Ep. 134: Hawaiian x Alaska Airlines Merger: Maximize Your Miles and Travel Smarter

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[00:00:00] In this episode, you’ll discover what the Hawaiian Alaska Airlines merger is, how it promises to transform your travel experience, what the unified loyalty program means for combining your miles, and three travel hacks to maximize rewards and earn free flights. This is Hawaii’s Best, the podcast that helps you discover the best of Hawaii.

[00:00:18] Here, you’ll learn travel tips, the latest news, and everything you need to plan an unforgettable trip. Aloha, I’m your host Brian Murphy and your guide to Hawaii. On this show, we often feature local businesses and voices who share their unique perspectives on Hawaii’s culture and travel to help you travel with Aloha.

[00:00:35] But today it’s just me and I’ll be diving in what you need to know about the Hawaiian Airlines and Alaska Airlines merger, the latest news and updates, and how it could potentially impact your next trip to Hawaii. So whether you’re a Hawaiian miles member or Alaska mileage plan member, or someone just interested in Hawaii and this merger and what it all means, this episode is for you.

[00:00:56] On a personal note, I just want to say I’ve been doing this podcast for about going on five years or so. And every so often I get that That annoying voice in my head saying, you know, why, why are you doing this? Why does it even matter? It’s anyone actually listening the stats and the downloads and all that says that people are listening, which is great, but you know, it feels like I’m just talking into this microphone and I’m hoping that it’s communicating well and people are getting value and are enjoying incredible trips to Hawaii.

[00:01:24] And many of you have shared that. And honestly, past couple of weeks I’ve been just praying about. Should I continue the podcast and should I continue recording regularly on the podcast? And what was pretty cool last week, I got two new reviews and we also got a couple of text messages saying basically, thank you for the podcast and that it’s helped them to.

[00:01:47] I want to read you one of these notes and, and just say, if maybe if you’re listening that, you know, if you wrote this, I just want to say thank you so much for taking the time to write this, taking the time to listen. And this is what they said. Your podcast is great. We go to Kauai every April, but despite the fact that we have been to Hawaii over 30 times, I still find interesting insights from your show.

[00:02:06] Mahalo. When I got this message last week, I just got filled with excitement again about the podcast and to record new episodes. And I just want to say thank you so much. On with the show. Here we go. Hawaiian Airlines, Alaska Airlines merger. I’m just going to call it the merger from now on because I don’t want to keep saying Hawaiian Airlines and Alaska Airlines merger.

[00:02:25] It’s just easier for me. I’ve been a Hawaiian miles member for around, I guess, 15 years or so. When this merger was first introduced, I was honestly a bit skeptical. I still kind of am. I honestly just curious in how it’s all going to play out. I love flying Hawaiian. I like the vibe, the planes, the friendly cabin crews, everything.

[00:02:43] The Pog juice to drink. I think the first place to start is why this merger even happened. So back in December of 2023, Alaska airlines announced its intention to acquire Hawaiian airlines in a deal valued at 1. 9 billion. The merger officially went into effect on September. Of last year 2024 and that just took following regulatory approval and all that fed government stuff to make sure that there isn’t a monopoly or anything like that.

[00:03:12] At least that’s how I understood it. The goal of the merger is to create a more seamless travel network for passengers offering greater connectivity from U. S. mainland to Hawaii and international destinations served by both airlines. Hawaiian Airlines was facing decreased bookings and was facing some financial pressures back in January of 2024.

[00:03:32] The airline had significant operational losses and heavy capital expenditures due to its 787 aircraft deliveries in 2024. This is the first time that Hawaiian Airlines was facing bankruptcy back in September of 1984. 93, they actually filed chapter 11 and they eventually exited bankruptcy in September of 1994.

[00:03:54] A year later, one thing to note with this merger is that both respective companies, Alaska and Hawaiian will keep their branding. So the Hawaiian airlines brand will remain separate from Alaska and they’re committed to preserving it on flights. But with these two companies coming together, they do bring unique strengths.

[00:04:11] Alaska airlines is known for A strong West Coast network, and they also offer over 120 domestic destinations. Hawaiian Airlines is a juggernaut. I’ve always wanted to use that term. They’re a juggernaut with inter island travel and it’s renowned Aloha inspired customer service connecting Hawaii with 15 mainland US cities and international destinations in Asia and Oceania.

[00:04:35] Together, the goal with these two airlines is to provide travelers with better schedules, fewer layovers, and enhanced loyalty benefits. But the question, I guess, is like, what, so that’s great, but what does it actually mean? So you guys are together and financially Hawaiian Airlines is going to survive as of right now.

[00:04:52] So that’s great, but what does it really mean for travelers, you and me? So this merger basically brings several potential benefits together. And here are the key takeaways from my research and what I’ve been able to gather is number one, streamline travel, the combined network could result in better coordinated flight schedules, reducing layovers and making inter island travel more efficient.

[00:05:12] I think inter island travel is pretty efficient already, so I’m curious to see what that could do. But thinking about West Coast to Hawaii, for example, passengers flying from Seattle to Honolulu can expect smoother connections to other islands like Maui and Kauai. They’ll be combining their loyalty programs.

[00:05:28] And that’s one of the most anticipated changes. It’s a single loyalty program. So instead of managing separate accounts for Hawaiian miles and Alaska mileage, travelers will be able to combine their miles into one powerful account, opening up more opportunities for upgrades, free flights, and other perks.

[00:05:44] Honestly, that sounds. Great to me, but I kind of like my branded Hawaiian Airlines credit card and business card I kind of don’t want an Alaska business card or That’s just a vanity thing. I think so. That’s just me personally I just like being able to see Hawaiian Airlines when I pull out my credit card and even say it out loud I’m, like, yeah, it’s kind of vain, but I know I like it I guess I’m just not super stoked on Alaska yet because I’ve never flown Alaska.

[00:06:10] So curious on how that all plays out. Another potential benefit for you and I would be enhanced customer service. So both airlines have strong reputations for customer service, and I know there’s stories on both sides, good and bad, and just any business, any customer service has that. But overall, Hawaiian Airlines is known for its warm, aloha inspired hospitality, while Alaska Airlines is praised for efficiency and reliability.

[00:06:32] Hopefully they can combine the best of both worlds with overall a better travel experience for you and I. It’s still going to be probably a year in the process of all this happening. Probably the biggest thing is how to really maximize your rewards. And if you’re a member of Hawaiian miles or Alaska mileage plan, there are ways to prepare for transition and maximize your benefits.

[00:06:54] It costs nothing to join the Hawaiian miles. You don’t have to have a credit card. You could just join with an email. And the same can be said for Alaska mileage. I just joined Alaska mileage just to kind of see What the process is, and it’s similar to Hawaiian miles as well, but I want to share some practical travel hacks as we’re kind of in this interim time of transitioning into one loyalty program.

[00:07:18] And one of the hacks I want to share with you is to stack your points before the loyalty programs merge. So currently, obviously both airlines, they have their own separate mileage program right now. And by earning as many miles as possible now, you’ll be in a great position when the programs are set to consolidate.

[00:07:33] So for example, if you are a Hawaiian miles member, you can take advantage of partnerships with hotels, rental car companies, and dining options. Use the Hawaiian Airlines World Elite MasterCard. You can earn three times the miles on Hawaiian Airlines bookings and two times miles on dining, gas and groceries.

[00:07:49] And for Alaska mileage plan members, you can prioritize flights with Alaska Airlines or as partners like American Airlines or British Airways as their program rewards miles based on distance flown, not on ticket price. You can use Alaska stopover perk, which allows you to add a free stopover to a one way award ticket.

[00:08:06] So for example, if you stop on Oahu for a few days and route to Maui, it’s at no extra cost to you, which is pretty cool. And so by focusing on earning miles now, you’ll be ready to benefit from the combined program when it launches. Hack number two is watch for early bird incentives. So during the mergers, airlines often offer bonus miles or exclusive promotions to encourage loyalty.

[00:08:28] For example, Delta did this during their merger with Northwest Airlines, offering extra miles for early adaptation. Of their new loyalty program, be sure to stay up to date with that by signing up for email alerts from both airlines and follow along on social media for limited offers, such as double miles on flights or bonus points for linking your accounts.

[00:08:50] I’m just speculating of what some of these incentives can be when they actually do merge later on this year. And hack number three, take advantage of elite status shortcuts. So if you’re trying to earn elite status with Alaska Airlines, the merger with Hawaiian Airlines can make this a lot easier for you.

[00:09:06] Here’s how. Number one, combining miles. Any miles you’ve earned flying with Hawaiian Airlines this year will likely be added to the miles you’ve earned with Alaska Airlines. These combined miles can help you qualify for Alaska’s MVP status, which starts at 20, 000 miles. Number two, mileage run. So if you’re close to reaching elite status, you might want to book extra flights before the year ends to earn more miles.

[00:09:28] So for example, Alaska Airlines offers a companion certificate, which lets two people fly round trip for just over 600. This could help you rack up the miles that you need. So Alaska’s elite status comes with great perks like boarding early, free upgrades to better seats, and free checked bags. These small but helpful perks can definitely help your travel experience much better.

[00:09:49] In short, the merger could give you more ways to earn miles and reach elite status faster. Some of the challenges just to watch for as this comes to a head probably later on this year. While the merger promises many benefits, like I just mentioned, it’s important to be aware of some potential challenges like integration hiccups, for example, merging two airlines is a complex process and so expect potential delays or disruptions as services and systems schedules operations are trying to all align with each other.

[00:10:21] Another one is regulatory oversight. The merger will probably continue to face some scrutiny from regulators to ensure fair competition. This oversight could delay some of the benefits travelers might be anticipating. So just be sure to stay ahead of the curve, stay informed. I’ll try to update on this podcast, but the best way is to sign up for Alaska and or Hawaiian airlines, their newsletters, their.

[00:10:42] Pretty good about getting out the latest information, be flexible. Just be aware if you’re traveling during this transition period, consider booking flexible tickets or purchasing travel insurance just for peace of mind. You do you, I usually don’t do travel insurance, but I’ve heard some horror stories of people who haven’t purchased travel insurance and.

[00:11:03] Have really had a terrible experience because they didn’t book travel insurance. So that’s totally up to you and what you didn’t want to do with that. So if you’re on the fence about travel insurance, this might be a period that you might want to consider doing that. So I’ll let you make the call on that because you do you.

[00:11:20] So the merger definitely is a huge shift in air travel to and from Hawaii. It promises smoother connections, a unified loyalty program, enhanced customer service. Definitely sounds great. So I hope it all plays out for both companies and for people traveling to Hawaii, that there is minimal disruption to travel and minimal headaches for both.

[00:11:42] And especially for you, if you’re traveling to Hawaii this year. So there you have it. That’s the latest I know about the merger of Hawaiian Airlines and Alaska Airlines. What do you think? Let us know if you’re on Spotify, you can simply leave a comment about the episode or in the episode description of this podcast, it says, send us a text.

[00:12:01] Seeking this. Simply click on that and that message goes right to me. So let me know what you think about the episode and until next time, be well. Aloha real quick. If you’ve ever gotten any value from the show, please, if you haven’t yet, leave us a five star review. I get a notification every time that there is a review and they almost always make my day.

[00:12:21] And I would really love to hear from you. It really helps myself and it helps our team here at Hawaii’s Best. Mahalo for listening to this episode of Hawaii’s Best. To stay up to date on future episodes, please subscribe and visit us at hawaiisbesttravel. com.