Shorter round of winter flights to Hawaii offered

An Alaska-based vacation company will launch a shorter, less ambitious second round of winter nonstop flights between Spokane and Hawaii.

Hawaiian Vacations, of Anchorage, said this year it will offer just five flights instead of the two dozen flights it had in its first year in Spokane.

Company Vice President Dave Karp said the flights will start Dec. 17 and continue until Jan. 22. Each will leave on a Friday morning, land on Oahu, then return the following Thursday evening.

The company said the initial season showed that area travelers have an interest in winter trips to Hawaii, but not enough for a full winter-spring schedule. The once-a-week trips last year started in November and ended in April.

The company also inaugurated nonstop charters from Boise to Oahu at the same time. Those Boise flights won’t be offered this year, Karp said.

Charters this year will shift to larger aircraft as well, Karp said. Last year’s flights were on 202-seat Boeing 757s. This season, they’ll be 262-seat Boeing 767s leased from Hawaiian Airlines.

Round-trip tickets, available from area travel agencies, will cost about $600, said Karp. Package deals can also be arranged from agencies or through the company’s Web site at www.hawaiianvacations.com.