Hawaiian Airlines Plans To Join the Oneworld Alliance by 2026

This may not come as a big surprise, but there’s now confirmation that Hawaiian Airlines will join the Oneworld alliance.

There’s been a ton of news surrounding Hawaiian Airlines recently, thanks to its merger with Alaska Airlines. Hawaiian isn’t in an alliance, but Alaska Airlines is. Reading between the lines over the past few days prompted us to ask questions.

Here’s what we know so far.

Hawaiian Airlines Will Join Oneworld — What We Know So Far

Alaska Airlines and Hawaiian Airlines are merging. While there are still a few items to sort out — and a pending approval from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) — the airlines are moving forward with plans. They’ve even introduced plans for loyalty benefits across the HawaiianMiles and Mileage Plan programs.

Reading between the lines, we’ve wondered what this meant for alliance membership. Alaska Airlines joined Oneworld in 2021. Hawaiian Airlines isn’t currently in an alliance. How would that play out as the airlines merge rewards programs yet keep both brands alive in the skies?

Alaska Airlines has now confirmed that the plan is for Hawaiian Airlines to become a Oneworld member:

We expect Hawaiian to officially join oneworld in 2026 in conjunction with reaching a single PSS (Passenger Service System). In the meantime, HawaiianMiles members can enjoy elite benefits on oneworld member airlines by status matching to Alaska Mileage Plan and using their Mileage Plan number when traveling on oneworld member airlines later this fall.

Statement from an Alaska Airlines spokesperson

The PSS element in this confirmation means that the airlines plan to eventually use a single computer system for managing everything related to passengers — tickets, data, you name it. And Hawaiian should become a Oneworld member at that time.

And while this hasn’t been confirmed, it’s safe to assume that Hawaiian Airlines joining Oneworld means you’d be able to book Hawaiian flights using partner miles. That would mean using Cathay Pacific Cathay miles or British Airways Executive Club Avios to book these award tickets, for example.

Hawaiian Airlines Will Join Oneworld — What We Don’t Know

We don’t know whether any airlines will try to prevent this move. Remember that United expressed misgivings about the Alaska-Hawaiian merger, but it’s unlikely a Star Alliance member could hold up Oneworld membership proceedings. Would any Oneworld airlines block Hawaiian’s membership? Would they do that to an airline merging with an airline that’s already a member (Alaska Airlines)? Right now, we don’t know.

We also don’t know what the partner award charts will look like, once they’re available. While some programs use easy-to-understand charts that apply equally to all partner airlines, others don’t. Look at British Airways’ recent change in award pricing specifically for American and Alaska Airlines flights. Would British Airways use that same award pricing for Hawaiian flights? Create something new? Only time will tell.

And given the fact that 2026 is still far away, a lot can happen between now and then. Plus, “early 2026” doesn’t feel nearly as distant as “late 2026,” and the specific timing remains unknown.

Final Thoughts

Hawaiian Airlines should join Oneworld in 2026, if all goes according to plan. There are knowns and unknowns at this point, but the airlines have publicly shared a lot of their upcoming plans over the past week. When more is known about the Oneworld-Hawaiian situation, we’ll be sure to provide updates.