Airline News

Airguide Online, June, 2004

Aloha Airlines in September 2004 is adding a daily nonstop between Las Vegas and Honolulu and another between Sacramento and Kahului, Maui, bringing its daily total of nonstops between the Continental U.S. and Hawaii to 10. Tickets will go on sale June 18 for travel starting Sept. 7. The carrier began serving Las Vegas in February 2001 with one-stop service from Honolulu on its Honolulu-Oakland route, and in April 2003 did a similar one-stop extension to its Kahului-Burbank route to add Sacramento. After Sept. 6, however, Aloha is eliminating service to Phoenix and nonstop service between Burbank and Kahului, as well as its short-haul flights between Oakland and Las Vegas, Burbank and Las Vegas, and Burbank and Sacramento. The airline says it is re-accommodating travelers with reservations after those dates. www.alohaairlines.com

Aloha Airlines will begin nonstop flights this fall from Honolulu to Las Vegas, and from Maui to Sacramento. Tickets go on sale on June 18, and flights will inaugurate on Sept. 7. The airline currently serves Las Vegas as a beyond point to its Honolulu-Oakland service, and to Sacramento on its Maui-Burbank flights. Traffic to these cities is now sufficient to promote direct flights. It also said that it will continue to operate two daily nonstops this fall from Oakland to Honolulu, and one daily flight from Oakland to both Maui and Kona. After Sept. 6 204 it will eliminate service to Phoenix and the nonstop flight between Burbank and Maui. It also will drop service between Las Vegas and both Oakland and Burbank, and between Burbank and Sacramento.

Aloha Airlines is increasing the number of passenger seats on its 10 Boeing 737-200 inter-island aircraft by replacing 12 first class seats with 21 coach seats. The airline expects to complete the conversion program by mid-July. This modification affects only the carrier?s flights within Hawaii; it retains first class seating and service on all its transpacific and West Coast flights provided on its long-range Boeing 737-700 fleet. In tandem with the seating switch, the carrier says it is boosting its inter-island schedule by 28 percent for the summer season, beginning June 10. As for inter-island first-class bookings, Aloha has stopped accepting such bookings for travel after June 30 and says passengers who?ve paid for first-class inter-island seats for travel after June 30 will be entitled to refunds. www.alohaairlines.com

America West Airlines the nation's second largest low-fare carrier, announced on June 1 2004 that it initiated two daily nonstop transcontinental flights between Los Angeles and Washington, D.C. With the start of this service, America West is the only low-fare carrier to offer daily nonstop flights between Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) and Washington Dulles International Airport (IAD). The airline also began its third nonstop flight between Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) and Boston and New York/JFK. This additional daily nonstop flight operates between LAX and New York/JFK and Boston during the peak summer travel season through Sept. 7, 2004.