(CNN) — Devastating wildfires in the Hawaiian Islands, along with huge communication gaps created by the outage, are leaving the hard-hit island of Maui or rescheduling their closure plans.
Here’s what we know lately about Hawaii.
Fires ravaged parts of the islands of Maui and Hawaii this week, creating life-threatening situations in parts of both islands. The most distressing situations occurred in West Maui, in the city of Lahaina.
A fire devastated the historic city and citizens and visitors rushed to evacuate. Communication networks were paralyzed and the consequences are devastating. Most of the city, which is a popular tourist destination, was destroyed.
When wildfires broke out Tuesday in western Maui, other people staying at nearby hotels were told not to evacuate, Maui County’s mayor said Thursday. “All hotels have been asked to shelter in place,” Mayor Richard Bissen said.
Most of the full-service hotels in the domain are in Ka’anapali, about 6. 2 kilometers from Lahaina, which Bissen says is not threatened by fire.
Travel representative Jim Bendt, owner of Pique Travel Design in Minneapolis/St. Paul, Minnesota, highlighted the demanding communication situations faced by residents of West Maui. Bendt had been in contact with Hawaiians on Wednesday.
“Our local contacts told us that the damage was limited to the Lahaina area. Major hotel spaces such as Ka’anapali, Kapalua and Wailea were not affected by the fire,” Bendt told CNN Travel via email.
Some areas of the coast of Kohala, on the island of Hawaii, were evacuated because of the fires, according to the county’s website. Mandatory evacuations were lifted there Wednesday night. Maui’s Kahului Airport (OGG) is open. The Hawaii Department of Transportation suggested patience at the airport in a post Wednesday on social media platform X (formerly Twitter).
Thousands of visitors were evacuated from Maui Kahului Airport, which remained open. Shuttles were used to transport some visitors from West Maui’s Ka’anapali Beach domain to the airport.
Nearly 15,000 people departed Thursday on flights from Maui, according to Maui officials.
Visitors who want to leave Maui are asked to book flights to Honolulu and then continue from there to the mainland by flight, officials said.
Hawaiian Airlines offers a full schedule of flights to and from the airport, adding more flights on Wednesdays and Thursdays, the airline said.
All main cabin seats were designed to be purchased from Maui to Honolulu for $19 Wednesday through Friday.
United and American told CNN on Wednesday that their inbound flights to Maui had been canceled. They were flying from Maui.
The Hawaii Tourism Authority on Wednesday set up a transitional shelter at the Hawai’i Convention Center in Honolulu, where up to 2,000 evacuees from Maui can stay until they can catch their flight home or lodging there. Free shuttle services are available from Honolulu Airport to the Convention. Center.
Non-essential transportation to Maui is strongly discouraged, Ed Sniffen, director of the Hawaii State Department of Transportation, said Wednesday at a news conference.
The Hawaii Tourism Authority also said Wednesday afternoon that visitors arriving on Maui for non-essential reasons are asked to leave the island.
As noted above, government officials advise against non-essential travel to Maui.
Travel representative Jim Bendt follows those tips. Bendt said Pique Travel Design is advising consumers traveling to Maui next week to reschedule their trip to “help ease the burden on local infrastructure. “
Pique Travel will work with its partners on the island to minimize cancellation and modification fees, he said.
Hawaiian Airlines, Alaska Airlines, American Airlines, Delta Air Lines, Southwest Airlines and United Airlines will offer waivers to Maui, allowing passengers to replace their plans without penalty.
“Customers with non-urgent requests are encouraged to call back later so we can help those with immediate needs,” Hawaiian Airlines posted on the X social platform. The airline suggested customers check the prestige of their flight before heading to the airport.
For consumers who were making plans to stop in Maui as part of their trip to Hawaii, Bendist’s venture is to find opportunities on other islands like Kauai or Oahu.
“For long-duration trips, we are waiting for damage tests to determine the best path forward, but we have no plans to cancel trips once it is safe to return,” Bendt said.
In its tips, the Hawaii Tourism Authority singled out West Maui as the domain short-term travelers should avoid.
“Visitors who wish to stay in other areas of Maui and the Kohala coast of Hawaii Island in the coming weeks are encouraged to contact their hotels for updates and how their plans may be affected,” the tourism control authority said in an update. Wednesday.
Inke Kappeler, a producer for CNN Digital in Berlin, Germany, was among those caught in sudden misery on her journey. She and her family were scheduled to travel to Maui on Thursday from Kauai. Hawaiian Airlines told them they would have to reschedule as it was not advisable to fly to Maui for the next two weeks. Kappeler said his Maui hotel could not be reached by phone.
Three Marriott homes in West Maui are permanent due to prolonged power outages, according to Sara Conneighton, a spokeswoman for Marriott International. These homes are the Westin Maui Resort
Guests at those resorts “have left the hotels, as requested by Maui County officials. Our groups have been focused on facilitating this evacuation, communicating with consumers, and supporting our affiliates through this difficult time,” Conneighton said via email, directing travelers to the area. Follow the news and MauiCounty. gov for updates on the situation.
To replace reservations, it directed consumers to Marriott. com or the Marriott app. Cancellation fees at the three affected West Maui hotels will not apply until Aug. 31.
CNN Travel reached out to Hyatt, which also owns homes in the affected areas. The host hasn’t responded yet.
Some data has been published on express property websites. The Hyatt Regency Maui Resort and Spa, north of Lahaina, is closed to arrivals and won’t accept visitors until Aug. 17, according to an article consulted online Friday. Deposits and advance payments for those dates will be refunded.
Kaanapali Alii, a destination through Hyatt Residence does not accept reservations and cannot “honor upcoming reservations for arrivals until 09/09/2023,” its online page says. Dates have been replaced in recent days at any of the Hyatt properties, so visitors check for extended closures.
Lahaina Shores Beach Resort encourages visitors to contact their reservations team at 888-524-5098 to reschedule.
Outrigger Resorts has posted frequently asked questions on Maui that include commands for visitors who can’t return to their hotel for check-out. The Ninth of August FAQ defined features for short-term customers, adding cancellations, date conversions or booking changes on the island.
Many hotel corporations have implemented more flexible cancellation policies with the Covid-19 pandemic.
Airbnb’s mitigating case policy is currently in effect in parts of the state of Hawaii, including all of Maui. It allows visitors and hosts to cancel without penalty, and visitors with eligible remains will get a full refund.
VRBO has yet to respond to a request for data on reserves in the affected areas.
Bendt said travelers intending to stop at other Hawaiian islands may not want to replace their plans.
“Hotels and tours are normal,” he said Wednesday.
Another consultant, Norman Aynbinder, president and CEO of Excursionist in Miami, also pointed to the limited scope of the existing fires.
“It is vital to note that there are no active fires on Oahu, Lanai and Kauai and that fires on the Big Island are limited to the Kohala coast and do not have an effect on peak runs on the rest of the island,” Aynbinder said. via email.
The tourism authority reported that tourism to “Kaua’i, O’ahu, Moloka’i, Lāna’i and other parts of the island of Hawaii is affected at this time. “
For now, it’s a wait-and-see situation.
“Natural errors are inherently becoming fast. If you’re making plans for a Maui vacation in a few weeks, the most productive thing for now is to wait and see if the fires are under control,” said Scott Keyes, founder of the site. . Going. com.
Keyes said “there are no additional advantages to canceling a few weeks in advance rather than a few days in advance. “
And the cancellation could have a big impact on the island.
“The potential loss of tourism profits can be a devastating blow to the local network that depends on it,” Bendt said.
“To date, the tourism infrastructure outside Lahaina has not been damaged and will be open to the public,” Bendt said. “Once the government says you’re going back to Maui, the most productive thing other people can do is not cancel your trip. “