As a frequent traveler and credit card rewards enthusiast, I’ve always relied on using points to book flights and hotels for my trips. My fiancé and I had been planning a dream honeymoon to Japan, with a stopover in Hawaii to get married. We had booked first-class flights from Honolulu to Fukuoka with Hawaiian Airlines, using a combination of airline miles and credit card points.
However, our plans were abruptly disrupted when just two months before our flight I get a call that Hawaiian Airlines cancelled our flight from Honolulu to Fukuoka, leaving us perplexed with no idea on what to do next. The airline did offer to book us on another flight to Tokyo, but it would not be in first class like the one that we had booked with points to Fukuoka.
After talking to three different representatives from Hawaiian Airlines, we were faced with two options: take the flight to Tokyo and forfeit our first-class seats, or refund us the points. Rebooking with points only two months out was double the amount then when we originally booked the flights several months ago so that was not an option.
As seasoned travelers, my fiancé and I knew that the first option offered to us was not the best solution for our trip. We knew that we had to fight back, even though it was a stressful and time-consuming process.
We spent over an hour on the phone with Hawaiian Airlines, talking to different representatives, trying to find a better solution. The first representative was unhelpful and unwilling to transfer us to someone higher up, while the second representative was also hesitant to escalate the issue to upper management.
However, we persisted and finally managed to come to a compromise. The Hawaiian Airlines representative rebooked us on a flight to Osaka in first class, and from there, we bought tickets to Fukuoka. The representative let us know to opened a claim to request a refund for those tickets but at this point I’m not sure its worth the trouble. It was not an ideal solution, but it was better than the two options offered to us initially.
Our experience with Hawaiian Airlines taught us a valuable lesson about traveling with points. When airlines cancel your flight and try to rebook you, don’t take the first option they give you. Be persistent and don’t be afraid to escalate the issue to upper management if necessary. It might be a time-consuming and frustrating process, but it can save your trip in the end.
As for choosing which airline to fly with, we learned that it’s important to research and compare different airlines’ policies regarding cancellations and rebooking. We also learned that it’s crucial to have a backup plan in case something goes wrong.
In the end, our honeymoon was still an incredible experience, and we were grateful for the opportunity to explore Japan together. However, our experience with Hawaiian Airlines showed us that when it comes to traveling with points, flexibility and persistence are key.
