NEW SCHOLARSHIP
Q2 KŪPONO WINNERS
OMIYAGE
NON-TICKET REVENUE
JULY 2017
H Ō K Ū L E ‘A H O M E C O M I N G
Ching Family Creates New Scholarship
When the attack on Pearl Harbor occurred in 1941, he was there to witness it. When the U.S. Army Air Force became an independent branch of the military, he was an original member. When Hawaiian Airlines entered the jet age, he helped the company modernize its aircraft fleet.
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LONG HIS 37-YEAR JOURNEY with Hawaiian, Donald Ching instilled in his daughters a love of travel, hard work and appreciation of other cultures. In return for these lifelong gifts, his daughter, Pamela, has created the Donald W. F. Ching Memorial Scholarship Fund to benefit Hawaiian Airlines employees and their dependents. Scholarship applications will be available in late 2017 via the Hawai‘i Community Foundation. “I want to remember Dad with a legacy reminiscent of his career with Hawaiian Airlines,” said Pamela. “He started his career as a mechanic and retired as an FAA-certified Aircraft Inspector. While studying to obtain his certification and licensure, as a husband and father of two, he also worked full-time to support us. I know Dad would have appreciated receiving financial assistance during that period, had it been available.” Hawaiian Airlines recognizes the current shortage of skilled and qualified aircraft mechanics. At the same time, Pamela recognizes that young people today might not be able to juggle work, school and supporting a family on their own. Thus, the Ching Scholarship Fund is designed to help persons who are interested in aviation to pursue their studies while maintaining the ability to take care of their families.
The scholarship fund is permanently endowed, so come the day when training new aircraft mechanics is no longer an urgent need, the Ching Scholarship will continue to support Hawaiian Airlines employees and their children in pursuing higher education in International Relations or Travel Industry Management. “Dad’s job enabled my sister, Donna, and I to travel, as well as to attend college on the Mainland. This contributed to my love of travel and opportunities to experience other cultures,” said Pamela. “They also played important roles in my pursuit of a Doctorate of Science at Harvard’s School of Public Health, and work in over two dozen countries on behalf of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.” Of Pam’s many shared flying experiences with her father, “One of my favorites was landing in Hong Kong,” she recalled. “The runway was so short that if the pilot didn’t approach it exactly right, he would have to go back up and try again. Upon initial approach, the pilot touched the landing gear to the ground but did not feel comfortable, so he pulled up, circled back around, then landed successfully. Dad laughed and explained what had happened. He always had interesting things to tell me about the aircraft we were flying in. “Thank you, Hawaiian Airlines, for providing my Dad with a fulfilling career and my family with wonderful experiences together!” ■
A Day in the Life / Guest Service Agents With aloha, ho‘okipa and mālama, these Hawaiian Airlines employees wade into the thickest of crowds. Their task? To guide our guests and bags from curb to aircraft. They provide direction to the lost, assist at the kiosk, and answer a dizzying barrage of questions, from simple to complicated. And they do it all with a smile – emotional intelligence is priceless here.
ASIA MANU is a veteran of HNL’s Guest Service desks. But, like many of our Agents, Asia also wears a second second hat in the Ramp Advisory Operations office. “From their vantage point, Air Traffic Controllers at the Honolulu Control Facility aren’t able to see the taxiways fronting Terminal 2, so Hawaiian Airlines took on the responsibility of coordinating ground traffic for all aircraft operating in this area – not only ours, but also those operated by Island Air, Mokulele and other carriers,” she explained. “Pilots call RAO to request push-back from their gate to the ‘Lima’ line,” she continued. “If it’s clear, I tell them to push and wait for Load Control to confirm passenger counts, baggage counts, etc. Then, I tell them to proceed to Taxiway Alpha and hold. At that point, ATC can see them and takes over.” All aircraft coming into the T2 area use the ‘Golf ’ taxiway – also Asia’s area of responsibility. Shortly after landing, she’s already checking to ensure that their path is clear. “RAO supervisors have to think fast. They know how to lead and take control of the situation,” Asia said. “They make my job much easier. I’m less stressed and more confident the operation is being done safely.” “Whether working the lobby, the gates or RAO, keeping a sharp mind, warm smile and reassuring calm ensure that our guests enjoy a safe and comfortable experience, from the moment they step into their terminal to the moment they arrive at their final destination,” added HNL Director of Guest Services Brice Fukumoto.
LAMBERT NAIHE is a familiar and welcoming face in the busy check-in lobbies and concourses of HNL. He is constantly on the move, but curiously also a portrait of cool and calm. Years of helping guests get to where they need to go have fine-tuned his ability to spot the overly stressed traveler. “By their frantic actions or way of talking, I can tell when a person is agitated,” said Lambert. “So, I jump in and try to calm the situation down. I know what needs to be done, so I keep them focused on how to do it. I want to use the right tone of voice, the right words. I think good customer service is how we deliver the news, good or bad.” Lambert recalls a particular delayed flight, in which all guests had to switch aircraft and move to a different gate. Then came the news of yet another delay, and Lambert was asked to make the announcement to the anxious crowd. “I concentrated on how I would say the words, with sincerity and aloha. And the mood just changed,” he said. “Everyone kind of calmed down. No one was standing up or asking questions anymore. It was still bad news, but I think, because of the aloha in my voice, the passengers relaxed. They seemed to be okay with whatever time they would eventually leave.” “Sincerity is what makes Hawaiian Airlines special. It makes our guests want to fly with us again,” added Honolulu Hub Managing Director Michael Navares. ■
Mālama Honua Worldwide Voyage / The Story Behind the Story
It’s difficult to fathom that more than three years have passed since well-wishers lined the shores to bid aloha and a hui hou to Hōkūle‘a, as the Polynesian voyaging canoe embarked on the Mālama Honua Worldwide Voyage – a round-the-world odyssey using navigation and sailing techniques employed by ancient Hawaiian voyagers and carrying a message of sustainability for future generations.
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OW, 60,000 miles, 27 nations, 100 ports of call, 29 crew changes and four years later – Hōkūle‘a is home and all of Hawai‘i is celebrating.
But, circumnavigating the globe isn’t simple. From a logistics standpoint, a lot of people and tons of supplies must be transported to some rather remote places – on very tight schedules. This is where Hawaiian Airlines stepped in as a major sponsor, providing millions of HawaiianMiles and other assistance. With an equal amount of pride and ownership, our ‘ohana made it our mission to help this tremendous undertaking succeed. Our Reservations team ensured that Hōkūle‘a crews maximized their mileage and worked magic to ensure seats were available and connections weren’t missed. “It was very challenging and fun at the same time,” recalled Central Reservations Control Agent Marissa Yago. “Throughout this journey, I was honored to be part of it – knowing that while the ancient skills of our modern-day navigators guided Hōkūle‘a around the world, I too played a small, but important, role in getting crewmembers where they needed to go.” Transporting people was one challenge; another was sending goods to where they needed to be. And this called upon expertise from our Cargo division and the selfless dedication of employees who worked
Congratulations to Our Second Quarter Kūpono Awardees!
Flight Attendant LANIWAI SCHUMAN is a highly respected and consummate professional, and recently turned to her extensive training to save the life of one of our guests. After pushback from the gate at LAS, the flight crew received an urgent message: A guest was unresponsive and needed medical attention. Paramedics were called, but he was in a critical state and had no pulse. Laniwai, who is also a registered nurse, carried the guest to the mid galley and performed CPR until he was revived. She, along with a doctor who happened to be on board, remained at the patient’s side until the paramedics arrived. “The entire crew acted in a professional manner, caring for our guest in need and keeping the pilots informed,” said Capt. Bobby Linn, her nominator. “It’s nice to know that many of our Flight Attendants can handle unusual situations when they arise, especially emergencies like that.” ■
continuously to find the necessary hold space, even though freight is a major profit generator for our company. “We needed to make last-minute and split-second decisions to get supplies to the appropriate port, and there were times we had to step in and work with the relevant authorities to move the goods from the airport and over to the docks,” said Senior Manager of Cargo Operations George Ka‘anana. Hōkūle‘a crewmembers may not know all the details that went into the success of the Mālama Honua Worldwide Voyage, but they truly felt at home on-board our aircraft, as our own modern-day voyagers – Hawaiian Airlines Pilots and Flight Attendants – got them to their destination in safety and comfort. “We treat all our passengers like guests in our home,” noted Flight Attendant Candy Golden. “But, we also knew these crewmembers deserved special care so they could rest or mentally prepare for the next leg of the journey. I was so proud to see them going to such great lengths to represent Hawai‘i.” The Mālama Honua Worldwide Voyage will continue to be frontand-center for many months, if not years, to come. As new adventures await this historic vessel, our employees will take pride in knowing that working together as an ‘ohana truly goes a long way in making the impossible, possible. ■
Aircraft Mechanic DARRYL LEE never thinks twice about going the extra mile to ensure a safe flight operation. After completing his regular shift, Darryl was called back to work to help fix a hydraulic leak. However, the leak was in a complex hydraulic line, and Hawaiian Airlines doesn’t normally stock the requisite spare part. So, a temporary repair was necessary using a flex line. Because our standard flex lines were incompatible, Darryl started from scratch: fabricating, testing and installing a line that met requirements. The aircraft was repaired and put back into service, preventing numerous delays and potential cancellations. “Darryl always makes time to help the team with never-ending passion and positive attitude,” says Manager of Shops Josh Forloine, his nominator. “He embraces change and continuously proves his can-do attitude and ingenuity. He epitomizes our mission, vision and values.” ■
Complementing her day-to-day duties, Instructional Designer CHERYL HONMAFUJIHANA was the creator of, and instructor in, Hawaiian Airlines’ new mentorship program, Ka Ho‘okele (The Navigator) Explorers. Before launching the 10-week program, Cheryl spent two years on careful planning and implementation. She recruited 20+ employees from diverse backgrounds to serve as volunteer mentors. The program provided students from Castle, Farrington, Kailua, Kalāheo, Kalani, Kapolei, Mililani, Moanalua and Pearl City high schools with hands-on experiences in maintenance, cargo, business, flight operations, air traffic control and other career opportunities in aviation. “Cheryl brought us together and provided direction so we could give meaningful lessons to the young adults,” says Director of Base Maintenance Jim Kennedy, her nominator. “Her passion was infectious, and bonds flourished across departments. The company, as a whole, is better because of her wonderful program.” ■
Kama‘āina Insights / Omiyage
Omiyage translates as “souvenir,” but it doesn’t refer to things you buy for yourself as mementos from a trip. Rather, it means gifts you bring back for friends, relatives, neighbors and co-workers. Japanese immigrants who came to work on Hawai‘i’s sugar plantations in the mid-1800s brought their traditions with them, including the giving of omiyage. It is a practice many kama‘āina have adopted, even those not of Japanese descent. Giving omiyage is an expression of aloha, a way of showing gratitude and goodwill.
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HE OMIYAGE custom supposedly began centuries ago when people in Japan made long pilgrimages to Shinto shrines. They were expected to bring back charms, sake cups and other religious objects for their families — the belief being that those items carried the same blessings that worshippers had received from the gods at the shrines. Shopkeepers near the shrines also began selling local products for the faithful to take home to their loved ones. These products were called miyage, meaning “gift.” The honorific prefix “o” was added, explaining the origin of the word omiyage. Because people primarily walked to shrines on foot back then—journeys that sometimes took weeks—omiyage initially had to be nonperishable, lightweight and easily packed; think fans, tea, knives, ladles, obi (kimono sashes) and the like. With the development of Japan’s efficient railway system beginning in 1872, edibles such as mochi, sweets and biscuits became common omiyage, too.
Need to pick up a few gifts on your next trip? According to omiyage etiquette: ■ Regional food specialties make the best
omiyage. ■ Choices should include items grown or
manufactured in the place you visited. ■ The wrapping should be neat and attractive;
the outside appearance of omiyage is as important as the gift itself. ■ Don’t buy anything in sets of four because
that number is considered unlucky (the word for death and four are both pronounced shi). ■ When presenting omiyage, follow the
Japanese penchant for modesty, prefacing the giving with something akin to “It isn’t much, but…”, “This is simple, but…” or “I’m not sure you will like it, but…” Traveling among the Islands or outside Hawai‘i? Popular omiyage includes beef jerky chips from Maui Crisps, mochi and candy
from Maui Specialty Chocolates and manju from Sam Sato’s and Home Maid Bakery (Maui); Donna’s Cookies, Big Island Candies and 100 percent Kona or Ka‘ū coffee (Hawai‘i island); Kaua‘i Kookies, Aloha Spice Company seasonings, sea salts and rubs and Aunty Liliko‘i dressings, sauces, syrups and jellies (Kaua‘i); and manapua (baked buns keep better than steamed), Honolulu Cookie Company cookies and anything from Wholesale Unlimited (O‘ahu). Of course, you can’t go wrong with roasted macadamia nuts and chocolate-covered macadamia nuts, either. By the way, gifts you buy in your hometown to give to people you visit are often erroneously called omiyage. The technically correct term is temiyage. All of the goodies mentioned above would make great temiyage, too! ■
The ABCs of EMDs Premium seat upgrades. Ticketing and change fees. Airport lounge day passes. In the airline industry, they’re known as ancillary products, or products that airlines offer beyond the flight ticket. On May 31, Hawaiian Airlines took a step toward strengthening how we sell and process ancillary products by activating electronic miscellaneous documents (EMDs) in our Sabre Passenger Service System.
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EVENUE FROM ANCILLARY SALES is more important today to an airline’s commercial success. Worldwide, it generated more than $22 billion in 2010, almost 5% of all revenue. In 2016, that figure was expected to grow threefold to $67 billion, more than 9% of all revenue. The growth in ancillary revenue reflects the airline industry’s desire to personalize the travel experience and differentiate themselves in a highly competitive environment. This growth underscores the need for a tightly integrated ecosystem of people, processes and technology to sell and process ancillary products in a consistent manner across multiple sales channels. Enter EMDs. “EMD” is the new International Air Transport Association (IATA) electronic standard for ancillary products and fees. EMDs replace miscellaneous sales receipts (MSRs) for all items except baggage fees (in the future, we intend to process this using EMDs). “Think of an EMD like an e-ticket for all of the extra products and services you purchase from an airline,” said Senior Director of Revenue Accounting Karen Yoshimoto. “Before EMDs, they were recorded in a single, inflexible record that limited how we could sell and service ancillary products. With EMDs, each product and service has its own trackable record. This will simplify processing and allow us to sell more products more efficiently.” Hundreds of airlines worldwide have adopted EMDs over previous standards and proprietary systems. The biggest impacts on our business are: ■ A, for ‘ancillary product growth’. EMDs are more flexible than
MSRs, and simplify the delivery of products that would otherwise be operationally difficult to provide today, such as advanced sales. ■ B, for ‘better reporting and insights’. EMDs offer a richer source
of data that can be analyzed to understand our customer’s preferences, and how we can better tailor our products to meet their evolving needs. ■ C, for ‘consistent processes’. With MSRs, selling and processing
ancillary products were manual and inconsistent across multiple sales channels. EMDs eliminate those inconsistencies by providing standardization for our frontline and back office staff.
“Implementing EMD is more than just adopting a new industry standard, it is about strengthening our competitive position,” said Executive Vice President and Chief Commercial Officer Peter Ingram. “It’s essential we have flexible technology that can grow with us as we create more exciting, innovative products for our guests. Implementing EMD is a crucial step in building that platform.”
More Than a Year in the Making Implementing a solution of this size and strategic importance was no easy task. Though groundwork had been laid the year prior, the project kicked off in early 2016 and brought together more than 100 team members across five time zones and nine companies. The list of departments was staggering: Marketing, Loyalty & Travel Products, Schedule Planning and Revenue Management, Sales and Alliances, Airport Operations, Training and Development, Accounting, Corporate Audit, Information Technology, and the Project Management Office. However, the team was soon running at full speed to learn the nuances of EMDs and how to tailor our products and processes to take full advantage. The result is a solution poised to help expand our ancillary product offerings and build upon our ability to deliver a uniquely Hawaiian experience. “This was a complex project that required commitment and support from countless people across several departments, as well as assistance from multiple external partners,” noted Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer Shannon Okinaka, the project’s executive sponsor. “Congratulations and mahalo to everyone who came together to make this project a success. As an organization, we should be proud of what we accomplished.” ■
Get to Know / Tim Burton Jakarta, Indonesia > “I was in a mixed patrol of Indonesian and U.S. military, escorted by Indonesian police. A bus passed by us, shuttling teenage girls to school. One girl’s curiosity overcame her modesty.” Asakusa, Tokyo > “This ninja ‘academy’ was touristy, but fun. It felt like I was peering into the eyes of a killer. He was surprised that I knew how to throw a shuriken.” Honolulu > “Just making the noodles took hours! But I love to cook from scratch. To this dish of tan tan ramen, I added lettuce, sesame seeds and gave it a local touch with chorizo spam.” Gyoun Buk Gung Palace, Korea > “I specifically went to Korea to see the changing of the guards. I wanted to capture that feeling of realism, that I’d gone back in time, when guards were seriously concerned with protecting the palace from attack.”
Meet Tim Burton, a man who usually can be found poring over the Policies & Procedures manuals of our Airport Operations – or fully immersed in the peoples and customs of a farflung region of the globe.
“For me, unless I’ve seen it in person, it doesn’t seem real,” said Tim. “Every culture has its own personality, and the best way to get to know that personality is to meet it in person.” It all began when Tim was serving our nation in Bosnia-Herzegovina and Iraq with the U.S. Army as a photojournalist. During his four tours of duty – which included serving as Bob Hope’s bodyguard during one of his USO tours – he became a Civil Affairs liaison between the U.S. military and local residents. The sensitivity training it required, and his on-thestreet encounters afterward, opened his eyes. “Regardless of religion or ethnicity, we learned how to work with the local populace, to be politically correct by their standards. I found
EDITOR
Mark Berthold Corporate Communications
George Ka‘anana Cargo Operations
that part very interesting,” explained Tim. “I saw, not only how different the many cultures are, but more importantly, how much there is to learn from each of them.” And so, with a camera in hand to document his experiences, he began devoting his leisure time to exploring this kaleidoscope of human activity. Many of the traditions Tim has discovered are unique to a region. Some have survived from bygone eras. All hold profound meaning for their native participants. “Every photo has a story,” said Tim. “I have been fortunate enough to visit 25+ countries, and capturing life in photographic images – all of these cultures and personalities – is more valuable to me than anything. I consider myself a very wealthy man.” ■
COVER
Hōkūle‘a returns to its native shores.
is published monthly by the Corporate Communications and Public Affairs department.
CONTRIBUTORS
Asia Manu Airport Operations
Damian Balinowski Corporate Communications
Lambert Naihe Airport Operations
Tim Burton Airport Operations
Marissa Yago Central Reservations
Contributions, questions, comments and suggestions can be sent to corpcomm2@hawaiianair.com.
Catherine Coleman Corporate Communications
Karen Yoshimoto Revenue Accounting
Contribution deadline for the September issue: August 11, 2017.
Candy Golden In-Flight Services
Photo by Nā‘ālehu Anthony, ‘Ōiwi TV
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