Will Hawaiian Airlines join Oneworld next year?

Alaska Airlines’ unexpected move to buy out Hawaiian Airlines in a US$1.9bn deal could potentially also bring Hawaiian into the Oneworld fold.

Pending approval by the US government, the merger of the Seattle- and Honolulu-based carriers would likely be in place by mid-2025.

The airlines would retain their individual brands and hubs, although“supported by a single, compelling loyalty offering” – in other words, Alaska’s own Mileage Plan frequent flyer scheme will likely replace the HawaiianMiles platform (unless an all-new program is on the cards).

Hawaiian Airlines says the status and miles held by HawaiianMiles members will be transferred to Mileage Plan, including matching its Pualani Elite Gold and Platinum members to Alaska’s equivalent MVP Gold tiers.

This alone would provide Hawaiian Airlines’ frequent flyers “the ability to earn and redeem miles on 29 global partners and receive elite benefits on the full complement of Oneworld alliance airlines (and) expanded global lounge access,” the airlines said in a joint statement when the merger was announced in December 2023.

But Alaska Airlines could well take the next logical step and make Hawaiian Airlines a member of the Oneworld alliance.

Ironically, Alaska is the newest Oneworld member, having joined in March 2021. Oman Air is due to join Oneworld in the second half of this year, swelling the ranks to 14 airlines; could 15 become Oneworld’s lucky number in 2025?

Alaska Airlines wants to turn Hawaii into its second hub.

Approached by Executive Traveller for comment, a spokesman for Alaska Airlines would say only “passengers will benefit from more choice and increased connectivity through the Oneworld Alliance,” adding “These are early stages. More specifics to come.”

Likewise, from Hawaiian Airlines: “Alaska Airlines will be the operating airline of both brands and is currently a member of the Oneworld alliance.”

As to Oneworld itself, Customer Experience chief Gerhard Girkinger admitted “It’s something we’ll have to see in due course, right?”

“A lot of this is dependent on regulatory approvals that Alaska and Hawaiian have to go through.” he told Executive Traveller on the sidelines of the opening of the Oneworld Seoul Lounge.

“We’ve not had any conversations (on the topic) and we wouldn’t comment on that even if we had, but no, at the moment, we’ll see how this transpires and what Alaska's plan and the joint entity's plan is.”

But should the stars align, might Hawaiian Airlines be welcomed into the Oneworld family?

“I think every customer would probably like to have an additional ability to get across the Pacific (but) ultimately it’s the airline’s decision and it’s our member airlines decision to add another airline… generally all of that goes through an approval process, through our governing board and our CEOs, and we’d follow that as we do with any other airline.”

Wheels are turning…

Earlier this month Hawaiian’s stockholders voted to adopt the merger agreement with Alaska Airlines, and the wheels are now turning within the US government.

The Antitrust Division of the Justice Department has requested “additional information and documentary material” on the proposed merger.

Alaska Airlines continues to talk up the fact that it and Hawaiian Airlines are not actually competitors, and the merger will result in more choice and convenience for travellers, not less, with Honolulu becoming “a key Alaska Airlines hub, enabling greater international connectivity for West Coast travellers throughout the Asia-Pacific region with one-stop service through Hawai’i.”

Alaska and Hawaiian are positioned as highly complementary airlines.

Alaska Airlines maintains a mostly North American network with a fleet of single-aisle jets, while Hawaiian Airlines connects the US mainland to Asia and the South Pacific and its fleet includes longer-range twin-aisle Airbus A330 and Boeing 787 Dreamliners.

Together, the ‘complementary networks’ of both airlines carry almost 55 million passengers each year, Alaska Airlines says, but with less than 3% of their routes overlapping.

“The networks are very, very complementary,” says Alaska Airline Group CEO and President Ben Minicucci.

“In fact, when you combine the networks, there are only 12 overlap routes through the combination… so it is very pro-consumer and very pro-competitive.”