In a huge development for both the Hawaii travel and U.S. aviation industries, the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) has officially approved the merger between Alaska Airlines and Hawaiian Airlines, clearing a final hurdle for the deal. There are, however many things still to be worked out, and some of the information still isn’t entirely clear.
This is the time to ask your questions.
Beat of Hawaii will meet with airline executives this week and provide additional details to our readers. Please ask your questions for the airlines in the comments below and we will do our best to get answers and provide an update.
The approval comes with stringent consumer protections, however, helping ensure the preservation of their respective loyalty program rewards, key Hawaiian Airlines routes, and rural service support. DOT’s new proactive approach also mandates competitive access at Honolulu’s hub.
With this approval, the two airlines are expected to finalize the merger this week. Alaska Air will take control of Hawaiian Holdings Inc., allowing the combined entity to provide integrated services across their routes. This marks a significant move toward Alaska Airlines’ next phase of growth and it will help stabilize Hawaiian Airlines’ severe financial issues, which have long persisted. Alaska will also come to own the deal that Hawaiian procured to fly a fleet of Amazon planes.
Protections for consumers and communities.
DOT Secretary Pete Buttigieg emphasized today that this is the first time the agency has mandated enforceable protections as part such an airline merger approval. Key commitments include:
- Maintaining the value of frequent flyer miles and loyalty program benefits for both HawaiianMiles and Alaska Mileage Plan members. This has been a concern that many of you have repeatedly stated in comments.
- Ensuring no changes in critical inter-island and mainland-to-Hawaii routes. This is another huge issue for Hawaii residents and visitors as there have been persistent concerns about Alaska continuing to flying the interisland routes to the same degree that Hawaiian has. We have mentioned this previously as a major issue in the acquisition approval, and that has indeed come to pass.
- Supporting essential services in rural communities of both Hawaii and Alaska, which rely on air travel for vital needs.
- Offering fee-free seating arrangements for families and military personnel, alongside continued cargo and passenger service for Hawaii’s islands.
Transition and integration timeline.
While the merger is now set to close, the process of combining both carriers under a single operating certificate from the FAA will still take months to complete. Still pending is the integration of flight schedules, management, and operational standards. The airlines must also submit annual compliance reports to the DOT for six years to ensure adherence to the protections required.
This merger positions the combined airlines to serve more than 50 million annual passengers, with flights to 138 destinations, including 29 international ones. Hawaiian Airlines’ shareholders, as promised, will receive $18 per share, and both airlines are still set to retain their distinct brands while offering integrated customer service and loyalty benefits.
As this merger unfolds, it will have huge importance in shaping the future of air travel to and from Hawaii, promising improved services and expanded routes for passengers. How it will impact Southwest Airlines Hawaii presence, remains to be seen, as well as the impact on the other airlines serving Hawaii.
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I looked at the stocks today and noticed that there is now No Trading for HA stock. I think it must be a done deal.
Please Alaska, don’t F—up this important part of Hawaiian culture. One of the nation’s oldest and it means a great deal to the people of the state.
I have been a flight attendant for over 30 years and a proud AS employee. No company is perfect, but of all the US airlines I could have worked for, AS was always and continues to be my first choice as a flight attendant. HA is in Very good hands. Will everything go smoothly, probably not, but we have amazing capable leaders that will welcome the HA family into the AS family with open arms! The family atmosphere of AS is very evident. We are kind hearted and always tasked to do the right thing. The emails and company news we have rcvd from our leaders over the last 24 hours have been very positive and very compassionate towards welcoming our new HA family members into the AS family. Our company culture is very similar to that of HA. The ohana runs deep at AS too. There will undoubtedly be changes but the future is very bright for a now larger HA/AS family. I and many of my AS coworkers are very excited for our combined future together as part of one great company. Aloha!
We had to ask for a refund on tickets Hawaiian could not honor for flights in November 2022. They policy was to refund all by $2000.00 which they d=said wasw a credit under our account number and could be used on an upcoming flight. Circumstances and health have prevented travel. Will we be able to use our credit after the merger?
Your credit should be good. Some credits have an expiration date. Check yours! When a company buys another company it gets both assets (property) and liabilities (bills and credits owed)
One question I would like to see answered is what type of aircraft will replace the 717’s, which are rapidly approaching their end of life?
Alaska Airlines just removed the last of their Airbus planes from their fleet last year. So if the plan is to replace the 717’s with more 737’s, which are Alaska’s workhouse, what’s to prevent them from decreasing inter-island frequency by using a larger 737 with less frequent flights while still providing the same number of inter-island ‘seats’ they currently operate?
The DOT ‘agreements’ I’ve read don’t specify whether they have to keep the same number of inter-island ‘flights’ or the same number of inter-island ‘seats’; an important detail.
How will the merger disrupt future flights? I’m looking to book with both airlines Spring 2025.
Do we expect to see a return to the Brisbane to Honolulu route which was cancelled durning Covid. Many travellers have been put off travelling to Hawaii due the increased costs of having to spend 1 night of there holiday accommodation in Sydney
Given that Alaska Airlines is an all Boeing 737 airline, what is to become of the aircraft types Hawaiian Airlines fly? Will we see Boeing 737s with Hawaiian or Alaska branding flying interisland?
What will become of the Airbus fleet of HA planes? Retain, replace or retire? Boeing 737 Max replacing A321 Neo?
What will become of HA’s 787s now flying and on order?
Cargo planes for Amazon contract? Airbus or Boeing?
Will the combined airline still dabble in the possibility of flying the Regent Sea Glider inter-island?
Great question! I much prefer Airbus to Boeing for obvious reasons. I hope someone can answer your questions.
What will happen to the Hawaiian call center in Phillippines? Will we call Alaska reps for any Hawaiian air issues?
Just a FYI – most of AS’s customer service calls are handled by AS employees at Sea-Tac, Boise and Chandler, AZ., with one exception…
As you you are probably aware, AS has a robust offering of destinations to Mexico, Costa Rica and Guatemala. AS needs to serve those primarily Spanish speakers who originate from those destinations – as well as throughout the AS system. AS does use a contract call center somewhere in Central America, I believe Costa Rica.
On a few occasions, I have been randomly connected to the Central America call center and they are helpful – but yet, not always up to speed on lounge questions, 100K upgrades, etc. – but that’s probably a small portion of their overall call volume.
Just like any contract, I’m certain that AS will give an end date to the vendor in the Philippines and begin to bring back those english-speaking calls to the U.S.
AS’s own call center reps (for me) have been pleasant and easy to work with.
Hi,
What will happen to all my thousands of Hawaiian miles?
Flew on AS twice out of LAX over the past week. A supervisor in the Board Room/AS Lounge said that even though the merger was not “approved” they were unofficially informed of plans for LAX. The supervisor said that HA will most likely not move from Bradley to T6 until after the first of the year into 2025.
I found interesting that the supervisor said not to expect the HA A330’s to make the move over from Bradley, and that AS was going to use newly delivered MAX 8’s and 9’s and increase frequencies on the LAX-HNL/OGG routes to make-up for the loss of seats from the A330’s.
The person said that once the 787’s start coming on-line, expect to see “tag” flights from LAX to SEA and other destinations – as HA’s 787’s maintenance will continue at LAX.
AS definitely has the room at T6 to expand and add additional flights. With other airlines gone from T6, AS and AC now have that terminal to themselves.
I have not heard any of this info yet and not sure where one of our sups would have heard that.
I got notification yesterday via email from both airlines
Will BofA purchase Barclay’s “book of business” for the Hawaiian credit card program? I cannot imagine that AS will run two separate credit card programs – just too small as compared to AA and US Air from their respective Citibank and Barclays credit card programs that continue to this day.
When will Mileage Plan elite benefits become available on HA metal – especially for the 100k’s and any new benefits on international routes? Also BofA credit card holders – when will those benefits extend to HA metal? Alaska and BofA’s relationship with credit and debit cards goes back to the SeaFirst days.
Will AS offer a “Club 50” program for Hawaii – similar to the Club 49 program for the state of Alaska?
Hawaiian Airlines greets passenger with the Aloha spirit from gate to gate on their flights. It’s why we choose Hawaiian Air. First time visitors and long time island visitors and property owners are reminded each time of the unique history and culture of Hawaii. Please maintain or add to these features. I believe that would help all to arrive with Ohana in mind.
Alaska doesn’t have any Aloha that is for sure, but what they do have is excellent Customer Service. I had the opportunity to have them help me with getting into my son’s accounts that had been dormant for years – no problem at all. Today I called and got help moving my seats that were part of a group ticket. If I had to deal with Hawaiian it would literally have taken hours and I would have been very frustrated. I’m glad for everyone.
I applaud the acquisition, but Alaska (AS) should take care in integrating HA. Having been in a non-airline acquisition, I urge careful consideration of HA operating methods/customs. Institutional ego is a given, with a natural assumption that their methods/systems are superior to anything HA has. I believe Hawaiian culture is baked into HA’s business. No matter whether its flight ops, accounting or legal, I encourage AS to make key managers peers to their counterparts at HA for the time being. Being integration peers lets key HA personnel know they are valued for their role and their knowledge, minimizing top-down dictates where respect is lost. People are a critical aspect of an acquisition – the respect given to HA personnel will be an essential factor in AS successfully assuming the business and maintaining the loyalty and Hawaiian spirit they’ve stated they will. Yes, for any corporate acquisition, there has to be unifying result. How AS gets there should not be understated.
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?
Mahalo
Hi Dodge.
Should happen. We’ll confirm details.
Aloha.
How will that happen when Hawaiian flies 5-6 flights a day to LAX and that is a lot of juggling that needs to be done on LAX airport side along with Alaska’s flights to LAX. I don’t see it happening.
Does the fee free seating for families eliminate extra comfort seating for which fees are charged? I read a comment that implied it would- can’t imagine that’s correct.
Ensuring no changes to critical routes from the Mainland to Hawaii. I live in Southern California and fly Hawaiian from Ontario California to Honolulu. Would Ontario to Honolulu be deemed a critical route, or would I have to fly from LAX to Honolulu which is about 60 miles away and potentially a two hour + drive each way to LAX?
I wonder how this “now imminent merger” will affect SWA to/from the mainland and interisland flights? I know this concern may be on the minds of many frequent Hawaii to the mainland and interisland travelers like myself! As everyone may know, whether they want to admit it or not, with the introduction of SWA to Hawaii forced HA’s to drastically reevaluate and drop their interisland fare structure to directly compete with SWA. Previously (before SWA), when I flew interisland roundtrip on ‘said airline’ it was a regular almost $300 fare each time not including any baggage, WTH; and now because of SWA, suddenly, their interisland fare drops to match, I mean come on!!! I truly hope that SWA is able to weather both their internal storm and the hurricane that the AS/HA merger is about to bring to our Hawaiian Skies! Anyway, that’s my rant for the day, LOL!
Just to be clear, SWA entered the market and operated at a deep loss to try and gain a foothold….they are still operating at a loss as their business plan didn’t work so well. Competition is good though, this merger will create an airline that can operate profitably and efficiently…….air fares shouldn’t be judged as the cheapest is the best…..long term viability is important too.
I would have liked to have made them open up the interisland terminal to other carriers than Hawaiian. I think that is what hurts Southwest the most.
1) Will Hawaiian Air accept Alaska Mileage Plan points.
2) There has not been an Alaska nonstop flight from LAX-LIH since they started flying to Hawaii.
Very Annoying.
3) Will Hawaiian Air get out of the International terminal at LAX….it’s a 30 minute hike from check in to boarding gate and same on return flight.
To number 3) I am fairly certain Alaska will move Hawaiian to T6 as soon as they can negotiate it with LAWA. There are 2 widebody gates in T6 but one I believe is common use with Air Canada
Is there a possibility that either Alaska or Hawaiian Airlines will provide inter-island service with smaller aircraft. Mokulele Airlines is neither reliable and becoming unaffordable..
At least Hawaiian will finally get a functional app and website that isn’t a complete joke.
Drew you just nailed the essence of the merger….Great synergies being created!
we have a booking with hawaiian airlines for oct 18th with a direct flight from oakland to lihue. do i need to worry that that will be changed? we made the reservation months ago. thanks.
Hi Debra.
We would not expect any sudden changes including schedules. Once we learn more we will provide updates. Thanks for asking.
Aloha.
Hopefully all flights already booked with HA will continue as is.
Great news! Good move for both airlines and we look forward to continue flying on both. Anxious to hear about how mileage programs will blend. Thanks for your reporting on this issue!
Buh bye 717 and A321NEOs. Move over B787 and A330 pilots…there’s a new sheriff in town.
Bryan, there’s always a few in every merger that are particularly obnoxious and self centered. Sometimes that sentiment gets out of control and self destruction happens (think USAir/America West, everyone lost big time) quintessential lose /lose deal.
From what I can see from the sidelines and knowing people at both airlines I’m cautiously optimistic that this merger has the potential to be a win/win deal with both sides being realistic rather than obnoxious. These are two airlines that need each other to compete against the big 4. Done right they could come out on top.
Regardless of the assurances of “protection for consumers and communities”, I am concerned of what happens when there is a downturn in travel and Alaska Airlines’ profits begin to decrease and shareholders start crying. Will Hawaiian Airlines be treated as a stepchild as such when cutbacks are necessary? Will those assurances fly out the window when Alaska Airlines deems it necessary to cut routes and lay off employees? This article mentions “DOT Secretary Pete Buttigieg emphasized today that this is the first time the agency has mandated enforceable protections as part such an airline merger approval.” as well as “Ensuring no changes in critical inter-island and mainland-to-Hawaii routes.” Will Alaska Airlines allow Hawaiian Airlines aircraft to continue servicing those routes or will we eventually see less Hawaiian Airlines liveried aircraft and more Alaska Airlines liveried aircraft flying the interisland and key West Coast routes? I guess only time will tell.
The Hawaiian brand will be external facing only. All departments will be combined over time. All Hawaiian employees will become Alaska employees and for union employees they will be integrated into a combined senority list. So if cutbacks on routes or layoffs happened down the road Hawaiian wouldn’t be treated any different than any other part of Alaska.
Any idea if there will be a name change for Hawaiian Air?
Hi Sheryl.
We will get answers to commenters questions including this when we meet with the executives later this week.
Aloha.
I’d guess No on the HA name change, as it’s been mentioned often that both airlines will retain their individual branding.
I guess that my question is: will this acquisition mean a “cool down” in Hawaii as well as “warmer weather” in Alaska? Something to consider.
Great news for those of us who have high status in frequent flyer program. Losing hundreds of thousands of miles would have really sucked.
Can’t wait for AS to finally hopefully fix HAs still horrible website.
The chopping block for HA management can not happen soon enough.
Mahalo gents.
Agree 100%, we had changed reservations during Covid, and were allowed to re-book, in re-booking and not taking the Flight during the prescribed travel window, we lost the entire $1,250.00, that I’m not as concerned with, then having dealt with the Airline, they returned our surrendered Mileage in First, but placed it in my wife’s Account, and refuse to return it to mine, that alone is 200,000 Miles. There is also the issue brought up by another, that I brought up months ago, that under a travel slowdown, or whatever, will Alaska maintain the current Service that is Non-Stop.
To be honest, the Hawaiian website does not give me any problems. It is the app on portable devices that sucks with a capital S. The biggest offense I encounter, say I book flights any time more than 24 hours in advance, if I want to use the app to check in, I have to know either my ticket number or confirmation code. They already have that with my HA miles number when I sign on. How many people remember the 16 digit ticket number or the confirmation code? I sure don’t so I have to go back into emails and look up those things. Very poor programming!
This is great news, considering that HA is currently $1B in debt. AS & HA will be based out of SEA, but will operate as separate brands. Stand-by for a response from SW on whether they’ll continue flying to the Hawaiian Islands, or back out of the destination. Congratulations AS & HA!
Agreed CB….the synergies and unique complimentary expertise of these two carriers is going to be fascinating to watch…fingers crossed they realize their potential!
There is more to this than just the imposition of terms and conditions. The first thing is that the terms and conditions are only for six years, according to the Dept. of Transportation press release. Now that is all dependant on whether for the next six years, the current party in the White House stays in the White House. If the White House flips, it could very well be that the provisions that are imposed today are wiped away tomorrow. So stay tuned…the election will actually mean something to this merger.
I had not thought of that, but you are right and it poses a potentially scary problem for frequent flyers.