e.Digital Corporation (fka EDIG)

[milplease]

Hawaiian Airlines - America's Best Airline
Tuesday October 5, 5:27 pm ET
#1 in August for On-Time Service, Baggage Handling, and Fewest Cancellations
http://biz.yahoo.com/prnews/041005/latu138_3.html

HONOLULU, Oct. 5 /PRNewswire/ -- For the 10th consecutive month, Hawaiian Airlines ranked as the nation's most punctual airline in August with an incredible 95.5 percent of its flights arriving on time (see chart below), according to the Air Travel Consumer Report issued today by the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT).
(Logo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20040827/LAF044LOGO)
In addition, Hawaiian finished #1 among airlines nationwide for its handling of customers' luggage, and for recording the fewest number of flight cancellations. Hawaii's biggest and longest-serving airline also ranked highly with the fewest number of consumer complaints.

"No airline in America had a better August than Hawaiian Airlines and it capped off an amazing summer of top-rated service for our customers," said Mark Dunkerley, Hawaiian's president and chief operating officer. "Despite the seasonal demands of increased travel, our operational excellence soared to unprecedented heights with 96 percent on-time arrivals for the summer. We were also the first airline to introduce two new customer innovations with the digEplayer laptop personal entertainment system, and the BaggageDirect mobile skycap service."

The digEplayer is the world's first self-contained, portable, inflight entertainment system, offering transpacific passengers a selection of 10-15 first-run, full-length movies; 8-10 short subjects or situation comedies; 20 music videos; and 100 audio tracks.

BaggageDirect is an exclusive, TSA-certified service providing complete passenger and baggage check-in from home, office, or hotel including delivery of boarding passes and baggage claim receipts. Customers avoid the airport check-in process altogether and go straight to the gate.

Hawaiian proved to be at its best during its busiest time of year -- the three-month peak summer travel season. Hawaiian averaged an astounding 95.9 percent record of punctuality over the course of summer, with August's 95.5 percent of on-time arrivals following previous marks of 95.3 percent in June and 97.0 percent in July.

It also marked the three best months of on-time service that any airline has ever recorded.

Hawaiian raised its year-to-date on-time service record to 93.3 percent, an eight-month average that exceeds any single month recorded by any other carrier in 2004. On-time service, according to DOT standards, requires a flight to arrive within 15 minutes of schedule.

Following Hawaiian, the top five airlines for on-time service in August were SkyWest Airlines, 86.2 percent; Continental Airlines, 81.3 percent; Northwest Airlines, 81.2 percent; and ATA Airlines, 80.7 percent. The industry average for all reporting airlines was 78.3 percent -- 17.2 percentage points behind Hawaiian.

Nation's #1 in Baggage Handling; #1 in Fewest Flight Cancellations

Hawaiian's industry-best punctuality was just one facet to its customer service record for August, as the company also ranked at the top in the other categories reported by DOT for mishandled baggage reports, flight cancellations, and consumer complaints.

For the second straight month, Hawaiian topped all carriers nationally with its handling of customers' luggage, recording only 2.41 mishandled baggage reports per 1,000 passengers served.

The company also had the nation's best record in terms of fewest flight cancellations. Out of Hawaiian's 4,469 flights in August, only 0.4 percent -- or 19 flights total -- were cancelled, topping all other carriers.

Hawaiian ranked as the industry's fifth-best airline in terms of consumer complaints, with the DOT receiving only two complaints -- the fewest of any airline -- out of the 512,770 passengers served in August, representing just 0.39 complaints for every 100,000 passengers.

Dunkerley noted, "No airline anywhere is doing a better job at serving its passengers."

The DOT's Air Travel Consumer Report for August is available online at http://airconsumer.ost.dot.gov/reports/atcr04.htm.

About Hawaiian Airlines

Hawaiian Airlines, the nation's number one on-time carrier, is recognized as one of the best airlines in America. Business travelers recently surveyed by Conde Nast Traveler rated Hawaiian Airlines as having the best in-flight service and meals of any U.S. carrier. In addition, Hawaiian is ranked as the nation's fifth best airline overall by Travel + Leisure, ahead of every other carrier flying to Hawaii.

Celebrating its 75th year of continuous service, Hawaiian Airlines is Hawaii's biggest and longest-serving airline, and the second largest provider of passenger air service between Hawaii and the mainland U.S. Hawaiian offers nonstop service to Hawaii from more mainland U.S. gateways than any other airline. Hawaiian also provides approximately 117 daily jet flights among the Hawaiian Islands, as well as service to Australia, American Samoa and Tahiti.

Hawaiian Airlines, Inc., is a subsidiary of Hawaiian Holdings, Inc. (Amex: HA; PCX). Since the appointment of a bankruptcy trustee in May 2003, Hawaiian Holdings has had no involvement in the management of Hawaiian Airlines and has had limited access to information concerning the airline. Additional information is available at HawaiianAir.com.

On-Time Performance -- August 2004
Rank Airline % Arr w/in 15 min
1 Hawaiian Airlines 95.5
2 SkyWest Airlines 86.2
3 Continental Airlines 81.3
4 Northwest Airlines 81.2
5 ATA Airlines 80.7
6 AirTran Airways 80.7
7 Atlantic Southeast Airlines 80.6
8 United Airlines 80.1
9 ExpressJet Airlines 79.3
10 Comair 79.2
11 Atlantic Coast Airlines 77.7
12 Southwest Airlines 77.4
13 Alaska Airlines 77.2
14 Delta Air Lines 76.2
15 US Airways 75.6
16 JetBlue Airways 75.4
17 America West Airlines 74.9
18 American Eagle Airlines 74.0
19 American Airlines 73.5
TOTAL AVERAGE 78.3




--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Source: Hawaiian Airlines