Leverage the Alaska-Hawaiian merger: Key strategies to enhance your miles, elite status, and more

Calling all points and miles aficionados: You’ve likely been following the latest aviation updates about Alaska Airlines' acquisition of Hawaiian Airlines. On Tuesday, the merger was completed, revealing how both airlines will operate while preserving their unique identities.

According to the agreement details, the airlines plan to unify their loyalty programs, with more information expected by mid-2025. For the moment, Alaska Mileage Plan and HawaiianMiles members can keep their existing miles and will soon be able to transfer them between accounts at a 1:1 ratio.

This is monumental news for loyalty program members, allowing you to strategize and maximize your miles between the two airlines for award bookings. Hawaiian Airlines partners with American Express Membership Rewards, while Alaska Airlines is part of the Oneworld alliance. Additionally, both airlines will offer a status match, creating exciting new opportunities.

Here are some practical steps you can take to effectively take advantage of the Alaska-Hawaiian merger.

Apply for a cobranded credit card from Alaska Airlines or Hawaiian Airlines

In August, the Department of Justice chose not to intervene in the merger proposal between the airlines. Prior to the announcement about the 1:1 transfer of miles between loyalty programs, TPG's managing editor Clint Henderson took a chance and opened not one, but two Hawaiian Airlines cobranded credit cards.

Cobranded credit cards from Hawaiian Airlines:

With the Hawaiian Airlines® World Elite Mastercard®, you can earn 70,000 bonus HawaiianMiles after spending $2,000 on purchases in the first 90 days. This card also offers two free checked bags on eligible flights, a $100 discount for a companion ticket on round-trip journeys between Hawaii and North America after each account anniversary, a one-time 50% discount on a companion ticket, and discounted award flights, among other benefits.

With the Hawaiian Airlines® World Elite Business Mastercard®, you can earn 50,000 bonus HawaiianMiles after spending $4,000 within the first 90 days. Additionally, you can earn 20,000 bonus miles for spending between $50,000 and $99,999, or 40,000 bonus miles for spending $100,000 or more in annual purchases.

The information regarding the Hawaiian Airlines World Elite Mastercard and the Hawaiian Airlines World Elite Business Mastercard has been gathered independently by Dinogo. The card details provided here have not been reviewed or endorsed by the card issuer.

Cobranded credit cards from Alaska Airlines:

Alaska Airlines also provides two cobranded credit cards: the Alaska Airlines Visa Signature® credit card and the Alaska Airlines Visa® Business card.

The personal Alaska credit card provides 50,000 bonus miles, along with a deal where you buy one ticket and get another for just the taxes and fees (starting at $0 fare plus taxes and fees from $23) after making $3,000 or more in purchases within the first 90 days of account opening.

The business Alaska card grants 50,000 bonus miles and includes Alaska's companion fare ($99 fare plus taxes and fees starting from $23) after you spend $3,000 or more within the first 90 days of account setup.

Both the personal and business cards offer perks like a free checked bag, 20% back on in-flight purchases, and the opportunity to earn Alaska's companion fare each year. You can receive this fare on your account anniversary if you've spent $6,000 or more in the previous year.

Is it worth opening an Alaska Airlines or Hawaiian Airlines credit card?

Choosing a credit card from either airline ultimately comes down to your personal preference. Both issuers provide unique benefits, including the opportunity to earn Alaska's companion fare each year. However, if you don't plan to frequently fly on Hawaiian or Alaska-operated flights, we recommend selecting the card with the most attractive welcome offer, which is currently the Hawaiian Airlines World Elite Mastercard.

Since you can transfer your HawaiianMiles to Alaska Mileage Plan (beginning at the end of the month) at a 1:1 ratio, their value remains equivalent. Additionally, as Alaska is part of the Oneworld alliance, you can book not only Alaska flights but also partner award tickets, including those with American Airlines, using your Hawaiian miles.

There are several factors to keep in mind. According to the merger announcement, Alaska Airlines and Hawaiian Airlines will eventually create a unified loyalty program. Your miles from both accounts will be converted into this new program at a 1:1 ratio. The airlines haven't disclosed whether they will stick to Alaska's current award chart or adopt a dynamic pricing model. If they opt for dynamic pricing, it could devalue the program and your miles. Therefore, we advise against accumulating large amounts of Hawaiian or Alaska miles unless you intend to use them soon.

Transfer your Amex Membership Rewards points to HawaiianMiles

Opening a new credit card isn’t always a practical option for everyone. However, you might already possess a transferable rewards card that can help you take advantage of the Hawaiian and Alaska merger.

If you earn American Express Membership Rewards points, you can book not only Hawaiian Airlines flights but also those operated by Alaska and their Oneworld partners, particularly American Airlines.

Since I have The Platinum Card® from American Express, I should soon be able to transfer my Amex points to Hawaiian Airlines at a 1:1 ratio and then move those Hawaiian miles to my Alaska Mileage Plan account.

This transfer strategy could save me thousands of dollars and countless points on my upcoming holiday flights. Since Alaska is only a transfer partner for Bilt Rewards, and American Airlines doesn't partner with any transferable rewards programs, I've had to book domestic AA flights through partners like British Airways, Qatar, or Iberia.

The three airlines currently utilize Avios as their reward currency. However, finding award availability for holiday flights has been challenging, and British Airways Executive Club recently devalued American and Alaska award redemptions in July. While you can use Finnair Plus to book domestic American flights — transferring Avios between accounts at a 1:1 ratio — booking requires a phone call.

Amex cards that accumulate Membership Rewards points

I personally prefer to earn transferable rewards for the flexibility they provide in using my points. Here are some of TPG's top Amex card recommendations featuring attractive welcome offers:

• The Platinum Card® from American Express: Earn 80,000 points after spending $8,000 on eligible purchases within the first six months of card membership.
• American Express® Gold Card: Earn 60,000 points after spending $6,000 on eligible purchases during the first six months. Plus, receive 20% back in statement credits on eligible restaurant purchases worldwide in the first six months (up to $100 back).
• American Express® Business Gold Card: Earn 100,000 points after spending $15,000 on eligible purchases within the first three months of card membership.

If you hold an Amex card that earns Membership Rewards points, should you transfer those points to HawaiianMiles? While some might take the plunge and move a batch of Amex points to Hawaiian Airlines, we advise caution. Programs often lose value over time, so it’s wise not to transfer a large sum of Amex points without a clear redemption plan, leaving you with potentially devalued miles once the new loyalty program is introduced.

However, if you frequently fly with Alaska or American Airlines, or if you're planning a trip where you can use Alaska miles for your flights, transferring your Amex points to HawaiianMiles might be beneficial. Currently, Amex hasn't indicated plans to remove HawaiianMiles as a transfer partner, but this could change in 2025. Is it worth the risk? The choice is yours.

Gain elite status benefits with Alaska Airlines and Hawaiian Airlines

If you're an elite status member with either Alaska Airlines or Hawaiian Airlines, make sure to link your accounts to enjoy benefits across both airlines. Before the two programs merge into a single loyalty program, frequent flyers can match their existing status with the other airline's program.

If you lack status with either airline, linking your accounts allows you to combine your elite qualifying miles to achieve elite status with both airlines.

Since Alaska is already part of the Oneworld alliance, your elite status with the airline will also grant you corresponding status within Oneworld.

• MVP = Oneworld Ruby
• MVP Gold = Oneworld Sapphire
• MVP Gold 75K = Oneworld Emerald
• MVP Gold 100K = Oneworld Emerald

Be sure to explore our comprehensive guides on the benefits and advantages of holding Oneworld and Alaska Airlines elite status.

Conclusion

The merger between Alaska Airlines and Hawaiian Airlines marks an exciting development in the realm of points and miles. For the time being, miles will transfer between the two programs at a 1:1 ratio, creating new opportunities for award flights.

Whether you're looking to make a clever transfer to secure a fantastic deal on an American Airlines flight via Alaska's Mileage Plan, redeem miles for a Saver award fare with Alaska, or status match to unlock additional airline benefits and perks, there are various strategies you can implement to make the most of this combined program.