Pent-up demand, huh? Not in Hawaii, according to KHON-TV in Honolulu. It reveals that Hawaiian Vacations had been planning to resume charter flights to Sin City (Boyd Gaming‘s bread and butter) in December but called it off due to a lack of traction with customers. “We just didn’t have enough people comfortable and ready to book to send 767 aircrafts, 218-passenger planes to Vegas,” said Sales & Promotions Director Kevin Kaneshiro. The company has retrenched and is now planning a June 1 relaunch. Reports KHON, “The plan is to have three flights a week with departures on Sundays, Tuesdays, and Fridays. With considerably more people getting vaccinated and some restrictions likely to be lifted, Kaneshiro says people will be ready for a true vacation.” That includes air, hotel and meals all in one value-oriented package. “[I]t’s pretty much everything except the baggage handling,” Kaneshiro explains. Customers will be put up at the California Hotel or Fremont Hotel.
As for Main Street Station, no reopening has been announced and we don’t expect one before summer. Boyd is using its in the meantime as a Covid-19 testing facility, so that travelers returning to the 50th state don’t have to go through 10-day quarantines upon arrival home. According to Hawaiian Vacations, whatever uptick in demand exists is coming from the younger clientele, with senior citizens understandably fighting shy until they’ve had their shots. We expect Las Vegas to be back in a big way at some point but if Las Vegas Sands CEO Rob Goldstein says it won’t be until next year we’re prepared to take him at his word.
Why can’t we have our own casino hotel in kapolei, Hawaii why fly to mainland when you can ride car, taxi, bus or handivan to the casino.