BUSINESS BRIEFS
Free Hawaiian Air trips to Manila
Advertiser Staff
Hawaiian Airlines will hold a drawing on Saturday for 250 free roundtrip tickets to Manila, Philippines.
Entry forms will be handed out Downtown starting at 10 a.m. at Tamarind Park, at the corner of Bishop and King streets. The drawing will begin at noon and will include 20 first-class tickets.
Hawaiian will launch its new Honolulu-to-Manila service on April 14.
The state's largest carrier plans to fly four weekly roundtrips to the Philippines, with fares starting at $848.
KMART TO PROVIDE $12 FLU SHOTS
Kmart is offering flu shots for $12 each at its Hawai'i stores with pharmacies as long as supply is available.
"We are lowering prices to encourage more people to do what they can to protect themselves," said Mark Doerr, vice president of Kmart Pharmacy, in a news release. "While the flu season has not been as severe as some recent years, the latest CDC updates report that flu activity is on the rise."
Kmart is offering the shots for $10 in most other states. But it costs more in Hawai'i because of a law prohibiting selling them below cost.
Other states where the shots may cost more are California, Louisiana, Minnesota, Montana, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Tennessee, Wisconsin and Wyoming.
QANTAS ADDS SYDNEY-O'AHU FLIGHT
Qantas will increase its service between Sydney and Honolulu to four flights a week from the current three beginning on April 5.
The airline said Hawai'i has become an attractive destination for Australians because the slumping U.S. dollar has weakened against Australian currency. Qantas reported seeing strong demand on the route.
The new flight will depart Sydney on Saturdays.
Currently Qantas has Honolulu flights departing Wednesdays, Fridays and Sundays. The service is operated aboard a 229-seat Boeing 767 aircraft.
Qantas said the new flight will bring to nine the number of weekly flights it has to Honolulu from Sydney when five Jetstar flights are included.
BUSINESS COACHES, JUDGES NEEDED
The University of Hawai'i is seeking experienced business people to coach teams and judge entries in its annual business plan competition running from Feb. 2 to May 1.
Interested volunteers can register and find more information online at www.UHBusinessPlanCompetition.com or by contacting Tracy Taira at 956-5357 or ttaira@hawaii.edu.
Competitors may include existing companies less than a year old or prospective ventures, as long as teams with two to five members include at least one UH student playing a key role.
Registration opened on Monday for the cash-prize event.
STATE REVOKES 2 BUSINESS LICENSES
The state Real Estate Commission and the state Board of Motor Vehicle Industry Licensing both revoked licenses of individuals in December, and other state professional and vocational boards took action against other individuals.
The Hawai'i Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs said real estate agent Ken Sugihara had his license revoked and a $5,000 fine imposed, while the Motor Vehicle Industry board pulled the license of Todd Martin, who did business as Martin Motors LLC. Martin was also fined $1,000.
