Hawaiian Prepares for Loyalty Integration

We’re closing in on the Alaska-Hawaiian single operating certificate, which should be issued in about four months. As such, we’ve seen Alaska Air Group begin to make fleet moves and other changes. The most notable of these other changes are those occurring as Hawaiian prepares for loyatly integration. 

Hawaiian Airlines’ current loyalty program, HawaiianMiles, is quite similar to Alaska Mileage Plan. However, because of the carrier’s limited footprint, things like elite levels and even partners are a bit different. So, as Alaska Air Group works towards a unified loyalty offering, it’s only natural that changes will occur. And quite a few changes have recently occurred and are on the horizon as Hawaiian prepares for loyalty integration. The most notable and first of these we learned of was HawaiianMiles leaving Amex Membership Rewards, which occurred on June 30, 2025. However, there are quite a few others, too. 

Hawaiian Prepares for Loyalty Integration

The largest set of changes occurring as Hawaiian prepares for loyalty integration is right where you expect it – partner airlines. Pre-merger Hawaiian Airlines partnered with several other carriers, including:

• Virgin Australia
• Virgin Atlantic 
• China Airlines
• Japan Airlines
• Korean Air
• JetBlue

Well, all of these are coming to an end, with the ability to earn HawaiianMiles and book partner awards with the above airlines ending on June 30, 2025, and the last day of travel for partner awards booked prior to this deadline being February 28, 2026. That sounds awful, and I’ve seen quite a bit of uproar around interwebs about this. However, it’s important to remember that your HawaiianMiles transfer 1:1 to Alaska Mileage Plan.

Moreover, Mileage Plan has numerous partner airlines, some of which are the same, and some of which are comperable replacements to what was lost here. The noteable exception to this is JetBlue. But, even there, as they become increasingly cozy with United, there’s no guarantee JetBlue would remain friendly with an independent Hawaiian Air. 

That said, here are the partners available in Mileage Plan: 

• Oneworld Parnters
  • American
  • British Airways
  • Cathay Pacific
  • Fiji Airways 
  • Finnair
  • Iberia
  • Japan Airlines
  • Malaysia Airlines
  • Oman Air
  • Quantas 
  • Qatar Airways
  • Royal Air Maroc
  • Royal Jordinian 
  • SriLankan Airlines 
• Out of Alliance Partners
  • Aer Lingus
  • Air Tahiti Nui
  • Condor
  • Hainan Airlines
  • Iceland Air
  • Korean Air
  • LATAM
  • Phillippine Airlines
  • Porter Airlines
  • Singapore Airlines 
  • STARLUX Airlines 
• Mileage Earning Partners
  • Aleutian Airways 
  • Bahamasair
  • Cape Air
  • Contour Airlines
  • Kenmore Air
  • Mokulele
  • Southern Airways Express 

I think this more than makes up for what was lost. And, let’s be real, some of the former partners had attrocious redemption values. I’m looking at you, Virgin Atlantic! At the same time, Mileage Plan partners such as Singapre Airlines, opens up fantastic potential redemption values, including on domestic flights with Hawaiian. Plus, remember, Singapore Airlines is a transfer partner to many of the leading flexible currencies, such as Chase Ultimate Rewards. 

So, yes, HawaiianMiles lost its partner airlines. But you can easily use your HawaiianMiles to book with a far greater variety of partners via Mileage Plan. 

Non-Airline Partners

Of course, the above is only half the story. As Hawaiian Prepares for loyalty integration, it also saw massive changes to non-airline partners. For example, as of June 17, 2025, redeeming HawaiianMiles for gift cards ended for the following merchants:

• Foodland
• Hele
• Kono’s Restaurant

Further, this option ended for the folllowing merchants on June 30, 2025:

• Boyd Points
• Koa Pancake House
• Maui Jim
• The Alley Restaurant

While this is an overwhelmingly negative change, I don’t think it’s one many will miss. Redeeming airline miles for merchant gift cards is almost never a good (or even decent) value proposition. Plus, while you can no longer redeem HawaiianMiles for gift cards with the above merchants, you can still earn Hawaiianmiles with the following merchants:

• Foodland – currently offering TRIPLE miles through the end of July
• Hele
• Koa Pancake House
• Maui Jim
• The Alley Restaurant
• Boyd Points – you can still transfer points

That said, there are several earning partners that have gone away entirely, including:

• Rocket Mortgage
• University of Hawai’i 
• Carmel
• Island Art Store

No Change

As of this publication, there are quite a few loyalty partners who won’t be seeing changes as Hawaiian prepares for loyalty integration, at least for now. Those partners include:

• Marriott Bonvoy
• Alohilani Resort
• Park Shore Waikiki
• Twin Finn Waikiki
• Avis/Payless/Budget

An Interesting Observation

In the materials talking about the above changes as Hawaiian prepares for loyalty integration, it’s mentioned that many of the non-airline partners that you can still earn HawaiianMiles with will, and I quote, “join Mileage Plan later this year.”

At the beginning of this same page, they state “[w]e’re working hard on our combined loyalty program that will launch later this year.” 

So, what’s with the difference? I’ve long believed that Mileage Plan will be the surviving program, albeit with a different name. Is this a further hint to that being the case? Or did someone forget to proofread? 

Hawaiian Prepares for Loyalty Integration, Final Thoughts

As we enter the merger home stretch, expect more changes as Hawaiian prepares for loyatly integration. The biggest of these to come remains the credit cards. And while we have a pretty good idea on what will happen, the logistics remain a big unknown. Overall, though, I think the changes that have already occurred are mostly positive. There’s no denying that having more options and, often, at better values, is a good thing.

Remember back in 2023? I broke down both programs and the redemption value differences were astonishing. For example, you could fly from HNL to LAX to LHR for 95,000 miles on American, versus 160,000 with Hawaiian via Virgin Atlantic. Similarly, you can redeem 60,000 miles for travel from HNL to HND in economy with Alaska via Japan Airlines, or 80,000 with Hawaiian via Japan Airlines. 

Sure, redemption rates have gotten a little worse since then. But these difference are nothing to sneeze at! 

Plus, in a strange twist, HawaiianMiles members can now earn miles flying to Lana’i and Moloka’i again.