Hawaiian Airlines Launches Travel Assistance Program for Hawai‘i College Students

As the fall semester approaches, college students are readying for travel to Hawai‘i and within the islands for education.

Hawaiian Airlines has launched a new travel assistance program, in the hopes of easing the transition to campus life for college students amid the pandemic.

Hawaiian is offering students registered for fall classes at Chaminade University, Hawai‘i Pacific University and the University of Hawai‘i a five percent fare discount on its transpacific flights, two complimentary checked bags and a flexible booking policy on all flights. The airline will also match HawaiianMiles that universities opt to purchase through the end of the year to provide additional travel support for students and their families.

“We are delighted to welcome onboard local, out-of-state and international students attending Hawai‘i universities so they can arrive refreshed and ready to resume their studies or begin their higher education,” said Theo Panagiotoulias, senior vice president for global sales and alliances at Hawaiian Airlines in a company press release. “We always look forward to bringing students to Hawai‘i at the start of a new semester, and it will be a specially rewarding experience for us this year.”

Collectively, Chaminade, HPU and UH anticipate some 8,000 students may benefit from the program, with more than 6,100 of them expected to arrive in Hawai‘i from the U.S. mainland and international destinations.

Students will get discounted tickets and baggage allowances when booking travel at a special portal available via their universities through Dec. 31. Understanding travel plans may change, students will also be able to reschedule flights without change fees.

“Our students are excited to return to campus for fall and, given that HPU students come from every state and numerous countries, this generous offer from Hawaiian Airlines will provide relief to many of our families,” said HPU President John Gotanda. “Moving steadily toward a more normal way of living here in Hawai‘i includes bringing back the university students who add so much to our community. We greatly appreciate Hawaiian Airlines’ commitment both to our broader community and to the HPU ‘ohana.”

Chaminade University President Lynn Babington said, “For many of our out-of-state, returning students, Hawaiʻi is home and we are anxious to welcome them back to campus and reunite as ‘ohana. This program will provide much-needed savings, peace of mind and special consideration to our families as we learn to thrive in a new normal together.”

University of Hawaiʻi President David Lassner said, “We are very grateful for the generosity of Hawaiian Airlines and their willingness to assist students and their families as they face unprecedented challenges in this new normal.”

Hawaiian, which currently offers daily nonstop flights between Honolulu and Los Angeles, San Francisco, Seattle and Portland, will resume additional US mainland routes next week and in August. It plans to restart international flights when countries begin reopening for travel.

The airline continues to operate a network of Neighbor Island flights offering connectivity between Honolulu, Līhu‘e, Kahului, Kona, Hilo, Moloka‘i and Lāna‘i.

Guests arriving at Hawaiian’s airport lobbies will notice layered health and safety protocols, including social distancing measures when checking in, boarding and in-flight, plexiglass shields at counters and podiums, and frequent cleaning of self-service kiosks and aircraft, including electrostatic disinfection of cabins.

Hawaiian is also encouraging travelers to check-in via its mobile app and requiring all guests to wear a mask or face covering (except for young children and those unable to do so due to a medical condition).