I'll write about my trip to Hawaii last September.
Hawaii was truly paradise.
I went to Hawaii for a 5-night, 7-day trip.
The airline I used was Hawaiian Airlines.
Hawaiian Airlines is the largest airline in Hawaii, operating five Incheon-Honolulu flights per week.
I prefer Korean Air, but I bought tickets from Hawaiian Airlines because of a travel agency event.
You'll be surprised how cheap it was!
The price is a secret, but let's just say I only paid for the fuel surcharge.
Because the price was so low, I tried to upgrade to business class for an additional fee,
but they said it wasn't possible.
So I chose Extra Comfort, which is between business and economy class.
I paid an additional 280,000 won (140,000 won per person, one way) for the upgrade.
The advantages of Extra Comfort are priority boarding (second to business class),
and seats that are 11 centimeters longer, making legroom more comfortable.
They provide an amenity kit, making the 9+ hour flight more comfortable.
The amenity kit includes an eye mask, earplugs, earphones, mist, and other useful items.
Seats are located in rows 11-13 (right behind business class), and
the front row of economy class, and window seats in the 14th and 30th rows.
I don't recommend seats other than rows 11-13. Among those, I recommend seat 11, right behind business class.
Seats 11-13 fill up quickly, so you need to book early.
Seats 14 and other Extra Comfort seats are often available even on the day of departure,
so keep that in mind.
Seats after 14 don't have the Extra Comfort benefits, which is why they're always available.
Oh, and everyone knows Hawaii is part of the United States, right?
I thought that Americans could travel visa-free for 90 days,
but I recently learned that you need a pre-travel authorization, similar to a visa.
I thought you just got on the plane and showed your passport, but that's not the case.
It's not like that at all.
You need to obtain something similar to a visa called ESTA.
If you search "ESTA" online, you'll find the registration site, so make sure to do it.
It requires a fee of \$14 per person.
Approval takes about 1-3 days after registration.
Once approved, it's valid for 2 years, so you don't need to apply again within that period if you travel to the US.
Once you have your ESTA, you need to arrange your accommodation and rental car, since it's an independent trip.
Hawaii accommodation options include hotels, guesthouses, condos, and Airbnbs.
Because it's a world-renowned tourist destination, accommodation is expensive.
Decent hotels cost over 200,000-300,000 won per night, so
I was going to stay in a cheaper guesthouse, but because it was outside of Waikiki,
I chose a condo-hotel in the Waikiki city center, which is more expensive but better located.
The regular price was \$149 per night, but I found it for \$99, so I booked it immediately.
It's cheaper than a hotel, but has similar amenities, so I recommend it.
You can find Korean accommodations on a cafe called Hawaii Brothers.
Prices fluctuate, so you should check regularly until about two weeks before your departure.
Also, for guesthouses and condos, which are privately operated,
you have to pay lodging tax, which is about 15% of the accommodation fee.
So, for a \$99-per-night stay, it's about \$115.
In addition to the nightly rate, there's a cleaning fee upon check-out.
The cleaning fee varies depending on the accommodation, ranging from \$70 to \$150.
And there's a parking fee. Hotels and condo-hotels charge \$20-30 per day,
but some places offer free parking,
so you need to check carefully.
For my 5-night, 7-day stay, I chose a place with free parking, so it was \$115 * 5 + \$100 = \$675.
I paid a 20% deposit and a \$300 security deposit upon arrival, totaling \$975, and
got the \$300 back at check-out.
You can easily and cheaply rent a car using global rental car apps.
Using an app is cheaper than renting locally.
It's more convenient to pick up the car at the airport terminal.
Make sure to check if airport terminal pick-up is available.
If you use a pick-up service from the airport to your Waikiki accommodation, it costs about \$50 per person, one way.
For two people, roundtrip would cost \$200, so it's better to just rent at the airport and save that money.
Rental costs vary by car type, but it's about \$60-300 per 24 hours.
I didn't want a compact car or a mid-size car, so I chose a mid-size sedan.
In Hawaii, mid-size sedans are called full-size.
Full-size sedans and SUVs cost about the same.
I paid \$80 per day for a 5-day rental, totaling \$400 by card.
Using the app, I got a full tank of gas and didn't have to refill it before returning the car,
and got free additional driver benefits.
So that's how I ended up going to Hawaii.
I haven't even arrived yet, and there's so much to write about! I'll cover my itinerary in Hawaii in the next post.
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