One young pilot’s tips for others who aspire to fly

May 4, 2019
Community
Denise Clifton
5 min read

London Holmes grew up fascinated by the planes she could see from her house as they took off from Boeing Field and Renton Municipal Airport. By age 14, she was immersed in aerospace education programs — and now, at 17, she’s poised to get her private pilot’s license. Her plan is to become a military pilot, and possibly eventually fly commercial airplanes, too. “I’m a huge aviation nerd,” she admits. “I can live, drink and breathe aviation.”

Holmes is attending Alaska Airlines’ Aviation Day for the first time on Saturday, May 4. Now in its 11^th year, Aviation Day brings more than 1,200 young people from around Western Washington to Alaska’s hangar at Sea-Tac International Airport. They get to meet pilots, engineers, flight attendants and technicians working in a wide variety of aviation jobs at Alaska, Boeing, the FAA and the Port of Seattle. They also can connect with educators, military representatives and corporate recruiters to chart potential career paths. Aviation Day is possible because of the efforts of Alaska employees who lead the event, along with partners including Boeing, Port of Seattle, Aerostrat, the Boy Scouts, Girl Scouts and The Museum of Flight. (Read more about Holmes’ story and Aviation Day.)

Holmes appreciates the support she’s received from organizations that help aspiring young pilots, as well as from mentors like Alaska Airlines First Officer Kim Ford. And she’s eager to share what she’s learned. “It’s important for me to give back to other girls in aviation because I have had really great mentors,” Holmes says. “I’ve had really great opportunities. I’ve received great scholarships and I want to give back because I know how amazing it feels.”

For people who worry about the costs of pilot training, Holmes reassures them that it’s possible with help. “I could not pay for flight training by myself. It’s just too expensive,” she says. Her pilot-training costs are covered by a scholarship from the LeRoy W. Homer Jr. Foundation. “It’s just a really great time to be in aviation because there are so many resources.”

Here are several organizations that Holmes and Ford recommend aspiring aviators check out.

Educational Programs

Private Pilot Ground School, The Museum of Flight

http://www.museumofflight.org/Education/Ground-School

Holmes says this should be the first stop for young people around Puget Sound who are curious about aviation. “I know that some people aren’t sure about aviation. This is a great introductory course — especially if you live in the area because it’s free. And these are people your age who also have an interest in aviation.”

Aeronautical Science Pathway program. The Museum of Flight

http://www.museumofflight.org/Education/Aeronautical-Science-Pathway

Holmes attends this after-school program for juniors and seniors two hours a day, four days a week, and she’ll earn both high school and college credits. “It’s really cool because six of the students that I took the Private Pilot Ground School course with when I was 14 years old are in the class now.”

ACE Aerospace Camp Experience, The Museum of Flight

http://www.museumofflight.org/Education/Explore-programs/ace-camp

These day camps are offered year-round for students of all ages who are interested in scientific pursuits.

Michael P. Anderson Memorial Aerospace Program, The Museum of Flight

http://www.museumofflight.org/Education/Explore-programs/memorial-program

Created in honor of Anderson, a Washington native and the payload commander of the Space Shuttle Columbia, this free educational program is offered to Washington state middle-schoolers.

(Note: The Museum of Flight offers several additional educational programs and resources. Check out the full site here: http://www.museumofflight.org/Education/)

Civil Air Patrol

https://www.gocivilairpatrol.com/

The Civil Air Patrol is a civilian public service organization offering STEM education and cadet programs focused on developing young aerospace leaders.

Flying Clubs

Red-Tailed Hawks Flying Club, a chapter of the Black Pilots of America

https://www.facebook.com/redtailedhawksBPA/

“It’s really important to find aviation-related activities because then you’re able to network but also enjoy and have fun doing aviation-related things at the same time,” Holmes says.

Scholarship Opportunities and Other Resources

Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association (AOPA) Foundation

https://foundation.aopa.org/

Experimental Aircraft Association (EAA)

https://www.eaa.org/eaa

LeRoy W. Homer Jr. Foundation

https://leroywhomerjr.org/

The Ninety-Nines, an international organization of women’s pilots

https://www.ninety-nines.org/

Organization of Black Aerospace Professionals

https://www.obap.org/scholarships

Sisters of the Skies

https://www.sistersoftheskies.org/

Sisters of the Skies is an organization of black women pilots offering scholarships, mentorships and an outreach program called “Girls Rock Wings.” This year, Alaska Airlines made a commitment with Sisters of the Skies to significantly increase the number of female African-American pilots by 2025.

Tuskegee Next

http://www.tuskegeenext.org/program

Tuskegee Airmen Legacy Flight Academy

https://www.legacyflightacademy.org/

These two programs honor the legacy of the Tuskegee Airmen by offering flight training, camps and STEM programs.

Women in Aviation

https://www.wai.org/

Flyback Friday: The DC-10 and Pualani’s Boston Appearance

May 3, 2019
blog
Hawaiian Airlines
2 min read

Love our new non-stop service between Boston and Honolulu? We do too! However, did you know that Boston Logan International Airport welcomed guests aboard Pualani to its runway well before our inaugural, regularly scheduled commercial flight on April 4?

As part of our inaugural celebrations, we traveled around Boston to spread our aloha far and wide. Those who joined us took home a fresh orchid lei and warmed up in the cold weather with some live music and entertainment.

On Jan. 19, 2001, Hawaiian chartered a McDonnell Douglas DC-10 flight for our longstanding partner, the Oakland Raiders, from Northern California to Boston, where the team went head-to-head with the New England Patriots in the AFC Divisional Playoff. The game (known as the Snow Bowl) kicked off during a winter storm in Foxborough, Massachusetts and is famous for having one of the most memorable and controversial calls in NFL playoff history.

Our DC-10 charter plane at Boston Logan International Airport. Photo courtesy of Darryl Sarno.

Back in balmy Hawai‘i, the DC-10 played a monumental role in our airline’s growth over the next decade. We leased our first in 1992, introducing our guests to an in-flight experience that was more comfortable than ever before. Its roomier cabin interior featured wider seats, larger overhead storage bins and more conveniently located lavatories.

Our DC-10 charter plane at Boston Logan International Airport. Photo courtesy of Darryl Sarno.

Our fleet peaked with up to 15 DC-10s in operation, allowing for expansion into new U.S. Mainland and trans-Pacific markets. This aircraft also opened exciting opportunities to partner with some of our favorite organizations, including the Oakland Raiders.

Hawaiian Airlines flight attendants posing in front of the iconic tail of the DC-10.

We bid a fond aloha to the DC-10 on a flight from Los Angeles to Honolulu in February 2003. The fleet was replaced by the Boeing 767-ER, which continued the DC-10’s legacy of propelling Hawaiian into far-reaching destinations until it was retired earlier this year.

Opinion: Some kids need a little lift to see aviation as a career path (Seattle Times)

May 2, 2019
Community
Alaska Airlines
5 min read

Originally published in the Seattle Times on May 1, 2019

By Brad Tilden, Alaska Airlines CEO

In aviation and in other realms, “lift” is the force that lifts airplanes into the sky, pulls sailboats forward, and makes propellers on windmills work. In 1738, a guy named Daniel Bernoulli figured this out. Specifically, he figured out that as the velocity of a fluid (air or water in these cases) increases, pressure decreases. So engineers went to work. With airplanes, they built curves into the wings to force air above the wing to travel farther, and therefore faster, than air below the wings. This simple idea creates high pressure air below the wing, and low pressure air above the wing, and it is what keeps airplanes aloft. Magic!

As our region grows faster than the Seattle skyline, adding jobs and opportunities, we have a moral imperative to figure out our own version of Bernoulli’s principle, something we should have figured out a long time ago. The question is how do we lift kids from all backgrounds and circumstances into the futures that they deserve.

Over the next five years, 740,000 jobs will be added in Washington State. The majority of these will be in highly skilled positions. We’ll need teachers, nurses, technicians, builders, aviators, and more. Some 70% of these jobs will require some training or education beyond high school, but only 31% of our kids are achieving this higher level of learning today. If we don’t fix the imbalance, we’ll most likely import the talent, which means our own kids, especially those kids from more economically challenged backgrounds, will miss out on the opportunities that they so clearly deserve.

As an industry, aviation offers a diverse array of jobs, and a chance to move between them throughout a career. Our state has the largest concentration of aviation and aerospace activity of any in the nation, and Boeing estimates our industry will need 206,000 new pilots and 189,000 new maintenance technicians over the next two decades. To fill these jobs, Alaska Airlines is working with local schools and colleges to make sure we fill these key positions.

In the meantime, one thing that all of us should do is expose our young people to potential career options. We can do this by partnering with local school districts, by mentoring and creating programs that enable kids to find their voice and believe in their strengths, by providing internships for young people to explore work pathways, and by hiring, training, and promoting a diverse workforce. If kids can see the destination, it will help them find a way to get there.

This Saturday, Alaska Airlines employees will lead our 11^th Annual Aviation Day, and we expect more than 1,200 students to visit our hangar – more than ten times the number who came more than a decade ago. Young people, largely teens, will explore aircraft designs with engineers, kick the tires of an F-18 fighter (and a 737!), and test their skills on our flight simulators.

Many who’ve attended Aviation Day have gone on to careers within the industry. People like Brendan Cray, an aircraft technician for Alaska who credits Aviation Day for steering him toward a career in aviation.

Like an airplane taking off, an event of this size is a team effort. As the real experts, our employees create and lead Aviation Day. But we couldn’t do this without great partners – the Boy Scouts, Girl Scouts, U.S. Air Force and Reserves, Sea-Tac Airport, local community colleges and flight schools. Together, we ensure kids can have new experiences, ask questions, and connect with resources for their futures.

Middle school students in Highline are some of those who inspire us. A few years ago, when we asked them about their dreams for the future, many told us they didn’t think they’d be qualified for jobs in aviation – despite growing up with aviation all around them. Some didn’t even know these jobs existed.

Our goal at Aviation Day, and beyond, is to ensure that every kid believes they can work in aviation – or another great career option. But this is a path – not a single step. We recognize that year-round efforts are needed across many fronts:

Our partners at Highline Schools, Museum of Flight, and Pacific Science Center fuel possibility and creativity throughout the year.
Scholarships at Port Jobs enable airport employees to finish their education or pursue training for career advancement.
Our Rotor Wing and Camo2Commerce programs support vets to leverage their valuable skills from the military as commercial pilots and maintenance technicians.
We pledged with Sisters of the Skies to significantly increase the number of female African-American pilots by 2025 – to hire the best pilots and ensure a pipeline of talent full of young people who can see themselves anywhere.
We’re inspired by Starbucks’ commitment to opportunity youth, Boeing’s Core Plus curriculum development, Vigor’s community workforce training programs, and many other local companies.

Bernoulli’s principle of lift took our world to places our ancestors would never have imagined. Let’s enable kids, including those furthest from opportunity, to reach new ones, too.

Tips from a Mileage Plan rockstar

April 24, 2019
Loyalty
Alaska Airlines
4 min read

If you’re wondering how to make the most of Mileage Plan and even work your way up to elite status, the best advice typically comes from those who’ve done it. We talked to two 30-year Mileage Plan members: John from Juneau, a current MVP Gold 75K, and Bruce from Portland, who enjoyed MVP Gold status for years. While neither John or Bruce felt they had any sage advice, we begged to differ.

Here are a few tips from the Alaska Mileage Plan veterans:

Stick to Alaska and its partners when traveling for business

Business travel is often outside of your control, but companies are increasingly making it possible for employees to choose their airline and/or enter their Mileage Plan number when booking flights. Both Bruce and John racked up a lot of miles traveling for business by flying Alaska almost exclusively.

You’ll always earn a mile per mile flown on Alaska, but you can earn even more than that depending on the type of fare you book. First Class, and even certain economy fare classes earn additional bonus miles that get you even closer to elite status or that dream vacation faster.

And if your business travel takes you around the globe, booking with an Alaska Global Partner is a great way to ensure you’re still racking up your Mileage Plan miles. Earn even faster if you book Premium Class seats internationally. Earn rates vary by partner, but you can earn up to 3 miles per mile flown in Business Class or up to 5 miles per mile flown when you fly in First Class.

Spend more time in the air, not the airport

Neither Bruce nor John pay attention to racking up segments, though that is a way to earn elite status. Instead, John says he will look at the big picture of his trip: if there’s the option to have multiple segments but be stuck with a long layover, sometimes it’s worth it to book a longer, maybe slightly less direct route.

The way he looks at it: he’ll spend the time somewhere – in the airport or in the air. He’d rather spend more time on a plane, racking up miles.

Shop your way to your next vacation

Savvy members know that even if you don’t have any trips coming up, there are plenty of ways to keep your Mileage Plan balance growing. An easy one? Shopping! Through Mileage Plan Shopping, you can earn miles for your online and in-store shopping with over 850 participating merchants. Once signed up with Mileage Plan Shopping, you can mark stores as favorites to get alerts when additional bonus mile offers are running. There’s even a browser button you can download that will alert you when you are on a site eligible to earn miles, so you never miss out on mileage earning opportunities.

Save up miles for big trips abroad

Bruce is what you might call a Mileage Plan retiree – he had elite status for nearly 30 years and spent his miles sparingly. Now when he has more time to fly for fun, he’s using his miles to travel the globe.

He highly recommends flying an Alaska Global Partner and paying with miles. He and his wife traveled to Europe and purchased a one-way First Class ticket for around 60,000 miles, which he feels is a much better deal than paying for the ticket with cash.

Use miles for more than flights

Alaska Airlines Hotels gives you access to more than 400,000 properties worldwide, from unique boutique hotels to major chains. You can either earn miles for stays – up to an astounding 10,000 miles per night – or, redeem miles for all or a portion of your stay.

Team Kōkua and New Zealand’s Sea Cleaners Restore Kiwi Shores with Three Hawai‘i Youth

April 16, 2019
blog
Hawaiian Airlines
6 min read

Sleeves pushed up, gloves on and a fresh coat of reef-safe sunscreen: this is what business attire looks like for the Sea Cleaners, a New Zealand nonprofit committed to preserving kiwi coastlines. Hawaiian Airlines recently teamed up with the organization to fly three Hawai‘i youth leaders from Honolulu to Auckland for a stewardship trip of a lifetime.

Our Partnership with the Sea Cleaners

Hawaiian Airlines has offered non-stop service between Auckland and Honolulu since 2013. Our ‘ohana first partnered with the Sea Cleaners last year to bring nine Māori youth to O‘ahu for International Coastal Cleanup Day. Together, they tackled plastic pollution head on, removing marine debris from our Island’s hardest-hit coastlines, engaging in cultural exchanges and working with local schools to share their impactful field stories.

Team Kōkua volunteers in purple and Sea Cleaners volunteers in black joined forces in restoring Rangitoto Island, a popular tourist attraction and a hot spot for marine debris.

“Our partnership with Hawaiian Airlines has been a wonderful advancement in engaging and driving the youth leadership component here. It’s just been sensational,” said Hayden Smith, boat captain and co-founder of the Sea Cleaners.

Last month, we collaborated with Sea Cleaners again, as well as Nā Kama Kai, a Hawai‘i nonprofit that educates youth about ocean conservation, to select three local teenagers to engage in environmental initiatives in New Zealand. Once selected, the group embarked on a weeklong trip to take on Kiwi shores and help spread a message of sustainability to North Island communities.

Meet the Selected Youth

We worked with our two nonprofit partners to select the right candidates. The result: three O‘ahu boys who, day in and out, are passionate caretakers for our Island home and leaders among their peers:

L to R: Kamo, Lio, Brennan at Rangitoto.

Kamohaiki “Kamo” from Waimānalo and Brennan from Aiea were selected based on their leadership through volunteer work with Nā Kama Kai. Both are watermen at heart who have grown up in and around the ocean, from surfing to freediving. They encourage their friends to be involved in ocean conservation and have worked to reduce their respective community’s consumption of single-use plastics.

Lio from Hale‘īwa has followed the Sea Cleaners for years and previously volunteered with the group in Hawai‘i. Outside of school, Lio helps at his family’s restaurant, where he has worked to minimize plastic use. An advocate for a greener restaurant industry, he is planning a plastic-free restaurant outreach program.

“The three young men whom we selected are here because they’ve put their hand up in one way or another to help the ocean and the environment, either through reducing plastic consumption in an industry or helping other community groups,” Hayden shared while in New Zealand with the group. “They were not looking for any sense of reward for what they were doing, they just knew it was the right thing and they wanted to do it.”

Brennan holds up a sample of trash he collected at the start of the Rangitoto cleanup initiative.

Duane Desoto, founder and CEO of Nā Kama Kai, added, “Today’s youth hold the key to our Islands’ future, and these boys were standout candidates who embody the meaning of ‘mālama honua’ (to care for our island Earth) through their actions.”

Team Kōkua in Auckland

Humbled by the boys’ journey ahead, our Team Kōkua volunteers packed their bags and joined them and the Sea Cleaners for one of their activities: a half-day coastal cleanup at Rangitoto Island.

As the sun stretched its arms over the morning horizon, 20 volunteers, including our seven Team Kōkua members, loaded into a fleet of harbor boats to cross the Hauraki Gulf. We had one goal: clean and remove trash from Rangitoto, an uninhabited volcanic island and popular hiking attraction seven miles from Auckland’s port.

Sea Cleaners boats heading to the iconic Rangitoto Island summit.

Throughout the morning, our group traversed Rangitoto’s rugged coastline, pulling items like plastic toothbrushes, drinking straws, commercial fishing nets, stray takeout bags, and single-use utensils from the grips of the rocks. Hayden forewarned us that the island is a hot spot for trash – pushed to shore by the gulf’s currents, tides, and winds – and is cleaned monthly by their volunteers due to how quickly it piles up.

Sea Cleaners volunteers carry away bags of trash and boat-mooring ropes that had washed ashore.

“People don’t live here, but we’re still finding rubbish and it’s shameful,” Kamo said. “If we want our kids and grandkids to experience something as beautiful as [Rangitoto], we have to make a change right now.”

Team Kōkua volunteers make their way along the Rangitoto coast to remove trash from the rocky shoreline.

At day’s end, we loaded over 15 bags of recovered trash into the boats and became overwhelmed with a shared sense of accomplishment. Our Team Kōkua volunteers, the three youth and the Sea Cleaners left the island cleaner than we found it, but we knew the battle was far from over.

Team Kōkua and Sea Cleaners volunteers working together to load a boat with bags of collected debris.

As we boarded our flight back to Honolulu, the Sea Cleaners would continue their endeavor to educate the next generation about the impact plastics have on the environment.

“Be mindful that every time you let go of something, it’s going to end up somewhere else,” said Debbie Nakanelua-Richards, who heads Hawaiian’s Team Kōkua program as director of Community Relations. “Until we stop consuming those things, we have to be more consistent in cleaning up and bringing ourselves together to create change.”

Learn more about the organizations we worked with on this trip, Hawaiian Airlines’ commitment to sustainability, and how you can get involved:

Inaugural World Reef Day on June 1 Encourages Consumers Worldwide to Dive Deep into Reef Conservation

April 10, 2019
releases
Hawaiian Airlines
5 min read

HONOLULU – On June 1, 2019, consumers, businesses, and organizations around the world will be called to action on the inaugural World Reef Day to reflect on the delicate ecosystem of our ocean's coral reefs and prevent further reef loss. World Reef Day is now the recurring annual day for the world to come together in awareness and activation to effect positive change for our world’s reefs. Founded by Raw Elements USA®, a 1% for the Planet member that has pioneered the reef-conscious movement with its certified-natural, non-nano zinc oxide-based sunscreens—and with the support of Hawaiian Airlines and Aqua-Aston Hospitality, World Reef Day kicks-off a month of initiatives focused on the environment to spur conversations and actions to support sustainability.

Recognized by the National Day Calendar Association, World Reef Day was inspired by new legislation that will go into effect in Hawaii and Key West, Florida in January 2021, as well as recent proposed bills in the state of Florida, Bonaire, Palau and Aruba, banning the use of sunscreens containing oxybenzone and octinoxate, two chemicals that have been shown to be damaging to coral reefs. The Day aims to bring awareness on how coral reefs are hurt by human activity, including industrial pollution, plastic pollution, sewage and chemical sunscreens.

World Reef Day promoters highlight change is possible through simple, everyday choices and spreading the message. According to Dr. Craig Downs, Ph.D. and forensic ecotoxicologist whose 2015 peer-reviewed study found oxybenzone was a threat to coral reefs, “Two easy steps we can take to protect these precious resources are by wearing non-nano zinc oxide sunscreen and reducing our use of plastics that contribute to marine plastic pollution.”

“The launch of World Reef Day is the culmination of a lifelong dream of ours to make a difference on this planet through awareness, education and positive action,” says Brian Guadagno, founder and CEO of Raw Elements USA. “As consumers become more aware of the perils facing our oceans, we want to empower them to initiate simple changes in their daily lives, such as using reef-safe sunscreen and reducing plastic waste, which will have an enormous impact on the planet.”

World Reef Day organizers will encourage consumers and businesses alike to get involved with worthy organizations that are making a difference in the future of our world’s coral reefs such as:

Haereticus Environmental Laboratory (HEL) is a non-profit scientific organization dedicated to increasing the scientific, social and economic knowledge of natural environmental habitats in order to better conserve and restore threatened environmental habitats and resources.
The Friends of Hanauma Bay is dedicated to the conservation of coastal and marine environments, emphasizing stewardship of the natural resources of Hanauma Bay.
Sustainable Coastlines Hawaii is a grassroots local nonprofit organization run by a small team of dedicated staff and supported by passionate volunteers. They inspire local communities to care for their coastlines through fun, hands-on beach cleanups, educational programs, team building corporate cleanups, waste diversion services, public awareness campaigns.

World Reef Day will further spread awareness through a consumer-focused sweepstakes to win a trip for four to Hawaii. One randomly chosen winner will receive 320,000 HawaiianMiles, the equivalent of a roundtrip flight from any of Hawaiian Airlines’ 13 U.S. gateway cities to Hawaii for four people, and a complimentary stay at The Surfjack Hotel & Swim Club, an Aqua-Aston Hospitality property. The selected winners will also take part in curated reef experiences with world-leading ocean influencers Ocean Ramsey and Garrett McNamara, an ocean-to-table cooking lesson with Ed Kenney of Mahina and Sun’s, and prize packs from Vissla, SISSTREVOLUTION, Pura Vida Bracelets, Package Free Shop and Health-Ade. In addition, there will be eco-activities in Hawaii and an awareness event hosted on Oahu on June 1st to round out the initial World Reef Day launch. Full details on the sweepstakes are located here.

Hawaiian Airlines will celebrate World Reef Day on the ground and at 35,000 feet by distributing complimentary Raw Elements sunscreen samples on all flights to Hawaii from North America, Sydney, Brisbane, Auckland and Papeete from May 25 – June 1. Guests will also be able to purchase specially-priced sunscreen products from the airline’s Pau Hana cart and learn more about World Reef Day via a new educational video available on all flights operated by the Airbus A330 aircraft.

“As Hawaii’s airline, we have a kuleana (responsibility) to minimize our impact and preserve the beauty of the islands that most of our employees call home,” said Renee Awana, managing director of product development at Hawaiian Airlines. “Raw Elements has been an instrumental partner in our in-flight sustainability initiatives, and we look forward to further engaging our guests and the larger community in important environmental discussions for World Reef Day.”

Aqua-Aston Hospitality will continue distributing Raw Elements reef-friendly sunscreen to guests at its properties throughout Hawaii with check-in amenities and poolside dispensers.

To learn more about coral reefs, how they impact our lives and how people can help save them, visit www.worldreefday.org, Instagram and Facebook. Use #WorldReefDay to share on social media.

The World Reef Day video, courtesy of Mike Dornellas @reefhunter, can be found here.

Hawaiian Airlines Expands Codeshare Agreement with Virgin Australia

April 1, 2019
releases
Hawaiian Airlines
4 min read

HONOLULU – Hawaiian Airlines today announced an expanded codeshare agreement with Virgin Australia that offers travelers in more than a dozen Australian and New Zealand cities a broader and more convenient network of flights to Hawai'i. Travelers will also enjoy one-stop check-in and baggage transfers to their final destination and loyalty rewards benefits.

The enhanced partnership builds on Virgin Australia’s popular codeshare flights operated by Hawaiian between Sydney (SYD) and Honolulu (HNL) by providing greater access to the Hawaiian Islands for travelers originating from beyond Hawaiian’s Sydney (SYD), Brisbane (BNE) and Auckland (AKL)[1] gateways.

Guests travelling to Hawai’i from cities including Melbourne (MEL), Cairns (CNS), Townsville (TSV) and Mackay (MKY) can connect on Hawaiian codeshare flights to BNE and SYD operated by Virgin Australia effective April 3.

Starting April 10, Virgin Australia guests will also be able to book non-stop flights to Honolulu (HNL) from BNE on Virgin Australia codeshare flights operated by Hawaiian for travel April 17 and beyond. This is in addition to existing codeshare flights between SYD and HNL, as well as Maui (OGG), Kauai (LIH), and Kona on the Island of Hawai‘i (KOA).

New Zealanders in Christchurch (CHC), Wellington (WLG), Dunedin (DUD) and other cities, including the alpine resort town of Queenstown (ZQN), will also be able to travel across the Tasman on Hawaiian codeshare flights operated by Virgin Australia.

“We are delighted to expand our relationship and look forward to sharing our Hawaiian hospitality with more Virgin Australia passengers aboard our aircraft,” said Andrew Stanbury, Hawaiian Airlines regional director in Australia and New Zealand. “Hawai'i is a hugely popular destination with Australians and New Zealanders and we are excited to extend our reach and provide a seamless travel experience to the Hawaiian Islands.”

Both airlines will offer members of their loyalty programs, Velocity Frequent Flyer and HawaiianMiles, the opportunity to earn and redeem points or miles for travel on either carrier. HawaiianMiles members can earn miles on eligible classes of Virgin Australia-operated flights, while Velocity Frequent Flyer members can earn Points and Status Credits on eligible classes of Hawaiian-operated flights.

“We’re pleased to announce an expansion to our existing codeshare agreement with Hawaiian Airlines, one of our first codeshare partners, which means guests of both airlines will now enjoy more opportunities to travel between our wonderful destinations in Australia, New Zealand and Hawai‘i,” said Phil Squires, Virgin Australia general manager of alliances.

The new codeshare flights are on sale at hawaiianairlines.com.au, hawaiianairlines.co.nz, and hawaiianairlines.com.

On flights between Hawai'i, Australia and New Zealand, Hawaiian Airlines operates spacious wide-body Airbus A330 aircraft featuring Premium Cabin lie-flat seating, and expanded Extra Comfort seating in the Main Cabin. Guests enjoy Hawaiian Airlines’ signature Mea Ho’okipa (translation: I am host) hospitality and island-inspired meals prepared by leading Hawai‘i chefs.

About Hawaiian Airlines
Hawaiian® has led all U.S. carriers in on-time performance for each of the past 15 years (2004-2018) as reported by the U.S. Department of Transportation. Consumer surveys by Condé Nast Traveler, Travel + Leisure and TripAdvisor have placed Hawaiian among the top of all domestic airlines serving Hawai‘i.

Now in its 90th year of continuous service, Hawaiian is Hawai‘i’s biggest and longest-serving airline. Hawaiian offers non-stop service to Hawai‘i from more U.S. gateway cities (12) than any other airline, along with service from Japan, South Korea, Australia, New Zealand, American Samoa and Tahiti. Hawaiian also provides, on average, more than 170 jet flights daily between the Hawaiian Islands, and over 260 daily flights system-wide.

Hawaiian Airlines, Inc. is a subsidiary of Hawaiian Holdings, Inc. (NASDAQ: HA). Additional information is available at HawaiianAirlines.com. Follow Hawaiian’s Twitter updates (@HawaiianAir), become a fan on Facebook (Hawaiian Airlines), and follow us on Instagram (hawaiianairlines). For career postings and updates, follow Hawaiian’s LinkedIn page.

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

[1] Hawaiian Airlines codeshare is available for itineraries commencing in Australia, New Zealand and Hawaii only.

Flyback Friday: U.S. Cargo Certificate #1

March 30, 2019
blog
Hawaiian Airlines
3 min read

Did you know: Hawaiian Airlines is the first carrier to have operated scheduled U.S. air cargo flights and we still hold the nation’s first cargo service certificate.

In 1942, we dedicated our fleet of three Sikorsky S-43s to carry cargo throughout Hawai‘i. Our service continued through World War II to meet the high demand for the transport of mail, military goods and industrial equipment throughout the Islands.

Over the next several decades, our menu of services grew as we invested in new aircraft to support the needs of our customers and businesses. Here’s a brief snapshot:

From 1946-1966, we operated as many as five DC-3 cargo carriers.
From 1957-1967, we dedicated some of our Convairs as freighters, eventually converting two to turbo-charged models.
In 1959, we inked our first Military Airlift Service contract. This allowed us to support military movement across the Pacific using the DC-6.

From 1973-1978, we had two DC-9-30 RC (Rapid Change) aircraft. These jets had a large door on the left side of the fuselage enabling ground crews to remove the seats facilitating cargo operations at night then converting back to passenger operations during the day.
From 1976-1979, we flew freight all over North America using the Lockheed Electra L-188.

From 1983-1994, we flew long-range DC-8s, which were used in a “Combi” configuration with a bulkhead amidships. The aircraft carried cargo in the forward compartment with passengers in the back half of the airplane.

Fast forward to today and we operate out of our new hub, the Charles I. Elliott Maintenance and Cargo Facility, and ship freight with new jet aircraft, including the Airbus A330 (U.S. Mainland and International flights), the Airbus A321neo (U.S. West Coast flights), and the Boeing 717 (Neighbor Island only).

In case you missed it: In August 2018, we solidified our commitment to remain the air freighter of choice in Hawai‘i with the dedication of two ‘Ohana by Hawaiian’s ATR-72 aircraft in an all-cargo configuration. The new service offers our customers efficient nightly shipment of goods between Honolulu, Lihue on Kaua‘i and Hilo on the Island of Hawai‘i, complementing or jet cargo service and offering customers statewide well-timed connections from our domestic and international networks.

“The ATR-72s enable us to meet the cargo needs of our customers and businesses while streamlining and growing our shipping operations throughout Hawai‘i and beyond,” Ingram said when announcing the new service last summer.

To learn more about Hawaiian Airlines Cargo, click here.

Beginner’s guide to Hong Kong

March 22, 2019
Loyalty
Alaska Airlines
1 min read

The first time you set eyes on Hong Kong is unforgettable. A hundred mountains rise sharply from over 250 islands. Popping skyward are famed rows of sci-fi skyscrapers — many with glitzy rooftop lounges – that hug a harbor filled with red-sail junk boats. Lurking in the alleys are open-air jade markets, chaotic dim sum halls, temples filled with incense smoke, and the steaming bowls of rice noodles.

You should go.

Visiting a city of seven million that attracts 30 million visitors a year might seem overwhelming for a first-timer. It’s actually one of Asia’s easiest cities to visit, and this guide will help you plan your Hong Kong debut.
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Beginner’s guide to Tokyo

March 21, 2019
Loyalty
Alaska Airlines
2 min read

Anyone who’s ever seen the iconic film “Lost in Translation” knows that Tokyo is a whirlwind of lights and color and sound and energy. But until you experience the city firsthand, it’s impossible to comprehend the staggering magnitude of this metropolis. With more than 37 million people, Tokyo is the world’s largest urban area, and to newcomers, it can seem impenetrable. Crowded streets. Subway cars packed to capacity. Menus and signs that are impossible to read.

But the reality is that Tokyo is not only one of the world’s most exciting cities; it’s also one of the most welcoming places on earth — if you know what to do and where to go. Here’s a cheat sheet full of valuable tips, plus a well-curated address book that will help a first-time visitor plan a memorable bucket-list trip.

Getting there

With Alaska’s Global Partner airlines, there are lots of ways you can get to Tokyo while earning and spending your miles.

Of note, Japan Airlines (JAL) flies nonstop from San Francisco, Los Angeles, San Diego and New York (JFK) to Tokyo, and from Los Angeles to Osaka. Next week on March 31, JAL is adding a direct flight from Seattle to Tokyo-Narita. And with a double miles promotion, Alaska Mileage Plan members can really rack up the points toward future free trips.
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Asia travel itineraries checking 2 countries off your bucket list

March 20, 2019
Loyalty
Alaska Airlines
1 min read

If you have at least 10 days to visit, you may want to see more than one country on your next Asia trip. Alaska has several partner airlines that fly direct routes from major West Coast hubs to East and Southeast Asia, letting you earn miles for your travel. As of April 1, you can fly nonstop from Seattle to Hong Kong on Cathay Pacific, and Seattle to Tokyo on Japan Airlines, making Asia even more within reach.

Knowing Asia is a lot bigger and more spread out than Europe, I’ve put together my favorite itineraries checking off two countries in one trip – without forcing you to spend your entire trip in the airport or on the road.

March 20, 2019
Loyalty
Catherine Sherman
1 min read

Asia is everything. Beautiful, timeless, cutting edge, affordable, safe, friendly, diverse, loud, meditative, delicious. In a word, unforgettable. And it’s closer than you think, particularly from the West Coast. Seattle, for instance, is about 10 hours from Tokyo on a direct flight, slightly less than the time it takes to reach London.

If you’ve not been, this guide is here to help you plan a debut trip to East and Southeast Asia flying one of Alaska’s Global Partner airlines. Trust me, there’s benefits to doing so, especially with new nonstops from Seattle to Hong Kong and Tokyo. (More on that below.)
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