Hawaiian Airlines to Join Oneworld Alliance

Hawaiian Airlines Airbus A330-200
A Hawaiian Airlines A330. Photo: Hawaiian Airlines.

Hawaiian Airlines has announced that it will merge with Alaska Airlines, a Oneworld member based in Seattle.

As part of this merger, Hawaiian Airlines and Alaska Airlines will retain separate brand identities. However, in good news for frequent flyers, Hawaiian Airlines and Alaska Airlines will share a combined loyalty program – most likely the existing Alaska Airlines Mileage Plan program, or a variation of that. Hawaiian Airlines also intends to join the Oneworld alliance.

This is what Alaska Airlines said about the increased loyalty program benefits coming:

The transaction will connect Hawaiian Airlines’ loyalty members with enhanced benefits through an industry-leading loyalty program for the combined airline, including the ability to earn and redeem miles on 29 global partners and receive elite benefits on the full complement of oneworld Alliance airlines, expanded global lounge access and benefits of the combined program’s co-brand credit card.

Alaska Airlines joined the Oneworld alliance in 2021. Hawaiian Airlines would become the third US airline to be part of the alliance, along with Alaska and founding member American Airlines.

This arrangement could work similarly to the relationship between Air France and KLM. Both airlines merged to become part of the Air France-KLM Group, are both part of the SkyTeam alliance and share the same loyalty program, Flying Blue. But both airlines have retained separate brand identities and continue to be run as independent (but complementary) airlines.

What could this all mean for frequent flyers?

For HawaiianMiles members, this is epic news. Hawaiian Airlines will continue to serve the destinations it currently does, but HawaiianMiles members will soon receive reciprocal loyalty benefits on way more airlines than they currently do.

In its current form, HawaiianMiles is a fairly niche loyalty program. But it is still useful to Australians because you can transfer points from Amex Membership Rewards into HawaiianMiles and redeem for almost any seat on any Hawaiian Airlines flight.

When Hawaiian Airlines joins Oneworld, you’ll also be able to earn and redeem Qantas points for Hawaiian Airlines flights. However, on the downside, this could result in much greater competition for Hawaiian Airlines award seats – reducing award availability overall.

Qantas and Oneworld frequent flyers would also receive reciprocal Oneworld Ruby, Sapphire and Emerald loyalty benefits on Hawaiian Airlines.

It’s not yet clear whether Velocity Frequent Flyer would retain its partnership with Hawaiian Airlines, but it is possible. It would not be unprecedented for an overseas airline to partner with both Qantas and Virgin Australia, as Qatar Airways does (and Airberlin did in the past).

What happens next?

The boards of both Alaska Airlines and Hawaiian Airlines have approved the merger. However, Hawaiian Airlines shareholders still need to vote on this.

As shareholders are being offered a generous sale price, this is unlikely to be a major roadblock. But the merger also requires US government approval – something that could be significantly harder to get. There is every possibility that the merger will be approved, however US competition regulators have shown reluctance to approve airline mergers in recent years if they believe they could substantially reduce competition.

The airlines expect the merger process to take around 12-18 months. In the meantime, it’s still business as usual for both airlines and their loyalty programs.

Alaska Airlines is merging with Hawaiian Airlines
Alaska Airlines is merging with Hawaiian Airlines. Photo: Alaska Airlines.

Alaska Airlines already merged with Virgin America

Alaska Airlines merged with Virgin America during the last decade. That merger was different because the Virgin America brand was absorbed into Alaska Airlines. Virgin America no longer exists as a separate airline.

The editor of Australian Frequent Flyer, Matt's passion for travel has taken him to over 90 countries… with the help of frequent flyer points, of course!
Matt's favourite destinations (so far) are Germany, Brazil & Kazakhstan. His interests include economics, aviation & foreign languages, and he has a soft spot for good food and red wine.

You can connect with Matt by posting on the Australian Frequent Flyer community forum and tagging @AFF Editor.
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I have flow both, definitely good news for one world. Another way to get to the US.

Reply 2 Likes

Having HA in Oneworld might make QF reconsider that direct flight into Seattle option more seriously now.

Reply 5 Likes

Huge news. Will be interesting to see what it does with competition on Transpac routes. Hope HA/AS doesn't withdraw capacity from Australia and basically cede everything to their OW partner (a la AA & QF). Airfares to Hawaii are already egregious.

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This is huge news.

As for QF, they already have somewhat friendly relations with HA, QF sells HA domestic flights (within Hawaii)

Actually I think a MEL/BNE-HNL service on QF is a bit more likely now if QF & HA are allowed to codeshare (granted, that's a big if).

Regardless, it means you can book award SYD-HNL and revenue HNL-CONUS (or vice versa) and QF will through check, once they are in oneworld.

Oneworld has definitely become the dominate alliance in the US.

Reply 3 Likes

Wow - I wonder if this might be the beginning of the end for QF's rather 'aspirational' J fares on SYD<>HNL :P

Reply 2 Likes

I think it's almost certain HA will dump VA; the HA loyalty system is being disbanded and will merge with AS - which is already a partner of QF.

Even if they do an arms length codeshare agreement (like QF & NZ) that doesn't require regulatory authorisation.

I'm tipping it won't be long until the CONUS routes are rebranded to Alaska, leaving HA for inter-island and international out of HNL. I wouldn't even rule out the SYD service rebranding as AS to encourage Aussies to use them to fly to the mainland - a good option for west coast destinations.

Huge news. Will be interesting to see what it does with competition on Transpac routes. Hope HA/AS doesn't withdraw capacity from Australia and basically cede everything to their OW partner (a la AA & QF). Airfares to Hawaii are already egregious.

I actually think the Y fares to HNL are very cheap - the J fares are extortionate (which is odd for a leisure destination).

HA already withdrew from BNE & AKL so not much capacity left to withdraw.

Reply 1 Like

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Great news, but I can’t see anything much changing from Australian departure point of view, except for perhaps better connections on the US West Coast.

It will be very interesting how the VA relationship with HA pans out. If Alaska are maintaining the brands as they say, it hopefully won’t change.

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I actually think the Y fares to HNL are very cheap - the J fares are extortionate (which is odd for a leisure destination).

What is Y? Never heard of it.

Post automatically merged:

HA already withdrew from BNE & AKL so not much capacity left to withdraw.

And this may quash all hopes of that returning.

Reply 3 Likes

HA already withdrew from BNE & AKL so not much capacity left to withdraw.

AKL is shown on the HA network map at the first link in post #1. So maybe it’s returning…?

Also, probably just as well the SYD QF J lounge is getting that refurb (for those who use it). More mouths to feed soon! Fortunately HA 452 is a late night departure when things are generally quieter.

Reply 1 Like

Awesome news. Was hoping to visit Hawaii sometime. Will wait for this!

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