Sure, Sir Richard Branson and his decidedly stylish airline Virgin America just touched down in Honolulu for the first time last week, but one airline has been showing off its effortless tropical chic for 86 years now.
Aloha, Hawaiian Airlines.
Hawaiian Airlines launched its inaugural flight on Nov. 11, 1929 from Honolulu to Hilo. At the time, that flight had to stop in Maui and took three hours and fifteen minutes roundtrip. It cost a whopping $15 (more than $200 in today's money). Today, even though oil is three times more expensive, the 50-minute flight only sets you back $79.
On that first fight, passengers were given Wrigley’s gum to relieve ear pressure. Today, Hawaiian Airlines boasts that its the only domestic airline still serving those elusive complimentary meals -- making it no wonder that Hawaiian Airlines was voted in the top three of Condé Nast Traveler's Readers Choice Awards Best Airlines in the U.S.
As Hawaiian Airlines celebrates its 86th year of flying to paradise, let's take a look back at some of the legendary airline's firsts.
All photos and caption information courtesy of Hawaiian Airlines Corporate Communications.
Correction: This story has been updated to show that Hawaiian Airlines replaced its DC-10s with a fleet of Boeing 767s in 2002.
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