Some Hawaiian Airlines passengers are ending up on Alaska planes instead, often with little warning, and not everyone is happy with the swap.
Get Breaking Hawaii Travel News
Leave a Comment
80 thoughts on “Booked Hawaiian, Got Alaska: Why Travelers Are Upset”
My Hawaiian flight from PDX to Cook Islands via HNL was changed to an Alaska flight same seats assigned but now I have 2 confirmations numbers to go back and forth same day flights both ways. It also went from a 2 seat row to a 3 seat row.
I was on hold for 3 hours. I lost 18K miles when it converted to Atmos from Hawaiian miles and the agent had no idea or record. This merger is a complete mistake. Customer Service is in the tank.
I recently booked a February trip on Alaska Airlines from Dulles to Honolulu. It involved a necessary stopover in San Diego. I purposely scheduled everything so that I could fly from San Diego to Honolulu on Hawaiian Airlines. I wanted to experience the Aloha even before I got to the islands. Then, 2 weeks later, I got a notice that my flight to Honolulu had been changed to Alaska Airlines. It was a huge pain going back and forth between the websites booking in the first place. You can’t see seating charts on both airlines even if it’s all booked on one site. My return flight from Honolulu is supposed to be on a Hawaiian Dreamliner overnight and if that gets changed, I am going to be beyond angry. I have been a loyal customer for years and I always fly first class. I don’t have unreasonable expectations. I just want what I pay for.
Just an FYI. Use AwardTool, a site that finds real time points awards for flights to check seating charts for this situation. Their charts are real time and you can see the plane chart regardless of which airline of the two it is. I use it all the time for this situation.
I booked through Hawaiian, flying on Alaska, wanted to upgrade to extra comfort. Contacted Alaska. But because I booked through Hawaiian, I can’t make any changes until maybe the day before we leave. Can’t make changes through Hawaiian either because the flight is on Alaska. Great customer service!
A great article. Recently I had the same experience. I booked a flight from Seattle to Kahului on Hawaiian, looking forward to the Aloha Spirit I’ve come to love on Hawaii’ian- only to discover that I was Actually booked on Alaska! None of the usual amenities or Aloha Spirit. Very Disappointing.
Alaska bought Hawaiian airlines and gutted it for money. Only money.
Amazing! Alaskan Airlines is dropping the Hawaiian 🌺 Airlines nonstop flight between Boston and Oahu. And not only are they doing this, they are significantly raising the base fair to get there from Boston through west coast hubs. And I do mean, significantly – like, well over $1000.00 more. We know this as we have flown this nonstop route every year since Hawaiian Airlines initiated this Boston – Oahu route. Additionally, so much for the one for one frequent mileage point conversion between Hawaiian Airlines and Alaskan Airlines. It will now require us to accumulate significantly more mileage points for reward travel. So frustrating. We have never flown on Alaskan Airlines. Once we redeem what mileage points we can, will never fly them again.
Hi Martin.
https://beatofhawaii.com/hawaiian-axes-three-more-routes-including-longest-in-u-s/
Aloha.
Alaska Airlines flight attendants both males and females don’t have the same attentiveness as Hawaiian Airlines. First time flying Alaska meal time was chaotic. Flight attendants male or female did not know who ordered what. Older crew members. Very weird!
I have never flown Alaskan either because it’s Alaska .
Do you think Alaska would drop Nos if it was a money maker , not sure if you know but Delta dropped this flight earlier in the year.
Unfortunately for Hawaiian customers the flight attendant on most Alaska Airline flights are rude and unwelcoming. I expect it now on every flight I take back and forth to so cal. If I get a pleasant crew I will send a compliment to Alaskas customer service. Yes the seats even in first class don’t even offer a foot rest or a place to rest your device at an angle to wat h a movie. Fly Qatar once and you will be spoiled for life, flight attendant smile, greet u and help in any way without the attitude u like Alaska attendants.
Jill, this is a ridiculous comment….
Plainly ridiculous. Saying All Alaska flight attendants are rude and Hawaiian ones are All nice is patently wrong and pathetic.
Couldn’t be farther from the truth. If any of this was remotely true you’d see people saying this and it would be documented well in review, articles, complaints, etc. And the airline wouldn’t be going anywhere.
Been Booking Hawaiian for years but last time got the bait and switch on alaska. Alaska should never consider the front of a 737 “first class”, it’s anything but.
Narrow seats, no foot rests, barely reclines….no pillows or blankets, ipads to watch a movie, no wifi which means no entertainment at all, no pre- flight cocktail and no beautiful flowers in the lavatory and no Hawaiian music when boarding. The flight attendants all seemed to wish they were someplace else, one was so noticably disheveled he shouldn’t have been there!
Thank you Alaska for killing the Aloha spirit to the islands.
United, Delta, American…..you’re up, whatcha got?
All of these discrepancies/changes should have been addressed in the “fine print” when news of Hawaiian combining with Alaska became known.
I’ll bet most of the travelers didn’t bother to read each, and every word.
Even if they did, why bother flying either Alaska or Hawaiian? There are several other airlines to choose from! Only if using “points,” should anyone stick with their favorite airline.
Been Booking Hawaiian for years but last time got the bait and switch on alaska. Alaska should never consider the front of a 737 “first class”, it’s anything but.
Narrow seats, no foot rests, barely reclines….no pillows or blankets, ipads to watch a movie, no wifi which means no entertainment at all, no pre- flight cocktail and no beautiful flowers in the lavatory and no Hawaiian music when boarding. The flight attendants all seemed to wish they were someplace else, one was so noticably disheveled he shouldn’t have been there!
Thank you Alaska for killing the Aloha spirit to the islands.
United, Delta, American…..you’re up, whatcha got?
It sounds like they at least figured out the premium seating transfers.
I booked a PDX to OGG flight for early July with a return last Friday, in November, on Hawaiian. We booked premium economy. In December, they transferred it to an Alaska flight. But they would not honor the premium economy. Nor would Alaska allow me to upgrade back to the seats I was in on Hawaiian.
Eventually I cancelled the Hawaiian booking and rebooked to Alaska. Fortunately there was no financial penalty. It is also very fortunate that I had my inter-islands flights on another booking (all bought with miles) so that reservation was unaffected.
I’m hopeful that they have this all worked out when we go back in 2027.
Alaska Airlines aircraft are so much better than Hawaiin Aircraft. Alaska meals are quality, and Hawaiian Airlines gives you a hot pocket.
I will take Alaska airlines over Hawaiian airlines any time. Much more leg room and newer planes.
Skinny tubes will always feel less than a wide body.
My family and I felt this our last trip. But we had the opposite, we had booked Alaska due to a major fiasco 2 years prior with Hawaiian. We utilized miles, our $100 companion ticket, etc, through Alaska, upgraded to premium seating, all together, all set. Then, a few months prior to flight, we are notified they switched airlines on us, new departure time, and worst of all, seats no longer together, and most were Not in extra comfort. Neither airline customer service was helpful for weeks, basically blaming the other and consistently sending me back and forth. It took almost 2 months to get things acceptable, and that included having my premium seat upgrade fees credited back to me to then have to pay even more for extra comfort seats on Hawaiian. The whole thing left a bad taste for both airlines, as neither weas prepared for this, they just did it. They did not empower either side to handle things. One side could not see the other side, etc..
I booked a return flight from OGG to RNO with Alaska air using miles serviced by Hawaiian so another thing I don’t get is a free checked bag using my Alaska miles and card.
I specifically booked a Hawaiian 787, along with an extra flight to get to the new 787. Months later I discover the 787 is gone. I canceled it…and lost money.