New Agreement Allows V Australia to Codeshare on Hawaiian Airlines Flights

Hawaiian Airlines and the Virgin Australia group of airlines have launched a new agreement that allows Virgin Australia’s international airline, V Australia, to codeshare on Hawaiian Airlines’ flights between Sydney and Honolulu.

The agreement also lets V Australia codeshare within the Hawaiian Islands on Hawaiian’s connecting inter-island flights to Kahului, Maui; Lihue, Kauai; and Hilo and Kona on Hawaii Island.

Hawaiian Airlines currently operates five weekly flights between Honolulu and Sydney, and will increase to year-round daily departures on December 14.

Hawaiian Airlines Boeing 767-332 N597HA, a former Delta Air Lines aircraft now named "Akohekohe" in Hawaiian service, takes off from San Jose

Virgin Australia and Hawaiian Airlines have had an interline agreement in place since 2006, allowing Hawaiian’s customers to connect to destinations throughout Australia and New Zealand.

The new agreement also allows members of Virgin Australia’s frequent flyer program Velocity to earn and redeem frequent flyer points on Hawaiian’s flights. The two carriers are working on a reciprocal program to allow HawaiianMiles members to earn and redeem miles on Virgin Australia and expect it to take effect in 2012.

With the implementation of the codeshare agreement, travelers are now able to purchase fares to and from Hawaii through V Australia.

“The agreement with Hawaiian Airlines will add another important destination to our global network and provide seamless connectivity for guests wanting to fly on from Honolulu to other islands in Hawaii,” says John Borghetti, CEO of the Virgin Australia group of airlines. “Hawaii is a key tourist destination and this agreement will take us one step closer to obtaining global flight coverage for our guests.”

“Hawaii is one of the fastest-growing leisure markets from Australia, and no airline serves Hawaii as comprehensively as we do, with soon-to-be-daily flights to Honolulu and more than 150 flights daily between the Hawaiian Islands,” says Mark Dunkerley, Hawaiian Airlines’ president and CEO. “This new agreement with the Virgin Australia group will allow us, together, to offer unparalleled access and travel convenience between points throughout Australia and Hawaii.”

The Australia-based Virgin Australia group of airlines includes domestic airline Virgin Australia, the V Australia long-haul international carrier and the Pacific Blue and Polynesian Blue regional international airlines.

Additional information on the Virgin Australia group of airlines is available at www.virginaustralia.com.