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Hawaiian Air Meets Demand with New Flights from FLA and CA

Visiting the popular island vacation spot is getting easier as the destination inches back to life

March 23, 2021

Hawaiian Airlines is launching a series of new routes to the islands with service from Ontario (ONT), Long Beach (LGB) and Orlando (MCO) in the coming months as summer vacation demand heats up and tourism in the US begins to make its slow crawl back to a new normal.

Starting with Ontario, CA, which is geared toward servicing Southern California’s Inland Empire, Hawaiian is starting a five-times-weekly schedule of nonstop service to Honolulu (HNL) from Ontario (ONT) on May 24.

Flight HA73 will depart Ontario at 9:05 a.m. on Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays, with a 12:20 p.m. arrival in Honolulu, giving guests ample time to settle into their accommodations and hit the waves or connect to any of Hawaiian’s four neighboring island destinations. The flight from Honolulu to Ontario, HA74, departs at 1:05 p.m. and arrives at 9:35 p.m. on Tuesdays, Thursdays, Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays.

Hawaiian has won acclaim for its punctuality for the past 17 years. It will service the ONT-HNL route with Airbus A321neos set up with 16 leather recliners in First Class, 44 Extra Comfort seats and 129 Main Cabin seats. Inside, guests get complimentary island-inspired meals and streaming in-flight entertainment.

The Long Beach to Maui Connection

Adding to its roster to satisfy summer demand from the greater Los Angeles area to the islands are flights from Long Beach to Maui. The route serves as the airline’s second daily flight from LGB, landing at Kahului, Maui (OGG). The airline became the first carrier to connect Long Beach to the Hawaiian Islands when it started Honolulu service in the summer of 2018.

Flight HA72 launched earlier this month and now departs Long Beach daily at 8:35 a.m. with a 12:35 p.m.arrival on Maui. The flight from Maui to Long Beach, HA71, departs at 12:45 p.m. and arrives 8:05 p.m. As with the ONT flight, the airline is employing Airbus A321neos to do the job.

Orlando Non-stop to Honolulu

Finally, Floridians yearning for a Hawai’i vacation can now conveniently travel from the Sunshine to the Aloha state with Hawaiian Airlines’ new, twice-weekly nonstop service between Orlando (MCO) and Honolulu (HNL).

Hawaiian will increase MCO-HNL service to three weekly flights from June 1 through August 10 to meet summer travel demand.

Prior to the start of Hawaiian’s service, Orlando was one of the largest U.S. travel markets to the Hawaiian Islands without nonstop flights. Now Orlando becomes Hawaiian’s third Eastern gateway city – along with New York (JFK) and Boston (BOS).

“Having new service to a domestic destination as popular as Honolulu is a win not only for the residents of Central Florida, but for everyone who travels from Orlando International Airport,” said Phil Brown, chief executive officer of the Greater Orlando Aviation Authority. “Being able to directly connect two of the world’s popular vacation spots brings a next-level service for travelers looking to explore the best leisure destinations in the United States.”

The airline is employing the 278-seat Airbus A330 aircraft for this route. It features 18 First Class lie-flat leather seats arranged in a 2-2-2 configuration tailored for couples, families and honeymooners, as well as business travelers. Hawaiian’s A330s are also equipped with 68 Extra Comfort premium economy seats providing more legroom and enhanced amenities, in addition to 192 Main Cabin seats. Flights are given complimentary island-inspired meals onboard.

Flight HA85 departs Orlando on Tuesdays and Saturdays at 8:15 a.m. with a 2:05 p.m. scheduled arrival in Honolulu. The flight from Honolulu to Orlando, HA86, departs on Thursdays and Sundays at 5:15 p.m. with an arrival time of 7 a.m. the next day, accommodating a six-hour time change between the destinations. Hawaiian’s increased seasonal summer schedule will include additional departures from MCO on Thursdays and from HNL on Tuesdays.

Hawaiian has simplified the experience for guests to meet the state of Hawai’i’s pre-travel testing requirements and be exempt from quarantine upon arrival with a list of state of Hawai’i approved testing providers for Ontario, Long Beach, and Orlando. Guests who obtain a negative test will receive a pre-clear wristband during boarding that allows them to bypass airport screening in Hawai’i. Extra costs for screening apply.