16 August 2006 Hula to Hawaii with Virgin Blue and Hawaiian Airlines
Hawaiian the First US partner of Virgin Blue's Loyalty programVirgin Blue and Hawaiian Airlines today announced a wide-ranging partnership in which members of Virgin Blue's award winning loyalty program, Velocity, will be able to earn points and redeem travel throughout Hawaiian's flight network.
Effective from today, members of the Velocity program will be able to use their loyalty points to travel on scheduled flights by Hawaiian Airlines to and within the USA and the Pacific, as well as having the opportunity to earn Velocity points when they purchase travel with Hawaiian.
The inclusion of Hawaiian in the Velocity program was announced by Virgin Blue Chief Executive, Brett Godfrey, and President and Chief Executive of Hawaiian Airlines, Mark Dunkerley, following an agreement between the two airlines.
The entry of Hawaiian Airlines into the program means Velocity now has its first North America partner, complementing foundation airline partners Virgin Atlantic and Emirates.
Brett Godfrey said: "We are particularly pleased to welcome Hawaiian Airlines aboard and we look forward to working more closely with the Hawaiian team on mutual opportunities.
"In less than a year since launch, Velocity has become one of Australia's most popular customer loyalty programs, with our "any seat redemption on Virgin Blue*" policy proving hugely appealing to Australian travellers. We are now building the program through the addition of like-minded partners to offer an even wider choice of opportunities, and flying to Hawaii on Hawaiian will have very strong appeal to our members," he said.
He continued: "Hawaii is one of the most desired international holiday destinations for Australian travellers, combining the laid-back lifestyle of the Pacific with the excitement of the USA, and the addition of Hawaiian Airlines will add even further value to Velocity membership."
To launch the new partnership, Velocity is offering double points for flights between Sydney and Honolulu taken between 16th August and 31st of October 2006£. This means that Velocity Members can earn over 20,000 Velocity Points for a return trip to Honolulu in Economy Class.
In addition to the fantastic earning opportunities available through Hawaiian Airlines, Velocity Members can also use their Points to redeem on flights to Hawaii and the US mainland. A table of Velocity points required to fly from Australia to Hawaii and the USA appears on the following page
Mr Dunkerley said participation of Hawaiian Airlines in the Velocity program would increase significantly the awareness in Australia of both Hawaiian Airlines and the destination of Hawaii.
"By joining Velocity, and working more closely with Virgin Blue, we're now making it even easier for travellers from throughout Australia to visit the islands of Hawaii, as well as offering a one-stop service from Sydney to nine destinations on the US mainland," he said.
Hawaiian Airlines flies three times weekly from Sydney to Honolulu, offering fast same-day connections to the neighbour islands of Maui, Kauai and The Big Island of Hawaii, as well as to the US mainland cities of Seattle, Portland, Sacramento, San Francisco, San Jose, Los Angeles, San Diego, Las Vegas and Phoenix. Hawaiian also flies from Honolulu to the Pacific island locations of Tahiti and American Samoa.
The airline departs Sydney at 9pm each Wednesday, Friday and Sunday, enabling travellers from Sydney to spend the day at work, at school or relaxing at home before checking in for the evening flight, and passengers from other states or regional NSW to make same-day connections to Hawaii.
The 10-hour flight crosses the international dateline, arriving in Honolulu at 10.35am the same day, enabling passengers to clear US Customs and be on Waikiki Beach by afternoon, or to make same day connections to neighbour islands or the US mainland.
Hawaiian Airlines operates two class Boeing 767-300ER aircraft from Sydney to Honolulu, and to the US mainland, and dual-class Boeing 717 jets on more than 100 daily flights between the Hawaiian islands.
The airline is the largest and longest serving in Hawaii, this year celebrating its 77th anniversary.
For more information about Hawaiian Airlines, visit Hawaiian Airlines : Flights to Hawaii from AustraliaFor more information about Virgin Blue, visit Cheap Flights and Holidays with Great Service from the Worlds Best Low Cost Airline
For more information about Velocity, visit www.velocityrewards.com.au
POINTS CHART:To fly from Sydney to the USA with Hawaiian Airlines, you will require the following Velocity points:
Honolulu 71,000
Maui 85,000
Big lsland 85,000
Kauai 85,000
San Francisco 95,000
San Jose 95,000
Los Angeles 95,000
San Diego 95,000
Any seat redemption and no blackout periods applies to Virgin Blue, Pacific Blue and Polynesian Blue.
Note: Fares are subject to availability. Bonus Points are applicable for return bookings that originate and terminate in Sydney and Honolulu only. Travel must be started and completed between 16 August 2006 and 31 October 2006.
Valid classes for bonus points are M, N, B, Q, W and Y for Economy (Coach), and J and P for First Class.
Velocity is operated by Velocity Rewards Pty Ltd as trustee of the Loyalty Trust. Membership is governed by the Member terms and conditions, as amended from time to time.
