Question: I am a senior (68), single and living alone. I would like to know whether I qualify for a free cellphone and cellphone service.

Answer: We don’t know of free service based solely on age, and neither did the state Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs or the Hawaii branch of the AARP, a membership group devoted to advancing the interests of older Americans; we checked with both. However, there is a long-standing government program called Lifeline that subsidizes telephone service for low-income people. Depending on your financial status, you could qualify for that.

Lifeline is supported by the Universal Service Fund, a system of telecommunications fees and subsidies managed by the Federal Communications Commission. While the federal subsidy is small, about $9.25 a month for a landline, some consumers end up getting free, albeit limited, cellphone service (and the device to go with it), thanks to benefits offered in tandem by participating telecommunications companies.

To qualify for Lifeline, annual household income must be at or below 135 percent of poverty guidelines, which for a single person in Hawaii is $18,293 this year. Or you can automatically qualify by being enrolled in a federal assistance program such as Medicaid, the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program or Section 8 housing. The FCC lists other qualifying programs at fcc.gov/lifeline.

For Hawaii residents the DCCA Division of Consumer Advocacy provides details about enrolling in Lifeline at cca.hawaii.gov/dca/telecommunications/lifeline. Consumers who lack Internet access or who have additional questions can call 586-2800, said Shelly Kunishige, a department spokeswoman.

Benefits vary among participating telecommunication companies, Kunishige said. Some offer a flat discount, while others might provide a free cellphone and a free service plan with a limited number of minutes per month. The DCCA does not promote or recommend any specific provider, and urges consumers to do their own research to determine which company best meets their needs, she said.

Companies providing Hawaii service are listed on the DCCA website, noted above, and include Mobi PCS (723-1111), Hawaiian Telcom (643-3456), T-Mobile (800-937- 8997), Blue Jay Wireless (855-425-8529), Budget Mobile (888-777-4007), Safelink Wireless (800-723-3546) and Total Call Mobile (800-661-7391).

If your annual income is too high for Lifeline, you might wish to seek a “senior discount” from a reputable cellphone company. Some offer a lower monthly rate for anyone over 65. It’s worth shopping around.

Q: Several weeks ago I wrote to Hawaiian Airlines Customer Relations about a flight delay that was over four hours. The flight from Seattle was scheduled to arrive in Honolulu before noon, but we did not get in until after 5 p.m. We were compensated with a $14 food voucher. I thought that the policy for a flight delay over four hours (if not weather-related) was to compensate the passenger with a flight voucher of a certain dollar amount. Because we have not heard back from Hawaiian Airlines, would you please look into this issue for clarification? I am sure it will benefit a lot of travelers.

A: Kokua Line followed up with Ann Botticelli, Hawaiian Airlines’ senior vice president for corporate communications and public affairs, who directed us to the airline’s Domestic Contract of Carriage, specifically Rule 240, regarding flight delays and cancellations for confirmed passengers.

Section D of the rule spells out the amenities and services to be provided for passengers who are delayed more than four hours. It does not mandate that a voucher for future travel be provided.

You can read the full rule at 808ne.ws/1ON4plc, but in a nutshell it provides one meal voucher (sans alcohol) and a long-distance U.S. phone call per passenger, plus a night’s lodging and ground transportation to the hotel if the delay extends into the late-night hours. That wasn’t the case with your daytime flight.

There is a clause that allows the airline, with the passenger’s approval, to replace the aforementioned compensation with a credit good for future travel. There’s no dollar amount specified. It’s up to the airline to offer the voucher in lieu of lodging, ground transport and a meal, not the passenger’s prerogative to demand it, Botticelli said.

“When delays arise, we do take into account the cause and length of the delay,” she said. “In this case, the passenger does appear to have received compensation consistent with the guidelines.”

These policies do not apply to long delays caused by adverse weather, as you noted, as well as for several other reasons, including acts of God, labor disputes and air traffic congestion.

Write to “Kokua Line” at Honolulu Star-Advertiser, 7 Waterfront Plaza, Suite 210, 500 Ala Moana Blvd., Honolulu 96813; fax 529-4750; or email kokualine@staradvertiser.com.