In early December 2023, Alaska Airlinesannounced it would acquire Hawaiian Airlines. The two airlines, frequently mistaken for being owned by the same company by those outside the aviation industry, had never combined forces before. Despite the announcement of the deal, the two airlines knew that the deal would need to be approved by the United States government.
Fast-forward to last month, Alaska Airlines announced that it had reached a deal with the United States Department of Transportation (USDOT) and that the merger would go through. In August, the Department of Justice (DOJ) chose not to block the deal, paving the way for negotiations with the DOT. The two airlines agreed that key routes from Hawaiian Airlines’ network will be kept, and also agreed to other consumer protection measures.
Photo: Ian Dewar Photography | Shutterstock
The merger has brought up many questions for passengers and the airlines have set up a page with the most frequently asked questions. Let’s take a look at some of them below.
5 How will the two brands be integrated?
Alaska Airlines has made it clear that the two brand identities will remain. There are doubts about this, but most people hope this remains true. The integration process is still in its infant stages, and the airlines are still discussing details.
“…but what we know for sure is that there is great respect and admiration for the Hawaiian Airlines brand, and routes to, from and within the Islands will continue to have a guest-facing experience that retains Hawaiian Airlines branding.”
The two airlines will combine their loyalty programs despite operating under separate brands.
4 Does this affect my Mileage Plan or HawaiianMiles account?
For now, things will remain the same until the transaction is finalized. When the merger does go through, the two loyalty programs will be combined into the Alaska Airlines Mileage Plan program. According to Alaska, all HawaiianMiles balances will be merged into the new program.
Passengers with Pualani Elite status on Hawaiian will see their status transferred over to the new program.
“Once the combination is complete, Hawaiian Airlines’ existing customers will enjoy the benefits of the industry’s highest-value customer loyalty program, earning and redeeming miles and receiving elite benefits on the full complement of
one
world Alliance airlines, expanded global lounge access and the combined program’s credit card(s).”
3 What does the future of the fleet look like?
Those familiar with Alaska’s operations will know that the company just recently became a sole-Boeing operator. Horizon Air, which only operates Embraer aircraft, is a subsidiary and operates separately. After retiring the last of the Virgin America aircraft, Alaska now only operates Boeing 737s.
Photo: Alaska Airlines
This will change with the merger. Hawaiian Airlines has a mixed fleet of Airbus and Boeing aircraft. The Hawaiian carrier operates the Airbus A321neo, Airbus A321, Airbus A330, Boeing 717, and most recently, the Boeing 787.
According to data from December 2023, Alaska Airlines’ fleet comprised:
Aircraft type
Number in fleet
Number on order
Average age (in years)
Boeing 737-700
11
23.7
Boeing 737-800
59
15.7
Boeing 737-900
12
21.7
Boeing 737-900ER
79
7.9
Boeing 737-9
63
24
1.7
Boeing 737-700(BDSF)
3
22.9
Boeing 737-800(BCF)
1
16.3
Boeing 737-8
10
Boeing 737-10
48
Since December, Alaska Airlines has added several aircraft to its fleet, including the first Boeing 737 MAX 8.
Photo: christopheronglv | Shutterstock
The Hawaiian Airlines fleet was broken down by:
Aircraft type
Number in fleet
Number on order
Average age (in years)
Boeing 717
19
21.9
Airbus A330-200
24
10.5
Airbus A330-200 (P2F)
1
5.1
Airbus A321neo
18
5
Boeing 787-9
12
Since this data was compiled, Hawaiian has commenced service with its Boeing 787 Dreamliners, deploying them to cities like San Francisco, Los Angeles, and Phoenix
2 What does this mean for employees?
Until the deal is finalized, the two airlines will continue to operate independently. Once the merger goes through, Alaska will increase the number of jobs represented by the labor unions in Hawai’i. According to Alaska, it will maintain a strong employee base in Hawai‘i, and preserve pilot, flight attendant and maintenance technician bases in Honolulu in addition to a strong operations presence with local leadership and a local regional headquarters to support the larger network.
1 What are the best parts of the deal for passengers?
Alaska has broken down the benefits into four main points:
More destinations Increased product and fare choice Increased loyalty program benefits Expanded service for Hawai’i
With the two airlines joining forces, not only do passengers from each airline gain access to the other airlines’ network, but, Hawaiian Airlines will be joining the oneworld Alliance. This will open up the world to passengers (pun intended).
By combining the two airlines, Alaska will be able to expand high-quality, best-in-class product offerings with price points to make air travel accessible to a wide range of consumers. This includes Alaska’s high-value, low-fare options and Hawaiian’s long-haul product that competes with other airlines.
Photo: Hawaiian Airlines
By combining the two loyalty programs, Hawaiian Airlines passengers will now be able to earn and redeem miles on 30 airlines partnered with Alaska Airlines. Additionally, passengers will be able to earn benefits on all the alliance’s airlines.
With the combination of the two airlines’ networks, passengers in Hawai’i will have access to more destinations throughout the United States. According to Alaska Airlines, the number of destinations throughout North America that will be reached nonstop or through one stop will triple.
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Publish date : 2024-10-05 13:00:00
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