Hawaiian Airlines will add almost 11,000 seats on the Sydney - Honolulu route this year, providing significant new opportunities for group travel to Hawaii.

The airline recently increased from five flights per week to daily, year-round service from Sydney, using wide-body Boeing 767-300ER twinjets - an immediate capacity increase of 40 per cent.

From 22 May, Hawaiian again will increase capacity, this time by upgrading from the B767 to the larger Airbus A330-200, which seats 294 passengers, compared with 264 on the Boeing - an increase of 30 seats per flight, or 11 per cent.

The combination of the move to daily flights and the upcoming introduction of the larger Airbus aircraft will increase Hawaiian's seats on the Sydney-Honolulu route by approximately 11,000 for the whole of 2012 - the equivalent of 41 extra  Boeing 767s.

Another plus for conference delegates is Hawaiian's free inclusion of meals, drinks, main screen entertainment, blankets, pillows and earplugs in all fares from Australia, eliminating unexpected in-flight costs.

Hawaiian also has one of the most generous checked luggage allowances of any airline flying from Australia, allowing every passenger to check in two items of luggage, each weighing up to 32 kilograms - an amazing total of up to 64 kilograms per person, not including cabin baggage.

Delegates flying in Hawaiian's Business Class also receive priority check-in and baggage handling, access to lounges in Sydney, Hawaii, and selected other US destinations, a wider selection of meals and drinks, a comfortable quilt, an amenities kit and slippers and, on the current Boeing 767 aircraft, free use of portable dig-E-player entertainment units.

As well as more seats and a larger cabin, Hawaiian's new A330 aircraft feature an on-demand entertainment system with an LCD touch-screen monitor in each seatback and a wide array of movies, TV programs and video games.

Hawaiian's award-winning "Hawaii Flies With Us" inflight service program also engages customers with an authentic presentation that showcases the culture, people, natural beauty, and legendary Aloha Spirit of the islands throughout the flight.

The Hawaiian-themed meals on flights between Sydney and Honolulu are designed by the airline's executive chef, Chai Chaowasaree, the celebrity owner of two acclaimed restaurants in Honolulu, host of a weekly cooking programme on Hawaiian television and author of "The Island Bistro Cookbook."

As well, Hawaiian offers not only its own HawaiianMiles frequent flyer programme, but is a partner in the popular Velocity programme of Virgin Australia, enabling members to earn or redeem reward points on most Hawaiian Airlines flights.

"Hawaii has become one of the most popular international destinations for travellers from Australia, a result of our continued strong dollar and great value pricing on accommodation and land content," said Sherilyn Robinson, General Manager Sales and Marketing, Australia, for Hawaiian Airlines.

"Group travel is a natural extension of this trend, with abundant high quality accommodation and meeting facilities available for delegates, both on the gateway island of Oahu and on the neighbouring islands, and very competitive pricing in comparison with other destinations," Ms Robinson said.

"Hawaii also offers a vast range of pre and post event touring options for group delegates and their partners, and serves perfectly as a short break holiday destination for those who want to stay on after their conference," she said.

In addition to daily flights between Sydney and Honolulu, Hawaiian offers a range of very competitive fares and same-day connections from 18 other Australian destinations, in conjunction with partner airlines.

A further benefit for group travel delegates is Hawaiian's unrivalled coverage of the Hawaiian Islands, with up to 180 flights each day to and between Oahu, Maui, Kauai and Hawai'i, The Big Island, providing extensive options not only for meeting locations, but also for pre and post event touring for delegates and their partners. Hawaiian is expanding its fleet of interisland Boeing 717 jets, increasing flights between the islands and creating a new flight hub on Maui to streamline inter-island travel.

Hawaiian currently has in service five of the new long-haul Airbus A330s and will add four more by mid-2012, enabling upgraded service on the Sydney-Honolulu route, as well as new services including daily, nonstop flights between Honolulu and New York City, commencing on 4 June. Flights from Australia will connect with the New York service.

Hawaiian Airlines flight HA 452 departs Sydney daily at 9:20 p.m., and arrives in Honolulu at 10:10 a.m. the same day, a flight time of almost 10 hours.

After clearing US Customs, delegates can check into their Oahu hotels and, by early afternoon, be on world-famous Waikiki Beach, shopping for big brand bargains, touring or just relaxing by the pool. Alternatively, conference delegates and their partners travelling beyond Honolulu can connect with onward flights to the neighbour islands or to the US mainland.

Hawaiian currently flies between Hawaii and 10 mainland US ports - Las Vegas, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Seattle, Portland, Sacramento, San Jose, Oakland, San Diego and Phoenix, and from 04 June will introduce nonstop daily service from Honolulu to New York City, a flight which will connect with Hawaiian's daily service from Sydney.

The return flight from Honolulu to Sydney, HA 451, departs Honolulu daily at 11:50 a.m. and arrives in Sydney at 7:20 p.m. the following day.

For more information or to book group travel with Hawaiian Airlines, email groups@hawaiianair.com.au.   For more details about Hawaiian Airlines visit www.hawaiianairlines.com.au.



MEDIA CONTACT
Tony Harrington
tony@asiapacpr.com.au
07 3630 0767 / 0404 882 742