HONOLULU, January 23, 1997 -- Hawaiian Airlines, Inc. (ASE and PSE: HA) today announced that it has signed a cooperative marketing "code share" agreement with American Eagle carrier Wings West Airlines, Inc. to provide connecting service to Hawaiian's West Coast-Hawaii gateway in Los Angeles from 10 cities in California and Nevada, starting March 4, 1997. It is anticipated that the new service will be available for booking in computer reservations systems starting February 23, 1997.
Under the new agreement, American Eagle / Wings West will provide direct connections to Hawaiian's Los Angeles operation from San Diego, Orange County, Santa Barbara, Palm Springs, Monterey, San Luis Obispo, Fresno, Bakersfield, Carlsbad and Las Vegas.
"This new partnership between Hawaiian and American Eagle offers 10 mainland cities new direct connections to Hawaii with the convenience of booking the entire trip with a single airline, and the added value of full frequent flyer benefits," said Peter Jenkins, Hawaiian's senior vice president for marketing and sales.
Robert Cordes, president of Wings West, added, "Under this new agreement, Hawaiian Airlines passengers connecting with American Eagle flights will enjoy the convenience of making one reservation, being ticketed just once and checking their bags all the way through to their final destination."
All American Eagle / Wings West connecting flights will carry Hawaiian's two-letter airline booking code, "HA," in worldwide computer reservations systems and will be operated with 34-seat Saab 340B turboprop aircraft. The technologically advanced Saab aircraft feature roomy stand-up passenger cabins, overhead storage bins for carry-on baggage, an in-flight beverage service and assistance provided by a professional flight attendant.
Both carriers are participants in American Airlines' AAdvantage Travel Awards Program.
American Eagle is the world's largest regional airline system, carrying more than 1 million passengers monthly in the U.S., Canada, The Bahamas and the Caribbean. Wings West operates 125 daily flights between 12 cities in the western U.S.
Hawaiian Airlines, the nation's 12th largest carrier, currently operates three flights daily between Honolulu and Los Angeles using widebody McDonnell Douglas DC-10 aircraft. It also offers daily DC-10 service between Honolulu and San Francisco, Seattle, Portland and Las Vegas in addition to more than 160 daily flights among the islands of Hawaii using McDonnell Douglas DC-9 aircraft and weekly DC-10 flights between Honolulu and the South Pacific destinations of Tahiti and American Samoa.