Did Alaska buy Hawaiian Airlines? Yes. Alaska Air Group completed its $1.9 billion acquisition of Hawaiian Airlines on September 18, 2024, but Hawaiian still operates under its own name and branding.
The biggest changes came in April 2026, when the airlines moved onto one booking platform and began using the same flight code. Travelers can now search both airlines in one place, manage eligible itineraries with one booking reference, and earn rewards through a single loyalty program.
Still, Alaska and Hawaiian are distinct in several visible ways. Their names, crews, aircraft branding, and onboard identities remain separate. Here is what the Alaska-Hawaiian merger changes for your next economy booking.
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What actually changed this year
The acquisition did not immediately change how travelers booked or managed flights. For more than a year, Alaska and Hawaiian kept separate systems, flight codes, and loyalty programs while they connected their operations behind the scenes.
The merger reached travelers in three main stages:
- September 18, 2024: Alaska Air Group completed its $1.9 billion acquisition of Hawaiian Airlines.
- October 29, 2025: The Federal Aviation Administration granted the combined airline a single operating certificate.
- April 22, 2026: Hawaiian moved from Amadeus to Alaska’s Sabre passenger service system and retired the HA flight code after 97 years.
The single operating certificate brought training, operating policies, procedures, and manuals under one structure. It did not remove either brand.
The April 2026 system migration finally made the merger visible to passengers. New bookings now use Alaska’s AS code, even when Hawaiian operates the flight.
Flight numbers and booking: what shows up now
The clearest practical difference appears in search results and booking confirmations.
New reservations use the AS prefix, including Hawaiian-operated flights. A Honolulu flight that previously appeared as HA63, for example, now shows as AS963.
An AS flight number does not necessarily mean Alaska operates the flight. The reservation still identifies the operating airline, so passengers can see which carrier provides the aircraft, crew, and onboard service.
In practical terms:
- New reservations use the AS flight code
- Bookings made before April 22, 2026, may still show their original HA numbers
- Existing HA reservations remain valid as ticketed
- One record locator can cover Alaska and Hawaiian flights on the same itinerary
- Travelers can search both airlines on one platform in a single booking session
The shared record locator makes trips involving both airlines easier to manage. Before the migration, the same journey could require separate booking references.
Thus, before paying, check which airline operates the flight if the aircraft, seat layout, onboard service, or check-in process could affect your choice.
Atmos Rewards: the loyalty program merger, in plain terms
Atmos Rewards launched on August 20, 2025. HawaiianMiles balances moved into the new program on October 1, 2025, with previously earned miles preserved.
Atmos Rewards now handles loyalty for both Alaska and Hawaiian. Members use one account to earn and redeem miles, track elite status, and manage activity across both airlines. Anyone who previously had HawaiianMiles and Mileage Plan accounts no longer needs to juggle the two.
With Atmos Rewards, members can:
- Earn rewards on Alaska and Hawaiian flights
- Redeem rewards across both airlines
- Work toward one set of elite tiers
- Track activity through one account
- Earn and redeem through participating Oneworld partner airlines
The main benefit is simple: a passenger who flies Alaska to Seattle and Hawaiian to Honolulu can now credit both flights to the same rewards account.
The program also gives members more ways to use their miles internationally. Alaska joined Oneworld in 2021, and Hawaiian followed on April 22, 2026. Atmos Rewards members can now earn and redeem with participating alliance airlines serving Europe, Asia, Australia, and other regions.
Travelers wondering how to transfer Hawaiian Airlines miles to Alaska do not need to do anything. Existing HawaiianMiles balances already moved into Atmos Rewards.
Co-branded credit cards also connect to Atmos Rewards. Depending on the card, members may receive checked bag benefits, companion fares, or extra miles. Fees and offers vary, so the right choice depends on how often and where someone flies.
For most economy travelers, the key change is simple: one account now covers both airlines, and flights on either carrier can add to the same mileage balance and elite-status progress.
Bag fees and cabin labels: what matches now
Alaska and Hawaiian now charge the same standard checked bag fees on most North American flights. As of April 10, 2026:
- First checked bag: $45
- Second checked bag: $55
Hawaiian previously used its checked-bag pricing. Passengers now have fewer baggage-policy differences to check when comparing flights.
Hawaiian inter-island flights still follow a separate, lower fee structure. Check those rates separately when flying only between the Hawaiian islands, since the standard mainland fee policy does not apply.
Cabin labels have also become more consistent across the two airlines:
- Standard economy
- Extra-legroom seating
- First Class and other premium cabins
However, matching labels do not make the flights identical. Passengers can still select an Alaska-operated or Hawaiian-operated flight based on price, schedule, aircraft, route, or service preference.
Still, comparing Alaska Airlines vs. Hawaiian Airlines should now require less digging. The basic rules look more familiar, although the aircraft, seat, and onboard service can still vary.
What stays different: names, crews, and brand identity
Hawaiian Airlines still looks, sounds, and flies like Hawaiian.
Hawaiian aircraft still carry the Pualani tail design, and the airline keeps its name and branding throughout the trip. Hawaiian crews still present their flights as Hawaiian, even when the booking shows an AS number. Alaska crews and aircraft keep Alaska’s identity.
A shared booking system does not create an identical onboard experience. The aircraft, seat, crew, and service still depend on the operating airline.
The flight numbers changed much more than the branding.
Virgin America explains why some travelers wonder whether Hawaiian could eventually disappear. Alaska bought Virgin America for $2.6 billion in 2016 and retired the brand over the next few years.
But Virgin America is context, not a prediction. Alaska has not announced plans to retire Hawaiian’s identity, and passengers still see two separate brands.
For now, Alaska and Hawaiian share more systems behind the scenes, but passengers still book and fly with two distinct brands.
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The takeaway for economy travelers
Booking Alaska or Hawaiian now takes fewer steps than it did a year ago.
Travelers can now:
- Search both airlines in one place
- Manage eligible flights under one booking reference
- Earn rewards through Atmos Rewards
- Pay the same standard checked bag fees on most North American flights
- Compare Alaska-operated and Hawaiian-operated flights in the same search
Whether you fly Alaska or Hawaiian, planning your trip is now easier than before. Book with Ovago and choose the itinerary that best fits your schedule and budget.
