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Entertainment

Hawaiʻi Scene on Social

[{"text":"\"A honu world!\" had us dying.","type":"text"}]

Screenshot 2025 03 28 at 2 34 22 PM

<title>Hawaiʻi Scene on Social: Making up all any kine</title>

In today's social media find, @islandmagicmike riffs on Hulu, Disney and more.

Hawaiʻi Scene on Social: Making up all any kine

Stephanie Salmons Headshot

Stephanie Salmons

Business & Tourism

Atmos Rewards, the new joint loyalty program offered by Alaska Airlines and Hawaiian Airlines, takes flight today.

As of Aug. 20, Alaska Mileage Plan members are now Atmos Reward members. They'll retain their existing account numbers with no interruption to their benefits, a Wednesday announcement from the airlines notes.

HawaiianMiles members and their miles will transition into Atmos Rewards 

. If you don’t link your HawaiianMiles account to a Mileage Plan account, you’ll receive a new account number.

Miles will be converted 1-for-1 into Atmos Rewards Points and will hold the same value in the new program, Alisa Onishi, managing director of Hawai‘i marketing for Hawaiian Airlines, told Aloha State Daily ahead of Wednesday's announcement. No one will lose any miles.

"My only concern would be that people might feel like they have to do something right now and really they don't," Onishi said when asked about any concerns the airline might have about the rollout. "Our HawaiianMiles program will transition, again, on Oct. 1, and again, if you only have a HawaiianMiles account and you don't do anything, you don't touch your account until Oct. 1, it's just going to seamlessly transition into Atmos Rewards."

While the new program offers some new benefits for HawaiianMiles members, Onishi says there are some changes to be aware of.

For instance, HawaiianMiles member will be able to redeem miles for first-class and business-class upgrades on Hawaiian Airlines-operated flights through Sept. 25, another airline spokesperson told ASD in a follow-up email, but noted that first-class upgrades using points won't be available in Atmos Rewards.

Elite members, though — Pualani Platinum is equivalent to Atmos Titanium, Platinum or Gold, and Pualani Gold is equivalent to Atmos Silver — are eligible for unlimited complimentary first-class upgrades on Alaska Airlines and American Airlines flights starting Oct. 1 and on domestic Hawaiian flights next spring, the spokesperson noted.

All elite members are eligible for complimentary first-class upgrades on all Neighbor Island flights. And all members can redeem points for a first-class ticket or pay for an upgrade.

According to the spokesperson, there are roughly 2.1 million active HawaiianMiles members who have earned or redeemed miles within the last 18 months.

[{"type":"text","text":"Here are a few more things you should know about the new program:"}]

— One Mileage Plan or HawaiianMiles mile is equal to one Atmos Rewards point. The value of points doesn’t change and they don’t expire. You can still redeem points for travel on Alaska, Hawaiian and their global partners. Elite-qualifying miles are now "status points."

— Starting in 2026, members can choose how to earn points: by distance traveled, earning one point for every mile flown; by the price paid, earning five points for every $1 spent when buying a flight, including airfare and upgrades purchased in premium cabins; or by segments flown, earning a flat 500 points for each flight segment flown. You can change your preference once a year. Points can be redeemed for travel to more than 1,000 destinations on both Alaska and Hawaiian — and 30-plus global airline partners, the announcement noted.

— Have an airline credit card? Alaska Airlines Visa cards are being rebranded as Atmos Rewards Visa cards, but account numbers and benefits remain the same. There's no action for you to take. The Hawaiian Airlines World Elite Mastercard, however, will keep its name and the benefits will remain the same. There's no action for these cardholders to take, either.

A new premium credit card also will be available, the Atmos Rewards Summit Visa Infinite card. Earn one status point for ever $2 spent but note that there’s an annual fee of $395. 

Alaska Air Group, Inc. and Hawaiian Holdings, Inc. 

 that Alaska Airlines would acquire Hawaiian Airlines in a deal that was valued at approximately $1.9 billion, including $900 million of Hawaiian’s net debt, according to an announcement at that time. The acquisition was 

The distinct Alaska Airlines and Hawaiian Airlines brands will be maintained but it was previously announced that the loyalty programs from both will be combined into a singular program.

 of Hawaiian Airlines in September following its combination with Alaska Air Group.

ASD sat down with Sprague earlier this year to talk about the merger and future plans. You can 

Alaska Air Group last month announced a Honolulu leadership team that will oversee Hawaiian and Alaksa's combined operations in Hawai‘i once the carriers receive a single operating certificate from the Federal Aviation Administration. Read 

For the latest news of Hawai‘i, sign up 

Atmos Rewards lockup ASHA presskit 02 Atmos Rewards ASHA spbl Alt 01

<title>Alaska,  Hawaiian airlines launch joint loyalty program</title>

As of Aug. 20, Alaska Mileage Plan members are Atmos Rewards members while HawaiianMiles members and their miles will transition into the new loyalty program on Oct. 1

Alaska,  Hawaiian airlines launch joint loyalty program

Government & Politics

Construction of the third section of Honolulu's Skyline rail system has taken another step forward as transit officials ready for the second segment to open this fall.

A blessing and groundbreaking ceremony was held earlier this week at the future site of the 

Ka‘ākaukukui, or Civic Center, station in Kaka‘ako for the next phase of the project, the city center guideway and stations.

The CCGS project includes the construction of nearly three miles of elevated guideway and six rail stations, starting near the 

Kahauiki, or Middle Street Transit Center, station and ending at the the Civic Center station, just east of the intersection of Halekauwila and South streets, an announcement from HART, or 

the Honolulu Authority for Rapid Transportation, noted. Construction is expected to be finished by 2030.

The first part of the work will begin in the Iwilei area and includes drilling shafts for the columns that will support the guideway, the announcement noted, adding that working hours will span from 6 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday and Saturdays as needed. HART officials say the hours, though, depend on where they're working.

HART — the public transit authority responsible for planning and building the rail system for the City and County of Honolulu —  

 for the design and construction of the CCGS project to Tutor Perini Corp. in August 2024.

CEO and Executive Director Lori Kahikina told Aloha State Daily Monday afternoon that reaching this point is "very meaningful for this team."

It's the second or third time that HART has tried to procure the last segment, she said, "and to finally actually do it, what a milestone it was for all of us."

Utility work for this segment of the rail has been underway for the last two years, but Kahikina said the hope is that the utilities will be finished in the Downtown Honolulu area by the end of the year and the Dillingham corridor by next summer.

"But soon you'll start to see the shafts being drilled and the columns coming up also before the end of the year," she says. 

"Then, once you start seeing the columns come up, of course then the guideway goes on top of that, but simultaneously, they'll start the stations," Kahikina continued. "So maybe in about two years, you'll see stations start to come up."

"Everything's going to be foundation work, then you'll just slowly start to see structure come up out of the ground," Deputy Project Director Matt Scanlon told ASD.

Kahikina says it's premature to talk about possible detours and general road closures, but she noted that the state Department of Transportation director had some "questions and concerns, so we want to see how can we change some of the maintenance and traffic to make sure we minimize the impact."

"We're not going to be able to eliminate it — it is a reality of construction — but hopefully it's not going to be as intrusive as Dillingham  ... . But [it's] a little bit premature to share how many lanes we're going to be closing and in what direction."

Anyone who's driven Dillingham Boulevard in recent years has witnessed the ongoing work that has shifted traffic patterns and caused delays.

Scanlon says that once contractors begin building the guideway, "they'll put down more of a permanent barrier."

On Dillingham, they'll largely be "building in the middle, so you'll see more of a fixed maintenance of traffic setup and then they'll just have an assembly line," he explained. "They'll start with the foundations and then the columns and they'll build the guideway, so it'll start to look like an assembly line going down the road and a little less haphazard than the utilities were, with cones moving around a lot."

[{"type":"text","marks":[{"type":"textStyle"},{"type":"bold"}],"text":"Segment Two"}]

 and spans just under 11 miles from East Kapolei to Aloha Stadium. This section includes the rail's first nine stations: K

aualakaʻi (East Kapolei), Keoneʻae (University of Hawai‘i-West Oʻahu), Honouliuli (Hoʻopili), Hōʻaeʻae (West Loch), Pouhala (Waipahu Transit Center), Hālaulani (Leeward Community College), Waiawa (Pearl Highlands), Kalauao (Pearlridge), and Hālawa (Aloha Stadium).

The second section, running 5.2 miles from Aloha Stadium to the Middle Street Transit Center, is on track to open in October.

This portion will add four more stations to the route: Pearl Harbor, the Daniel K. Inouye International Airport, Lagoon Drive and Middle Street.

Trial operations just began late last month and the safety certification is being done in coordination with city state and federal agencies, 

(Eastbound passengers take note: you have to exit the train at the Aloha Stadium station before it enters segment two. Once the train returns westbound to the station, you can board the train to continue your trip).

Honolulu Mayor Rick Blangiardi announced during his State of the City address in March this segment of Skyline would 

According to Kahikina, segment two is in "system demonstrations," which measures the train's service availability and evaluates its performance and reliability.

Tsuda said they need to reach a 30-day rolling average of 98.5% availability.

"Once we finish that, then we have met all the requirements and we can turn it over to DTS for revenue service," he says. "Right now, based on where we are, we are still on track for the Oct. 15 grand opening and then the 16th ... for passengers to ride."

HART also has to "safety certify the system," which will run concurrently with this demonstration, he noted.

[{"type":"text","marks":[{"type":"textStyle"},{"type":"bold"}],"text":"Lessons learned"}]

What lessons have HART learned from earlier segments of the rail that they can use during the construction of the third?

[{"type":"text","text":"There's a whole list, Kahikina says."}]

"We've gone through a number of items as we finished off segment one and turned over to [Honolulu's Department of Transportation Services], and as DTS has been operating segment one, they've provided some lessons learned that we're implementing," Project Director Vance Tsuda told ASD.

Among the changes you might see include the canopies on the station platforms, he noted. For example, segment one and two have a tensile fabric canopy but segment three will have a more traditional metal roofing material.

Scanlon said, too, that the way the guideway is being built is also changing.

The first two segments have been constructed with "precast segmental construction," where individual segments, "almost like Lego pieces," were built off-site in West O‘ahu and trucked in, he explained. The segments were then assembled with an overhead gantry, or overhead suspended crane, and tensioned together.

"We're going to be building the city center with a more traditional pre-cast girder system," Scanlon continued.

Before, the stations were tired more to when the guideway came through, he says.

[{"type":"text","text":"\"We're building for the first time six stations at once.\""}]

Scanlon says that building the guideway and stations independently will allow the contractor to start the stations much sooner than in the first two segments, and will save both time and money.

More information about the rail project can be found at 

25 0227 CCGS Blessing Site 33

<title>HART breaks ground on next phase of Honolulu rail project</title>

A blessing and groundbreaking ceremony was held Aug. 11 at the future site of the Ka‘ākaukukui, or Civic Center, station in Kaka‘ako for the next phase of the project, the city center guideway and stations.

HART breaks ground on next phase of Honolulu rail project

Real Estate

[{"text":"Most real estate reporting focuses on median home prices.","type":"text"}]

Of course, that's only one way to look at things — the statistical midpoint, where half the prices are higher than the median and half are lower.

In reality, buyers and sellers are interested in that fuller range of real prices. With that in mind, Aloha State Daily will be looking at neighborhoods, even at single apartment buildings, to find the highest priced home on the market as well as the lowest, so that you can see the range of what you can get for your money.

Today, we’re looking at active listings of single-family homes in the Kailua Beachside neighborhood, which is located on the oceanside of Kalāheo Avenue.

[{"text":"Here’s what we found.","type":"text"}]

[{"text":"Lowest: 50 Kamani Kai Place","type":"text","marks":[{"type":"bold"}]}]

[{"text":"Price: $3,999,000","type":"text"}]

[{"text":"Co-listed by Kerri Jo Heim and Cathy Bridges, Compass","type":"text"}]

This newly remodeled 2,660-square-foot, five-bedroom, three-bath home — located just a short distance from Kailua Beach — hit the market last week.

, the home has hardwood flooring, and a new custom kitchen with a “unique” copper range hood and lead-paned windows.

Heim told ASD that when redoing the kitchen, the placement of everything was kept as it was.

“What they’ve really done is really nice upgrades and really keeping the original character of the home.”

The sewer line that goes from the house to the street also has been replaced, she said.

According to the listing, the primary suite has a newly remodeled bathroom with a separate shower and tub, while three other bedrooms located on the other side of the home share another remodeled bathroom. And the lower level of the split-level home has been converted into a new guest suite with a wet bar, bathroom and laundry room.

Built in 1968, the home was designed by noted local architect 

Heim says Hogan was known for his mid-century modern designs — but this house doesn’t have that aesthetic. The owner who commissioned the home had a lot of input, she said, “so that’s why it’s got more of a Mediterranean feel rather than a mid-century modern feel.”  

Hogan was also known for spending a lot of time at a site before designing a home, she said, adding that it's said that he did that with this home, to see how the air flowed and light played on the lot.

“The home is situated just a little differently. It just captures breezes and it just feels right,” Bridges said.

The property also has a heated pool as well as a covered, screened-in lānai with built-in seating that fronts the pool.

The other side of the home also has a lānai with more of a garden view, the Realtors said.

The “spectacular ceiling” and the finishes are some of Heim’s favorite features of the home.

The real estate agents, who spoke to ASD in a joint phone call, also noted the home’s floor plan.

“There’s a lot of separation and space in that house,” Heim said. “You don’t feel like you’re on top of each other.”

[{"text":"Heim and Bridges said the house is a unique custom home for the area.","type":"text"}]

[{"text":"“This house just is full of charm and character.”","type":"text"}]

Highest: Mele Komo Beachfront Estate, 508 N. Kalāheo Ave.

[{"text":"Price: $50 million","type":"text"}]

[{"text":"Listed by Stephanie Rae Band, Compass  ","type":"text"}]

Sitting on 2.2 acres on Kailua Beach, Mele Komo Beachfront Estate is comprised of three structures: two homes totaling 12,005 square feet and a pool cabana that provides additional living space.

The property, which has its own privately owned beach access, also offers views of the Mokulua Islands off the Windward Coast.

, the first 5,835-square-foot home has 6 beds and 6.5 baths while the second home has the same number of beds and baths and is 6,170 square feet.

A 2,000-square-foot pool cabana, which is an accessory dwelling unit, or ADU, also boasts a full kitchen, full bath, loft space and laundry facilities.

Band says the oceanfront property is “very special,” and that you won’t be able to find another oceanfront lot available in the neighborhood that’s bigger.

“It’s right in the best spot of Kailua, where the beach is super sandy, and the water is not very close to the property line, which is great. You actually do get a beach.”

One of the homes, positioned closer to the beach, offers views of the Mokulua Islands and the other has “this beautiful 180-degree ocean view,” according to Band.

Because of its design, Band says nine of the 12 bedrooms face the ocean and 11 have private lānais or outdoor spaces. One room actually has two private lānais — one that overlooks the ocean and one that overlooks the pool and the mountains. 

Along with 201 linear feet of beachfront, the property also features a 96,000-gallon pool that has a waterfall, commercial-grade slide, jacuzzi and grotto.

[{"text":"For Band, the pool area is one her favorite parts of the home.","type":"text"}]

“It’s just impressive. I truly believe that resorts don’t have a pool like this.”  

There’s plenty of space in the pool area, too, and the landscaping and design also offers privacy, Band says.

508 N Kalaheo 1

<title>High-Low: On the market in Kailua Beachside</title>

Median home prices are just one way to look at the real estate market. In this new feature, Aloha State Daily will look at neighborhoods, and even single apartment buildings, to find the highest- and lowest-priced homes on the market so readers can see the spectrum of what's available. Up first, Kailua Beachside.

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