17 seconds ago 2009-11-10T11:07:02-08:00
HONOLULU – Hawaiian Airlines announced Wednesday that it will soon begin charging $15 for a first checked bag on flights between the mainland and Hawaii.
The carrier will also adjust its frequent flier program by increasing the mileage needed to redeem award tickets.
The $15 baggage fee will be added on tickets purchased after Aug. 1 for travel commencing Oct. 1 and thereafter.
The Honolulu-based airline said there will be no charge for the first piece of checked luggage on interisland flights. It already charges $25 for a second bag on mainland flights and $17 on interisland flights.
As for the frequent flier program, the minimum for a roundtrip interisland ticket will rise for travel starting Sept. 1 from 10,000 to 15,000 miles. The minimum for trans-Pacific flights will increase from 35,000 to 40,000 miles.
Hawaiian said it last changed its minimum mileage requirements 14 years ago, when oil was less than $20 per barrel. Oil prices have soared in recents months and closed at $126.77 a barrel on the New York Mercantile Exchange on Wednesday.
Mark Dunkerley, Hawaiian's president and chief executive, said he was seeking a balance between "the company's need to cover high fuel costs with its sense of obligation to provide the local community in Hawaii with sustainable frequent, reliable and affordable service."
"Our latest financial results demonstrate why Hawaiian needs to match the revenue initiatives of our competitors," he said. "Nonetheless, we are mindful of the special needs of our kamaaina travelers and so we have resisted levying the full complement of new fees on interisland travel."
