Airline policy
My name is Jeanne Serra, and I am a resident of the Big Island. I am writing to you to bring light to an airline policy of Hawaiian Airlines that is bringing harm to many of their customers.
I purchased tickets for my family members in Brazil from the mainland to the Hawaiian Islands on Hawaiian Airlines for June 2020. Of course, I had to cancel these flights due to COVID and was issued a credit for future flights. Due to the ongoing pandemic, my family has still been unable to visit us.
When I contacted Hawaiian Airlines to request transfer of the flight credits into my name, I was told they could not do this even though my family members are in Brazil, and to date there are no tourist visas being issued.
I attempted to escalate the issue and was placated by their consumer affairs department. Through a search online, I found many similar stories to my own and recognize it now as being a much larger problem.
My questions that are not being answered are why is there this policy to begin with, and how is transferring credits that have already been awarded in my family members’ names to my name harming the airlines in any way?
So, now I am being expected to simply waste $900 worth of flight credits from tickets that I purchased in the first place?
Money doesn’t grow on trees, Hawaiian Airlines.
Jeanne Serra
Keaau
Cartoon nailed it
The cartoon in the Tribune-Herald on Sunday, Nov. 7, depicted in my opinion exactly what is happening in the Hawaiian community.
Unfortunately, it took this long for such a depressing depiction to be presented.
Hopefully, our present elected officials, especially the mayor, can find some solutions to these issues and be willing to address these disparities.
After all, we all pay taxes, including the Hawaiians. They definitely deserve better.
Floyd Eaglin
Hilo