Hawaiian’s on-time performance for all of 2009 averaged 92.1 percent highlighted by its leading the industry in each month for the entire year (Hawaiian ranked #1 in December at 87.0 percent). Hawaiian has led the nation’s carriers in on-time performance every year since 2004 and during that span has earned the #1 ranking in 63 out of a possible 72 months.

“The employees of Hawaiian Airlines know what customers care about most is arriving on time, and for the last six years, no one’s been better at this than Hawaiian Airlines,” said Mark Dunkerley, Hawaiian’s president and CEO.

Hawaiian also finished 2009 as the nation’s top-ranked carrier for fewest flight cancellations based on data reported monthly by DOT. Hawaiian averaged an industry-best 0.2 percent for flight cancellations in 2009, and either led all carriers or tied for the top spot in nine of the 12 months. In December, Hawaiian was nearly perfect at finishing #1 with only two cancellations out of 5,833 total flights.

Hawaiian earned the second-highest overall score for baggage handling in 2009 averaging 1.90 mishandled baggage reports for every 1,000 passengers served during the year. In December, Hawaiian recorded the industry’s top score with 1.66 mishandled baggage reports per 1,000 passengers.

Hawaiian also ranked second overall nationally in fewest oversales for 2009, reporting only 22 involuntary denied boardings out of more than 8.3 million passengers served during the year.

Hawaiian is the nation’s largest provider of air service to Hawaii from the Western U.S., as well as the leading carrier for interisland service between the islands of Hawaii. The DOT report covers 19 airlines, including nine carriers providing service to Hawaii, and is available online.

• Portland to Honolulu $544
• Phoenix to Honolulu $570
• Seattle to Honolulu $580
• Oakland to Honolulu $625
• San Jose to Honolulu$640
• San Francisco to Honolulu $700
• Sacramento to Honolulu $720

“Fall is a beautiful season to vacation in Hawaii and these are our best deals of the year,” said Glenn Taniguchi, Hawaiian’s senior vice president of marketing and sales.

Prices are per person and based on double occupancy. Packages including the newly renovated Aqua Waikiki Wave and Aqua Bamboo hotels are slightly higher. Additional exclusively priced packages with a variety of other properties are also available.

Hawaiian’s exclusive fall Hawaii vacation packages are available for purchase on the airline’s website through October 31, 2008 for travel through December 12, 2008. Prices include all taxes and fees except for any applicable baggage fees.

Two weeks ago, Hawaiian Airlines said it may have to cancel the Airbus deal due to protracted negotiations with the unions.

“I want to thank and commend the leadership of our unions for demonstrating a shared vision and commitment to building a successful and profitable future for Hawaiian that serves the interests of our customers and employees, maximizes shareholder value and contributes even more to the growth of Hawaii’s tourism economy,” said President and CEO Mark Dunkerley in a statement.

The airline currently has 18 Boeing 767-300 airplanes in its fleet, and previously planned to replace at least four of them before 2010. Under the Airbus deal, Hawaiian is acquiring six wide-body A330-200 aircraft and six A350XWB-800 (Extra Wide-Body) aircraft, plus purchase rights for six more of each.

According to Hawaiian Airlines, the A330-200 seats 305 passengers in a twin-aisle, two-class configuration, and has an operating range of 5,500 nautical miles. It can therefore fly significantly farther than Hawaiian’s current fleet and will provide the ability to serve all of North America and points in eastern Asia nonstop from Hawaii. In addition, it carries 45 more passengers and is more fuel-efficient than Hawaiian’s current fleet.

The extra-wide-body A350XWB-800 seats 322 passengers in a two-class configuration and has a range of 8,300 nautical miles, which will give Hawaiian the capability to fly nonstop between Hawaii and Asia, Australasia, the Americas and Europe. The airline says the A350 carries 24 percent more passengers and is 20 percent more fuel-efficient per seat mile than its current fleet.

“Too many of our residents and visitors, especially our children and senior citizens, are being put at risk by drivers who fail to slow down and yield the right-of-way to pedestrians,” Lingle said. “The measures we are proposing will serve as a strong deterrent and remind drivers that they need to obey our crosswalk law and put an end to reckless driving.”

According to the State Department of Transportation, there were 29 pedestrian deaths in 2006, compared to 36 in 2005 — a decrease many attribute to the 2005 crosswalk law. Hawaii, which ranked 4th nationally in pedestrian deaths in 2004, now sits in 11th place.

Travelers are seeing prices they haven’t seen for decades as go! continues to challenge Aloha and Hawaiian for a slice of the interisland market. At one point, go! offered tickets for $19, a fare that Hawaiian matched but that Aloha countered with a 1,000-ticket free givaway.

While $29 tickets aren’t sustainable in the long-term — and as critics continue to charge go! with predatory pricing practices — residents are certainly taking advantage of the fierce competition, many traveling interisland for the first time since ticket prices skyrocketed after Sept. 11. One-way fares had surpassed $100, and travelers prone to booking at the last minute would find a trip to Las Vegas more affordable.

Still, tickets at today’s sale prices are limited, and as of this morning, the $29 seats on several flights were already sold out.