Go (Mesa ) ceases all flights in Hawaii as of 4/1

[Frank]

interesting read here on average "fuel costs" for airlines...http://www.transtats.bts.gov/fuel.asp

this "we've gotta raise fares because of rising "fuel cost"" rings hallow for me...how many bags do ya wanna check?

[Kelena]

So wait....are Mokulele and Go! one and the same?

[Obie]

They were from 2009 to 2011 but are separate airlines now.

[Obie]

quote:

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Originally posted by Frank

interesting read here on average "fuel costs" for airlines...http://www.transtats.bts.gov/fuel.asp

this "we've gotta raise fares because of rising "fuel cost"" rings hallow for me...how many bags do ya wanna check?

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In recent years the costs have leveled off but look at 2007 when Go started here.The fuel costs have doubled and that coupled with the fact that they are flying 50 seat airplanes is the reason they are leaving.I can't believe they are redeploying the airplanes.They will make even less money on mainland routes.

Delta has grounded most if not all 50 seat RJs and replaced them with 90 seat RJs and now the 717s that they bought from Southwest.

The bigger problem facing us here in Hawaii is going to be full flights.You will have to plan well in advance to even get a seat let alone a cheap fare.

[Kelena]

Mahalo, Obie. So,everyone, wouldn't this be good new for Mokulele, and might that airline then expand? I understand their planes are smaller....and maybe scarier, but checking their fares to Maui, for example, it is cheaper to travel on Mokulele than it is on Hawaiian (although they do not appear to serve the Hilo side at this point).

[Frank]

Star Bulletin Vol. 13, Issue 122 - Thursday, May 1, 2008

Nearly two years after go! made $39 tickets the low base price, Hawaiian Airlines said yesterday it was increasing interisland fares by $5 to $20 each way, effective today.

Hawaiian said the move was being made in response to increased operating costs, particularly fuel.

Hawaiian said its lowest fare is increasing to $54 from $49.

end of 2008 the average cost for fuel was @ $2.98 per gal, granted that was 44% higher than 2007 but,

From the Hawaiian air web site today, cheapest fare is $90.00 ONE WAY at the end of the month and the fuel cost average is $3.09...to add, fuel cost have remained pretty constant, even going down some 4.6% from 2012

and air fares double and fuel cost are a mere $.14 per gal higher...its gotta be those pesky fuel costs

[Bullwinkle]

More fall out?

http://www.hawaiinewsnow.com/story/25018...-evaluates

[Carey]

Kelena, Have no idea, but part of the divesting of the Mokulele turboprops from GO!/Mesa MAY have been an anti-competition exclusion clause for certain routes/gates... (In fact, the Mesa investing in Mokulele COULD have been just for some of the route/gates - speculation on my part, but is common on some routes/gates)

If there was a clause, Mesa is still a viable company & COULD enforce the clause (again, I do not know if there was a clause, but based on the very limited Mokulele presence at HNL & the lack of service to ITO, yet service to Waimea... there may have been something...)

It will be interesting to see if Island Air and/or Mokulele can/will/want to step up into the main Hilo travel markets...

Only things for sure, Mesa no longer saw the interisland market as a viable way to invest their money, whether for fuel costs, lack of a solid customer base, poor scheduling/service.

And there will be quite a few families that had a short 2 weeks to realize that a source of income they counted on is no longer.

Plus Mesa customers were given a few weeks notice that they would need to change their travel plans....for Hilo, the biggest impact may be those that had booked Go!Mesa for Merrie Monarch, as that is our biggest travel influx week of the year, and is a month away...

[Oregon Woodsmoke]

I wonder how the figures would pencil out. Hopping around the islands in a turbo-prop can't be the worst way to make a living.

You could probably make a living with a smaller plane just flying between Hilo and Kona. It's odd that there is no way to get from one airport to the other any way except to rent a car.

[Delta9r]

There used to be commuter flights provided by Royal Hawaiian Air, from Hilo to Keahole via Kamuela, also to Upolu, Hana, Kahului, Ka'anapali, Kalaupapa, etc.
I'm pretty sure Royal Hawaiian Air serviced every maintained strip in the state.
They used twin prop commuters and we'd load our own baggage into the cargo compartments. Prices were a lot lower then too.

I'm amazed that this market niche has not been better served.

"Life is labor, and all that is good in life comes from that labor..."