These Airlines Furious With Hawaiian/Alaska Just Sent A Message

The Hawaiian/Alaska deal hasn’t just drawn headlines—it’s drawn fire. While the combined airline touts a stronger, united front, more so every day, competitors are already pushing back. And fast.

Hawaiian/Alaska’s recent move to enter the Seattle–Seoul market with Hawaiian’s coveted flagship Dreamliner was a clear provocation. It’s a route that has been Delta’s exclusive U.S. airline domain. That’s in part where things started heating up. But they didn’t stop there.

With winter 2025–2026 schedules now firming up, Delta and American Airlines are responding with aggressive Hawaii expansions. From new routes and upgraded aircraft to strategic timing that hits just as the merger partners navigate regulatory and operational hurdles, the message is unmistakable: this isn’t business as usual. This is a direct response.

We are also awaiting United’s next word, and we expect it to be similar to American and Delta’s “keep the focus on Hawaii” plans. Southwest, seemingly completely occupied with its own fast-evolving situation, may well sit on the sidelines or even continue to step away from more Hawaii flights.

Delta expands in Hawaii while others scale back.

Delta’s latest Hawaii schedule stands in sharp contrast to recent pullbacks by other airlines. Its new moves include:

• A new nonstop route from Salt Lake City to Kona starting December 18.
• Expanded service between Salt Lake City and Maui, ramping up to twice daily.
• A second daily flight from Atlanta to Honolulu during the holiday peak.
• Widebody aircraft upgrades are on the Minneapolis to Honolulu route from November through March.

While only the Kona route is brand new, all of these additions are strategically packed into a narrow holiday window. Most run for just weeks, making them costly, calculated, and clearly timed to put pressure on Hawaiian/Alaska. Delta is moving on multiple fronts.

A calculated move in Hawaiian skies.

Delta has long served Hawaii, but this push feels somehow different. It’s targeted, and it’s aimed squarely at Hawaiian/Alaska. The newly merged carrier remains tied up in integration logistics, with a single operating certificate not expected until this October.

Delta enters routes competing with Hawaiian’s still relatively new SLC flights by bolstering Salt Lake City service to Kona and Maui. These aren’t opportunistic adds—they’re preemptive strikes. With no merger distractions of its own, Delta can act fast. And clearly, it just did.

This is about premium travelers and loyalty.

Delta’s not chasing the lowest fare. It’s going after high-value leisure travelers—the same ones Alaska hopes to draw into its newly merged empire. Many of these expanded flights will use widebody aircraft like the Boeing 767-300ER and Airbus A330, offering lie-flat seats and upgraded cabins.

On the new Seattle to Seoul route, where Delta and Hawaiian/Alaska now go head-to-head, Delta is fielding its flagship A350-900. Meanwhile, back at Hawaiian/Alaska, a less popular single-aisle A321neo is used for Salt Lake City to Hawaii flights.

At the same time, loyalty is in play. HawaiianMiles and Alaska’s Mileage Plan are both in transition, just like the broader brand itself. Delta’s SkyMiles program—while not without significant controversy—offers consistency. That’s appealing to travelers wary of what’s next under the newly merged airline.

American joins the fray.

Delta isn’t alone. American Airlines, even while a while a Oneworld member as is Alaska, has now entered the conversation with new Hawaii moves of its own. Starting November 20, daily service from Dallas-Fort Worth will resume to Kona, and a second daily flight will be added to Maui’s Kahului Airport. That brings American’s winter schedule to more than 15 daily mainland–Hawaii departures.

This is also not just a network tweak. It’s a signal. Alongside expanding international service to South America and Europe, American added capacity for Hawaii, showing it’s not stepping back while Hawaiian/Alaska grows stronger. American is stepping in.

In the airline’s words: “American’s schedule is designed for travelers to get away to sun, sand, and more next winter.” But behind the sun-and-sand marketing is a sharper edge that positions American squarely in the rising Hawaii turf battle.

A reader’s perspective on what’s going on.

When we covered this expansion in New Hawaii Flights Take Off While Others Fade Suddenly, readers quickly picked up on the timing. Tom S., wrote, “Seems like someone’s marking territory before the merger finishes. I’ll take more options, but let’s not pretend this is a coincidence.”

Another commenter, Cheryl M., added, “Hawaii always gets pulled into these airline games. As long as we get good flights and don’t lose service, I’m fine. But the timing here? Super obvious.”

That sentiment is shared widely: Hawaii is once again the center of an airline showdown, and passengers are caught in the middle.

What this means for Hawaii travelers.

In the short term, travelers might see benefits. More flights bring more availability and, possibly, some relief on peak fares ahead. Premium cabins on widebody aircraft improve the in-flight experience for high-rollers, especially over long distances. And added service to airports like Kona and Maui means more neighbor island flight flexibility.

But most of these routes are temporary. They’re timed for holiday demand and drop off quickly in early January. Travelers should enjoy the boost while it lasts—but not count on it long term. The next moves from Delta and American remain to be seen.

The flash deployment hints at a test. Delta and American may be gauging how much pressure they can apply—and how Hawaiian/Alaska might respond.

A battle decades in the making.

Hawaii’s skies have long attracted fierce competition. But the Hawaiian/Alaska merger turned up the heat. Delta’s strategies out of Salt Lake City and Atlanta—and now American’s push from Dallas—are just the beginning. The message from legacy carriers is clear: we’re not stepping aside.

This isn’t about routine seasonal shifts. It’s about influence. And Hawaii, as ever, is caught right in the middle.

The pressure is only building.

Delta and American have effectively dared Hawaiian/Alaska to answer with this expansion. And if the merged airline does respond, expect more counter-moves like we predict:

Shifting aircraft to match widebody competition.
New route announcements timed for maximum visibility.
Faster loyalty program alignment to retain frequent flyers.
Intensifying fare competition on contested routes like SEA, ATL, and LAX.

Delta is using the holidays as a flashpoint. American is boosting its presence with a broader global strategy that includes Hawaii. Both act now, before Hawaiian/Alaska finishes integrating systems, fleets, and customer touchpoints.

A final word on where this is headed.

Hawaiian and Alaska joined forces to build a more resilient airline, but they’ve also awakened rivals. Delta and American aren’t waiting to see how it plays out—they’re already responding. Hawaii travelers are watching it unfold in real time.

The skies over Hawaii are becoming more crowded and competitive. While short—term gains may benefit travelers, the real fight is just beginning.

What do you think about how airlines are reacting to Hawaiian/Alaska? Share your thoughts as the shake-up continues.