Perks Vanish, Fees Climb, Spin Flies: Is Flying Hawaiian Still Special?

It didn’t take long. Just months into the final Hawaiian–Alaska integration push, cracks are already showing for travelers. Once-cherished perks and unique experiences on Hawaiian flights are vanishing, replaced by creeping fees, convoluted routes, and a growing sense of downgrade. Beat of Hawaii readers are speaking out in droves, sharing frustrations about devalued loyalty programs, narrow-body planes, and especially a loss of the uniquely Hawaiian touch that once set the airline apart. The question is whether flying Hawaiian still that unique and special experience that so many Hawaii travelers have loved for so long and that even BOH editors have commented on previously.

In today’s post, Hawaiian Airlines joins the discussion as well, with its insight into the Hawaiian fleet and network.

Ernie D. captured the passenger sentiment: “Narrowbody planes and fewer perks feel like another downgrade masked as progress.” For those who depend on affordable, comfortable flights to return home or visit family, the shift is more than inconvenient—it feels personal.

Hawaiian flyers face new hurdles.

Bay Area travelers like Georj are feeling the pinch. The once-valuable companion fare perk has lost much of its usefulness with Alaska no longer flying nonstop to Maui. “All companion flights have to be only on Alaska, with no portion on Hawaiian,” she said. That now means routing through Seattle, Portland, Los Angeles, or San Diego to reach Maui, adding hours and fees to what were once simple nonstop trips.

Elaine R., an Alaska MVP member based on Maui, added that her elite status no longer applies on Hawaiian-operated flights. “No MVP seats, no free 2 bags, no free upgrades, and no earning points towards this year’s MVP. What a waste of my past 4 years flying only Alaska for MVP status.”

Long-haul comfort and perks take hits.

Don C. recently flew from Honolulu to Sydney and truly appreciated Hawaiian’s new Starlink service for free WiFi onboard. But he was shocked to discover that a second checked bag—once included on international flights—now costs $100, even after paying $189 for an Extra Comfort seat. “Looks like Alaska is tightening the screws on Hawaii passengers,” he said.

Before Don C. could even finish, Juzza from New Zealand added, “Yep, this kiwi found that out last December. Used to be 2 x 30kg bags (free), now just 1 x 23kg bag! Not much room for our Ross’s haul lol. We normally go once a year, but the prices are getting silly for everything.”

Denise put it bluntly: “Losing widebody service is a huge downgrade. Sitting in a cramped 737 for five or six hours to Hawaii isn’t the same.”

Glenna, an Alaska Air loyalist, now chooses Hawaiian to avoid the narrow-body experience. “We have flown Alaska almost exclusively for 25+ years. Recently, we are flying Hawaiian to avoid the Alaska 737.”

Travelers like Chris miss something more. “There’s something irreplaceable about that larger aircraft experience,” he said. “It reminded you that you were flying to the Islands.”

Corporate spin and Hawaii flyer reality collide.

BOH received a message from the executive offices at the combined airline attempting to reassure us. The message said the airline is “committed to growing Hawaiian Airlines domestic and international service in Hawaii and Honolulu.” Still, it also acknowledged that Honolulu is now only its second-largest hub after Seattle.

“As you know, thanks to our employees and product, Hawaiian’s brand provides guests visiting Hawai’i a uniquely Hawaiian experience and gives us an edge over competitors, and Hawaiian’s widebody flights connecting Hawai’i with Asia, Oceania and destinations across the Pacific remains a critical piece of our strategy.” –Hawaiian Airlines.

The message also emphasized the expansion of narrow-body A321neo flying by more than 15%, promised future upgrades to the A330 interiors that we already knew and reported on nearly four months ago, and noted that new Boeing 787s will serve “markets with high premium demand” as we’ve long stated. For many travelers, those “markets” doesn’t sound like Honolulu. Hawaiian assured us it will be. The overall tone struck BOH as overly optimistic, especially when set against readers’ lived experiences.

A shift in identity is underway.

Actions clearly speak louder than emails. Hawaiian’s widebody A330s are now used to serve Alaska’s international growth, as we recently reported in Next Stop: Hawaiian A330 Widebodies Fly to Alaska. Meanwhile, Hawaiian’s new Dreamliners are being positioned to service Europe from the mainland, rather than Hawaii, as seen in Hawaiian Dreamliners: Sights Set on Europe 2026 Launch.

Hawaiian has also ended its long-running Premier Club membership, removing a once-affordable option for lounge access and priority perks. A new premium lounge is coming to Honolulu Airport in 2027, but until then, many frequent flyers are left without a replacement.

These reflect a broader shift in Hawaii’s role within the airline industry—from a standalone global destination with its own unique long-haul identity to a feeder market largely supporting Alaska’s West Coast ambitions.

A downgrade in experience?

For many, the most painful part isn’t just what’s changed—it’s what’s been lost. Hawaiian’s A330 has long featured a 2-4-2 layout in economy, ideal for couples and families.

Malia wrote, “If I wanted to feel squeezed in a middle seat, I’d just book with United or American.” Then added, “That’s a pretty big downgrade from flying the A330’s 2 across for the past ten years. Hawaiian forgot about us in the back.”

Don’s $100 checked bag fee for a second bag struck many as emblematic of the new direction: more fees, fewer perks, and a fading commitment to the comfort Hawaiian once prioritized. Chris warned that if these changes continue, “It’s going to feel like flying to Hawaii is just another domestic route instead of the special journey it’s always been.”

Travel costs climb as direct flights disappear.

Dennis noticed another pattern: flights that once went nonstop now require connections, at double the cost. Now it’s SAN to HNL to OGG. Result: you have to pay for two flights instead of one. Unless you can get a flight on the sardine cans Alaska will be using.” He added, “It makes you wonder why visitors from the mainland are a little cranky by the time they arrive in paradise.”

Travelers see these changes for what they are: a slow unraveling of much of what made flying to Hawaii feel different, and a corporate shift toward efficiency over experience.

Loyalty tested.

As reported in Hawaiian Widebodies Gutted, Moved for Alaska’s Bold Global Vision, the fleet shuffle is only the beginning. If Dreamliners and A330s are increasingly diverted to long-haul routes far from the Islands, Hawaii travelers may well be left with narrow-body jets, fewer routes, and a diminished sense of comfort.

Hawaii isn’t just a place—it’s a feeling. Flyers have long relied on Hawaiian Airlines to deliver that sense of aloha from the moment they board. And what the Pualani means to them. As perks vanish, routes change, and the experience grows more generically Alaskan, travelers are asking if that spirit is being left behind. Reader and Hawaii resident Shyanne said, “Truthfully I do not fly Hawaiian since it’s been sold to Alaska. I now fly on Southwest. Alaska is deteriorating the Pualani brand. Pualani, unlike Chester on Alaska is a real person not a deity. “

When the Hawaiian/Alaska deal was first announced BOH said, “When we find ourselves in Sydney or at JFK, for example, and we see the Pualani on the Hawaiian tail, it evokes a feeling of comfort and home.”

The stakes now couldn’t be higher for an airline that has long embodied Hawaii’s iconic identity.

Let us know what you’re seeing out there. Are you feeling the merger’s impact already? What’s changed for you on Hawaiian flights lately?