As promised at the time of the merger closing, Alaska Airlines has launched an all-new kama’aina-only program called Huaka’i by Hawaiian Airlines. This benefit is similar in spirit to Alaska Air’s Club 49 for Alaska residents, but isn’t quite as generous.
To my knowledge, Hawaiian Airlines never really offered exclusive benefits for Hawai’i residents outside of discounted bulk flight purchases for inter-island flights. These were targeted primarily at local businesses and individuals who had a need to travel frequently between the islands. However, the rest of us paid the same prices and had the exact same benefits as anyone else when traveling wholly within Hawai’i. Not anymore. For the first time ever, a kama’aina-only program is now available called Huaka’i by Hawaiian Airlines. So, let’s check out the program details!
Huaka’i by Hawaiian Airlines
Prior to today, we knew that Huaka’i by Hawaiian Airlines would be comprised of three separate elements: a baggage benefit, a regular discount, and exclusive fare specials. Well, now we know the nitty gritty details of each of these programs.
Free Checked Bags
All members of Huaka’i by Hawaiian Airlines will receive one free checked bag when traveling wholly within the Hawaiian Islands. This benefit covers virtually anything you’d check into cargo, including a normal checked bag, sporting equipment, surfboards, and more. However, it’s worth noting that this benefit does not stack with the two free checked bags Hawaiian Airlines World Elite Mastercard cardholders receive. As a reminder cardholders receive two free checked bags for flights within the islands and between Hawai’i and the continental U.S. Naturally, the benefit is not combinable with bag benefits for Pualani status and Premier Club members, either.
This new benefit begins for flights departing on January 8, 2025, and will apply to existing and new reservations on that date.
Flight Discounts
The second facet of Huaka’i by Hawaiian Airlines is the fare discounts for members. Specifically, Huaka’i by Hawaiian Airlines members will receive one quarterly discount code good for 10% off an inter-island itinerary. That discount increases to 20% if you’re a Hawaiian Airlines World Elite Mastercard cardholder. Regardless of the amount of the discount, members will be emailed their discount code once every three months, with the first one arriving in late December 2024, and it will be valid from January 8 through March 2025. In subsequent quarters, the code will be valid from the first of the first month of the quarter.
Now, it’s worth noting that the codes are valid for travel during the applicable dates. This means that your flights have to occur within the quarter for which the code is issued. For example, the first code will be valid for flights departing between January 8 and March 31, 2025. That’s kind of a bummer, given that if you want to travel in early January, you’ll be booking close in if you wait for the code to be emailed to you.
It’s also worth noting that the Huaka’i by Hawaiian Airlines codes apply only to the member to which it was issued. So, if you and your partner are members and want to use the discount code, you’d both have to book your own flights on two separate reservations. However, the codes are valid for either one-way or roundtrip flights and can be applied to either Main Cabin or First Class fares.
Fare Specials
The third element of Huaka’i by Hawaiian Airlines is the monthly fare specials that were previously announced. This portion of the program is the least appealing to me. Why? Well, these monthly discounts will vary in amount and routes and will cover the entire network – not just inter-island travel. However, while it sounds like Huaka’i by Hawaiian Airlines members will be notified about these fare specials first, the program terms & conditions state:
Fare sales are accessible without a log-in and therefore are accessible to the general public if shared. Hawaiian Airlines maintains the right to notify and grant access to any sale before publishing it to Huaka’i by Hawaiian members, in Hawaiian Airlines’ sole discretion.
So, much like the “exclusive discounts” for Alaska Access members, these discounts are anything but exclusive.
How to Get Your Benefits
As you may imagine, to receive your Huaka’i by Hawaiian Airlines benefits you have to, well, join the program. Moreover, you must be a HawaiianMiles member to join, and you have to have a valid mailing address in the State of Hawai’i. This address is validated once per year, so it’s not likely you can temporarily assign yourself a Hawai’i address and then change it to somewhere else after enrolling. To enroll, you can visit this specific page on hawaiianairlines.com.
Huaka’i by Hawaiian Airlines, Final Thoughts
Honestly, this is something I think Hawaiian should have done long ago. In fact, it’s something that should have been implemented to counter the threat presented by Southwest Airlines and their two free checked bags. Alas, Hawaiian Airlines under Peter Ingram made a lot of questionable decisions, which is why we find ourselves where we are today. But, the past is the past, and it’s great to have this benefit now.
Whether that persuades me to move back to Hawaiian from Southwest for inter-island travel is another story. This certainly does even out the value proposition a little more, so it’ll really come down to fare and buy ups (Extra Comfort versus Early Bird). That said, inter-island award flights will likely always be Southwest for me, as their award pricing is far more advantageous, while being able to transfer points from Chase is a BIG win.
At any rate, the decision to tie benefits to the Hawaiian Airlines World Elite Mastercard is an interesting one, especially since we know that product is going away. So, it’ll be interesting to see how that benefit evolves over time.
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