Fellow Adventurers,
Welcome to “Where Man Travels,” my personal journey into the world of travel. I want to make it clear from the start that I have no grand aspirations of becoming a travel influencer or achieving overwhelming success with this endeavor. Instead, I embark on this path simply for the pure joy of it. I’m excited about the prospect of learning more about myself, improving my writing skills, and gaining a deeper appreciation for our beautiful planet along the way.
Chapter 1: The Journey to Hawaii
My first series of blog posts will revolve around various aspects of my recent trip to the breathtaking island of Maui, Hawaii. Let me tell you, getting to Hawaii is no walk in the park. We had quite the challenge of finding affordable flights from Missouri that also fit our travel schedule. Our first misstep? Trying to secure flights for the weekend before Memorial Day. Unsurprisingly, prices soared across the board during the holiday weekend. We initially hoped to depart from our small beautiful home base at Springfield, MO Airport (SGF), but alas, nothing seemed to work out. Our journey began from Kansas City (MCI), and to make it all come together, we had to book each leg separately. Our first flight took us from Kansas City to Los Angeles (LAX) aboard Spirit Airlines.
Chapter 2: Keeping an Eye on the Budget
Given my penchant for budget-conscious travel, I’ll be transparent about the costs. The flight from KC to LA set us back a total of $1513.85, which included the extra fee for selecting specific seats in the exit row for that coveted legroom. When divided among the five of us, it came to $504.62 per person. Additionally, we chose to park at Park’N Go, where a fantastic deal awaited those who signed up for their rewards program. In total, we paid just $26.56 for eight nights of parking. Their efficient shuttle service conveniently ferried us from the parking lot to the terminal.
Chapter 3: A Night at LAX
Our flight into LAX arrived relatively late, around 10 PM Pacific Time, and our next flight with Alaska Airlines wasn’t scheduled until approximately 6 AM. I must admit, overnighting at LAX proved to be quite the adventure (one I’ll touch on in more detail another time), but I strongly advise against this route. It’s a rough and uncomfortable way to spend an evening.
Chapter 4: Sailing to Maui
Now, onto the next leg of our journey: Los Angeles to Kahului, Maui (OGG). This approximately six-hour flight prompted us to pay a bit extra for Premium Economy on Alaska Airlines. As a larger person, I can vouch for the value of Premium Economy on a six-hour flight. It’s worth every penny. I can’t recall much of the flight because I took a Benadryl at LAX and could barely stay awake through the preflight safety instructions. However, the last half-hour of the flight offers breathtaking views as you slowly descend over the ocean and the island. Don’t be surprised when the approach to landing at OGG feels like you’re about to touch down on a random field, or more specifically, a patch of dirt with some trees on it.
Chapter 5: The Cost of Premium Comfort
For those curious about the numbers, our LAX to OGG flights came to a total of $3769.90, which translates to a per-person cost of $753.98. This figure includes the highly recommended upgrade to Premium Economy, offering wider seats and more legroom.
I’ll pause my story here for now. If you’re still reading, I invite you to check back soon for my next post, where I’ll delve into the first couple of days of our adventure on the stunning island of Maui.
Wishing you safe travels and happy reading!
Clint Wehrman