here we go again

well, i guess sometimes you really can snooze and not lose since the $29 one-way interisland airfare has returned for a 3rd time. or is it the 4th? there have been so many sales this summer it's getting to be like a hollywood sequel. only better.

this time around you can book your flight until the end of the year so long as you are able to nail down your dates by friday. if the city you want is m.i.a., don't forget to check the other airlines since each one has different routes on sale.

• book it: by fri, aug 11th
• fly: aug 11th to dec 31st*
• blackout: thanksgiving, xmas & new year's

aloha (*until dec 28th) | go! | hawaiian

a cinderella airfare sale

oceanside drive, puna

will the airfare wars ever end? lucky for those of us who like island hopping that the answer is definitely no . . . well, at least until midnight* tonight.

hele over to the airlines' websites and score a sweet $29 one-way deal for travel through the end of september.

tick tock goes the clock . . .

• purchase by midnight, aug 3rd
• travel by sep 30

aloha | go! | hawaiian (*expires at midnight central standard time . . . tricky, tricky)

{photo credit: big island visitors bureau}

escape to the royal hawaiian hotel

if you have always wanted to make like a tourist and stay at the royal hawaiian hotel (aka the pink palace), you have 2 days left to take advantage of their sizzling summer sale.

penny pinchers may want to skip over the fine print since, even at $195 a night, your credit card will still take a big hit. deal with it by heading to the abhasa spa and splurging on a pohaku massage with your savings.

the devil's in the details . . .

• click here to book (offer code: tvlz)
• book it: by friday, jul 21st
• stay: aug 16th to oct 15th
• blackout: sep 16th to 30th

the only way to fly

 

speaking of deals, wednesday, july 26th just may be your lucky day if you're flying on aloha. to celebrate their 60th birthday, the airline is giving passengers on board that day a free interisland r/t ticket to be used on their birthday in 2007.

if only the flight attendents would get to dip into the airline's fashion archives and sport these fabulously retro uniforms. now that would be the birthday gift that keeps on giving!

how to be a better big island "tour"-ist

i love the tour de france. even though i haven't hopped on a bicycle since the sixth grade, the idea of a bike tour is very alluring once you cast aside the physical demands and the achy body sure to result after a long bike ride. if you have no aspirations to be the next ironman, then check out the folks at kona coast cycling tours where they make such an adventure seem not only possible but lots of fun to boot.

the old mamalahoa hwy tour which meanders through my favorite part of the big island would be my pick, however java addicts would probably savor the kona coffee express tour which includes a stop at a local coffee farm. an added bonus is that if you get bonked or, let's say, are mortified when the grammar school set initiates a breakaway, you can cruise in the team car tour van, and enjoy the four wheeled ride until you're ready to join the group again.

{update | dec 2009: kona coast cycling tours seems to be no more and has handed over the website domain to their friends at orchid isle bicycling. this means, alas, the rides mentioned above are no longer available but circle island bike tours are now offered.}