Tourism flying high

LIHUE — More people are flying to Hawaii, according the Hawaiian Tourism Authority.

“Air seats to the Hawaiian Islands are at an all-time high, boosting arrivals from most of our markets,” said HTA CEO George Szigeti.

Total air seats to the islands in August rose 5.4 percent to 1.07 million, led by double-digit growth in seat capacity to Kona (plus-13.9 percent) and Kahului (plus-11.5 percent) airports. Scheduled air seats increased 5.7 percent to 1,061,707. However, charter seats dropped 16.1 percent due to fewer international charter flights.

In the report, HTA recorded a 2.3 percent increase in air arrivals — 103,358 — on Kauai in August.

For Sherry Kistler of Phoenix, “the beauty of the islands” is what has brought her back since 1995. If she had a favorite island, it would be Kauai, she said.

“Honolulu is crazy,” Kistler said. “You take like three days there. It’s like Las Vegas. You take three days in Las Vegas. This is relaxing.”

And that’s exactly what Heather Fishel, 26, and Dave Adams, 29, did.

They flew in through LAX with United and spent three days in Honolulu before making their way to Kauai, “because it was more scenic and less crowded” than Oahu.

There no clear single reason for the increase in air arrivals. Airfares have held steady, and while the U.S. economy continues to wobble at times, consumers confidence is growing.

The Conference Board Consumer Confidence Index, which had increased in August, improved moderately in September.

“Consumer confidence increased moderately in September, following August’s sharp rebound,” said Lynn Franco, director of Economic Indicators at The Conference Board.

Alaska Airlines CEO Brad Tilden said in a recent story by The Associated Press that his company’s business has grown exponentially since both Aloha and ATA shut down, nearly simultaneously in 2008.

“Overall what we’re seeing is really, really solid demand,” Tilden said. “I think business is good in Hawaii and it’s certainly very, very good for Alaska Airlines. I think all of the airlines are operating pretty well here.”

Still, Alaska Airlines seems to doing well for itself with more than a million passengers a year to the four major islands. Tilden said Alaska will increase its capacity this year by 8 percent to nearly 1.4 million air seats in spite of competition from other carriers in the West Coast-Hawaii market.

Alaska was looking for new opportunities when Aloha and ATA ceased operations and cost the state 1.5 million air seats.

“They left the market and left this huge void,” Tilden said.“Year after year, for a long time, Alaska and other airlines were working to fill that void, but I think we’re at a good spot now where the level of supply is appropriate given the amount of demand in the market. I know Alaska is certainly doing really well in Hawaii. I think the other airlines are as well.”

To keep up with the high demand, some airlines have increased direct flights to the islands.

Last year, Hawaiian Airlines added direct flights between Los Angeles and Lihue outside of its seasonal schedule, said Alex de Silva, spokesman for the airline.

Flights between islands have either increased or remained about the same, de Silva said.

“Going back to January 2014, flights have for the most part increased or remained stable among the main islands,” he said. “And with the introduction of Ohana by Hawaiian service in early 2014, we are better able to serve Lanai and Molokai.”

Nancy Lemonte, a former ticket agent with Continental Airlines, said she shops around when it comes to flights.

Although she flew into Kauai on American Airlines this time, she’s not picky about the airline she chooses. She does think that airline prices have been increasing in recent years, so she shops early to avoid the high prices.

George Thompson, a spokesperson for Wizard Publications — creators of the “Ultimate Kauai Guidebook” and the line of ”Revealed” guidebooks for the other main islands — said his company believes the HTA and Kauai Visitor Bureau have been indispensable to the promotion of Hawaii. He said he thinks that’s why tourism is up.

He said it also doesn’t hurt that the islands are gorgeous.

“We believe in what we write,” Thompson said.