Health Connector fails to connect

To look at the Hawaii Health Connector website, you wouldn’t guess anything was amiss.

On Tuesday’s opening for the health insurance exchanges nationwide, Hawaii’s online marketplace was unable to deliver any information for comparing plans being offered. There was a glitch of some sort, something officials hope to fix by Friday.

In the meantime, the site is processing very basic application forms that yield a confirmation number and a message:

"Thank you for submitting your application to the Hawaii Health Connector. We will process your application within the coming weeks and contact you with information on how to enroll in health insurance plans."

But there’s no clue about any glitch or delay.

This was supposed to be a grand opening, but there was nothing grand about it.

First-class food in economy seats?

Now that passengers have gotten used to paying for services once included in the price of a ticket, airlines are upping the ante by personalizing services for individual fliers based on the data they keep on repeat customers.

An airline may already know you prefer an aisle seat, but how about paying to keep that window seat next to you empty? Exhausted after yet another red-eye? Skip the baggage carousel and pay to have your luggage delivered. Passengers who yearn for that ultimate luxury —real food in coach — could purchase first-class fare no matter where they’re seated. At least with these tailored fee "enhancements," travelers would pay for a service they truly desire, rather than for what used to be considered the standard.