Kokua Line: Hawaiian Airlines waives fees to change flights, with some restrictions

Question: Is Hawaiian Airlines waiving change fees on tickets due to the coronavirus? I am hearing conflicting information, and now I can’t get through on the phone.

Answer: “Yes, we are offering change-fee waivers due to COVID-19,” Ann Botticelli, a spokeswoman for the airline, said in an email, referring to the coronavirus pandemic that has disrupted air travel worldwide.

Passengers must contact the airline at least 24 hours ahead of the booked flight’s departure to avoid the change fee. Hawaiian Airlines has received a flood of calls, leading to “extended wait times” for customers trying to speak to a representative, according to a notice Thursday on its website. The airline is asking customers who don’t have an immediate need to change a reservation “to contact us at a later time. We apologize for the inconvenience and appreciate your patience.”

Hawaiian Airlines is waiving change fees for all markets for tickets that were purchased by Monday, as well as for new tickets for all markets purchased through March 31, according to its website, hawaiianairlines.com, where COVID-19 updates are posted.

The waiver for existing tickets has “travel by” restrictions, while the one for new tickets doesn’t; that distinction seems to be the source of some confusion, based on similar questions from other readers. We’ll summarize information posted as of deadline Thursday. Check the airline’s website for updates.

Waivers for customers with existing tickets:

>> Ticket must have been issued on or before Monday, for travel from March 1 to April 30.

>> New travel must be ticketed on or before Dec. 31 for travel that begins no later than that date.

>> Ticket change is allowed one time without a fee. Any subsequent changes are subject to regular rules.

>> Although the change fee is waived, any increase in the cost of the fare for the new flight is not.

>> Hawaiian Airlines must be notified at least 24 hours prior to departure for the change fee to be waived. Passengers who bought their tickets through a travel agency must request the change through the agency.

>> Passengers can change the origin, destination and/or via/stopover point of the ticket without a change fee, but any applicable fare difference will apply.

>> Refund rules of original ticketed fare will apply.

>> Hawaiian Airlines Reservations handling fees and HawaiianMiles award redeposit fees will be waived.

As mentioned, Hawaiian Airlines also is assuring customers that they can buy new tickets with confidence, saying on the website that “guests who book any of our flights between March 1-31, 2020 may change their travel to a future date without incurring change fees.”

The change-fee waiver rules for new bookings this month are the same as for tickets that were purchased by Monday, except that there is no “travel by” deadline for the new bookings, according to the website.

Auwe

The authorities must do something about the hoarding and price gouging. We seniors have been told that it’s so important for us to have emergency supplies and stay inside so we can ride this out. I don’t drive. I have to get my essentials at my neighborhood grocery store. What am I to do when every time I go to the store, the toilet paper aisle is cleared out? This is not right! Seniors need protection amid this virus, sadly not only from the virus! — Irate senior

Mahalo

I want to thank the person who found my wallet in T.J. Maxx on Feb. 29 or March 1. They didn’t leave their name, but it was such relief to get it back with everything in it. Thank you so much. It’s great to know there is still much aloha in Hawaii. — B.B., a visitor from Canada

Write to Kokua Line at Honolulu Star-Advertiser, 7 Waterfront Plaza, Suite 210, 500 Ala Moana Blvd., Honolulu 96813; call 529-4773; fax 529-4750; or email kokualine@staradvertiser.com.