Last December, Alaska Airlines announced it was acquiring Hawaiian Airlines. On Sep 19th, that deal officially closed. Alaska Airlines is cleared to operate the two carriers as separate brands.

Alaska Airlines must now secure a single operating certificate with the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), which would allow the two airlines to operate as a single carrier with an integrated passenger service system.

Over the last few days, many details have come out on how the acquisition will go. Here is what to know:

Changes effective immediately

Alaska Lounge members get more access

When flying on Hawaiian, Alaska Lounge members and guests can enjoy Alaska Lounge locations. Previously, this was restricted to only if you were flying on an Alaska Airlines flight.

Mileage Plan and HawaiianMiles will be 1:1

Hawaiian Miles will be valued at 1 mile to 1 mile, with Alaska Airlines miles.

Hawaiian Million Milers

Alaska Airlines will be providing new benefits to these flyers. I have not been able to find any information about those benefits. I suspect that you will most likely gain the same perks as an Alaska Airlines Million Miler, which has MVP Gold for life and the Oneworld Sapphire status that comes with it.

Changes in the coming weeks

Ability to transfer miles between Hawaiian Airlines and Alaska Airlines

Transferring between the miles programs is free. You will be able to start doing this later this month.

Buying Hawaiian Airlines flight through alaskaair.com

Starting this month, customers can purchase tickets for most Hawaiian flights on alaskaair.com and Alaska Airlines flights on hawaiianairlines.com. Hawaiian’s international flights to destinations such as Japan, South Korea, and Australia will be available later.

Huaka‘i by Hawaiian

Alaska Airlines is introducing a program offering special discounts and benefits for Hawai’i residents. Huaka’i members will receive 10% off on one interisland booking every quarter and a free checked bag. For Huaka’i members who are also Hawaiian Airlines World Elite Mastercard holders, there’s an added perk of 20% off one interisland booking per quarter and two free checked bags. Members will also gain access to exclusive monthly deals across the network. Hawai’i residents should expect an email soon with a link to sign up for a free Huaka’i membership.

Changes in the coming months

Earn miles on both airlines

When traveling with either airline, passengers can earn frequent flyer miles, specifically Mileage Plan miles with Alaska Airlines or HawaiianMiles with Hawaiian Airlines.

Expanded redemption opportunities

2025 will see the introduction of the ability to redeem Mileage Plan miles for flights with Hawaiian, both domestic and international. Furthermore, using miles for Hawaiian flights in combination with Alaska or partner flights will be possible.

Status Match

If you hold elite status with either Alaska or Hawaiian, you’ll soon have the option to link your accounts, granting you equivalent status on the other airline. If you’ve accrued elite-qualifying miles (EQMs) with both airlines, your status will be determined by the highest tier you achieve based on the total of your combined EQMs.

Status matches based on your current status

If you have:	You’ll be matched to:
Alaska Mileage Plan MVP status	HawaiianMiles Pualani Gold status
Alaska Mileage Plan MVP Gold, MVP Gold 75K, or MVP Gold 100K status	HawaiianMiles Pualani Platinum status
HawaiianMiles Pualani Gold status	Alaska Mileage Plan MVP status
HawaiianMiles Pualani Platinum status	Alaska Mileage Plan MVP Gold status

Status matches based on combined elite-qualifying miles (EQM) balance

If your combined EQM balance reaches:	The status you’ll receive in Alaska Mileage Plan:	The status you’ll receive in HawaiianMiles:
20,000 EQMs	MVP	Pualani Gold
40,000 EQMs	MVP Gold	Pualani Platinum
75,000 EQMs	MVP Gold 75K	Pualani Platinum
100,000 EQMs	MVP Gold 100K	Pualani Platinum

Long Term

Elite Reciprocity

Mileage Plan and HawaiianMiles elites will enjoy select elite benefits when flying on either airline.

Combining frequent flyer program

Alaska Airlines is combining the Mileage Plan and HawaiianMiles into a single, improved loyalty program for airline customers. Further details will be disclosed in mid-2025.

My Thoughts

I am cautiously optimistic about what we have learned so far. Those who decided to bet on transferring their Amex points to Hawaiian Airlines miles for a 30% bonus seem to have paid off.

My main concerns are about the combined frequent flyer program, which will be launched in mid-2025. The wording suggests that all aspects of their existing frequent flyer programs are fair game. This leads me to three questions:

Will Alaska Airlines retain its distance-traveled frequent flyer program?

Alaska Airlines is one of the few airlines left that still calculates miles based on flight distance. Switching to ticket price-based mileage would be a massive downgrade in the program.

I expect Alaska Airlines to keep this as is even after the acquisition. This is one of the main reasons Alaska Airlines’ frequent flyer program is so valuable. Transitioning to a price-based mileage plan would eliminate one of their main differentiators.

What happens to the Companion Pass benefit?

Alaska Airlines Credit Card holders currently get one companion pass per year. This pass allows you to buy a second ticket for $100 + taxes and fees. With this acquisition, will Alaska allow cardholders to use this pass on international flights? Having the ability to buy a second SFO to HNL to NRT ticket for $100 + taxes and fees would be a massive value.

I expect Alaska Airlines to gate this to North America as Delta does, but I would be ecstatic if they allowed cardholders to use this for flights to Asia and Oceania, even if it means the $100 is bumped to $200 for those flights.

Will Alaska Airlines keep its new Airbus fleet?

Alaska Airlines traditionally has an all-Boeing fleet. They opted to sell their new Airbus aircraft when they acquired Virgin Atlantic. Given Boeing’s instability and what happened on flight 1282 at the beginning of the year, will they opt to keep their Airbus aircraft longer?

I think this one is more certain. Alaska Airlines plans to become a larger airline that rivals American, Delta, Southwest, and United. I fully expect them to keep some of their Airbus fleet, especially the Airbus 330, capable of flying to Asia and Oceania. Boeing has a healthy backlog of 787s, and Alaska will not be able to acquire any new wide-body aircraft soon.

What are your thoughts on this acquisition? Are you excited or concerned? Leave a comment below, and I’ll try to respond 🌟