Dear Japanese tourists who use Hawaiian Airlines

ハワイアン航空を利用される日本人の皆さまへ

 

今日は悪口なので日本語で書きます。

でも最後まで読んで頂ければお分かり頂けると思いますが、ハワイアン航空を悪く?書く真意はハワイを旅行される皆さまのお役にたてれば、との思いです。

この会社のやっているセコイことが、だんだんとわかってきましたので、観光客、特に同朋の皆さまへ注意して頂きたいと願って、書きたいと思います。

ハワイの近隣諸島(ネーバー・アイランド)に行かれる方のほとんどの方は、ハワイアン航空を利用されると思いますが、皆さまはHawaiianMiles(マイル・プログラム)をご利用でしょうか?もし、これからハワイの島々を旅行されるなら是非、HawaiianMilesの無料会員になられることをおススメ致します。

 

というのも、受託荷物の料金が、会員と非会員では大きく違ってくるからです。会員の特典があまりなければ、別に加入しなくてもいいと思いますが、10ドル以上のディスカウントが可能であれば、入会・維持費は無料ですから、絶対に入った方がお得です。

 

2015129日現在、HawaiianMiles会員の一つ目の受託手荷物は、15㌦、二つ目が20ドルになりますが、非会員になりますと、一つ目が25ドル、二つ目が35ドルになります。


最近、日本からのゲストが多く、見送りついでにハワイアン航空でチェックイン手続きをお手伝いする機会が何回かありましたが、私も含めてこの特典を知らなかったばかりに、皆25ドルを払って、荷物を受託されていました。

 

ハワイアン航空は、アロハや〝おもてなし”、を全面に出している会社のはずなのに、カウンターの誰一人として、この特典を教えてくれませんでした。皆さんはご存じだったでしょうか?

 

ウェブサイトでは、どのような説明になっているのでしょう?

 

気になったので、試しに英語と日本語の双方のサイトで、Baggage Policyを調べてみました。確かに、英語サイトでは簡単にわかりました。しかしその表示の小さなこと!

 

一方、日本語サイトですが、この規約にはたどりつくまでに、なぜか英語の説明が間にあり、非常にわかりにくかったです。英語の説明の中で、BaggageInformationというリンクをクリックすれば、日本語の説明にたどりつけるのですが、日本語のサイトでありながら、なぜ、英語をいれているのでしょうか? 私には、ハワイアン航空が無垢な日本人の旅行者から、こっそりと10ドルを余計に徴収しよう、、、、サイトの複雑さから、そういった悪意を感じるのです。

 

さらに言えば、私が嫌いなのは、ハワイアンが時々行う航空券のセール。片道が58㌦の時もあるのですが、皆さん、このセールにだまされてはいけません。ハワイアン航空のセールは、はじめから全便に適応される訳ではありません。一日のなかでほんの数便に適応され、それ以外は、時に法外な運賃の時もあります。セールはみせかけ、とゆうか呼水で、セール以外の運賃を高くすることで、より大きな利益をえようという意図が見えます。

 

また、国際線では、戦略上、ビジネスシートを先に売りたいとの思惑から、一時的にエコノミー席をSold Out(売り切れ)にしたり、あるいは、エコノミー席の運賃をビジネスシートの運賃とほぼ同額にするといった、こともやっています。

 

本当にセコイ会社だと思いますが、でもビジネスという観点では、まさにこのセコイやり方こそが、実はハワイアン航空が熾烈な生存競争に生き残った理由だと私は思います。

 

余計なお世話かもしれませんが、どうか皆さん、ハワイアン航空を利用される時は、Hawaiian Miles会員の登録をしてください.

 


What a petty idea!

I recently found out Hawaiian Airlines have been charging $25 for the first checked bag for tourists who didn't join in HawaiianMiles membership.

During the past few months, I had some opportunities to help Japanese guests to check-in Hawaiian Airlines to go to the other island, but Hawaiian Airlines attendants have never mentioned it would be much cheaper if they join in the Hawaiian members.   

As you know, it's free membership.   They should mention... it would be much better to join in their free membership.   But I wonder why they never recommended tourists to join in Hawaiian airlines.  

Well...I guess the reason might be very simple....if they recommend free membership to the tourists, they need to do more paper work which would cause potential long line at the check-in counter.  

Then I was very curious if they mention it on their website in Japanese.

Apparently, Hawaiian Airline's Japanese Website gave me good impression.    They are saying they welcome customers with "Aloha" and "Omotenashi."  However, after checking Hawaiian Airlines Site in Japanese, I saw a petty spirit.

It was very hard to reach the information of baggage rule at their site in Japanese.  I clicked all the possible link, but found no information.


Then surprisingly , when I press 利用規約(user policy),  there were some English Explanation, but no Japanese !   Then from the English link, I was able to reach the baggage rule.  How tricky!

I thought it was very difficult for Japanese customers to know that they could get discount for the checked bag if they join in the HawaiianMiles membership.

I do believe this means tourists without mile program,  always have to pay more to the company.

No Fair!  but at the same time,  I felt this must be the  reason why Hawaiian Airlines survived.

All I can do now is to give advice to the Japanese customers....It's better to join in HawaiianMiles membership before they use the airplane.

Write a comment

Comments: 2
  • #1

    mo (Friday, 30 January 2015 20:45)

    Hi Sensei,

    Kyle Chew works for Hawaiian airlines. He might be able to give you advice about who you could contact regarding this oversight. (In English we say, oversight, but it really means a kind of undersight. Haha!) Another words, the baggage issue you are describing may not be intentional, but rather something that Hawaiian Airlines would gladly correct if it was brought to the right person's attention, in a respectful way.

    "Petty" might perhaps be the word you wish to use, however in English, it is a rather strong word. From what I know of you, I'm not sure this is what you mean to say. You are light years, and life times away from petty, and so I think you might want to search for a better word.

    I agree that Japanese people, and all people should be treated equally and fairly by all businesses. I encourage you to pursue this matter in a constructive way. I suspect that Hawaiian Airlines is a very big company and that sometimes the little things get lost in the mix.

    When you scratch the surface, I sense a great deal of Aloha with all of the Airlines, although I think it is a real challenge to deal with so many travelers every day. (I would wilt!)

    Thank you,

    mo

  • #2

    Kosen (Saturday, 31 January 2015 20:19)

    When I went to shopping at Safeway in Honolulu for my first time 17 years ago, the lady at the register kindly helped me to get "Safeway card" although she had customers in line. I also had a same kind of experience at Foodland.

    As you know there is a big difference in price, depending on you are a member or not.

    For the workers, it should be less work not to recommend customers to join in their membership. But not only they did advise to me but I saw they did the same thing to other customers many times. I was very impressed by their kindness and I thought this was one of the expressions of Aloha.

    There is a huge difference between the fact customers understand to pay more and the fact customers are paying more without knowing it.

    Hawaiian Airlines is a big company which represents Hawaii. And I know attendants and workers are very kind and nice. But I think it's very strange such a kind attendant couldn't do kindness to Japanese tourists. If attendants can tell the tourists how to save money by joining the program, there is no doubt tourists would be very glad. They must know this but as far as I know, they never recommended tourists to join in the HawaiianMiles membership at the counter. Why?

    After checking the Hawaiian Airlines Website in Japanese, I knew it was very hard to reach the information of baggage policy.

    I felt this might be company's intention they want to take more money from Japanese tourists. That's why I intended to use it "petty."

    The reason why I wrote this was mainly because I wanted more people to know .....the first checked bag would be $25 for non-HawaiianMiles members but if you are a member, you pay only $15.