Alaska Airlines Increases Hawaiian Links

Alaska Airlines is to expand its schedule to Hawaii boosting frequencies from the Californian cities of Oakland and San Jose to Lihue, on the island of Kauai, and Kona, on the Big Island to a daily schedule from March 12, 2002. The airline has previously served the markets with three flights a week between San Jose and Lihue and between Oakland and Kona and four flights a week from San Jose to Kona and Oakland to Lihue.

"We are really excited to now offer daily service from San Jose and Oakland to three Hawaiian Islands," said Joe Sprague, Vice President of Marketing, Alaska Airlines. "Going to seven flights a week from both San Jose and Oakland to Kauai and Kona - along with our existing daily service from both cities to Maui – makes it more convenient than ever for Bay Area travelers flying to the Hawaiian Islands."

Alaska Airlines is currently the sole carrier serving these markets, and it also offers a daily link to Seattle from both Hawaiian destinations. In the past year it accounted for 8.1 per cent of the estimated 2.3 million O&D passengers that flew domestically from Kona and 4.6 per cent of the 2.4 million that flew from Lihue.