Should I travel to Maui right now? Wildfires may change Hawaii plans

The Hawaiian island of Maui is asking visitors to stay away as it tries to recover from devastating wildfires.

Officials said Thursday morning that two of the three fires on Maui were largely contained. But damage in parts of the island is extensive, particularly in the resort region of West Maui, where the fire appears to have incinerated much of the historic town of Lahaina.

Kahului Airport on Maui remains open, at least in part because everyone is being evacuated (authorities have asked all visitors on “non-essential” travel to leave). With the wildfires causing more than 50 deaths and an estimated $8 billion to $10 billion in damage and economic losses, the Hawaiian government is strongly discouraging tourists from coming to the island.

If you had a vacation planned, this is what you need to know.

Should I cancel my trip to Hawaii?

The state tourism authority noted that most of Hawaii continues to welcome visitors. “Travel to Kaua'i, O'ahu, Moloka'i, Lāna'i” and parts of the island of Hawai'i other than the Mauna Kea resort area “are not affected at this time,” the authority said in its website on Wednesday. On Thursday, the Mauna Kea Resort on the Big Island was open again after three fires in the area were brought under control, the authority said.

Maui, and particularly West Maui, is a different story. The tourism authority said Wednesday night that visitors bound for West Maui in the coming weeks are encouraged to consider rescheduling their travel plans for a later time.

“In the coming days and weeks, our collective resources and attention must be focused on the recovery of residents and communities who were forced to evacuate their homes and businesses,” the authority said.

What can I do with my flight to Hawaii?

Some major airlines are offering customers the chance to get refunds for travel to Maui in the coming weeks, as well as the option to reschedule their flights. The exact terms depend on the airline.

In united airlines, if you paid for a flight to Kahului Airport between August 11 and August 31, you can cancel and get a refund, according to United's website. You can also reschedule your trip and change fees and fare differences will be waived in certain circumstances.

If your new trip is after August 31 or is to a destination outside of Hawaii, United will still waive any change fees, but you may have to pay a fare difference, depending on the flight.

In Delta AirlinesCustomers who can't reschedule their trips to Maui can cancel their reservations and apply the cost of the ticket toward the purchase of a new flight, but that flight must be booked no more than a year after the ticket to Maui was purchased, the site says. airline website. .

If you schedule a new flight before August 18 with the same level of service as the Maui flight, Delta's website says the change fee or any fare difference will be waived. After that, only the change fee will be waived.

He american airlines The site suggests that refunds are possible for flights to or through Maui if you cancel before August 13. You can request one on the airline's website.

If you want to reschedule your flight, American will waive the change fee if you rebook before August 13, but you may have to pay any difference in fare. To see if your flight is eligible for a refund or fee waiver, use the “Find Your Trip” tool on the airline's website. If you are unable to change your trip online, please call Reservations for assistance.

In Alaska AirlinesIf you purchased a ticket to or from Maui before August 9, you can get a refund as long as you cancel before the original flight's departure date, the airline's website says. You can also reschedule a new flight to or from Maui or three other Hawaiian airports through August 31 at the same rate if you stay in the same cabin. But you have to change your tickets before the departure of your original flight.

Hawaiian Airlines is allowing customers to cancel their flights in exchange for a refund or credit for future flights, or change their flights to a different island, its website says. To change or cancel your flight, call the airline's reservations line at 800-367-5320.

An airline spokesperson said: “We ask guests with non-urgent queries to call back later so we can assist travelers with immediate needs. “Guests traveling through Kahului should continue to check their flight status on our website or app before arriving at the airport.”

Will my hotel charge me a fee to cancel my stay in Maui?

Under normal circumstances, many hotels penalize last-minute cancellations by charging fees that can be substantial. Some in West Maui are waiving those fees right now, but determining the policy of the hotel you've booked can be a challenge: The closer you are to the fire, the more likely power and phone lines will be cut.

The Hyatt family of hotels will waive cancellation fees for arrivals “in the coming days,” the company said in a statement. It suggested that guests with reservations call its customer service line at 800-233-1234 “for additional details and assistance with alternative accommodations.” However, it also noted that canceled reservations made through online booking sites and other third parties may be governed by those sites' policies.

An Expedia spokesperson told The Times in an email that it is working with hotels that book through Expedia and Hotels.com to institute a “flexible policy” for reservations throughout the island of Maui through August 31. “This means that travelers with upcoming vacation reservations in the affected area can change or cancel their hotel reservation without penalty,” he said. “The flexible policy can be accessed when you interact with a virtual agent once you log into your account or provide your itinerary number to the virtual agent.”

Expedia and Hotels.com customer service agents are available 24 hours a day by phone or online to assist with travel arrangements.

According to a spokesperson for Marriott Hotels, the Westin Maui Resort & Spa in Ka'anapali, the Sheraton Maui Resort & Spa and the Ritz-Carlton Maui in Kapalua have been evacuated and will temporarily close due to extended power outages. Cancellation fees at all three hotels will be waived until August 31. He advised travelers visiting the area to follow the news and MauiCounty.gov for updates on the local situation. To adjust reservations, guests must visit Marriott.com or the Marriott app.

If you're headed to other parts of Maui or the Mauna Kea resort area on Hawaii Island, the state tourism authority says, you should talk to the hotel you booked for updates on how you might be affected.

Hotels on Maui may still be accepting reservations and some are offering refunds up to the date of travel. For example, you could book a room for next week at the Outrigger Kaanapali Beach Resort on Thursday afternoon, even though the resort's phone and power lines were down, according to a reservations agent.

Can I cancel my Vrbo or Airbnb?

Expedia Group, which owns Vrbo, said in a statement that it is “applying an extenuating circumstances exception for eligible Vrbo reservations on Maui, where travelers will be able to get a full refund.” He added: “We will continue to work with our Vrbo hosts who have upcoming bookings in affected areas to ensure all of our travelers are treated fairly.”

Airbnb customer service says they will offer penalty-free cancellations in parts of Maui for hosts and guests who request them. However, people should call the site's customer service line at (844) 234-2500 to make sure they are eligible.

Travelers whose accommodations are not directly affected by the fires may have a harder time getting a refund.

One reader told The Times that he and his wife wanted to heed the government's request and cancel their trip to Maui, but their Airbnb host refused to give them even a partial refund for their $2,000 stay. According to the Airbnb site, cancellations and refunds are even the hostsnot Airbnb.

Will travel insurance cover me?

According to insurance comparison site Insuremytrip.com, “if a wildfire affecting your trip is known before you purchase a plan, your coverage may be extremely limited.” So if you're thinking about getting travel insurance now for a trip in the coming weeks, don't bother.

What you can do is see if wildfires fall under the definition of “natural disaster” in your travel insurance policy. You may also be eligible for coverage under “travel delay” if your flight is cancelled, “trip interruption” if your accommodation or primary residence is damaged, or “trip cancellation” if your destination has been evacuated, Insuremytrip says.