Summary
- Hawaii officials issue emergency proclamations and evacuation orders due to ongoing wildfires in Maui, causing severe damage and power outages.
- Alaska Airlines offers flexible travel policy for affected flights to Maui, allowing passengers to change or cancel their flights between August 9 and August 15.
- Hawaiian and Southwest Airlines also provide options for travelers with flights to Maui, allowing free cancellations or changes to bookings and offering alternative destinations in Hawaii.
Officials in the state of Hawaii have issued several different emergency proclamations and have released additional evacuation orders due to the ongoing wildfires in Maui. The historic town of Lahaina is dealing with severe damage, many of the island's residents are out of power, and officials have restricted access to popular resorts on the island.
The fires have resulted in the evacuation of more than 2,000 residents throughout Maui. Because of the widespread fires, several airlines that fly to Kahului Airport (OGG) have offered alternate bookings.
Alaska Airlines directly impacted
The airline has many direct flights to Maui and other Hawaiian islands. Some of its routes begin from Seattle-Tacoma International Airport (SEA), Portland International Airport (PDX), San Diego International Airport (SAN), or San Jose International Airport (SJC). Alaska Airlines released a statement today stating that it is offering a flexible travel policy for travelers.
The airline stated that a recently issued emergency order strongly discourages all non-essential travel to the island and it has released a flexible travel policy that allows passengers to change or cancel their flights.
Travelers can now change or cancel their flights that are taking place from August 9 to August 15. The policy allows for the rescheduled flight to take place anytime between August 9 and August 31. This policy affects any flights that are traveling to Kahului Airport (OGG), Daniel K. Inouye International Airport (HNL), Lihue Airport (LIH), and Kona International Airport (KOA). Canceled flights will result in flight credits or flight funds for future endeavors.
Other affected airlines on the island
Several other airlines are affected by the wildfires, as Maui's airport sees flights from American Airlines, United Airlines, and Atlas Air among others. One of the airport's most frequently flown-to airlines is Hawaiian Airlines. The airline released a statement cautioning travelers and stating,
"All non-essential travel to Maui is strongly discouraged."
The airline also announced it would be focusing its resources on supporting first responders and essential personnel on the island. To assist with non-essential travelers that have flights booked, Hawaiian Airlines is allowing cancelations and changes to bookings for free. The flights affected are from August 9 to August 20 and will incur no additional fees.
Rebooked flights can also be routed to other destinations including Kahului (OGG), Kona Airport (KOA), Honolulu (HNL), Hilo (ITO), or Lihue (LIH). Additionally, canceled flights can be used as credit toward future tickets.
Another airline that flies to Maui frequently is Southwest Airlines. The airline released a booking policy change for travelers to the island as well. The airline is allowing customers with bookings from August 9 to August 11 to change their flights with no additional charges. The rebooked flight must be of the same class of service and be rebooked within 14 days of the original booking date.
Additionally, Southwest travelers can change their final destination from Maui to one of its other routes in Hawaii. These final destinations include Hilo (ITO), Honolulu (HNL), Lihue (LIH), and Kona (KOA). Refunds are also set to be distributed for any flights that are canceled due to the wildfires.