Fly 'Ohana by Hawaiian to the Neighbor Islands

I’m not a world traveler by any means, but I have flown on a good number of airlines for both work and leisure to understand why so many consumers prefer Hawaiian Airlines.  With the exception of Lana`i, my family has always traveled on Hawaiian Airlines when visiting the neighbor islands.  In the past, flights to Lana`i were limited to carriers Island Air and Mokulele Airlines.  But, that all changed in March of this year when ‘Ohana by Hawaiian, Hawaii’s newest interisland operation, began offering non-stop service between Honolulu and the islands of Moloka‘i and Lana‘i, as well as Kahului, Kona and Hilo.

‘Ohana, which is the Hawaiian word for family, was created with the purpose of connecting all island communities through flight.  ‘Ohana by Hawaiian has a fleet of 3 modern 48-seat ATR-42 aircraft and flights are operated by Empire Airlines.  They provide the same safe, reliable, on-time service with friendly and authentic Hawaiian hospitality that customers have come to know from Hawaiian Airlines.

Here are the top reasons why my family chose to fly with ‘Ohana by Hawaiian on our recent trip to Lana'i:

1. SERVICE.  It’s no wonder Hawaiian Airlines is one of the nation's longest-serving carriers and celebrated their 85th anniversary of continuous service for the islands this month.  Not only has Hawaiian Airlines held the record for on-time performance every year since 2004, Condé Nast Traveler, Travel + Leisure and Zagat consumer surveys have all ranked Hawaiian the highest of all domestic airlines serving Hawaii.  You can expect the same reliable on-time service with ‘Ohana by Hawaiian.

2. VALUE.  Let’s face it, flying interisland isn’t cheap and when you tally up the round trip expenses for a family of four, you might want to forgo the trip all together.  But Hawaiian Airlines keeps things competitive by regularly offering neighbor island fare sales which include ʻOhana by Hawaiian Flights.  Additionally, members of Hawaiian’s frequent flyer program can earn or redeem miles for award travel on all ‘Ohana by Hawaiian flights.  To get the most benefits out of Hawaiian’s frequent flyer program, consider applying for a Hawaiian Airlines World Elite MasterCard.  I use mine to receive miles from friends and family, making it faster to accumulate award travel.

3.  AMENITIES.  Although the flight to Lana’i from Honolulu leaves only enough time to enjoy a refreshing cup of POG, travelling by way of ‘Ohana by Hawaiian will grant you access to an exclusive amenity not available on any other Hawaiian Airlines flight.  Each of the three ‘Ohana by Hawaiian aircraft carries on board an ukulele gifted by Moloka`i's Kupuna Julia Hoe in honor of Aunty Ku`ulei Perez to encourage 'Ohana by Hawaiian passengers to play music.  For my kids, strumming on the ukulele was the highlight of the flight and made our trip to Lana`i even more memorable and special.

My three year old son, Cade, thought it was super cool to walk onto the plane from the ramp outside.

Here he is looking over the safety card.  

Cheers!  We always look forward to drinking a nice cup of POG on these interisland flights.

Cade loved jamming on the uke.

My daughter, Lauren, enjoyed strumming on the ukulele as well.  She wants one for Christmas!  

You can see Sig Zane's signature on the aircraft.   

What is also impressive about 'Ohana by Hawaiian is that its design is deeply influenced by the Hawaiian culture.  Renowned Hilo-based artist Sig Zane and his son Kūha‘o both used Hawaiian Airlines’ interisland route map as inspiration for the design, weaving three kapa patterns: piko (navel), representing ancestry and progeny; manu (bird), representing both a bird in flight and the prow of a canoe, the traditional form of migration; and kalo (taro), representing family.  Continuing with the goal of perpetuating Hawaiian legacy, the aircraft were named after a significant wind on each of the islands that ‘Ohana by Hawaiian serves: Holo Kaomi of Paomaʻi, Lāna‘i; Kaiāulu of Wai‘anae, O‘ahu; and Hikipua of Hālawa, Moloka‘i. 

My family had an excellent experience flying on 'Ohana by Hawaiian.  With outstanding service, on-time reliability, and kid friendly amenities, 'Ohana by Hawaiian is the best choice for neighbor island travel.   

Thank you to Hawaiian Airlines for providing travel on 'Ohana by Hawaiian to and from Lana'i for my family.  All opinions are entirely my own.