Hawaiian Airlines Expands New Zealand Flights

Hawaiian Airlines is expanding its New Zealand service with up to five non-stop flights weekly between Auckland and Honolulu starting in March, when the carrier's increasingly popular route celebrates five years. The greater year-round frequency comes in response to strong demand for the airline's authentic Hawaiian in-flight hospitality experienced by more than 260,000 passengers since thrice-weekly service was launched in 2013.

"Our growth in New Zealand underpins our decision to offer Kiwis unmatched value on their Hawai'i vacation," said Russell Williss, Hawaiian Airlines country director for New Zealand. "As a destination carrier, we are uniquely positioned to showcase our island home with our authentic and warm hospitality from the moment we welcome guests on board."

Under Hawaiian's expanded schedule starting March 21, flights will depart Auckland at 11:55 p.m. five times weekly, Wednesday through Sunday, arriving in Honolulu at 9:45 a.m. on the same day and offering guests ample time to settle into their accommodations, explore O'ahu, or take a connecting flight to a Neighbor Island or one of Hawaiian's 11 gateway cities in North America. Flights from Honolulu to Auckland will depart at 2:05 p.m., Tuesday through Saturday, arriving at 10 p.m. the following day.

The airline also provides travelers the option of taking a dual-destination vacation with a free stopover in Hawai'i before connecting to North America or on the return to New Zealand. In 2016, more than 15,000 Hawaiian Airlines' guests arriving in Honolulu from Auckland continued on to one of the carrier's 11 gateway U.S. cities or to an island other than O'ahu.

"Our enhanced schedule will offer even greater convenience and flexibility for Kiwi travelers flying to Honolulu and U.S. Mainland cities, as well as more options for inbound travelers visiting New Zealand," Williss added.

In addition to Hawaiian's growing flight network and award-winning service, guests flying between Hawai'i and New Zealand will enjoy superior comfort and a host of new amenities. The airline's wide-body Airbus A330 aircraft offers three relaxing in-flight experiences, including Business Class with fully lie-flat seating, Extra Comfort premium economy and the Main Cabin.

Incorporating flowing curves evocative of the winds and the ocean, Hawaiian's Business Class cabin, introduced to the Auckland route last year, includes 18 leather seats that extend into 180-degree beds at a roomy 20.5 inches wide and 76 inches long. Aligned in a 2-2-2 configuration, the seats are ideally tailored to leisure guests such as couples, families and honeymooners, while offering superior functionality to the business traveler. Guests are treated to luxury amenities, world-class cuisine prepared by Hawai'i's leading chefs and access to 100 hours of movies and TV on a 13-inch widescreen tablet.

The airline also increased its popular Extra Comfort seating to 68 from 40 seats. Extra Comfort offers five more inches of legroom, priority boarding, complimentary on-demand in-seat entertainment, and a personal power outlet. Hawaiian's Main Cabin seats, at 18 inches, the roomiest on the Auckland-Honolulu route, are equipped with high-resolution LCD touch-screen monitors and a personal USB port.