Aussies having second thoughts about visiting Hawaii in the coming days as a result of Hurricane Lane will be able to change their travel dates free of charge with Hawaiian Airlines.
The Category 4 Hurricane Lane has placed Hawaii in a state of emergency, with expectations that strong winds and heavy rain will reach the islands today, starting with the south island of Maui, then Lanai and Molokai before reaching Oahu and Kauai on Friday and Saturday.
Schools have closed, streams cleared, shelters set up and emergency equipment/food arranged to protect people and support recovery efforts should the hurricane cause damage.
#HurricaneLane in the early morning hours near #Hawaii. The crew of the @Space_Station sends much aloha to everyone there. pic.twitter.com/raPh37MZH9
— Ricky Arnold (@astro_ricky) August 22, 2018
Hawaii Tourism Authority‘s Chief Executive, George D. Szigeti, described the hurricane as “dangerous” and a “serious threat to Hawaii”.
“Everyone should focus on staying safe and avoiding any situation that puts them in harm’s way.”
George D. Szigeti, Hawaii Tourism Authority Chief Executive
“The state and counties are working collaboratively to bring all of our government resources to bear to protect our people and communities,” he added.
“Visitors should heed the advice of civil defense officials, as well as our airline, hotel and tourism industry professionals as they do a consistently excellent job of taking care of guests during times of crisis.”
For the safety of residents and visitors, it's important to know that we expect Hurricane Lane to come close to the Hawaiian Islands later this week. We suggest checking with your travel provider prior to your visit, as well as https://t.co/fMstdUq58z and https://t.co/RrPJKOPkTR
— Hawaii (@gohawaii) August 22, 2018
Australia’s Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) has advised Aussies to exercise normal safety precautions in the island state but warned against travel to the US Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico, which are also expected to meet Hurricane Lane.
“If you are in Hawaii, monitor local news and weather reports and follow the instructions of local authorities.”
DFAT
Meanwhile, those who would prefer to postpone their travel dates can do so through Hawaiian Airlines, which has waived fees for guests holding tickets to travel to/from/within the State of Hawaii from 21 August to 26 August 2018.
The one-time reservation change with a waiver of fees is only applicable if the ticket was issued on/before 21 August 2018, the affected flight is initially scheduled for travel during the dates listed above, and if the new ticket is for travel no later than 9 September 2018.
“In addition, for changes made to new flights on or before September 9, 2018, any resulting difference in fare(s) will be waived provided that change is made to the same compartment and there is no change in origin and destination.”
Hawaiian Airlines
“For changes made to new flights after September 9, 2018, the change fee will be waived, but an applicable difference in fare will be collected,” the airline added.
“Changes to the origin and/or destination or connecting/stopover point will be permitted without change fee and are subject to applicable fare difference.
“Normal refund rules will apply. There will be no waiver of any applicable cancellation fees for refundable tickets and no refunds permitted on non-refundable tickets related to this event.”
All changes must be made by calling Hawaiian Airlines Reservations Res: 1300 661 339.
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