'Ohana by Hawaiian Airlines for Interisland Travel

Disclosure: One roundtrip interisland flight was complimentary for review purposes. All opinions are entirely my own. 

Photo Courtesy of Hawaiian Airlines.

My family and I love to visit the neighbor islands and our favorite is Lāna'i.  We admire the beauty of the island and enjoy reconnecting as a family while we are there.  This trip, I would be celebrating my 40th birthday and I was especially excited to see the newly renovated Four Seasons Resort Lāna'i.

To get there, I immediately thought of ‘Ohana by Hawaiian because of their service.  They provide the same safe, reliable, on-time service with friendly and authentic Hawaiian hospitality that customers have come to know from Hawaiian Airlines.  

Hawaiian Airlines is one of the nation's longest-serving carriers and is now in its 87th year of consecutive service.  Not only has Hawaiian Airlines held the record for on-time performance from 2004 to 2015, Travel + Leisure has ranked Hawaiian the Best U.S. Airlines every year from 2011!  You can expect the same outstanding service with ‘Ohana by Hawaiian.

‘Ohana, which is the Hawaiian word for family, was created with the purpose of connecting all island communities through flight.  ‘Ohana by Hawaiiain is operated by Empire Airlines and offers non-stop service between Honolulu and the islands of Moloka‘i and Lāna'i.  They also fly between Maui and Kona, Moloka'i, and Hilo as well as between Lāna'i and Moloka'i.  

The livery of the three 48-seat ATR-42 aircraft was designed by Hilo-based artist Sig Zane and his son Kūha'o.  The duo used Hawaiian Airlines’ interisland route map as inspiration for the design, weaving three kapa patterns: piko (navel), representing ancestry and progeny; manu (bird), representing both a bird in flight and the prow of a canoe, the traditional form of migration; and kalo (taro), representing family.  The aircraft are named after a significant wind on each of the islands that 'Ohana by Hawaiian serves: Holo Kaomi of Paomaʻi, Lāna'i; Kaiāulu of Wai'anae, O'ahu; and Hikipua of Hālawa, Moloka'i.  

Here are the kids next to the special livery and Zane's signature.

Another reason I chose 'Ohana by Hawaiian is value.  Although airfare for a family of four can add up, Hawaiian Airlines keeps prices affordable by regularly offering neighbor island fare sales which include ʻOhana by Hawaiian Flights.  My family also takes advantage of Hawaiian’s frequent flyer program so we can earn and redeem miles for award travel on all ‘Ohana by Hawaiian flights.  To maximize benefits, consider applying for a Hawaiian Airlines World Elite MasterCard.  I use mine to receive miles from friends and family, making it faster to accumulate award travel and I also receive my first checked bag free of charge when I use my card to purchase tickets directly from Hawaiian Airlines.

The flight to Lāna'i from Honolulu is brief, but my son and I always look forward to that sweet and refreshing cup of POG.  But another perk of flying ‘Ohana by Hawaiian is the exclusive use of an onboard ukulele.  The intent is to share aloha and encourage passengers to play music which provides for a fun and unique experience.  Since both of my kids take ukulele lessons, strumming songs on the ukulele was the highlight of the flight and made our trip to Lāna'i even more memorable and special.

Once again, my family had an excellent experience flying on 'Ohana by Hawaiian.  With outstanding service, on-time reliability, and kid friendly amenities, 'Ohana by Hawaiian is my family's favorite for neighbor island travel.

After a perfect landing at the Lana'i Airport.