Hawaiian Airlines, which has warned of the threat of trans-Pacific joint ventures Qantas Airways-American Airlines and Virgin Australia-Delta Air Lines driving up the price of airfares for consumers, has been frustrated in attempts to deepen its code-sharing relationship with Virgin.

Chief executive Mark Dunkerley said Virgin customers could book on Hawaiian Airlines flights to Honolulu and beyond on its website but Hawaiian was unable to offer its customers connections in Australia beyond its flights between Honolulu and Sydney and Brisbane.