MEDIA RELEASE

Alaska Airlines inaugural Oakland-Kona flight arrives Tuesday at Kona International Airport. (Photo courtesy BIVB)

Alaska Airlines today will inaugurate thrice-weekly service between San Jose, Calif., and Kahului, Maui, and four-times-weekly service between San Jose and Kona on the Big Island of Hawaii starting March 12, 2010.

The airline is offering introductory one-way fares of $179 between San Jose-Maui and San Jose-Kona for tickets purchased by March 18, 2010. Additionally, travelers can save up to $550 on Hawaii Vacation Packages purchased by April 4, 2010. The new flights are available for purchase online at alaskaair.com or by calling (800) ALASKAAIR (800-252-7522 or TTY/TDD line 800-392-0228).

“Known for their beautiful beaches and stunning sunsets, the Hawaiian Islands are among our most popular leisure vacation destinations,” said Steve Jarvis, Alaska Airlines’ vice president of marketing, sales and customer experience. “In just two years, Hawaii has become a major part of our route network, and we’re pleased to expand our Bay Area service.”

Alaska began service to Hawaii in October 2007. With the new service from San Jose and flights between Sacramento, Calif., and Maui starting March 26, the airline offers 73 flights a week to four Hawaiian Islands.

Summary of new service:

Start date City pair        Departure     Arrival	Day of week
Mar 11	   San Jose-Maui     7:30 a.m.    11:05 a.m.*	Tues, Thur, Sun
Mar 11	   Maui-San Jose    12:05 p.m.*    7:15 p.m.	Tues, Thur, Sun
Mar 12	   San Jose-Kona     7:30 a.m.    11:20 a.m.*	Mon, Wed, Fri, Sat
Mar 12     Kona-San Jose    12:20 p.m.*    7:35 p.m.	Mon, Wed, Fri, Sat
Mar 26	   Sacramento-Maui   8:15 a.m.    10:50 a.m.	Daily
Mar 26	   Maui-Sacramento  11:50 a.m.+	  8 p.m.+	Daily

Times are based on local time zones

*Beginning March 14, time of flight will be one hour earlier due to Daylight Savings Time, which is not observed in Hawaii.
+Schedule changes April 11, 2010. See alaskaair.com for details.

“Travelers in our community have been asking for Maui and Kona flights for a long time, and we’re delighted that Alaska Airlines now will begin service in response to that interest,” said Bill Sherry, Mineta San Jose International Airport director of aviation. “We’re looking forward to working with Alaska to make their new Hawaii service a great success.”

Alaska will operate the new flights with Boeing 737-800 aircraft, accommodating 16 passengers in first class and 141 in the main cabin. All flights will offer Hawaiian-themed beverages and meal service. Customers in the main cabin will be offered complimentary Mauna Loa macadamia nuts and a complimentary Mai Tai or POG juice, as well as a Hawaiian-themed meal-for-purchase option for $6.

Inflight service also will include Alaska Airlines’ digEplayer, a personal entertainment system offering a variety of movies, television shows, music and other features.

Alaska Airlines Vacations offers a full line of vacation packages for travel to the islands of Oahu, Kauai, Maui and the Big Island of Hawaii. Packages include air transportation, hotel accommodations, ground transportation and tours. For more information about Alaska Airlines Vacations, visit alaskaair.com/vacations