Hawaiian Airlines adds new fees and increases fares

These days, it’s not surprising when another airline adds fees and increases fares. It’s becoming the industry norm, and today Hawaiian Airlines joined the ranks of carriers charging for services that used to be free.

One month after the closure of Aloha Airlines, Hawaiian Airlines announced plans to increase interisland fares from $5 to $20. Currently, the base fare will go up from $49 to $54. The airline also plans to charge a $5 fee for flights between Kona, Hilo, and Honolulu. Plus, a $25 second-checked-bag fee for flights between the mainland and Hawaii will go into effect June 10, along with a $5 phone reservations surcharge.

This raise in prices coincided with a $52.2 million dollar settlement the airline received from Mesa Air Group, which was accused of misusing confidential information to enter the interisland market. However, the airline claims fuel prices have necessitated its recent raise in fare prices.

Go! Airlines, notorious for fare wars and currently Hawaiian Airlines’ main competitor, has not yet announced any matches in fares, with its lowest price remaining at $49 as of yesterday.

This may just be the beginning of increases, as industry expert Peter Forman states that fares need to be in the $75 to $85 range for airlines to break even on interisland flights.