Maui, Hawaii Wildfires: Updated Airline Change Waivers

Wildfires in Maui and the Big Island have forced the evacuation of residents and visitors in the Lahaina, Kula, North Kihei and Kaanapali areas of Maui and the Mauna Kea area of the Big Island of Hawaii. If you have an upcoming vacation or other non-essential travel to any of these areas, the Hawaii Department of Transportation urges visitors not to come and postpone travel. Here are the airline travel waivers, which we're hoping will be extended as the damage is severe:

United Airlines

Impacted Travel Dates: Tickets to Maui (OGG) issued by August 8, 2023 for travel departing August 9-September 16, 2023
Reissue tickets by August 16 for travel departing on or before November 18, 2023
If new trip is after August 31, 2023 or to a different destination, United will waive change fees but a fare difference may apply
Origin/destination may change to HNL, KOA, LIH
Change fee waived but difference in fare applies
May also have ticket refunded to original form of payment

Hawaiian Airlines

Impacted Travel Dates: Tickets to Maui (OGG) for travel departing August 9-December 15, 2023
Origin/destination may remain OGG or change to KOA, ITO, HNL or LIH
Reissue tickets by September 1, 2023 for travel in same class of service, for travel until 11/16/23 or 11/29-12/15/23
Change fee and fare difference waived, as long as same class of service and involves one of the Hawaiian airports listed above.
For travel to/from OGG August 9-September 15, 2023, may also have ticket refunded to original form of payment; request refund no later than September 1, 2023 using online form and ensure Topic is “Refund” and Subtopic is “Maui Fire Travel Waiver”

Delta

Impacted Travel Dates: Tickets to Maui (OGG) for August 9-September 16, 2023
Reissue tickets by original flight departure time and no later than August 16 for travel on or before September 19, 2023
Change fee and fare difference waived for travel by September 19; for travel after September 19 fare difference may apply
If travel is not able to be rescheduled within these guidelines, customers may cancel their reservation and apply any unused value of the ticket toward the purchase of a new ticket for a period of one year from the original ticket issuance.

American Airlines

Impacted Travel Dates: Tickets to Maui (OGG) issued by August 9, 2023 for travel departing August 9-September 16, 2023
Reissue tickets no later than original flight departure day and no later than 9/16/23 for travel departing August 9-November 18, 2023
May change origin/destination to HNL, KOA, LIH

Alaska Airlines

Impacted Travel Dates: Tickets to Maui (OGG) issued by August 11, 2023 for travel departing August 9-October 1, 2023
Reissue tickets before departure of original flight
Saver tickets may be cancelled with no penalty and have the fare amount deposited into one's Alaska Airlines account wallet for future travel
New ticket may be to/from OGG, HNL, KOA or LIH
Non-refundable tickets may either be changed to a departure date until October 1 with no change fee and no fare difference, or cancelled with no penalty with the fare amount deposited into one's Alaska Airlines account wallet for future travel

The wildfires on Maui are in the Western part of the island, and have resulted in power outages at resorts such as the Hyatt Regency Maui, a temporary closure of the Ritz-Carlton Kapalua (cancellation fees waived through 8/31/23) as well as lack of cell phone service and 911, due to 29 utility poles are down, which could take up to 1 month to repair.