Zagat Survey Names Hawaiian Airlines As Best U.S. Premium Airline

HONOLULU, March 23, 2001 -- Hawaiian Airlines scored the highest number of points and won Best Overall honors in the 2001 Zagat Survey of Premium U.S. Airlines.

Hawaiian Airlines also won First Place in the Service and Food categories and was second, only one point below the winner, in the category of Comfort.

"We are gratified by these rankings in the latest Zagat Survey and by the many other awards we have received," said John B. Happ, Hawaiian Airlines Senior Vice President for Marketing and Sales.

"Recognition like this rewards and inspires the men and women of Hawaiian Airlines who plan and provide all aspects of our operations and customer service on the ground and inflight. These top rankings underscore our commitment to providing the highest level of service to every passenger on every flight, wherever we fly."

Zagat Survey, a New York-based independent consumer-oriented travel guide, asked nearly 20,000 frequent flyers to rate the nation's airlines in terms of Service, Food and Comfort.

Zagat's review of Hawaiian Airlines's interisland service gushed: "Spirited crews of smiling stewardesses make this regional carrier's short hops from Island to Island seem so much better than average milk-run routes."

Zagat's review described Hawaiian's Transpacific service this way: "Passengers leaving the mainland love the leis and lack of delay, good guava juice and air fares, while fancy food in an awesome First Class puts this airline in the Number 1 spot for premium U.S. travel."

Hawaiian Airlines topped the Best Overall category, tied with Alaska Airlines and Continental Airlines.

Hawaiian, Alaska and Continental also tied for Best Service.

Hawaiian was the sole winner of the Best Food category.

Hawaiian tied with American, Alaska, and United Airlines in the second place spot for Comfort, a point behind Continental.

The latest accolades are among many the airline's Mea Ho'okipa inflight service has won in recent years. Travel & Leisure's 2000 World's Best Awards has ranked Hawaiian Airlines No. 3 in the Best Domestic Airline category, and for nine years in a row, Hawaiian Airlines also has been ranked among the Top 10 Domestic Airlines in the Condé Nast Traveler magazine's Readers' Choice survey.

Hawaiian's inflight service has won national and international awards for showcasing Hawaii Regional Cuisine as interpreted by top Island chefs, and presenting audio and video entertainment that highlights various aspects of Hawaiian culture.

Hawaiian Airlines' HawaiianMiles frequent flyer program also has received recognition from Inside Flyer magazine as one of the best in the world.

The Hawaii Visitors and Convention Bureau has also recognized Hawaiian Airlines with a Keep It Hawaii Award for projecting various aspects of Hawaiian culture.

Founded in Honolulu in 1929, Hawaiian Airlines is Hawaii's longest-serving and largest airline and the nation's 12th largest carrier.

Hawaiian's all-jet fleet provides award-winning service on more than 150 jet flights daily among the Islands of Hawaii. Hawaiian also operates a fleet of McDonnell Douglas widebody DC-10 aircraft between Hawaii and the U.S. mainland. Its DC-10 South Pacific service links Honolulu to American Samoa and Tahiti.

Additional information on Hawaiian Airlines, including previously issued company news releases, is available via the airline's Web site at http://www.hawaiianair.com.