In the wake of the deadly and destructive wildfires on Maui, advisors whose clients have trips planned to the Valley Isle are reporting varied reactions. Some clients want to cancel, some remain unsure and others want to support the island via tourism.
Meanwhile, those advisors are walking the line of showing support to the island and local suppliers while balancing client needs and expectations.
There's something to be said for supporting the island during this really, really difficult time for them, while ensuring that the member still has the same experience and amenities and trip that they would be wanting. Clients are asking such things as whether locals want visitors, if restaurants are open and how hotels are managing. Travel advisors have seen pushback to visiting Maui on social media, with visitors encouraged to stay away while the island recovers. But at the same time, suppliers want business. There are just have so many different messages being brought up about this and clients are clearly nervous. Travel Advisors have been busy rebooking those with trips in the more immediate future to other islands or, in some cases, other parts of Maui. But some are not comfortable visiting Maui right now. It's a delicate balance, especially as government and tourism officials are sending the message that Maui is open outside of affected areas.
The economic impact is already severe, and it's just that much worse if the revenue doesn't come in to help the recovery.
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BermudAir on Aug. 31 will launch as the lone Bermuda-based airline, catering to premium travelers.
The carrier will initially connect Bermuda's L.F. Wade Airport in St George's to Boston Logan and New York's Westchester County, flying five times per week to each airport. It will launch Fort Lauderdale service on Sept. 22.
BermudAir will eventually have an all-business-class cabin, but the airline is launching service before retrofitting its Embraer E175 aircraft. At launch, the carrier will fly 88-seat E175s, only making 44 of those coach seats available for sale.
BermudAir plans to complete cabin renovations in November, when the E175s will have 30 Aisle Class seats -- one seat on each side of the center aisle.
The new seats will be 19.5 inches wide and have 44 inches of space between rows, underseat stowage for carry-ons, in seat-power, free WiFi, a privacy shield and an end table.
Introductory one-way fares are on sale starting at $199.
