Higher power intervention?

[BrickPilot]

In February I planned a very extravagant vacation for my family. I decided to take my two adult daughters (including my youngest’s husband and children) to Hawaii with my wife and I. We had a couple return legs on Aloha Airlines. Most everything else was on ATA.

Due to the Aloha shutdown, I was on the phone for 5 hours yesterday getting reservations settled. Thankfully, after all that I was able to get accommodated on ATA (for ~$500 more). Woohoo! Hawaii! Right?

I woke up this morning to my daughter and grandkids standing at the side of the bed. She's laughing, and I find out that ATA just went belly up as well. Something is trying to keep us on the mainland.

[cjensen]

That's quite interesting!

Is SWA or some other airline going to help you out, or is a refund in order? I know SWA had a codeshare agreement with ATA, but didn't know if they go to Hawaii or not.

Bummer man!

[weezbad]

that would suck not to get to go.....but i would have second thoughts the whle time.......at least until igot back to the mainland.

[svanarts]

Get a refund and book a Hawaiian cruise. Hopefully the cruise line won't go bankrupt too.

[BrickPilot]

We are getting a refund on the whole deal. This is a prime example where travel insurance really paid off (for the house we were renting). Chase (the credit card we used) is being very understanding and is crediting back every penny spent on airfare. It's too late to salvage a vacation at this point. As you can imagine, I'm a bit gunshy right now as far as booking any more flights. Lots of planes grounded... airlines shutting down... Not a happy time to be travelling.

[cjensen]

Get that Bearhawk in the air!!! 'Course, it won't go to Hawaii...

[captain_john]

The Bearhawk could carry enough fuel to make it!

Custom tanks, floats and a ridiculously large fuel bill!

Hmmm, how BIG would those massive tanks have to be at say... 12 gph?

Think IO-540 Parallel Valve running in endurance mode and 135 knots maybe?

Hmmmmm, someone feel like running the numbers?

CJ

[captain_john]

Well lemme see, I am getting 2081 miles from KSFO to PHNL.

15:27 TTE @ 135 knots and 10 GPH is 155 Gallons.

Sooooo with 250 gallons on board, you could probably pull it off depending on headwinds at the time!

Hmmmmm, now that is an option!

I wonder what 100 LL is worth in Hawaii?

CJ

[BrickPilot]

With the aux tanks + main tanks at 68 gallons usable, I'd need another ~130 gallons. However, I'd be about 200# over gross. Plus, the flight with no winds would be around 16 hours. No thanks.

[jim_geo]

CJ, did you mean how much does it cost. I doubt it's worth anything near what it's costing us and by that I mean REALLY costing us.

[captain_john]

Cost and worth, definitely a relative equation.

What is it worth to you to have your OWN airplane to hop from island to island? There is a certain value to that, I think.

To some, it could be invaluable! I suppose if I were going to spend any amount of time there having a plane would be high on my list.

If I were there only for a couple of weeks, it certainly wouldn't be worth it.

Hmmmm, maybe when my RV is done I will take my Bearhawk on floats there and tell you the whole story?

CJ

[dons]

Jeff, the timing of the events with bookings and chapter 11's is something that I'm sure you will never forget, especially the re-booking with ATA just before they pulled the plug. I read the info pages on both airlines they have posted, and the people that paid cash/cheque directly are so out of luck, glad you had gone a 'better' payment route.

[BrickPilot]

...the people that paid cash/cheque directly are so out of luck, glad you had gone a 'better' payment route.

Definitely learned a lesson, and glad that I was on the good side of it. Never EVER book flights with cash or check, and if the flight is expensive, always get the insurance. You never know what could happen in the days leading up to the trip that could cause you to need to cancel it.