Hawaii’s skies are shining less brightly. With the latest Alaska-Hawaiian announcement, another international route appears poised to vanish from Honolulu entirely, leaving us to wonder about Hawaii’s air role in the future as a Pacific hub.
We learned today that starting September 12, a new five-times-weekly service will launch between Seattle and Seoul Incheon, initially operated by Hawaiian’s A330 legacy widebody aircraft.
Though promoted as expansion, we see all signs of a quiet replacement of Hawaiian’s existing Seoul route. This reflects another step in a broader pattern that’s redrawing Hawaii’s place on the international air travel map.
Another Hawaii route is likely getting replaced.
Honolulu–Seoul remains bookable for now, but the signs are clear: the new Seattle–Seoul route mirrors HNL’s schedule, uses the same aircraft, and follows the same pattern as what happened with HNL–Narita’s quiet replacement by the new Seattle–Narita flight.
“Slots at Seoul’s Incheon Airport are limited, and the identical aircraft being flown make it increasingly unlikely that both routes will coexist. Alaska/Hawaiian isn’t saying it outright yet, but the timing, aircraft shift, and historical precedent speak clearly.” (Beat of Hawaii)
The Dreamliner moves, but not to Hawaii.
Hawaiian’s Dreamliners were once destined exclusively for Honolulu, symbolizing the islands’ proud long-haul ambitions. Now, Seattle will at least partly be their new home, along with the premium cabins and the once global vision that came with them.
Alaska has confirmed that the new Seattle–Seoul route will transition to Hawaiian’s Boeing 787-9, even though it’s not yet reflected in schedules. To us, that’s not just a fleet upgrade—it’s a message.
Three new Dreamliners are joining the fleet this year, bringing the total to five, as we previously reported in From Pualani to Alaska Eskimo: Hawaiian Dreamliners’ Future. But increasingly, at least some of those jets won’t be flying to Hawaii.
A widebody exodus and what it means for Hawaii.
For decades, Hawaii was more than a destination; it was a bridge between the U.S. and Asia-Pacific, a proud symbol of connection and culture. The loss of widebody routes like Honolulu–Seoul isn’t just about convenience, but Hawaii’s diminishing role in the international travel landscape. For many, it feels like the islands are being left behind.
One reader lamented, “These widebodies felt like part of the islands themselves. It’s sad to see them repurposed for something that doesn’t include us anymore.” That sentiment echoes through the hundreds of comments we’ve received on this ongoing shift.
Hawaiian comfort moves north.
Hawaiian’s A330 features 2-4-2 economy and 2-2-2 business class seating. Once considered premium—and still comfortable—it lags behind newer aircraft. Delta’s A350-900, flying the same Seattle–Seoul route as the only other U.S. flag carrier, offers business class suites and the increasingly in-demand premium economy, which Hawaiian aircraft still lack.
Though Hawaiian may offer slightly cheaper tickets in this new competition, its product now feels second-tier. Reader Don C. warned of what’s ahead for Hawaiian’s A330: “Be wary of what they may do to the ‘standard economy’ cabin.” A denser 3-3-3 layout isn’t off the table in future retrofits.
Seattle’s global rise, Honolulu’s quiet decline.
Seattle is fast becoming the West Coast’s premier international gateway. By 2030, Alaska plans to launch 12 long-haul routes from SEA. Seoul and Tokyo are just the beginning—and while that’s exciting in its own right, it comes with no small amount of sadness about Hawaiian.
Meanwhile, once a proud trans-Pacific hub, Honolulu is slowly losing its edge. The latest announcements from Alaska do not mention HNL as a base for international growth. For travelers from the islands, the result looks to be fewer nonstops and more layovers.
As one reader noted, “Honolulu was once poised to be the home of Hawaiian’s Dreamliners. Now it feels like an afterthought.”
Reader voices echo frustration and nostalgia.
This isn’t just about routes. It’s about loyalty, comfort, and identity.
Paul S. shared, “The comfort of two-seat rows on Hawaiian’s A330 widebodies will be hard to replace.” Another wrote, “If my only choice is a 3×3 seat configuration, I’m done with Hawaii. I will go somewhere else.”
Even some travelers’ brand loyalty is eroding. “I dumped Hawaiian Airlines years ago because they were nickel and diming me on everything,” said Matt. “The product was not good.”
These changes are deeply felt by travelers who shaped their routines and expectations around what Hawaii and Hawaiian once offered.
What happens next at Hawaiian/Alaska?
As the two carriers come together towards a single operation this October, Seattle seems poised to get the planes, the routes, the vision—and to some degree, the coveted Hawaiian Dreamliner. Hawaii is losing another long-haul connection, and perhaps something more fundamental: its standing as a true global crossroads. The inevitable momentum doesn’t appear to be in the islands’ favor.
As Hawaiian’s widebodies move north and Seattle’s global ambitions take flight, Hawaii’s role in international travel will hang in the balance. Will the islands ever reclaim their place as a global hub, or is this the beginning of a long fade into a more regional focus?
Let us know your thoughts, because this story is still far from over. What do you think about Hawaii’s shifting role in global travel?
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Well we won’t be flying Hawaiian anymore since 787 is leaving LAX might as well get rid of their credit card too since Alaska took over and is ruining everything. It seems like LAX is much more international than Seattle. Good job Alaska for screwing everything up yet again.
Hawaiian is going to regionalized. It’s already in the pudding.
Seattle to South Korea? Stop over in Hawai’i. 5 + 10 hours flights. At least a day a half to get there. Two days tops. Regular customers?
All of this angst and speculation is so unproductive.
Alaska is far more data and revenue-driven than Hawaiian ever has been. If you live in Hawaii, there will still be nonstop flights to Asia and Oceana. They just might not always be on Hawaiian. To Japan, JAL and ANA offer multiple daily flights. To Korea, KAL and Asiana (soon to merge) each offer a daily flight. PAL offers daily service to Manila. To Oceania, Qantas, Air New Zealand, and Air Fiji all operate service to Honolulu.
Bottom line: Hawaiian was going under. Management was running it into the ground with foolish, costly decisions. Everyone would have been out of a job, pensions would have been lost, it would have been a complete disaster. Alaska has, at least for now, come to the rescue. The future might not look like you expected it, but at least there Is a future.
That same management is still in charge. Fact is, there just isn’t enough business to model around Hawaii alone. As for pensions. A 401k is not a pension. Not by a long shot.
A 401(k) is a tax deferred retirement account. It allows you some control over your fund contributions, while a pension plan does not. Pension plans guarantee a monthly check in retirement while a 401(k) does not offer guarantees. However, 401(k)s are portable, meaning you can roll them over into another account should you change employers one or multiple times.
Hawaii is Not the most welcoming place. The tourists you lose are your own fault. Your love/hate relationship with tourists is becoming well known. There are plenty of other islands in the world. Hawaii is too expensive for the grief…
tourist’s use to be great but now they treat you like garbage!!! But I hope you love Los Angeles and what u get there!!!! And California is cheap rite?
Aloha all~. Find it interesting that everyone has someone to blame. Whether it is Alaska for rescusing Hawaiian, Hawaii political leaders, left woke agenda, the left coast, but maybe the left coast is not that left, Covid, you name it someone mentions it.
It is called the marketplace and it does not stand still, it evolves (know that is tough concept for many) and drives captial to where it can bring in the highest return. Alaska is doing what it needs to do to bring profitability, which is what any successful business does to survive. It can be heart renching and I speak from having gone thru several in my career. It’s not political, it is not left, it is not right, it is reality.
Would be nice to have an intelligent discussion/comments on the subject, but our social media mad world makes that impossible. Try and be repectful to other opinions and stay in the ballpark. Cheers
The end of an era for a once loved Hawaii carrier.
Been there when they started spreading their wings away from the island and recently left as there wings are slowly getting clipped.
At the end of this, Hawaii lost its’ biggest civilian employer, and it loses a lot. Alaska promised a lot with Virgin and it was all smoke and mirrors, same here. The state of Hawaii crushed Hawaiian airlines with their Covid regulations and now have lost their largest employer outside the Federal and State government. Should be of zero surprise to them or anyone. Alaska wanted the widebodies, the fastest way was to buy Hawaiian, promise things and paint a pretty picture to get it done, and then do what they want after that. The flights will be “Alaska flight XXX” the procedures will be Alaska, the only thing will be paint jobs and only because it takes airplanes out of service and a lot of money to repaint airplanes. Make no mistake, It is Alaska Airlines. They bought Hawaiian, bc Hawaiian was crushed by Covid and the draconian lockdown the state imposed that crushed the airline. Blame your elected officials.
Very well said Jay S,
HA has been hemorrhaging money for a long time, and we all know they were headed back to bankruptcy without this buyout from AS. I’m still hopeful that this merger will end up being a positive for everyone given the circumstances. Glad that HA employees still have jobs with benefits. It will perhaps take some time for people who live in Hawaii to realize that this merger with Alaska is a much better outcome than what Hawaiian Airlines was facing with their precarious Financial condition that basically was a dead end situation. As the old saying goes; “a bird in the hand, is better than two in the bush!”
My family and I’ve been travel there from 2,606 miles from Oregon, but 2,701 miles from Washington.
We was flying to Seattle from Portland first, then Honolulu.
Follow the money. The large aircraft make more money flying the Asian routes out of Seattle. Most travelers don’t want to connect through Hawaii.
It doesn’t make sense to fly from Hawaii to Seattle then from Seattle to Tokyo. Just adds hours extra of flight time, layover, and extra cost.
Seems to me they should fly from Seattle to Honolulu then on to Tokyo!
Seattle Airport (Sea Tac) is a nightmare- Zoo!
If one lives on the mainland, flying through Hawaii to get to Japan or Korea is a non-starter. Consider fir a moment that there are already 2 daily nonstops from SEA to HND (DL and ANA) and one to NRT (JAL), even without AS’s entry into the market. It’s similar for SEA-ICN, with DL, KE, Asiana (not sure what happens after the merger with KE), and Air Premia (starting soon) in the nonstop market. If AS/HA were to route via HNL, they simply wouldn’t be competitive.
If you live in Hawaii, then yes, I get paid concerns. I am not sure Japan and Korea service by HA will disappear but market forces will decide that.
Want a nightmare zoo? Go to LAX.
The tone of this very interesting article, along with dome of the comments, is that AS’s moves are somehow going to make Seattle into a global hub. I would like to point out that it is already a global hub, with a lot of foreign carriers offering nonstops to diverse destinations across Europe, Asia, the Middle East and even Oceania. Delta also operates numerous nonstops to Asia, Mexico, and Europe. At present, Alaska is by far the biggest opetator at SEA but most of its flights are domestic. The company tried partnering with DL and later, AA, for international flights out of its SEA hub but DL became a competitor while AA just pulled out of international service from SEA.
Now, AS has a chance to fly its own metal on international long hauls–but Korea and Japan already have lots of competition. It will be interesting to see what happens.
What does this mean for Hawaii? Aircraft will be deployed where they can make the most money. That might mean a widebody return to HI.
Aloha All,
Those in the know have been aware of this transition to Seattle and the 787 from the beginning of the acquisition. Ask the Virgin Air pilots how long it took to “fade away” into the sunset.
Take a deep breath folks, if you are an employee, be grateful you still have a job, health insurance and an opportunity to travel. The alternative was not an option for the stockholders of HAL as bankruptcy and liquidation was imminent.
Enjoy the careers you have earned and when retirement comes, grab it and get out…..LOL
Hi Guys. I think that it’s a real shame that Alaska is changing things 360 degrees around. I know things can’t stay the same forever, but to refocus international travel away from Honolulu seems rather extreme. But then look at HNL airport. Many articles about the wasted money and nowhere to eat. Who wants a stopover like that. So the people in charge of Hawaii have really not done a great job of keeping their islands a great place to visit. So many longtime visitors have given up going there because of the increases in prices on everything.
Actually, that’s good news. If Alaska is going to use the existing 2 787’s on the new Seattle routes, then they are likely to base them in Seattle and use the future ones yet to be delivered on the new routes coming. Alaska did sketch out a timetable for the flights stretched out quite a bit.
In the meantime, HA will hold onto its A330’s for the foreseeable future. There will be seasonal equipment swaps Seattle-Hawaii and Seattle-Alaska, but that’s nothing to worry about .
IMy family and I have been going to the islands a couple of times per year since 1988. In 2010 or 11, I began flying HI Air 1-2 weeks every month for 6 years while I worked on Oahu. Members of our extended ohana travel to the island 10-12 X per year on HI Air. Usually it’s the wide-body 330 with its 2-4-2 seating configuration. It appears that Alaska is taking many of the features that made the flight from LAX a true aloha experience and moving them elsewhere.
It’s truly a shame since flying HI Air gave one an early start to the”Aloha Experience.” I guess it’s time to begin looking for another airline that focuses on it’s customers and not “rob” what loyal clients have enjoyed all of these years
I like the lay flat seats on the trip to Hawaii. We go twice a year and need the sleep at 80+. I hope another airline picks up this rout with a widebody.
I’m very happy with the new Finnair direct flights to Helsinki from Seattle. Now I only have one layover when I go visit my family in the EU.
If routes like HNL–Seoul quietly disappear, we’re going to wake up one day and realize Hawaii isn’t in any way a global player anymore. That is be a real loss.
Oh, that ship has already sailed.
If you consider the life of a 787, the population of Japan, it is already falling. Tourism from Japan is never coming back to what it was pre-pandemic. The yen will remain weak because the Japanese economy is stagnant, at best. In the meantime other, closer destinations in Asia haven’t stood still. They are cultivating a new customer base from Japan, China, and South Korea.
A Hyatt on a tropical beach is pretty much the same wherever you do, especially if you like to stay in the hotel complex or just go on a guided tour.
The population of South Korea is now growing at below replacement level. During the 20+ year lifetime of a 787, it will become like Japan’s and start to shrink.
There is absolutely nothing looking in the long term that looks good for Hawaii. Neither geography, global competition, the cost of doing any kind of business in the state, nor certainly the business and political climate.
I’ve flown those Dreamliners before—amazing comfort and no comparison with A330. It’s disappointing they’re skipping Hawaii when that’s where they were meant to shine. But on the other hand, what else could have happened. Hawaiian was circling the drain when Alaska stepped forward .
It feels like the soul of Hawaii’s skies is being chipped away piece by piece. Watching Seattle rise while Honolulu fades is just emotionally tough to accept for some of us.
I think Hawaii’s geography and small population (the Seattle-Tacoma-Everett metro area has about 3 times the population of the whole state of Hawaii) work against it. Hawaii is off the coast of Mexico, a long distance south of the US mainland west coast. Yes, it’s quite a distance west and has figured prominently in TPAC flying historically. However, with modern planes capable of flying very long distances nonstop, it doesn’t make sense to fly to places like Tokyo and Seoul with a stop in Hawaii anymore. That means the demand for Hawaii flights will be driven increasingly by O&D travel and less by connecting traffic. For East Asia visitors, Hawaii will need to offer value–and will be dependent on currency exchange rates.
Why are you guys “surprised?” I knew from day one Alaska was going to gut Hawaiian. They don’t care about the brand or the Islands, they just wanted the planes and technical knowledge of long haul flying. Planning on take my last trip on Hawaiian in October before the brand we know and love is gone for good.
Thanks for keeping us updated. Over the 50+ years flying to Hawaii, you can see the changes happening. Jets of the prior era didn’t have the range and so Honolulu was a necessity. I remember being at Honolulu in the middle of the night with a whole lot of international airplanes hanging out coming and going. Now Hawaii has become more of an origin and destination market and less of an international jump off point. It is all about revenue for the carriers, and those multimillion dollar assets need to be deployed where they can make that revenue. I think you also have to balance the fact that Hawaii travel capacity is at saturation. So if you can make more money flying your widebody assets elsewhere, you will deploy more efficient narrow bodies to mature markets.
Hawaii’s once importance is fast approaching an embarrassing demise. With the control of Hawaiian to Alaska and the really sad condition of Daniel K. Inouye International Airport, why would anyone want to stop here? Hawaii’s loss is SEA’s gain. Alaska will utilize the widebody planes more efficiently and financially responsible. The widebodies in Hawaii was nice while it lasted.
Unfortunately losing some (probably never all, or even most) widebodies in the islands on HA/AS, is the price paid for having a historically badly run airline, financially speaking. I would venture to say most would rather keep what remains of HA, than have the airline habitually in bankruptcy courts, and eventually completely sold off.
Another example of corporate greed and deceit. Alaska did not buy Hawaiian to just expand their company. They bought them to rape their larger new Dreamliner planes and take advantage of all their aircraft for Mainland routes to international locations………….
I know it’s the same company now but it’s obvious they were after volume flights and planes for big profits over considering the Hawaiian market as well…. …
Read their intro when buying Hawaiian. All fluff and talk…….
They are already showing that was all marketing BS.
No concern for the Hawaiian people and their history and the Hawaiian Island market.
This always happens.
Let’s see if they start screwing with inter Island flights too and raise prices.
Never trust mergers for the Airline being merged.
If they change the Hawaiian culture of service and become like Alaskan. They will lose my business.
And we don’t want just 3-3 seating planes on Hawaiian flights to mainland or Japan
Alaska Airlines could have bought a lot of 787’s on a better delivery time table for the $1.9 billion and the assumption of the operations of an airline that has lost a billion dollars since 2019 if rape was all they were thinking of .
It sure seems like this is the beginning of fade to HNL being more of a regional hub for the combined AS/HA airline post merger. Not so sure it will be a gradual fade either. Once the new operating certificate is finalized, I wouldn’t be surprised to see specific efforts to establish Sea/Tac as the predominant international hub for the airline. Company executives probably see SEA as a stronger bet to aggressively compete with AA, DL, and UA in the Asia/Pacific market, leaving HNL with a more limited regional route network. (Taihiti/Micronesia/possibly Australia/Phillipines)
Sadly only time will tell.
Really interesting topic, thank you !
With the ongoing merger, we’ve always wondered about how much the AS upper mgt would basically “mess with” Hawaiian’s
schedule,fleet, staff etc.
The boardroom in Seattle doesn’t seem to get it, that most people want that Hawaiian experience and that seemingly everything is that Hawaii is now becoming the “little brother”
Obviously grateful that AS saved HA but worried that the local identity is being diminished.
Safe travels
Take good care
Aloha
If Alaska does not offer the Dreamliner out of Honolulu to Los Angeles as it currently does or did, United is my new ride or Delta. I fly first class (no points) and I will not pay crazy prices for a cheaper plane ride provided by Alaska/Hawaii merger adjustments. I have over 500,000 miles on Hawaiian so I’ve been a loyal client but feel Alaska management as no idea the local traveler market. Bye Bye.
June 2nd
LAX-HNL
787
Hate to tell you this, but Hawaii did this to themselves with their politics, unwelcome attitude, and exorbitant fees to fund the left leaning ideologies. I haven’t been back to Hawaii since Covid because the policies were so discriminatory. Until the politics and attitude changes, we have and will be traveling other places.
It’s all on One-Party Rule and ‘The Politically Left Coast’, Alaska bought Hawaiian for the Equipment, the State has been mis-managed for years, ditto the Tourist Industry, Governor Ige has the States Un-employment over $500M upside down, then he took County Tax Receipts from Hotels for the States General Fund, not enough, his draconian Covid Policies killed Tourism, drove up Unemployment in First Responders, Hospital and Police, while the Service Industry was kept on PPP Funds into 2023! In 2019, the Nuclear Attack Warning went off in Waikiki, where there are no facilities, total chaos, Senator Hirono blamed the USN, it was a City/State employee who didn’t follow protocols. Now, a Utility CEO in Maui who over saw the Fire in Lahaina, gets a big Pay increase. Insanity of One-Party Rule, bur lines up with the Radicals in Washington, Oregon and California!
Have you ever been to Washington, Oregon, or California? If you had, you would realize that there is no such thing as a solidly red or blue state. Politics have nothing at all to do with the issue being discussed here–it is about the business of travel, particularly to/from/through Hawaii. If you think the West Coast is radical, you haven’t been paying attention to the power hungry federal administration currently in charge. Founding Fathers are turning in their graves.
Aloha Randy R.
You are so very correct regarding one party rule in the “left coast” states and Hawaii. Its interesting to see that one party rule in states of the opposite party are growing in population and economic development at a rapid rate. I wonder why that is???
I share Paul’s thought. If Hawaiian took out the 2-4-2 and replaced it with a 3-3-3 configuration, it would be game over for our regular SEA-HNL-SYD route.
Hi, Angus–I am curious if you would continue to fly SEA-HNL-SYD if a nonstop SEA-SYD route were available. HNL is definitely a nice stop along the way if you have to stop somewhere but what happens when you don’t have to stop? I think that’s HNL’s problem: newer planes with longer nonstop ranges make stopovers obsolete. At that point, air service comes down to O&D traffic. Since Hawaii’s population is so small, that really comes down to enticing tourists to what has become a very expensive destination.
Given the complaining on BoH about the HNL airport (and the vastly superior amenities at SEA) this isn’t surprising in the least. It has nothing to do with the merger and everything to do with the better condition of SEA. As much as I sound like a lover of SEA, please note that I fly out of PDX, rather than SEA, as much as possible.
Has anyone thought that the airlines move from HLA might have something to with the HLA’s negligence in building a quality focused infrastructure and runway?