Pualani Status on Hawaiian Airlines

Executive Summary:  Elite status and benefits on Hawaiian Airlines; Car rental tips; Saving time instead of money.

Elite Status

Have you travelled much lately?  I fly fairly often.  With work and personal trips combined, I find myself on a neighbor island or somewhere on the West Coast at least once a month, if not more often.  The more you travel, the more it becomes apparent that your top goal should be avoiding hassles.  Here’s a tip:  elite status on an airline and a rental car company is a time-saver that will make your travel life much easier.

That’s why every year around this time, I check my HawaiianMiles balance.  That’s because I have elite status on Hawaiian Airlines, called Pualani, that entitles members to special privileges.  I’ve held membership since 2003.  I need to check if I have enough miles to requalify for elite status next year.  If I don’t, I go and schedule a trip or two.  One of my friends once told me he felt it was like a drug and that we were addicted.  Note that you must fly a certain amount of miles to qualify and that you cannot buy Pualani membership.

Elite Benefits

Here are some of the benefits I enjoy on Hawaiian Airlines:

• Bonus miles on flights:  helps get me free travel or upgrades faster
• Better seat selection
• Ability to check-in three pieces of luggage:  and there is no fee for any of those; if you travel on the same reservation as me, you are also exempt from the fee
• A special security line at Honolulu International Airport:  yes, I’m one of those who sees the line snake all the way out to the curb, then goes to my special line to cut in front of all of you; this benefit is most useful during busy holiday or weekend travel times
• Pre-boarding for the flight:  when they call for First Class, Pualani, and Premier Club members, that’s me getting on the flight
• Free drinks on mainland flights
• Premier Club lounges for our exclusive use to relax before a flight

Car Rentals

All these privileges pretty much let you avoid most of the flying travel hassles, but what about when you arrive at your destination?  I am also a member of Avis Preferred.  The best thing is that it doesn’t cost money, and the only requirement is that you provide personal information and a credit card for your rental.  With this service, I board the shuttle, identify myself as Preferred to the driver, and pick-up my car, which they’ll have waiting for me near the drop-off point.  I don’t need to see anyone at the counter.  It usually takes more time to get from the baggage area to the Avis lot than to pick up my rental car (usually 1 minute).  And I’m off to go wherever I need to.  They also give me HawaiianMiles and free rentals after every so many rentals for renting with them.  All the major car rental companies have similar programs, so you should look into that.

Saving Time Instead of Money

I admit I’m not like most travellers, who often look for the cheapest deal.  My time is valuable, so I look to spend as little time waiting as I can, which I think saves me money in the end.  For example, I am willing to spend a few extra dollars to catch a mid-morning flight that will allow me to sleep in.  And I’m willing to book on Hawaiian even if it costs me a few dollars more than a cheaper airline – loyalty has its rewards!  Too bad Aloha Airlines couldn’t keep more of it’s loyal customers.  Here’s how a survey from Avis described me:

You want to save time and worry when renting a car.  You rent frequently and price is not as important as time.

One of my friends used to always fly ATA before they went bankrupt.  He would usually save $50 on his mainland flight by not flying on Hawaiian.  But I would always point out that I flew the nation’s most on-time arline, all passengers received a free pillow and meal (ATA charged for both), I got free drinks or headsets on the plane, I got to relax in the lounge, and I got mileage credit.  I think all that was worth far more than $50 and was a better deal on the whole.  By spending a little extra money, the value-added goods and services I receive actually meant that I paid less for the total package.  This is also why I’m a big fan of Costco, who emphasize value and not lowest price.

If you plan to do some travelling in the future, I hope you’ll take some of my advice.  Although your wallet may not thank me, your peace of mind and comfortable body will.

Mahalo!

Update:  I failed to mention that the friend who flew on ATA did come over to my view and embrace Hawaiian – and he later achieved Pualani status, too.

Tagged as: avis, Hawaiian Airlines, pualani