Oakland Goes Hawaiian With New Nonstop Flights to Hawaii

OAKLAND, Calif., Apr 24, 2008 (BUSINESS WIRE) -- Hawaiian Airlines is bringing the music, culture, beauty and spirit of Hawaii to the East Bay - with style.

Hawaiian will inaugurate its new daily nonstop service between Oakland International Airport and Honolulu on Thursday, May 1. The first flight departs Oakland at 9 a.m. and arrives in Honolulu at 11:05 a.m.

Passengers will be sent off from their gate Hawaiian-style, feted with live music and hula, a traditional Hawaiian blessing for the plane, the flight, the passengers and the service, and brief remarks from airline executives and local representatives. Celebrants will wear fresh purple Dendrobium orchid lei flown in from Hawaii.

When it taxies away from the terminal, passengers on the B767 wide-body, twin-aisle aircraft, which can seat up to 264, will pass beneath a ceremonial water arch presented by the airport fire department. Festivities will begin about 7:30 a.m.

During the week before the flight, the same entertainers - a five-piece traditional ensemble known as the Hawaiian Airlines Serenades - will visit several locations throughout the East Bay, spreading Hawaiian's inflight message that "Hawaii Starts Here." Audiences at these performances will also receive a free fresh flower lei and a certificate good for 10 percent off the price of flights aboard Hawaiian through June 6.

The lei are additionally appropriate because Thursday, May 1 - the day of the inaugural flight - happens to be Lei Day, an official Hawaii holiday, in which everyone is encouraged to wear a fresh flower lei.

During the next week, Hawaiian has planned these activities in the East Bay:

-- The Serenades will perform on the lawn at the Jack London Square Farmers Market and Artisans Marketplace in Oakland, at 11 a.m. Sunday, April 27

-- Hawaiian annually co-sponsors of the Ukulele Festival of Northern California, at the Hayward Adult School, 22100 Princeton Street, Hayward, from 10:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday, April 27

-- Hawaiian is supporting the Fred Finch Youth Center in Oakland at the Ed Block Courage Award dinner, with the Oakland Raiders, Monday evening, April 28. (Hawaiian has chartered service to fly the Raiders to all away games for the last eight years.)

-- The Serenades will perform for lunchtime crowds at Oakland City Center, Oakland, at 12 noon, Tuesday April 29.

-- The Serenades will perform for shoppers at Stoneridge Mall, Pleasanton, at 4 p.m. Wednesday, April 30.

Already the first choice of travelers seeking reliability, comfort and convenience, Hawaiian recently became even more important to travelers throughout the Bay Area after two carriers that provided service to Hawaii declared bankruptcy and shut down. While Hawaiian already has service in San Francisco, San Jose and Sacramento, the closure of Aloha and ATA left Oakland with no Hawaii service during April.

About Hawaiian Airlines

The nation's top-ranked airline for service in the 2007 Airline Quality Ratings, Hawaiian has led all U.S. carriers in on-time performance for each of the past four straight years (2004-2007) and in fewest misplaced bags for the past three years (2005-2007) as reported by the U.S. Department of Transportation. Consumer surveys by Conde Nast Traveler, Travel + Leisure and Zagat have all ranked Hawaiian as the top domestic airline serving Hawaii.

Now in its 79th year of continuous service in Hawaii, Hawaiian is the state's biggest and longest-serving airline, as well as the second largest provider of passenger air service between the U.S. mainland and Hawaii. Hawaiian offers nonstop service to Hawaii from more U.S. gateway cities than any other airline, as well as service to the Philippines, Australia, American Samoa, and Tahiti. Hawaiian also provides approximately 145 daily jet flights among the Hawaiian Islands.

Hawaiian Airlines, Inc. is a subsidiary of Hawaiian Holdings, Inc. (AMEX:HA). Additional information is available at HawaiianAirlines.com.

SOURCE: Hawaiian Airlines

e-agency PR
Jack Lyness, 510-304-2411
jlyness@e-agency.com
or
Patrick Dugan, 808-741-2712
PatrickDugan@MWC-Anthology.com