HONOLULU (HI Now) - For Southwest Airlines employees Tanya Julius and Rena Calag, supporting the community during Merrie Monarch Festival week is personal. Julius, a duty supervisor, and Calag, a customer service agent, both call Hilo home — and this year, Southwest is showing up in a big way for the celebration.
Air travel plays a vital role in bringing hālau, vendors and shoppers to the festival each year. To meet that demand, Southwest added flights to the island, including additional interisland service and a nonstop route between Hilo and Las Vegas — the only mainland nonstop flight serving Hilo, with regular service beginning in August.
Southwest employees also walked in the Merrie Monarch parade and partnered with the Grand Naniloa Hotel to feature hula performances in the lobby throughout festival week.
The airline’s community commitment extends beyond the festival. Southwest’s Ohana Rewards program offers exclusive benefits for Hawaii travelers. For more information, visit Southwest.com/aloha.
Southwest was also recently named the best airline of 2025 by The Wall Street Journal, ranking No. 1 in fewest customer complaints per enplaned passenger and No. 1 in avoiding tarmac delays. The airline ranked No. 2 nationally in on-time performance, lowest cancellations and fewest extreme delays — and holds the top spot for on-time performance among all carriers serving Hawaii.
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For more, follow @SouthwestAir on social media or head to www.southwest.com.
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