Hawaiian Airlines will join the OneWorld Alliance in 2026

This week, Alaska Airlines officially completed its acquisition of Hawaiian Airlines. While Hawaiian Airlines is now part of the Alaska Air Group, both airlines will continue to operate under separate certificates for now. Additionally, they plan to retain their independent branding in the long term.

Alaska Airlines' announcement of the acquisition (Source: Alaska Airlines)

A frequent question we’ve seen is whether Hawaiian Airlines will join the oneworld alliance, and we now have an answer.

Hawaiian Airlines’ Plan to Join oneworld

An Alaska Airlines spokesperson has confirmed that Hawaiian Airlines is expected to formally join the oneworld alliance in 2026. This will coincide with the integration of the two airlines into a single passenger service system.

Hawaiian Airlines' Airbus A330 (Source: Hawaiian Airlines)

This means the OneWorld alliance is set to expand further. In addition to Hawaiian Airlines, both Fiji Airways and Oman Air are expected to join the alliance in the coming months. Starlux Airlines has also expressed interest in joining, though its acceptance remains uncertain due to veto rights held by some existing members.

Four potential new airlines joining the oneworld alliance is an exciting development, especially since SkyTeam and Star Alliance have not announced any significant new additions publicly.

What Are the Practical Implications?

The integration of Alaska and Hawaiian Airlines will be gradual. Even before the two airlines operate under a single certificate, members of their loyalty programs will gain some valuable benefits.

HawaiianMiles members can look forward to enjoying oneworld perks, including elite status benefits, as well as earning and redeeming miles:

• In the coming weeks, passengers will be able to transfer miles between Alaska Mileage Plan and HawaiianMiles at a 1:1 ratio, allowing HawaiianMiles members to (indirectly) earn and redeem miles on oneworld partner airlines.

• Reciprocal status matches between Alaska Mileage Plan and HawaiianMiles are expected to roll out in the next few months, enabling HawaiianMiles members to unlock oneworld elite perks when flying with partner airlines.

HawaiianMiles status holders can access OneWorld lounges (Source: OneWorld)

While these benefits will be available long before 2026, the full integration will primarily matter for members of other oneworld programs, who want to earn and redeem miles on Hawaiian Airlines and take advantage of oneworld Sapphire and Emerald perks.

Conclusion

With Alaska Airlines’ acquisition of Hawaiian Airlines, many have been curious about its impact on the oneworld alliance. The good news is that Hawaiian Airlines is expected to join oneworld by 2026. Until then, Alaska and Hawaiian loyalty members can take advantage of reciprocal perks, while those loyal to other oneworld programs will need to wait for full integration.