Hawaiian Airlines and Plusgrade Partner to Simplify HawaiianMiles Buying and Gifting

Rhea-AI Summary

Hawaiian Airlines has expanded its partnership with Plusgrade to enhance its HawaiianMiles loyalty program. This multi-year collaboration will see Plusgrade's loyalty unit, Points, powering the Buy and Gift miles feature, allowing members to purchase and gift miles easily. This initiative aims to increase member engagement and boost ancillary revenue for the airline. Since their initial partnership in 2016, Plusgrade has contributed to Hawaiian Airlines' revenue through the Bid Up Upgrade solution. The new integration consolidates revenue sources, promising greater benefits for both the airline and its customers.

Positive

• Multi-year partnership with Plusgrade enhances HawaiianMiles program.
• Buy and Gift loyalty products simplify miles purchasing and gifting for members.
• Expected increase in member engagement and ancillary revenue.
• Consolidation of ancillary revenue sources under Plusgrade.
• HawaiianMiles program recognized among leading frequent flyer programs.

Negative

• No specific financial figures disclosed for projected revenue increases.
• Dependence on Plusgrade for critical revenue-generating functionalities.
• Potential over-reliance on loyalty program enhancements for revenue growth.

• Plusgrade's loyalty business unit, Points, now powers Hawaiian Airlines' Buy and Gift loyalty products, accelerating rewards for members.
• Since 2016, Plusgrade and Hawaiian Airlines have partnered to offer its Premium Upgrade product, boosting ancillary revenue for the airline. 
• Consolidating the two ancillary revenue drivers will create even greater impact for Hawaiian Airlines and its guests. 

MONTREAL, June 18, 2024 /PRNewswire/ - Plusgrade, a global leader powering ancillary revenue solutions for the travel industry, today announced a multi-year partnership with Hawaiian Airlines, Hawaii's biggest and longest-serving airline. Plusgrade's loyalty business unit, Points, will now power the Buy and Gift loyalty solutions for HawaiianMiles, giving members the ability to easily buy and gift miles. This enhancement provides HawaiianMiles members the convenience of purchasing miles online, expediting their ability to redeem miles for their next Hawaiian Airlines flight.

Through this expanded collaboration, Hawaiian Airlines leverages Plusgrade's technology and analytics to bolster member loyalty and ancillary revenue. Plusgrade will power the "Buy Miles'' feature, allowing members to make lump-sum purchases of miles, and "Gift Miles," enabling members to buy HawaiianMiles for their family and friends.

This collaboration expands Hawaiian Airlines' ongoing relationship with Plusgrade, which began in 2016 with the introduction of the Bid Up Upgrade solution, enabling travelers to bid for an upgrade to a higher cabin. By consolidating the two sources of airline ancillary revenue under Plusgrade, this partnership will deliver even greater benefits for guests and Hawaiian.

"This partnership reflects our shared commitment to giving travelers more choice, flexibility and convenience in how miles are used," said Ken Harris, founder and CEO of Plusgrade. "We're excited to expand our collaboration with Hawaiian Airlines and utilize our loyalty and data expertise to introduce products that drive revenue and member engagement."

The HawaiianMiles program is widely recognized among the leading frequent flier programs in the United States. Through this expanded partnership with Plusgrade, Hawaiian is enhancing the utility and flexibility offered to HawaiianMiles members. In the current landscape of loyalty program value, it has become crucial for airlines to ensure that loyalty currencies deliver more benefits to travelers.

"Hawaiian Airlines is committed to delivering innovative experiences and providing our travelers with more options to use their miles," said Bryan Kapeckas, Hawaiian Airlines' Managing Director, Loyalty & Travel Products. "We are pleased to expand our partnership with Plusgrade  and introduce new products to our HawaiianMiles members that offer more flexibility to use miles."

To learn more, visit https://www.hawaiianairlines.com/hawaiianmiles2/purchase-miles. 

About Plusgrade

Plusgrade powers the global travel industry with its portfolio of leading ancillary revenue solutions. Over 200 airline, hospitality, cruise, passenger rail, and financial services companies trust Plusgrade to create new, meaningful revenue streams through incredible customer experiences. As the ancillary revenue powerhouse, Plusgrade has generated billions of dollars in new revenue opportunities across its platform for its partners, while creating enhanced travel experiences for millions of their passengers and guests. Plusgrade was founded in 2009 with headquarters in Montreal and has offices around the world. For more information, visit Plusgrade.com.

About Hawaiian Airlines

Now in its 95th year of continuous service, Hawaiian is Hawaiʻi's largest and longest-serving airline. Hawaiian offers approximately 150 daily flights within the Hawaiian Islands, and nonstop flights between Hawaiʻi and 16 U.S. gateway cities – more than any other airline – as well as service connecting Honolulu and American Samoa, Australia, Cook Islands, Japan, New Zealand, South Korea and Tahiti.

Consumer surveys by Condé Nast Traveler and TripAdvisor have placed Hawaiian among the top of all domestic airlines serving Hawaiʻi. The carrier was named Hawaiʻi's best employer by Forbes in 2022 and has topped Travel + Leisure's World's Best list as the No. 1 U.S. airline for the past two years. Hawaiian has also led all U.S. carriers in on-time performance for 18 consecutive years (2004-2021) as reported by the U.S. Department of Transportation.

The airline is committed to connecting people with aloha by offering complimentary meals for all guests on transpacific routes and the convenience of no change fees on Main Cabin and Premium Cabin seats. HawaiianMiles members also enjoy flexibility with miles that never expire. As Hawai'i's hometown airline, Hawaiian encourages guests to Travel Pono and experience the islands safely and respectfully.

Hawaiian Airlines, Inc. is a subsidiary of Hawaiian Holdings, Inc. (NASDAQ: HA). Additional information is available at HawaiianAirlines.com. Follow Hawaiian's Twitter updates (@HawaiianAir), become a fan on Facebook (Hawaiian Airlines), and follow us on Instagram (hawaiianairlines). For career postings and updates, follow Hawaiian's LinkedIn page.

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

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SOURCE Plusgrade Inc.

FAQ

What did Hawaiian Airlines announce on June 18, 2024?

Hawaiian Airlines announced a multi-year partnership with Plusgrade to enhance its HawaiianMiles program by introducing Buy and Gift loyalty products.

How does the Plusgrade partnership benefit Hawaiian Airlines?

The partnership allows Hawaiian Airlines to consolidate its ancillary revenue sources and provides members with easier ways to buy and gift miles, boosting member engagement and revenue.

What features are being introduced to the HawaiianMiles program?

New features include the 'Buy Miles' and 'Gift Miles' options, enabling members to purchase and gift miles easily.

What has been the relationship between Hawaiian Airlines and Plusgrade since 2016?

Since 2016, Plusgrade and Hawaiian Airlines have collaborated on the Bid Up Upgrade solution, allowing travelers to bid for cabin upgrades.

How are HawaiianMiles members affected by the new partnership?

Members will benefit from enhanced flexibility and convenience in purchasing and gifting miles, thus accelerating their ability to redeem miles for flights.