbes.com
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
Hawaiian Governor Josh Green proposed a number of reforms concerning taxes for tourists and vacation rentals in his State of the State address Monday.
With Alaska travel on the rise, United Airlines is introducing a new route to Anchorage just in time for the summer season.
The Seven Seas just got a bit more crowded: Nine new world cruises have recently set sail, joining Royal Caribbean's ongoing Ultimate World Cruise in a quest to travel around the world in 2024.
I can often maintain objectivity in my travel-writing work with relative ease, slipping into neutral gear and assessing a hotel (or restaurant or spa) for its merits as well as its challenges. But when I know a place well and have loved it since long before travel writing became a serious endeavor for me, all bets are off. I certainly try to have an open mind in both critical directions, positive and negative. But — full disclosure — Maui’s Fairmont Kea Lani, in Wailea on the island’s South Shore, had me at hello nearly 30 years ago, and its recent transformation is, not surprisingly, spectacular. In particular, the new Hale Kukuna Cultural Center, which is now the focus of the property’s redesigned lobby, has reinvigorated this already harmonious, generous space.
I'm probably one of the most credit card-dependent members of the TPG team. I already have too many for most humans to keep track of, resulting in my need to use spreadsheets to keep up with all my benefits. In fact, at last count, I had more than 20 open cards.
A federal judge on Tuesday blocked a much-anticipated merger between JetBlue and Spirit Airlines, but experts say that’s good news for travelers.
As a child, I eagerly awaited the annual road trips across the US with my parents and two siblings. Those childhood adventures ignited my wanderlust and inspired me to visit all 50 states, a journey I completed more than a decade ago. My parents often tease me about the time my 6-year-old self declared during one of our cross-country trips, "This isn't a vacation. We're just driving!" But little did I know that those seemingly endless miles would leave an indelible imprint, filled with laughter, bonding, and unforgettable memories, shaping me into the avid traveler I am today.
United Airlines said on Monday that it had found installation defects during its inspections of the door plugs on Boeing 737 MAX 9 jets, including loose bolts.
Hawaiian Airlines shareholders will vote in February on Alaska Airlines’ proposed $1.9 billion takeover of the carrier.
On Friday, a fuselage panel blew out on an Alaska Airlines Boeing 737 Max 9 plane seven minutes after takeoff from Portland, Oregon.
Following Friday’s incident aboard an Alaska Airlines flight—in which part of a Boeing 737 Max 9 jet’s wall blew out in mid-air, rapidly depressurizing the cabin and requiring an emergency landing—the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) issued an emergency airworthiness directive (EAD).
Airlines on Monday were told exactly how to inspect the 737 Max 9 from Boeing and the Federal Aviation Administration two days after one of jets suffered a dangerous failure during a flight.