|
Upfront News 2
Plugs & Slugs
|
September 24, 2009 [Slug] To Hawaiian Airlines for sticking it to passengers. At a time when many airlines are hemorrhaging money, Hawaiian managed to turn profits of $23.5 million and $27.5 million in the first and second quarters, respectively. Yes, those numbers are lower than last year, but profit is profit. So how do they reward their customers? Why, by tacking on a $10 fee for the first checked bag on inter-island flights, of course. (Child car seats and wheelchairs are exempt, so we give them a small slice of credit for recognizing the PR headache that would accompany nickel-and-diming babies and disabled people.)
[Plug] To Bounty Music for impressive longevity. The Best of Maui-winning music store celebrated 30 years in business last month. Even in stable financial times that's an impressive feat, but given the current climate it's particularly noteworthy. Owners Paul and Avi Weinstein have created a small mecca for local music lovers, in no small part by embracing and displaying the unheralded versatility of the ukulele.
[Slug] To Minit Stop for a lame bag policy. We got wind of this from reader Christopher, who witnessed a customer, having just purchased a six-pack of beer, telling the clerk he didn't need a plastic bag and could put the beer in his backpack. The clerk replied that it's "company policy," and when the man asked what he was supposed to do with the unwanted bag, he was reportedly told "throw it away." To our knowledge, there is no Maui or Hawaii law requiring beer to be bagged. A call to Minit Stop seeking comment on this wasteful—not to mention fiscally irresponsible—practice was not returned at press time.
[Plug] To Maui Brewing Co. for giving Maui a good name in the beer world. This summer, one of Hawaii's only truly local breweries won multiple awards, including eight medals at the inaugural United States Open Beer Championships and three more at the North American Beer Awards. (Side note: how does one become a judge at these events? Because that's gotta rank in the top ten jobs of all-time.) MBC also opened its new tasting room at the production facility in Lahaina, allowing local suds-lovers to get a behind-the-scenes peek at the brewing and canning process between sips (or gulps, depending).
| |
|
|
| |
| |
| Entertainment and lifestyle news for Maui, Hawaii and the surrounding Islands. Maui Time Weekly is Mauis only independent and locally owned newspaper.
Mail this link to a friend |
|
|
