Hawaiian Airlines After Joining Alaska Air Group: the A330 Fleet, the Future with the 787s and the Arrival in oneworld

History and positioning

Nearly a century of history as the identity carrier of Hawaii has made Hawaiian Airlines a brand that the Alaska group has chosen to preserve distinctly after the acquisition, even though the integration of operating systems is proceeding on several fronts in parallel: a single operating certificate reached in September 2025, a unified loyalty program from October, and a common passenger system that went live the following spring.

The fleet

Long-haul relies on 24 Airbus A330-200s, configured for 278 passengers, alongside a smaller number of higher-density A330-300s with around 294 seats. The group's fleet plan calls for the A330 to remain in service for several more years before being replaced by the Boeing 787, which however, according to statements by Alaska CEO Ben Minicucci, will fly on the combined group's long-haul jet network based in Seattle and operated by Alaska, not necessarily under the Hawaiian brand. The A330s will nevertheless receive a cabin upgrade with Premium Economy seats and, starting in 2028, the same Business suites already introduced on the group's 787s.

Routes and network

The historic network links the Hawaiian archipelago to the American mainland and to several transpacific destinations in Asia and Oceania, a segment that complements rather than overlaps the Alaska network, which is oriented mainly toward the US West Coast.

On board and loyalty program

The loyalty program was unified with Alaska's in October 2025, while Hawaiian's entry into the oneworld alliance is expected during 2026, a step that will finally align the two airlines with the same global alliance network.

What passengers say

Reviews remain largely tied to the airline's historic identity, appreciated for an onboard atmosphere that stands apart from mainland carriers.

• Most praised: above-average comfort in Economy on transpacific routes, identity and onboard service perceived as authentically Hawaiian, continuity of service despite the integration phase with Alaska.
• Most criticized: uncertainty about the brand's future role once the integration with Alaska is complete, the growing age of the A330 fleet while awaiting replacement by the 787s, a Business cabin still lacking the most modern suites already found on other widebodies in the group.

Hawaiian Airlines remains the most natural choice for those traveling to and from Hawaii or to transpacific destinations in Asia and Oceania, a network segment that the Alaska brand alone did not cover before the acquisition. It is less suitable for those looking today for the group's most modern Business cabin: the new-generation suites will arrive on the A330s only from 2028, while for the moment they already fly on Alaska's 787s. Anyone with Hawaiian miles or status should keep a close eye on the group's announcements about the integration of the loyalty programs and about joining oneworld, expected during 2026.