Early check-in helps Hawaiian transport a growing number of bicycles to Honolulu and beyond

HONOLULU - Hawaiian Airlines is offering IRONMAN World Championship triathletes early bicycle check-in service at Kona Airport the day after the Oct. 10 event in Kailua-Kona. Competitors who fly out of Kona on Oct. 12 or 13 may take advantage of the Oct. 11 early bicycle drop-off, which will help Hawaiian transport hundreds of bicycles to Honolulu International Airport and keep them in a secured location until athletes arrive or connect on another flight.

'With the IRONMAN's worldwide success and popularity, Hawaiian is pleased to accommodate athletes' needs through a more flexible check-in process,' said Linda Srabian, managing director - Honolulu hub at Hawaiian Airlines. 'The early bicycle drop-off will give athletes peace of mind while also helping us efficiently transport their equipment.'

Last year, Hawaiian transported 794 IRONMAN bicycles from Kona to Honolulu, more than double the 394 flown in 2005. Historically, however, Monday following the competition sees the biggest spike in volume. For example, last year, more than half of athletes' bicycles were transported on that day.

More than 2,000 athletes representing 68 countries and territories competed in last year's 140.6-mile IRONMAN World Championship, the event's 36th year.

There is no extra charge for athletes to drop off their bicycles early at Kona Airport on Oct. 11. Hawaiian Airlines agents will be accepting bicycles from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. at a designated tent at the porter podiums near Hawaiian's check-in counters. The standard bicycle check-in fees of $35 for interisland travel, $100 between Hawai'i and North America, or $150 for international destinations will be collected at the drop-off site.

For details, please visit https://www.hawaiianairlines.com/triathlon.

About Hawaiian Airlines

Hawaiian® has led all U.S. carriers in on-time performance for each of the past 11 years (2004-2014) as reported by the U.S. Department of Transportation. Consumer surveys by Condé Nast Traveler, Travel + Leisure and Zagat have all ranked Hawaiian the highest of all domestic airlines serving Hawai'i.

Now in its 86th year of continuous service, Hawaiian is Hawai'i's biggest and longest-serving airline, as well as the largest provider of passenger air service from its primary visitor markets on the U.S. Mainland. Hawaiian offers non-stop service to Hawai'i from more U.S. gateway cities (11) than any other airline, along with service from Japan, South Korea, China, Australia, New Zealand, American Samoa and Tahiti. Hawaiian also provides approximately 160 jet flights daily between the Hawaiian Islands, with a total of more than 200 daily flights system-wide.

Hawaiian Airlines, Inc. is a subsidiary of Hawaiian Holdings, Inc. (NASDAQ: HA). Additional information is available at HawaiianAirlines.com. Follow updates on Twitter about Hawaiian (@HawaiianAir) and become a fan on its Facebook page.

For media inquiries, please visit Hawaiian Airlines' online newsroom.

distributed by