Here’s the latest batch of Hawaii news and deals. 
* If I told you that you could stay in a top rated Four Seasons resort on Hawaii for under $200 per night, would you believe me? It’s true. If you stay three nights at the Four Seasons Resort Lanai, The Lodge at Koele using the third night free promotion, your average cost per night is $197. See more details here.
* You can stay at the Aston Kauai Beach at Makaiwa from $89 per night from now through December 23, 2009, but you must book before July 3. That’s a great rate for a Kauai resort that normally goes for at least $100 more. For more details and booking code, see this link.
* Per airfare guru, Rick Seaney, it appears that an airfare war to Honolulu might be looming. Rick says he’s already found great fare sale ( between $250-275 round-trip with taxes) to Honolulu from Minneapolis, Salt Lake City, Houston, and Dallas. So, check fares from your city this afternoon and evening.
* US Airways announced that they are adding a non-stop flight from Charlotte, NC (CLT) to Honolulu, HI (HNL) starting December 17, 2009. US Airways will fly a Boeing 767 for this flight with a flying time of just over 10 hours to Honolulu and nearly 9 hours to Charlotte. Based on my experiences of flying from North Carolina, that will save about 2 – 5 hours each way. I’ve been periodically checking round-trip fares on these direct flights (807 to HNL and 808 from HNL) and fares are on the high side at around $1000 per ticket. It will be interesting to see how this new service impacts the pricing dynamic over the coming year.
* As frequently as airlines have been adding new fees, it’s been a challenge keep updated. USA Today published an excellent chart of airline fees.
* Oahu’s popular Bayfest, is going to be held August 14 – 16 this year. This family-friendly festival features carnival rides, games, fireworks and concerts. General grounds admission is $5, but children five years are admitted free of charge. For an additional fee, you can see the headline concert. This year the Black Eyed Peas will be performing on August 15th. Tickets for that concert go on sale June 27th and are expected to sell out quickly. You can learn more about Bayfest and ordering tickets here.
Sheila Beal
