We had high hopes for the new Hawaiian Airlines reservation system. But what’s happened thus far is disappointing at best.
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42 thoughts on “Ongoing Saga: Hawaiian Airlines’ Reservation System, Website, App Challenges”
We had high hopes for the new Hawaiian Airlines reservation system. But what’s happened thus far is disappointing at best.
It’s a shame that Hawaiian seems to have abandoned its IT upgrade in its present, crippled state. Love the flight crews on Hawaiian. But the back office is a complete dumpster fire. Management seems to view its customers, including Pualani Gold and Platinum members, with utter contempt. They just don’t care.
On Nov. 28th our flight, #34 from OGG – LAX, had been cancelled. We were only about 10 minutes from the airport, being dropped off by our son. We were rebooked on a special flight, 1034, a few hours later. We almost always fly the A330 with extra comfort and I pay a premium for the exit row. The flight back to LA had us in row 46, the last row of 2 seats on the A321. When I checked in I asked the ticket agent about a refund. I was informed that I would have to call HA Customer Service. When I called I was handled rather rudely and told that refund requests had to be made online. When I asked the CS agent what part of the website, he simply said “Online” and hung up. Maybe he knew some big change was about to happen?
So now what??? I have had 50000 bonus points which I acquired about 6 years ago but still have not used. What becomes of my rewards now?
I am not happy as I loved Hawaiian airlines. Their flights, their food, etc. Alaska Airlines???? That is nowhere Hawaii.
I’ve been very impressed by Southwest’s reservation system too. Book on the wrong day? Easy correction in app or online. Need an earlier flight? Do it yourself.
Need to cancel a flight? Easy and credits don’t expire.
While I can’t always take them, they do get more of my business today than 5 years ago.
100% Frustration ! The App freezes; does not save info; basically, just does not function 99% of the time. The App and website Do Not link up which is equally frustrating ! Try to “check-in” to your flight…yeah, you will get a frozen App, a website that does not load, and if you are, by a miracle able to “check-in” to the flight through the website, the App will not update to that. On top of this test of wills…Hawaiian will randomly move your seats if you buy “Economy” tickets! This has happened my last 4 flights ! I checked in @24 hours (using glitchy app/website) and they still moved me! So, I tried to switch seats one hour before flight, and was able to get something decent; which I already had Before they switched me-Ugh !
I’m flying Hawaiian to LAS from HNL in May. Hopefully that res will still be there! Maybe this merger will result in a Hawaiian long haul non stop from ATL or DFW maybe even IAH. Just One of them Ima Beggin Ya! 😀
Best Regards
“The combined Alaska/Hawaiian will be based in Seattle.”- BOH
This is a buyout not a merger.
Priority will go to Alaska employees while Hawaiian employees will be gone.
Green, Bissen, and Pelletier have not testified about the Lahaina fire deaths and now HA is doomed. Time for answers and accountability.
Our biggest problem with the system for our last trip, which we completed yesterday, was that every time we had a time change, and there were several, the system also rearranged our seat assignments. In one instance it put our 15 year old grandson in row 33, instead of the extra comfort seat we booked in row 14 with the rest of us. This happened for both outgoing and return, and required several phone calls to fix.
IMO, BOH’s article that just came out today regarding Alaska Airlines’ acquisition of Hawaiian Airlines is probably the best thing that could happen to HA. May Alaska be able to fix some of HA’s issues that HA hasn’t been able to. I’m fortunate that I can fly out of Phoenix directly to Honolulu on HA, but, after reading about all the issues that have cropped up since I last visited in 2017, I’ve been nearly ready to take on extra hours and make that extra stopover in Seattle just so I could fly Alaska.
If Alaska can take over HA’s Phoenix slot, that would a positive IMO.
It depends on what, if anything, Alaska will end up keeping from Hawaiian. If anything. (Remember how quickly Virgin America disappeared.) This might be remembered in aviation history as a sad day for Hawaii based aviation. I am not saying this lightly, as I used to be a weekly frequent flyer of both brands and really liked both, but for very different reasons. Alaska simply doesn‘t have a good track record in brand preservation.
Alaska’s message announcing the “merger” (it’s really an acquisition) says that they will keep the Hawaiian brand. We will see how long that lasts. I’m pretty sure that many of Hawaiian’s routes, on the other hand, will remain since I think that’s one of the things that Alaska was after in the first place.
Most recently the HA website kept saying I booked through a foreign country so it wouldn’t let me view my reservation. Numerous calls got no results. It’s like HA has just given up pending the merger. If approved, HA as we once knew it will be gone, along with Hawaiian jobs and Aloha.
In October of 2023 I had reservations on Hawaiian Airlines for a flight to Maui September 8 but due to the fire (my timeshares are in Kaanapali) I was not able to stay at my resort. I contacted reservations and said I needed to cancel my reservation due to the fire. The agent said they could cancel but could not refund money. They gave me a two month window to rebook, but as the resort is was closed I could not make new reservation in that window. Am I out of luck or is there something I still do to get money back. With the timeshares I go every year.
Hi Richard.
Ticket validity should be one year from the date of purchase.
Aloha.