Hawaiian Airlines and Virgin Australia Launch Codeshare on Flights to Hawaii

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Nov 03, 2011, 04:30 ET

HONOLULU, Nov. 3, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Hawaiian Airlines and Virgin Australia group of airlines have launched a new agreement that allows Virgin Australia's international airline, V Australia, to codeshare on Hawaiian Airlines flights between Sydney and Honolulu, as well as beyond on connecting neighbor island flights in Hawaii to Kahului, Maui; Lihue, Kauai; and Hilo and Kona on Hawaii Island.

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Hawaiian currently operates five weekly flights from Australia, and will increase to year-round daily departures starting December 14, 2011.

Hawaiian and Virgin Australia have had an interline agreement in place since 2006, allowing Hawaiian's guests to connect to destinations throughout Australia and New Zealand.

This agreement also allows members of Virgin Australia's frequent flyer program Velocity to earn and redeem frequent flyer points on Hawaiian's flights. The two carriers are working on a reciprocal program allowing HawaiianMiles members to earn and redeem miles on Virgin Australia that is expected to take effect in 2012.

With the implementation of the codeshare agreement, travelers are now able to purchase fares to and from Hawaii through Virgin Australia's international airline V Australia.

John Borghetti, CEO of Virgin Australia group of airlines, said, "The agreement with Hawaiian Airlines will add another important destination to our global network and provide seamless connectivity for guests wanting to fly on from Honolulu to other islands in Hawaii. Hawaii is a key tourist destination and this agreement will take us one step closer to obtaining global flight coverage for our guests."

Mark Dunkerley, Hawaiian's president and CEO, said the new codeshare with Virgin Australia group of airlines was a natural progression and exciting step forward for both companies.

"Hawaii is one of the fastest-growing leisure markets from Australia, and no airline serves Hawaii as comprehensively as we do, with soon-to-be-daily flights to Honolulu and more than over 150 flights daily between the Hawaiian Islands," said Dunkerley. "This new agreement with the Virgin Australia group will allow us, together, to offer unparalleled access and travel convenience between points throughout Australia and Hawaii."

About Hawaiian Airlines

Hawaiian has led all U.S. carriers in on-time performance for each of the past seven years (2004-2010) as reported by the U.S. Department of Transportation. In addition, consumer surveys by Conde Nast Traveler, Travel + Leisure and Zagat have all ranked Hawaiian the top domestic airline offering flights to Hawaii. Hawaiian was also the nation's highest-ranked carrier for service quality and performance in the prestigious Airline Quality Rating (AQR) study for 2008 and 2009.

Now in its 82nd year of continuous service in Hawaii, Hawaiian is the largest provider of passenger air service to Hawaii from the state's primary visitor markets on the U.S. mainland. Hawaiian offers nonstop service to Hawaii from more U.S. gateway cities (10) than any other airline, as well as service to Japan, South Korea, the Philippines, Australia, American Samoa, and Tahiti. Hawaiian also provides approximately 150 daily jet flights between the Hawaiian Islands.

Hawaiian Airlines, Inc. is a subsidiary of Hawaiian Holdings, Inc. (NASDAQ: HA). Additional information is available at HawaiianAirlines.com. Follow updates on Twitter about Hawaiian (@HawaiianAir) and its special fare offers (@HawaiianFares), and become a fan on its Facebook page (Hawaiian Airlines).

About Virgin Australia group of airlines

Australia-based Virgin Australia group of airlines includes the Virgin Australia domestic airline, V Australia long-haul international airline and the Pacific Blue and Polynesian Blue short-haul international airlines. Additional information is available at www.virginaustralia.com.

SOURCE Hawaiian Airlines