Aloha!
I have just returned from my two week adventure to the Hawaiian Islands. While it is a pleasure to be back in the comfort of my home and the company of good family and friends, I would be lying if I said I didn't already miss the warm, tropical air and miles of sandy beaches.
Aaron and I visited three islands (Maui, the Big Island, and Kauai) during our travels. I would love to write just one comprehensive post about our entire trip, but if I were to do that I feel like I would either have to write a short book (which this isn't exactly the platform for) or leave a lot out (which would just be depressing). So to make my posts more easy to navigate and subject specific I am breaking them down into a series of entries. I hope you enjoy reading about my travels, and maybe even glean some helpful tips and information for your own upcoming trip (if you have one, and if you don't, I highly recommend planning one)!
Aaron and I left for the island of Maui on June 20, 2013. It was my first time flying standby, and Aaron's first time in a long time. Our sister-in-law, Staci, is a flight attendent for Alaska Airlines and was generous enough to share some of her buddy passes with us, saving us hundreds of dollars on airfare. She showed us how to check flight-loads and figure out which route would be in our best interest based on availability, date, and time, and we excitedly reserved our seats.
We woke up bright and early (although I wouldn't really say it was "bright" considering the sun hadn't rose yet) around 4:30 AM. Our bags were packed and the french press was loaded. We said goodbye to Gus the barn cat and we were on our way! Well, on our way to he Gig Harbor Inn where a shuttle would be picking us up and taking us to Seattle-Tacoma International Airport.
The shuttle ride was quick and smooth and we made it to the airport just before 6:00 AM. When we entered the airport we could not believe the lines! Neither my husband or I had ever seen the airport so packed. After waiting in line first to get our boarding passes and then to go through the security checkpoint, we finally made it to our gate and were ready to board our first plane which would take us all the way to... Portland! Okay, our first flight was a little anti-climactic considering we would only be traveling about 160 miles, but once we landed at PDX we would be boarding our flight to Maui. Or at least that's what we thought.
We landed at PDX and hurried to our next gate to check the flight load and where we stood on the standby roster. A shared moment of anxiety stricken frowns simultaneously spread across our faces as we stared at the reader board. Not only had the flight nearly filled, but the standby list had tripled and we were at the very bottom! Things weren't looking good, but considering we had some time to kill before the flight boarded we did what anyone hanging out at an airport at 8:00 AM does and we loaded up on mimosas. While the mimosas did take the edge off, they sure didn't help empty up any seats on that airplane, and we watched our first attempt to Maui take off towards the sky.
Not to worry though, there was another flight boarding in just over an hour and we could just get on that one, right? Wrong. Another almost-full flight and an alarming number of people on the standby list. As there were no more flights from PDX to OGG (Maui) that day, things were looking dismal. Until a woman working at the gate helped reorient our tickets and got us on standby to San Diego where we would have one more shot of landing in Maui before surrendering defeat and setting up camp on the airport floor.
The flight to San Diego was fairly full, but there weren't too many on the standby list and we boarded stress free. It was only when we got to San Diego that anxiety ensued as we watched the reader board at our gate show empty seats slowly filling and the standby list growing at an alarming rate, bumping us down to the bottom of the roster with each addition.
Both hungry and tired, we ordered an overpriced salad from one of the airport food kiosks and slowly munched away, leaning against one another, shoulder-to-shoulder, sinking heavier into one another with each yawn as exhaustion began to set in. As our eyelids grew heavy and the salad box began to slide off my lap, over the intercom they announced that they were beginning boarding. Like two kids on Christmas morning, we quickly sprang to our feet as if we had enough energy to run a marathon, and rushed over to the gate to watch all the happy travelers board their flight to Maui, fingers-crossed hoping there would be two seats left for us.
As the mob of people hovering around the gate slowly made their way onto the plane, the gate attendant began calling names off the standby list. "So-and-so party of four," they called. Then a party of three, then a party of two. According to the reader board the plane was full, and there were still people ahead of us on the list. Our smiles dimmed as we scanned the room to see if there would be a comfortable place to spend our evening, and then they called our names. It was like winning the lottery (or so I would assume considering I've never won the lottery). Involuntary tears began to stream down my cheeks as the exhaustion, relief, and happiness that my body was deflecting through all the tension released. It was 7:30 PM, and we would be landing at OGG at 10:30 PM Maui time.
The plane ride was long, and after about five-and-a-half hours the pilot came over the intercom announcing that we were making our final descent into Maui. Our original plan was upon landing we would take a bus from the airport to Aaron's Omi's (the German word for grandmother) condo, but given the lateness of our arrival we were stuck with a taxi. Exhausted and hungry (again), we ran up to our room, dumped our bags onto the floor and dashed across the street to Denny's for a late night bite to eat.
We scarfed down the warm, turkey club sandwich, washing it down with oversized gulps of ice-cold water, and felt our bodies begin to revive from the hot food and hydrating water. We paid our bill and shuffled across the street back to Omi's condo where we slept long and hard, preparing ourselves for what would be an incredible two weeks.
Standby Travel Tips:
If you want a relaxing travel experience, or you need to be somewhere by a certain date/time, do not travel standby.
If you want an inexpensive way to travel and are okay with spending some time in the airport, I highly recommend flying standby, especially if you follow these tips! And please note that I have only flown standby through Alaska Airlines and these tips may not apply to other airlines.
1. You need to know someone who works for the airline and request a buddy pass.
2. Figure out when you are trying to travel. It is advised not to travel standby during holidays such as Christmas, Thanksgiving, etc, or during summer vacation (which is when Aaron and I traveled, so it is doable, just not recommended).
3. Look up flight loads in advance to get a general idea of what the flights look like, but be aware that even if there are 50 open seats and no one on the non-revenue (standby) list, that this is subject to change drastically and you will want to check this list the night before, or better yet just hours before you plan to travel.
4. Look at connecting flights and be creative! While a direct flight is more desirable, you may have a better chance of getting to your final destination from one airport versus another. For example, flight to Maui from San Diego had more open seats typically than direct flights from Sea-Tac to Maui. But, so did flights from Portland which is why we flew there first, and we didn't get on a single plane there. (Flying home we flew from LIH (Kauai) to San Diego and got on the first plane).
5. Be prepared! Anticipate that you will be waiting around for several hours. Bring a good book, a fully charged phone, snacks, or whatever you like to have on hand to pass the time and to keep you full and happy!
xo.
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