Hawaiian Airlines to debut ‘Travel Pono’ video on trans-Pacific flights next week

Hawaiian Airlines will debut a new, five-minute video on its in-flight entertainment system that highlights ocean and hiking safety, conservation of the environment and endangered species, and best cultural and community practices.

The “Travel Pono” spot features expert advice from five Hawaiian Airlines crew members, including a firefighter, a cultural practitioner and volunteers for search and rescue operations and marine mammal protection. It will air on trans-Pacific flights, starting next week.

“We’ve served as Hawaii’s hometown carrier for over nine decades, and as residents of this special place, we are proud to welcome our guests with valuable information that will enrich their experience on the islands while helping protect Hawaii’s natural resources and our way of life,” said Avi Mannis, senior vice president of marketing at Hawaiian Airlines, in a news release. “Over the last month we have heard from our community and employees calling for a video like this, and we listened.”

A pilot who volunteers for Ke Kai Ola asks people not to leave trash behind, and to keep a respectful distance from marine wildlife, including Hawaiian monk seals, green sea turtles and dolphins, as well as to avoid walking on coral reefs and to use reef-friendly sunscreens.

A flight attendant who is also a firefighter reminds visitors to beware of rip currents, avoid dangerous shore break and pay attention to the level of tides, as well to keep a close eye on children at all times at the ocean.

Another flight attendant advises visitors to take the time to read educational signage at parks, and to understand “many of these sites bear deep cultural significance for Native Hawaiians.” Visitors should stay within designated areas when visiting these sites, and know that “kapu” means do not enter.

The in-flight spot is an extension of Hawaiian’s Travel Pono program, which the carrier introduced last fall to encourage responsible tourism as the state welcomed visitors back through its Safe Travels program. Tips on how to experience Hawaii safely and respectfully have also been shared via Hawaiian’s pre-trip emails, website, blog and social media channels.

In April 2019, Hawaiian partnered with the state Department of Land and Natural Resources to air educational public service announcements focused on caring for the islands’ natural resources, and this month added videos created by the Hawaii Tourism Authority for its popular Malama Hawaii campaign.

“We all have a shared responsibility to malama (to care for) our guests, and in return, we ask that they care for us and our home,” said John De Fries, HTA president and CEO. “We thank Hawaiian Airlines for taking a leadership role in educating visitors about how to respect and nurture our people and place, for the well-being of our communities throughout the state.”

The spot will run prior to landing on the in-flight entertainment system of Hawaiian’s wide-body Airbus A330 and via the wireless streaming function for personal devices on the narrow-body Airbus A321neo.