Alaska Airlines To Acquire Hawaiian Airlines: What You Need To Know

In a major shakeup of the domestic U.S. airline industry, Alaska Airlines announced it will acquire Honolulu-based Hawaiian Airlines.

The new acquisition will bring a multitude of new options for passengers to connect to Hawaii and beyond, along with seamless integration into the Oneworld alliance. This will be a significant advantage for travelers on both the East and West Coasts of the U.S.

Details of Alaska’s Acquisition of Hawaiian Airlines

This acquisition has been rumored for quite some time as Hawaiian’s financial position in recent years has become precarious, especially after the COVID-19 pandemic. Alaska Airlines will be purchasing Hawaiian Airlines for $18 per share, for a transaction value of approximately $1.9 billion.

First and foremost, both brands will remain separate as they provide uniquely different price points and products but will be headquartered in Seattle under the leadership of Alaska Airlines CEO Ben Minicucci. While the airlines will remain separate, there will be a transition to a single loyalty program.

Although the headquarters will be relocated to Seattle, Honolulu will continue to have a strong presence, as Alaska Airlines plans to elevate it to a hub within the airline’s network.

Here’s what we know about the purchase:

• There will be a combined total fleet count of 365 aircraft. Alaska Airlines recently moved to an all-Boeing fleet to simplify aircraft maintenance, and Hawaiian Airlines has a significant Airbus fleet (including several younger Airbus A321s), so it will be interesting to see how this plays out.
• A total of 138 destinations, including 29 international markets. Hawaiian Airlines is uniquely situated to provide service to both Asia and the South Pacific, including Australia and Auckland. With this new acquisition, it will be possible to fly from New York (JFK) to Honolulu (HNL) to Sydney (SYD), all with Oneworld benefits, or from Chicago (ORD) to Seattle (SEA) to Honolulu (HNL) to Sydney (SYD) on a mix of Alaska Airlines and Hawaiian Airlines.
• More than 1,200 destinations are served through the Oneworld alliance. Because Alaska Airlines is part of Oneworld, the combined airline will also be part of the Oneworld alliance, which provides access to priority check-in counters, lounge access, and other perks for eligible travelers.
• The combined group will employ more than 31,200 employees.
• Across both airlines, there will be over 54.7 million passengers served, with approximately $13.1 billion in annual revenue.

A lot will happen over the next few months, and the transaction isn’t fully expected to close for another 12 to 18 months.

Final Thoughts

For those who like to visit the warmth of Hawai’i, this is definitely exciting news as you’ll now have more options to get there on both Alaska Airlines and Hawaiian Airlines. This is also incredibly beneficial to Oneworld flyers, with more options to utilize perks and rack up miles!

As we gather more details regarding this significant development between Alaska Airlines and Hawaiian Airlines, we’ll make sure to update this story with the latest details, so check back for updates.