The ongoing challenge of Hawaiian Airlines’ operations at Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) frustrates travelers, as it has done for years. Hawaiian Airlines operates, not out of its own choice, from the Tom Bradley International Terminal (TBIT), where passengers face painfully long walks between check-in, gates, and baggage claim. These challenges, well-documented in our 2022 article This Hawaiian Airlines Terminal Is A Traveler’s Nightmare, have persisted, with scores of travelers sharing stories of confusion, missed connections, and mobility issues.
With Alaska Airlines’ acquisition of Hawaiian Airlines being finalized this week, there is speculation that this merger could solve the LAX dilemma. But will it be the one that passengers want? Could Hawaiian’s operations shift to Alaska’s Terminal 6, which offers a more convenient layout, or will something else play out?
Traveler feedback highlights the LAX frustration.
As documented in our earlier article, Hawaiian Airlines passengers at LAX face an extensive, often grueling trek from check-in to their gates at TBIT. This is especially difficult for those with mobility issues, as the walk can take up to 30 minutes.
Comments from our readers highlight this frustration, including David, who expressed hope that the Alaska-Hawaiian merger could bring about a terminal change:
“Will Hawaiian Air get out of the International terminal at LAX? It’s a 30-minute hike from check-in to the boarding gate and the same on the return flight.”
Dodge, another traveler, wondered whether the merger might enable Hawaiian to access Terminal 6:
“Any Beat of Hawaii informed speculation regarding Hawaiian flights gaining access to the ‘slightly’ more convenient Alaska LAX Terminal 6 gates…in lieu of the current Terminal B/west gates maze?”
Alaska Airlines and Terminal 6: A potential solution.
Alaska Airlines operates out of Terminal 6 at LAX, a far more traveler-friendly terminal than TBIT. Alaska now has the room to expand operations there, and there is a need to do so. However, logistical challenges remain. Hawaiian operates many flights daily to and from LAX, and integrating this volume into Terminal 6 will require significant juggling with Alaska’s existing schedule.
As a commenter, Peter pointed out:
“How will that happen when Hawaiian flies 5-6 flights a day to LAX? That is a lot of juggling that needs to be done on the LAX airport side, along with Alaska’s flights. I don’t see it happening.”
There’s also the question of Hawaiian’s larger aircraft. Hawaiian uses A330s for many long-haul flights to LAX, and these widebody jets are better suited for TBIT’s international gates. According to an unconfirmed report, Hawaiian had no plans to move from TBIT until 2025. This is among the questions we will seek answers to shortly.
What’s next for Hawaiian and Alaska at LAX?
Summer, another well-traveled commenter, provided an interesting comment:
“A supervisor in the Alaska Lounge said that Hawaiian won’t move from Bradley (TBIT) to T6 until after the first of the year into 2025. The supervisor also noted that Hawaiian’s A330s likely won’t make the move, with Alaska using newly delivered MAX 8’s and 9’s to increase their frequencies on the LAX-Hawaii routes to make up for the lost capacity.”
While the regulatory hurdles for the Alaska-Hawaiian merger are behind us, any significant operational changes at LAX may take time. At least for now, TBIT could remain home to Hawaiian’s A330 planes, which are widely used for Los Angeles flights. It isn’t clear whether Alaska might also prefer using the Hawaiian widebody aircraft on other routes to and from Hawaii or elsewhere and could move to more narrow-body Hawaii flights, even for critically important Los Angeles.
For those hopeful that this merger might ease Hawaiian’s LAX challenges, patience will be needed. Any significant changes, including a potential move to Terminal 6, may take time. Until then, travelers flying Hawaiian through LAX must continue navigating TBIT’s current layout.
We’ll seek answers to these questions and update readers as more information becomes available.
Your comments and questions are welcome!
All I can say is the move for Hawaiian to Terminal 6 would be great news.
Hawaiian could not pay enough to stay in their terminal so they were relegated to the back of Tom Bradley which is really a 20 minute walk. This year we used another airline out of LAX because of this, but we are back to Hawaiian for 2025 due to competitive first class pricing. I fervently hope Alaska can get them moved to Terminal 6. It would such a blessing for passengers and the airline.
This is actually wrong it was not about being able to pay the rent. T5, where Hawaiian use to be, was redeveloped by the primary tenant, American. The redevelopment remove the wide body gates. Since Hawaiian used the wide body gates LAWA had to find a new place for Hawaiian. At the time that turned out to be TBIT.
Good day all~ Reconfiguring gates to allow widebody aircraft is not that complicated. Biggest issue will be dovetailing in HA flights with the AS schedule, as that is driven by gate real estate and turn times. Will be a challenge, but not insurmountable. Cheers
We also stopped flying from LAX for that reason
Major hassle factor. I do hope a solution is on the horizon
Mahalo
We don’t mind going to LAX for flights but the Hawaiian terminal at TBIT is not a great experience. Kinda a hike and not a lot of guest comforts at the gate.
We miss flying the A330 out of LAX but have found that flying Hawaiian out of Long Beach is a great experience. LGB is an amazing airport, so fun and easy.
Quick add, Hawaiian flight crews when we asked said they much,much prefer a flight out of LGB or ONT.
There’s room in the common-use gates at Terminal 5; which is connected by underground walkway to Terminal 6 (and also 4). I’m not sure that Terminal 6 has many widebody capable gates, maybe 2. Air Canada flies B787s and A330s in and they park at the very end. I can’t see AC moving out of Terminal 6, especially since they also have a lounge upstairs (across from Alaska); so my feeling is we’ll see a split operation depending on gate space, between Terminal 5 and 6.
Even though AS had yet to acquire HA, I’m certain that teams at both AS and HA have been busy working on potential “go forward” plans – including at LAX and other outstations, including discussions with LAWA management about the integration process.
As for HA at LAX, do they handle their own ground ops, or do they manage that themselves? If so, easy to issue a termination to the vendor and start having AS and/or McGee take that function over quickly.
As far as LAWA – they are airline-centric and want their airline customers to succeed. They do not wish for airlines having split operations – it’s hard to manage both from a connections standpoint, security and overall operations.
LAWA will do all possible to have HA into T6 very quickly. Leases can be changed. LAWA does not hold airlines backs to the wall – especially when an airline controls the majority of their terminal as AS does at T6.
Hawaiian Airlines did not pick to be moved to these gates; they were told they had to. This was not a great guest experience, but it was out of Hawaiian Airlines’ control.
Through the decades at LAX, airlines have changed terminals – mostly due to mergers and acquisitions.
The last big shuffle was Delta who moved from T5 to T2 and T3 – kicking out AS from T3.
Timing though was on AS’s side – as the remnants of CO’s ops in T6 were moved next door over to T7 and T8 with UA.
AS and AC then moved into T6, and at times, JetBlue and Spirit would use T6 gates for overflow – but that has since stopped.
AS along with UA received a customs and immigration facility in T6 which both airlines share. UA’s arrivals come into T7 and go down into T6 for processing.
At the time of the most recent re-shuffle, why would AS have wanted HA in their T6 terminal? They were compettitors. Allegiant and Breeze are also stuck out in the Bradley midfield concourse, among others.
My last (and only trip out of LAX) to Hawaii left me presently surprised. I had read all about the horrendously long walk to the departure gate so I got the airport plenty early. After I checked in, they told me where the gate was and it was only 5 min past security. Guess I got lucky.
Don’t forget Hawiann at times has multiple heavies on the ground at LAX including A330s and an increasing mix of 787 Dreamliners to HNL and OGG. Would love to see further consolidation of gates but will be interesting to see how it works out.
The biggest challenge to moving Hawaiian’s operations from TBIT west to T6 will be getting the lease with LAWA sorted out. Alaska’s lease at T6 is due for renewal in Dec. 2027 at the same time at the Air Canada lease. I am sure Alaska will be pushing to lease the entire terminal at that time or before, if a place can be found for our friendly neighbors to the north. Alaska currently has preferred use of 13 of the 15 gates. In regards to the A330, T6 has 2 widebody gates that are capable of handling that plane one of which I believe Alaska has preferred use of. I am absolutely certainly wants to get out of the hell of a split terminal operation as soon as possible.