Hawaiian Airlines continued its expansion in the South Pacific with Douglas DC-8 weekly nonstop flights from Pago, Pago to Auckland and Sydney. The Sydney flight occurred on January 13, 1988 while the Auckland flight was inaugurated on January 14, 1988.

No philatelic service was requested for the new routes and very few covers were carried on the inaugural flights.

The Pago Pago Post Office dispatched collector mail on the flights. Inaugural mail to Auckland was not backstamped. 

This cover was carried on the inaugural Hawaiian Airlines flight from Pago Pago, American Samoa to Auckland, New Zealand and is listed in The American Air Mail Catalogue as HA-F29.