Piha Makahiki ‘Elima: Happy Anniversary

Hula, Lei mark Hawaiian Airlines’ 5th year of New York Service

NEW YORK – Hula dancing, music and flower lei greeted New York travelers this morning as Hawaiian Airlines celebrated the carrier’s fifth anniversary of non-stop service between John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK) and Honolulu. Since summer 2012, Hawaiian has shared its authentic island hospitality with more than 400,000 guests aboard over 1,500 flights between JFK and Honolulu’s Daniel K. Inouye International Airport (HNL).

“East Coast travelers have increasingly sought out the Hawai’i hospitality we offer on our non-stop service to Honolulu,” said Peter Ingram, Hawaiian’s executive vice president and chief commercial officer. “We look forward to continuing to provide our guests with the most convenient, comfortable and memorable flight experience between New York and our Hawaiian Islands.”

Hula dancers with the Polynesian Cultural Center welcomed travelers at JFK’s terminal 5, where Hawaiian’s flight H51 departs daily at 10 a.m. local time. The flight arrives at HNL at 2:55 p.m., giving visitors ample time to enjoy the afternoon on O‘ahu or connect seamlessly to a neighbor island. During 2016, more than 40,000 of Hawaiian’s guests arriving on O‘ahu from JFK went on to visit Maui, Kaua‘i, or the Island of Hawai‘i.

On the return to New York, travelers can spend a leisurely morning at the beach before checking in for HA50, which departs HNL at 3:05 p.m. and arrives at JFK at 6:55 a.m. the next day.

As Hawai‘i’s destination carrier, Hawaiian is dedicated to introducing travelers to the sights, sounds and tastes of the islands through its award-winning in-flight hospitality, meals prepared by top local chefs, and a host of products and amenities.

In February, the airline added a new Premium Cabin featuring 18 lie-flat leather seats to its JFK route, while expanding the number of premium economy Extra Comfort seats to 68 from 40. Last summer, Hawaiian launched a First Class auction upgrade program called Bid Up. Since then, more than 200 travelers departing from JFK have been upgraded through the easy-to-use service and enjoyed superior comfort and luxury amenities on their relaxing journey across the Pacific.

Hawaiian also has a codeshare and frequent flyer agreement with JetBlue that expands Hawaiian’s reach beyond New York and offers travelers throughout the East Coast convenient access to their dream Hawaiian vacation.

In celebration of its fifth-year milestone, Hawaiian today announced a weeklong sale of $769 roundtrip tickets (inclusive of all taxes and fees) for travel between JFK and HNL from Sept. 18 through Nov. 9.

About Hawaiian Airlines
Hawaiian®, the world’s most punctual airline as reported by OAG, has led all U.S. carriers in on-time performance for each of the past 13 years (2004-2016) as reported by the U.S. Department of Transportation. Consumer surveys by Condé Nast Traveler and Travel + Leisure have ranked Hawaiian

the highest of all domestic airlines serving Hawai‘i. Now in its 88th year of continuous service, Hawaiian is Hawai‘i’s biggest and longest-serving airline, as well as the largest provider of passenger air service from its primary visitor markets on the U.S. Mainland. Hawaiian offers non-stop service to Hawai‘i from more U.S. gateway cities (11) than any other airline, along with service from Japan, South Korea, China, Australia, New Zealand, American Samoa and Tahiti. Hawaiian also provides approximately 170 jet flights daily between the Hawaiian Islands, with a total of more than 250 daily flights system-wide.

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. For career postings and updates, follow Hawaiian’s LinkedIn page.

For media inquiries, please visit Hawaiian Airlines’ online newsroom.