Alaska Hawaiian Merger Update 2026: New Huakaʻi Perks, 717s Out
⏱ 8 min read
Two brands, one airline. Here is where the Alaska and Hawaiian integration actually stands.
Current as of September 2026. This program is still mid transition, so I refresh this page as milestones land.
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Quick overviewTap to expand
- Alaska Air Group says the Hawaiian integration is ahead of schedule financially and reports a net gain of more than 1,100 jobs, a net figure rather than 1,100 new roles, roughly two years after the September 18, 2024 close.
- Three big milestones are done: a single FAA operating certificate on October 29, 2025, the HawaiianMiles move into Atmos Rewards on October 1, 2025, and a single passenger service system in April 2026.
- Huakaʻi by Hawaiian got better on September 2, 2026: two free checked bags on Neighbor Island flights, and 3,000 Atmos points when you redeem 1,000 Foodland Maikaʻi points.
- Alaska's stated goal is to begin replacing Hawaiian's Boeing 717s in 2028 with Hawaiian branded Boeing 737-800s carrying twice as many First Class seats.
- Still unfinished: joint collective bargaining agreements. CEO Ben Minicucci graded the whole merger a "solid B."
In this article
Alaska Air Group says its merger with Hawaiian Airlines is running ahead of schedule financially and reports a net gain of more than 1,100 jobs. Ahead of the September 18 anniversary of the $1.9 billion acquisition, Alaska CEO Ben Minicucci and Hawaiian Airlines CEO Diana Birkett Rakow laid out what is done, what is coming, and what is still stuck.
For those of us who live here and fly out of HNL, OGG, KOA, LIH and ITO, this is not corporate trivia. The integration decides how many seats fly between the islands, which loyalty program holds your points, and how far one connection can take you. Here is the honest scorecard.
What has Alaska actually finished so far?
Three major integration milestones are complete. Alaska and Hawaiian received a single FAA operating certificate on October 29, 2025. HawaiianMiles members moved into Atmos Rewards on October 1, 2025. And both carriers cut over to a single passenger service system in April 2026, which connected the websites, mobile apps, airport kiosks, reservation records, and the Atmos Rewards and Huakaʻi by Hawaiian programs.
That April cutover is the one most travelers actually felt. It is when the HA flight code was replaced by AS, and Hawaiian joined the oneworld alliance on April 23, 2026, which Alaska describes as the 96 year old carrier's first entry into a major alliance.
| Milestone | Date | Status |
|---|---|---|
| Acquisition closes ($1.9 billion) | September 18, 2024 | Complete |
| HawaiianMiles members move to Atmos Rewards | October 1, 2025 | Complete |
| Single FAA operating certificate | October 29, 2025 | Complete |
| Single passenger service system, HA code becomes AS | April 2026 | Complete |
| Hawaiian joins oneworld alliance | April 23, 2026 | Complete |
| Huakaʻi by Hawaiian benefit refresh | September 2, 2026 | Live now |
| Four added freighters double cargo fleet, five to nine | First half of 2027 | Announced |
| Boeing 737-800s replace interisland 717s | Goal is to begin in 2028 | Announced |
| Joint collective bargaining agreements | No date given | Not complete |
What are the new Huakaʻi by Hawaiian benefits?
As of September 2, 2026, Huakaʻi by Hawaiian added two free checked bags on Neighbor Island flights and a 3x points multiplier on Foodland Maikaʻi redemptions. Redeem 1,000 Foodland Maikaʻi points and you now receive 3,000 Atmos Rewards points. Membership is still free for Hawaiʻi residents.
This is the single most underrated benefit in this whole update, and it is the piece almost no mainland blog will cover properly. Here is the full current benefit set:
- Two free checked bags on Neighbor Island flights, which Alaska confirms includes sports equipment. Beach gear, golf clubs, dive gear.
- Three times Atmos Rewards points when you redeem Foodland Maikaʻi points. 1,000 Maikaʻi becomes 3,000 Atmos.
- Quarterly Neighbor Island fare discounts that now apply to you and up to six guests on the same reservation, not just you.
- Monthly fare deals across the combined Alaska and Hawaiian network, not only interisland.
- Exclusive access to top Hawaiʻi events.
That "up to six guests on the same reservation" change is the one that matters for families. Alaska's own example walks through a family of five flying Oʻahu to Kauaʻi using a quarterly 10% Neighbor Island discount across the whole booking. If you are the person who books everyone's flights for a family trip, that is real money.
What happens to interisland flights and the 717s?
Alaska says its goal is to begin replacing Hawaiian's Boeing 717 fleet in 2028 with Hawaiian branded Boeing 737-800s. The aircraft will be based in Honolulu and, per Alaska's plan, flown and crewed by Honolulu based pilots and flight attendants once integration is complete. Note the wording: Alaska calls 2028 a goal, not a locked date, and says additional details will be shared as planning continues.
What you actually get on board, straight from Alaska's announcement: twice as many First Class seats plus more than 30 Premium Class seats, which Alaska says creates more upgrade opportunities for Huakaʻi by Hawaiian and Atmos Rewards members. Add fast free Starlink Wi-Fi on all flights, reclining leather Recaro seats throughout, 110V power outlets, USB charging and seatback device holders at every seat, and more room in cargo for surfboards.
Alaska explains the aircraft choice this way: Neighbor Island flying means short segments, frequent daily cycles and a salt air environment, and the 737-800 has airframes and engines that hold up to those high cycles. Jim Landers, Head of Hawaiʻi Operations, called it a proven, capable platform that gives crews a clear path off the 717s.
One number worth flagging: the widely quoted figure of 161 seats on the 737-800 versus 128 on the 717 comes from Honolulu Star-Advertiser reporting, not from Alaska's own release, which does not publish a seat count. Treat it as press reporting rather than a company figure.
Before that transition, there is a near term fix. Starting in October 2026, one Alaska branded 737 flies three round trips per day between Honolulu and Kahului. Practical detail most coverage skipped: that aircraft operates out of Terminal 1 at Daniel K. Inouye International Airport, and you check in at Terminal 1.
Cargo is moving faster than the passenger fleet. Alaska is adding four Boeing 737-800 converted freighters under long term leases, taking its freighter fleet from five aircraft to nine and effectively doubling freighter capacity. Those aircraft are expected to enter service in the first half of 2027, dedicated to Alaska and Hawaiʻi, with Hawaiʻi based cargo aircraft painted in Hawaiian Air Cargo livery.
Bigger jets mean more seats per departure, and more seats generally means better award availability. If you have been watching interisland award space, 2028 is the year the math changes. Our Atmos Rewards guide tracks redemption pricing as it moves.
Where can Hawaiʻi residents fly one stop now?
Alaska now serves Rome, London Heathrow and Reykjavík nonstop from Seattle, with Athens and Paris arriving in May 2027. For kamaʻāina that means Europe is reachable with one connection through Seattle, on a network that did not exist two years ago.
This is not me reading between the lines. Alaska said it directly in the Rome launch release: the new European service enables some of the best connectivity between Hawaiʻi and Europe with just one stop through Seattle, benefiting Hawaiʻi based travelers. The Athens and Paris announcement goes further and calls out same day connections between Honolulu and Paris through Seattle.
Hawaiian's Boeing 787 fleet is being repainted in Alaska's global livery to support this expansion. The aircraft are still staffed by Hawaiian Airlines crews pending joint labor agreements.
| Destination from Seattle | Launched or launching | Aircraft | Frequency |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rome (FCO) | April 28, 2026, first transatlantic route | Boeing 787-9 | Daily, seasonal through Oct 23 |
| London Heathrow (LHR) | May 21, 2026 | Boeing 787-9 | Daily, year round |
| Reykjavík (KEF) | May 28, 2026 | Boeing 737 MAX 8 | Daily, seasonal |
| Athens (ATH) | May 12, 2027 | Boeing 787-9 | Three times weekly, seasonal |
| Paris Charles de Gaulle (CDG) | May 25, 2027 | Boeing 787-9 | Five times weekly, seasonal |
By summer 2027 Alaska will serve seven intercontinental destinations from Seattle: Athens, Paris, Reykjavík, London, Rome, Seoul and Tokyo. Minicucci has said the goal is more than 12 international long haul routes from Seattle in the coming years. If you have been using points to get to Japan from Hawaiʻi, the same Atmos balance now reaches a lot further west and east.
What does this mean for your points and cards?
The practical move is to make sure your points are actually sitting in Atmos Rewards and that you are enrolled in Huakaʻi by Hawaiian. Those two things are free, take about ten minutes, and unlock everything above. Everything else is optimization.
- Confirm your HawaiianMiles balance made the move. If you have not logged in since October 2025, check it. Our HawaiianMiles to Atmos guide walks through the transition.
- Enroll in Huakaʻi by Hawaiian if you are a Hawaiʻi resident. It is free at hawaiianairlines.com/huakai. Two free Neighbor Island bags alone pays for the five minutes.
- Link your Foodland Maikaʻi account. The 3x conversion on Maikaʻi redemptions turns regular grocery runs into award travel. This is the most kamaʻāina friendly earning path in the program.
- Get your everyday spend onto a card that earns transferable or airline points. The flights are the easy part once the points are there. I keep an updated breakdown of the best credit cards for Hawaiʻi residents.
- Watch the monthly Huakaʻi fare deals. They now cover the full combined network, so mainland and international deals show up, not just interisland.
Two lounge notes. Alaska is building a two level lounge at Sea-Tac opening in late 2027 that it says will be among the largest in the country. Closer to home, Alaska's July announcement also mentions a new Honolulu lounge in planning, though no opening date has been published. Our HNL lounge guide covers what you can access today.
What is still not finished?
Joint collective bargaining agreements. Minicucci described them as the final major integration milestone, and until they are reached, Alaska and Hawaiian employees keep operating under separate labor contracts. That is why Hawaiian crews still staff the repainted 787s.
Minicucci graded the merger a "solid B," saying the airline is ahead of schedule on financial targets but still has work to do integrating employee groups. Birkett Rakow was equally direct that the work continues, pointing to retrofitted Airbus A330 cabins, airport improvements and a new mobile app as ongoing investments.
On the money side, the picture is mixed and worth stating plainly. Alaska Air Group reported second quarter 2026 revenue of $4.1 billion, up 10% year over year, but posted a GAAP net loss of $76 million, or $0.68 per share. Adjusted, that was a $102 million loss, or $0.92 per share, which still beat analyst expectations of a $0.99 loss. Higher fuel costs drove the miss. The company still expects $1 billion in merger related synergies by 2027, roughly $800 million from revenue initiatives and $200 million from cost savings, under its three year Alaska Accelerate plan.
Not sure which cards actually fit your travel goals?
I work one on one with Hawaiʻi residents to build a points strategy around how your family actually travels, whether that is Neighbor Island trips, Vegas runs, or finally using Seattle to get to Europe. No hype, no churning nonsense, just a plan that fits your life here.
Learn about the ʻOhana ProgramScottie's Take
I will be honest, I was skeptical about this merger. A lot of us were. When a mainland carrier buys the airline that has been carrying our families between islands for nearly a century, you brace for the worst.
Two years in, I think the "solid B" grade is fair and maybe a little modest. The Huakaʻi refresh that dropped this week is the thing that convinced me somebody in Seattle is actually listening. Two free bags on Neighbor Island flights, quarterly discounts that extend to six people on the reservation instead of just you, and a Foodland tie in that turns grocery shopping into Atmos points. That is not a press release benefit. That is somebody who understands that when a Hawaiʻi family flies to Kauaʻi, they are bringing the beach chairs, the omiyage and the golf clubs.
What I am still watching is the labor piece, because that is where mergers usually go sideways, and the interisland transition. Bigger jets with more premium seats should mean better availability and more cabin inventory to spend points on. But Alaska calls 2028 a goal rather than a date, and the 717s have to hold together until then.
My honest bottom line: get enrolled in Huakaʻi today if you have not, link Foodland, and make sure your points landed in Atmos. Those three moves cost you nothing and they are worth real money right now. Everything else, we watch together.
Are you seeing the new Huakaʻi benefits show up in your account yet? Drop a comment and let me know what island you are flying from.
Frequently asked questions
Is Hawaiian Airlines still its own airline?
Hawaiian Airlines still operates as a distinct customer facing brand with its own Pualani tail, but it is no longer a separate certificated carrier. Alaska and Hawaiian have operated under a single FAA operating certificate since October 29, 2025, and share a single call sign, AS, behind the scenes. Alaska has said the Hawaiian brand will lead all flying to, from and within Hawaiʻi.
What happened to my HawaiianMiles?
HawaiianMiles members moved into Atmos Rewards on October 1, 2025. HawaiianMiles no longer exists as a standalone program. If you have not logged in since then, sign in to your Atmos Rewards account to confirm your balance transferred correctly. Our HawaiianMiles to Atmos Rewards guide covers the details.
How much does Huakaʻi by Hawaiian cost to join?
Huakaʻi by Hawaiian is free to join for Hawaiʻi residents at hawaiianairlines.com/huakai. As of September 2, 2026, benefits include two free checked bags on Neighbor Island flights, quarterly Neighbor Island fare discounts covering up to six guests on one reservation, monthly fare deals across the combined network, and 3x Atmos points on Foodland Maikaʻi redemptions.
When do the Boeing 717s stop flying between the islands?
Alaska's stated goal is to begin the transition in 2028, replacing the Boeing 717s with Hawaiian branded Boeing 737-800s. Alaska has not published a final retirement date for the last 717 or an official seat count for the new aircraft. In the near term, one Alaska branded 737 begins three daily Honolulu to Kahului round trips in October 2026, operating from Terminal 1 at HNL.
Can I fly from Honolulu to Europe on one connection?
Yes. Alaska serves Rome, London Heathrow and Reykjavík nonstop from Seattle, so Hawaiʻi residents can reach those cities with a single connection. Alaska's Rome launch release states the European service enables some of the best Hawaiʻi to Europe connectivity with one stop through Seattle. Athens begins May 12, 2027 and Paris begins May 25, 2027.
Is the merger officially finished?
No. Joint collective bargaining agreements remain incomplete, and Alaska CEO Ben Minicucci has called them the final major integration milestone. Until those are settled, Alaska and Hawaiian employees work under separate labor contracts. Minicucci said different unions will make progress at different rates over the next six to 24 months.
Does Hawaiian being in oneworld help me use points?
Yes. Hawaiian joined the oneworld alliance on April 23, 2026, its first entry into a major alliance in 96 years. Atmos Rewards members can earn and redeem points with oneworld carriers and Alaska's additional global partners across more than 1,000 destinations worldwide, which meaningfully widens where a Hawaiʻi based points balance can take you.
Sources
Every figure in this article traces to one of these. Alaska and Hawaiian releases are primary. Star-Advertiser items are interviews and reporting, marked as such.
- Alaska Airlines Newsroom, Single operating certificate, October 29, 2025. Source for the SOC date, the AS call sign, and the April passenger service system plan.
- Alaska Airlines Newsroom, Huakaʻi by Hawaiian benefits update, September 2, 2026. Source for two free Neighbor Island bags, the Foodland Maikaʻi 3x conversion, and the six guest quarterly discount.
- Alaska Airlines, 737-800 Neighbor Island fleet plan, July 21, 2026. Source for the 2028 goal, cabin specs, Honolulu basing, and the October Honolulu to Kahului 737 at Terminal 1.
- Alaska Airlines, Four added freighters double cargo capacity, July 21, 2026. Source for the five to nine freighter fleet and first half 2027 entry into service.
- Alaska Airlines, First nonstop Seattle to Rome, April 28, 2026. Source for the Rome schedule and Alaska's statement on Hawaiʻi to Europe one stop connectivity.
- Alaska Airlines, London and Reykjavík launch, Sea-Tac lounge investment, May 21, 2026. Source for the London and Reykjavík dates and the late 2027 lounge.
- Alaska Airlines, Athens and Paris service announcement, August 20, 2026. Source for the 2027 launch dates, seven intercontinental destinations, and same day Honolulu to Paris connections.
- Hawaiian Airlines, Hawaiian joins the oneworld alliance, April 23, 2026. Source for the alliance date and Atmos Rewards partner earning.
- Honolulu Star-Advertiser, Alaska, Hawaiian airlines report merger gains, August 31, 2026. Interview with Ben Minicucci and Diana Birkett Rakow. Source for the net job figure, the solid B grade, the synergy targets, and the 787 livery comments from Alex Da Silva.
- Alaska Air Group, second quarter 2026 results, July 22, 2026, at investor relations. Source for revenue, the GAAP and adjusted loss figures.
One correction worth noting. Several news outlets reported the single operating certificate as achieved in September 2025. Alaska Airlines dates it October 29, 2025 in its own newsroom, and that is the date used here.
