Hawaii Flights Hit by Latest Alaska Airlines Tech Failures

Alaska Airlines faced another IT failure on Cyber Monday, leading to a temporary grounding of flights at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport that rippled out to Hawaii flights. The 40-minute ground stop, implemented to manage aircraft congestion, began late morning and was lifted just before noon.

The disruption coincided with Alaska’s much-anticipated Cyber Monday sale, frustrating passengers who reported that they could not book flights due to simultaneous issues with the airline’s website and mobile app.

This latest incident added to a series of disruptions for the Seattle-based parent company of Hawaiian Airlines in 2024, raising concerns about its IT reliability for travelers, including those flying to and from Hawaii.

Alaska Airlines’ importance in Hawaii travel can’t be overstated, not only for its role as a key connector from the West Coast, particularly through its Seattle hub, but also as the owner of Hawaiian Airlines. In total, this positions it as the major player in Hawaii interisland and transpacific flights.

Cyber Monday chaos impacts Hawaii flights.

Alaska needed a brief ground stop in order to “clear the aircraft congestion on the ground.” They later said, “We sincerely apologize to our guests who are impacted and are working to resolve the issue as soon as possible.” Despite the carrier’s assurances, residual delays and operational disruptions were felt throughout the day.

Regarding the website disturbance, the airline placed a warning banner on its home page that said, “Having issues booking flights on alaskaair.com, through the mobile app, and at the contact center.” That was later removed.

While the exact number of affected Alaska flights is uncertain, up to seven inbound flights and 12 outbound flights between Seattle and the islands may have been impacted.

Hawaiian Airlines flights were indirectly impacted.

Although Hawaiian Airlines was not directly involved in Alaska Airlines’ IT failure, data indicates that 60% of Hawaiian Airlines’ flights at Sea-Tac on Monday were also delayed. It isn’t clear if this was a secondary effect caused by overall congestion and cascading delays from Alaska Airlines’ operations, which dominate the airport.

Hawaiian Airlines’ on-time performance on Monday may have been hindered simply due to the broader disruption at the busy Northwest hub. The airline is still operated separately from parent Alaska Airlines, pending the combined operating certificate, which will formally combine the two next year.

A repeat of unusual IT failures.

This marks Alaska Airlines’ third major technology-related disruption this year, highlighting recurring vulnerabilities in its IT infrastructure. In April, a weight-and-balance system upgrade malfunction prompted a one-hour ground stop, delaying flights system-wide. Then, in September, another IT issue of unknown origin caused significant disruptions, grounding flights in Seattle late into the evening. These incidents created a ripple effect across Alaska Airlines’ entire network, including its ever more important routes to Hawaii.

Hawaii travelers feel the impact.

Disruptions like this raised serious concerns for travelers returning from Hawaii on Monday. Hawaii-bound passengers often plan their trips well in advance, and any delay—especially one following the extremely busy Thanksgiving holiday here in Hawaii—can significantly disrupt tightly scheduled itineraries.

Compounding the issue, Cyber Monday is a peak period for booking Hawaii vacations. The timing of this IT failure was particularly unfortunate for Alaska Airlines, which was in the process of promoting Hawaii deals starting at ~$75.

What’s next for Alaska Airlines?

Alaska Airlines has pledged to identify and address the root causes of its technical issues. However, the repeated incidents in 2024 point to systemic challenges that require urgent resolution. For Hawaii travelers, the stakes are particularly high, as the islands depend on smooth and reliable air connections through Alaska’s Seattle hub to maintain travel plans and avoid disruptions.

Planning your Alaska flight to Hawaii.

IT issues like these and those experienced by other airlines flying to Hawaii underscore the unpredictability of modern air travel. Passengers should remain vigilant by frequently checking flight statuses and opting for more flexible booking options than Basic Economy tickets. Alaska Airlines’ customers, particularly those traveling to Hawaii, will be closely watching to see if the airline can take steps to restore confidence in its operations moving forward.

Were you impacted by Alaska Airlines’ tech issues on Cyber Monday?