Southwest Airlines put on its best floral shirt to announce that the (sometimes) lower-cost carrier intends to start offering service to Hawaii. But when those flights to the far-flung island state will begin remains a question. [More]
hawaii
San Francisco Could Raise Smoking Age To 21
By 3.1.16
The city of San Francisco could become the latest municipality to increase the minimum age to buy tobacco products to 21 today as city officials are poised to vote on a measure that would do just that. [More]
Starting Tomorrow, Hawaii Becomes First State To Raise Smoking Age To 21
By 12.31.15
Hawaii may have been the fiftieth state to join the U.S., but when the calendar flips over to 2016 after midnight tonight, it will become the first state to raise the legal smoking age to 21. [More]
American Airlines Mistakenly Sends Corgi On 3,000-Mile Trip To Hawaii Instead Of Mississippi
By 12.1.15
There aren’t many things that Mississippi and Hawaii have in common, so it might be hard to fathom how an airline would mistakenly send a dog to one place instead of the other. But that’s exactly what happened over the weekend, when Bethany the Corgi took an unplanned trip to the island state. [More]
Turbulence On Hawaii-To-Philippines Flight Leaves 15 Injured
By 9.18.15
More than a dozen passengers flying from Hawaii to the Philippines on Friday were injured when the plane hit an unusually rough patch of air. [More]
Hawaii Blocking State Workers From Streaming Video Services To Prevent On-The-Job Binge-Watching
By 8.17.15
Listen, we’re not here to judge you over how many hours you spent locked in a dark, air-conditioned room this weekend in front of a TV emitting a constant stream of entertainment. But once it comes time to go to work, the binge must end. Hawaii is taking steps to make it difficult for state workers to spend too much time on Netflix and Hulu, blocking those services so employees don’t waste time watching Cheers/Doctor Who/Friends from start to finish. [More]
Hawaii Becomes First State To Ban Plastic Bags At Grocery Stores
By 7.2.15 — Updated: 12.30.16
While some cities in the U.S. have passed laws that ban plastic bags at grocery stores, Hawaii now stands alone as the first and only state that prohibits supermarkets from handing out the non-biodegradable carriers at the checkout. [More]
Hawaii Could Become The First State To Raise Minimum Age For Smoking To 21
By 4.28.15
Lighting up a cigarette will only be legal for adults over the age of 21 in Hawaii soon, as the state prepares to become the first in the U.S. to bump the minimum legal age to partake in tobacco products up from 18. [More]
Customer Sues Burger King & Military Over Needle-licious Triple Stacker
By 6.3.14
Back in 2010, an Army sergeant in Hawaii was chowing down on food bought from an on-base Burger King when he claims he chomped into some needles that were definitely not on the nutritional info for the sandwich. Now, after years of negotiating a settlement have proved fruitless, he’s suing both the fast food chain and the Army and Air Force Exchange that sold him the burger. [More]
Woman Wins Fight To Include All 36 Characters Of Her Last Name On Her Driver’s License
By 12.31.13
In this world, there are no guarantees. But everyone has the right to have their own name, and one Hawaii woman believes that includes the right to include her entire 36-character surname on her driver’s license. She just won the fight to include all 35 letters and one character with a new change to the state’s policy, so she can be loud and proud about its length. Teaching people to pronounce it is a whole other matter. [via the Associated Press] [More]
Expedia Doesn’t Really Care That The 25-Acre Hawaiian Vacation Rental You Booked Is Now Closed
By 6.11.13
You go online to book a vacation through Expedia.com and there it is — your dream Hawaiian house, located on 25 secluded acres with an ocean view. So you book the 6-day package through the site and jet off with a couple of your friends for fun in the sun. But when you get there, your Pacific island fantasy is shattered. [More]
Hawaiian Lawmakers Asking Airlines To Play Safety Video Warning Tourists About Drowning
By 4.26.13
When you think of a vacation in Hawaii, you probably picture pristine waters filled with colorful marine life, days spent sunning on the beach and leisurely swims in the sunshine. But it’s not all sea turtles and gentle spray, say state lawmakers. In an effort to curb a spike in drowning deaths, the state Senate and the Kauai Visitors Bureau are asking airlines to show arriving tourists an ocean safety video. But not everybody thinks that’s a great idea. [More]
This Is Why You Should Photograph Your Rental Car
By 6.5.12
Dan and his wife took a vacation in Hawaii, and rented a car for their use while visiting. Only the car that they rented was in pretty rough shape on the outside. They took it, but carefully documented all of the pre-existing damage. This was handy, since Budget proceeded to try to make Dan and Mrs. Dan accountable for the damage that they had done to the car during their supposed accident. When Dan mentioned having extensive photos and even a video of the car’s condition when he picked it up, Budget coincidentally turned up his original paperwork documenting the damage right away. Whew! [More]
No More Plastic Bags Anywhere In Hawaii
By 5.17.12
Quite a few municipalities have managed to ban the practice of giving out non-biodegradeable plastic bags at checkout, including three of Hawaii’s four counties. Last month, the Honolulu County Council passed its own ban, making Hawaii the first state where single-use plastic bags in stores are verboten. [More]
TSA Fires 28 Agents Who Allegedly Did Not Do Jobs
By 9.19.11
In the slow but inevitable reaction to the scandal in which several Transportation Security Administration agents were accused of letting un-screened baggage make it on to flights, the agency fired 28 employees. Fifteen others connected to the alleged negligence — which is believed to have occurred over several months in Hawaii last year — were suspended. Three others left their jobs voluntarily. [More]
Owners Kick Marriott Out Of Waikiki Hotel
By 8.30.11
Hotel chain Marriott is no longer taking reservations for the Waikiki Edition hotel, but that doesn’t mean you can’t get a room. In a late-night raid last weekend, the chain was kicked out by the hotel’s owners, who changed the locks and brought in new management without even calling to say goodbye first. [More]
TSA Agents Who Allegedly Failed To Screen Luggage Face Dismissal
By 6.14.11
Those Transportation Security Administration agents in Hawaii who allegedly let un-screened baggage through on flights will have to start looking for a new line of work. [More]
Hawaiian Restaurant Adds Surcharge For Customers Who Don't Speak English
By 2.4.11
Fed up with being stiffed on tips by foreigners, a restaurant in Hawaii has added on a mandatory 15% gratuity for customers who don’t speak English. [More]
