Alaska Air Group, the parent company of Alaska Airlines, finalized its purchase of Hawaiian Airlines back in September 2024. While the two carriers are planning to retain separate branding, over the past year we have seen them launch a combined rewards program and make fleet adjustments to fit the needs of both carriers.
While they remain on separate operating certificates for the time being, Hawaiian will join Alaska Airlines as part of the OneWorld alliance beginning in 2026.
Hawaiian Will Join OneWorld in Spring 2026
While an exact timeline hasn’t been given, it is expected that Hawaiian will join the alliance in the first half of 2026. OneWorld has seen plenty of new additions in recent years with Fiji Airways and Oman Air joining the alliance. Taiwanese carrier STARLUX has also expressed interest in joining.
With Hawaiian’s move from Hawaiian Miles to Atmos Rewards, the program already participates in OneWorld, there isn’t much of a change for practical purposes with this addition.
The greatest change will be for members of other OneWorld carrier’s frequent flyer programs as they will now be able to earn and redeem points, utilize elite perks, and access lounges (though this may already be the case), when flying with Hawaiian Airlines.
Summary
While this doesn’t come as much of a surprise, Hawaiian Airlines is planning to officially join the OneWorld alliance in the first half of 2026. Hawaiian Airlines frequent flyers already get OneWorld perks through its combined loyalty program with Alaska Airlines so this change will mostly benefit members of other OneWorld airlines when traveling with Hawaiian.