JetBlue and Hawaiian Airlines Announce New Partnership Agreements That Ease East Coast - Hawaii Travel

NEW YORK and HONOLULU, May 30, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- JetBlue Airways (NASDAQ: JBLU), New York's Hometown Airline™, and Hawaiian Airlines (NASDAQ: HA), Hawaii's flag carrier, today announced a deepening of their partnership with the signing of new agreements to offer new benefits and convenience to the customers of both airlines.

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Members of both carriers' frequent flyer programs can soon earn and redeem loyalty points or miles for travel on either airline. Travellers can also find convenient connections between points throughout the East Coast and points throughout Hawaii with the signing of a new codeshare agreement. Both agreements will be in effect on June 5, when Hawaiian launches the only nonstop service between New York City and Hawaii with daily widebody flights between JetBlue's Terminal 5 at John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK) in New York City and Honolulu International Airport (HNL).

"Starting next month, Hawaiian will bring Hawaii to New York, and this expansion of our partnership with JetBlue will make travel between the East Coast and Hawaii easier than ever," said Peter Ingram, Hawaiian's executive vice president and chief commercial officer.

Reciprocal Benefits for Frequent Flyers

Effective June 5, JetBlue's TrueBlue members can accrue one point for every two miles flown on eligible Hawaiian-operated flights, while HawaiianMiles members will be able to earn miles on eligible JetBlue-operated flights on a mile-for-mile basis. To earn points or miles on the entire trip, customers must call JetBlue or Hawaiian Airlines reservations to enter their TrueBlue or HawaiianMiles number into their itinerary prior to travel.  Frequent fliers can also redeem their points or miles for travel on either airline's network by calling their program's reservation desk.

"TrueBlue continues to provide more value and more flexibility for members, making it that much easier to redeem loyalty points for reward travel," said Dave Canty, JetBlue's director of loyalty marketing.  "Through this new partnership with HawaiianMiles, customers can now earn their TrueBlue points on their much sought-after Hawaiian Airlines trip to the islands, or reward themselves by cashing in their points for free travel to the friendly archipelago's sun, sand and surf."   

With TrueBlue, members enjoy the benefits of a program that has no blackout dates ― every seat on every JetBlue flight is available for redemption (a), allowing customers to redeem awards whenever they want to travel. To enroll in TrueBlue or to learn more about the program, visit www.jetblue.com/trueblue.

Vicki Nakata, Hawaiian's managing director of partnerships and travel products, said, "HawaiianMiles members can now earn miles on all JetBlue flights, and every seat on every JetBlue-operated flight will be available for award travel.  Our members now have more options for award travel and unparalleled access to the East Coast via JFK."  For more details visit www.hawaiianairlines.com/alohajetblue.

Codeshare Allows Hawaiian to Market East Coast Connections

Effective May 30, Hawaiian has placed its HA code on a host of connecting JetBlue flights, making it easy to find the most convenient connections between points throughout the East Coast and points throughout Hawaii in worldwide reservations systems.  Codesharing provides one-stop check-in, seamless flight connections and boarding passes all the way through from origin to destination. Customers may book their codeshare connecting travel online at HawaiianAirlines.com, on third party travel sites or by calling Hawaiian Airlines or their preferred travel agent.

"We are pleased to see our partnership with Hawaiian continue to blossom and we look forward to sharing our home at JFK," said Scott Resnick, JetBlue's director of alliances and partnerships. "Hawaiian's Aloha spirit pairs nicely with JetBlue's award-winning customer service, providing customers an enjoyable travel experience from start to finish."

In January, the airlines announced an interline partnership enabling customers to enjoy the convenience of a single combined ticket for connecting Hawaiian and JetBlue-operated flights, plus other benefits including one-stop check-in and baggage transfer between the carriers' networks via New York's John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK) and Los Angeles International Airport (LAX), where Hawaiian offers multiple daily departures to Hawaii.

JetBlue customers in cities including Boston, Buffalo, Charlotte, Fort Lauderdale, Orlando, and Raleigh/Durham can make seamless connections to Honolulu or onwards on Hawaiian to Kauai, Maui, or Hawaii Island. 

Travellers on JetBlue enjoy all-leather seating, the most legroom in coach of any U.S. airline (based on average fleet-wide seat pitch), free in-flight entertainment at every seatback, and unlimited free snacks and drinks.

Hawaiian's customers enjoy the airline's signature "Hawaii Flies With Us" inflight hospitality showcasing Hawaii's culture, natural beauty, and the Aloha Spirit of its people. They also enjoy complimentary hot meals in all cabins, Hawaiian being the only carrier serving Hawaii that still offers this amenity.

About Hawaiian Airlines
Hawaiian has led all U.S. carriers in on-time performance for each of the past eight years (2004-2011) as reported by the U.S. Department of Transportation. Consumer surveys by Conde Nast Traveler, Travel + Leisure and Zagat have all ranked Hawaiian as the top domestic airline serving Hawaii.

Now in its 83rd year of continuous service, Hawaiian is Hawaii's biggest and longest-serving airline, as well as the largest provider of passenger air service from its primary visitor markets on the U.S. mainland. Hawaiian offers nonstop service to Hawaii from more U.S. gateway cities (10) than any other airline, along with service to Japan, South Korea, the Philippines, Australia, American Samoa, and Tahiti. Daily service to New York City will begin in June 2012. Hawaiian also provides approximately 170 daily jet flights between the Hawaiian Islands.

Hawaiian Airlines, Inc. is a subsidiary of Hawaiian Holdings, Inc. (NASDAQ: HA). Additional information is available at HawaiianAirlines.com. Follow updates on Twitter about Hawaiian (@HawaiianAir) and its special fare offers (@HawaiianFares), and become a fan on its Facebook page (Hawaiian Airlines).

About JetBlue Airways
JetBlue is New York's Hometown Airline™ with other focus cities in Boston, Fort Lauderdale, Los Angeles, and Orlando. Known for its award-winning service and free TV as much as its low fares, JetBlue offers the most legroom in coach of any U.S. airline (based on average fleet-wide seat pitch) as well as super-spacious Even More Space seats. JetBlue is also America's first and only airline to offer its own Customer Bill of Rights, with meaningful and specific compensation for customers inconvenienced by service disruptions within JetBlue's control. Visit www.jetblue.com/promise for details. JetBlue serves 71 cities with 700 daily flights. With JetBlue, all seats are assigned, all fares are one-way, and an overnight stay is never required. For information call +1 800-538-2583, TTY/TDD +1 800-336-5530, or visit www.jetblue.com.

(a) No blackout dates apply to JetBlue operated flights. Blackout dates may apply to code share and interline flights.  All seats on JetBlue flights are available for booking using TrueBlue points.  Even More Space seats are also available for the standard extra fee.

SOURCE JetBlue Airways