Hawaiian and Alaska Airlines Agree to Maintain Mileage Value Post-Merger, a First Among US Airlines

The United States Department of Transportation has secured binding public interest protections from Alaska Airlines and Hawaiian Airlines.

The goal is to prevent harm to travelers, local communities, and small competing airlines. The airlines have committed to maintaining existing services on Hawaiian Airlines’ mainland and inter-island routes, supporting regional routes, ensuring competitive access at Honolulu, the hub airport, offering families free seating options, and guaranteeing alternative compensation for controllable disruptions.

For the first time, the airlines have agreed to protect benefits such as miles earned, other privileges, and statuses, ensuring no devaluation of mileage rewards. There will be no expiration date for miles, which will maintain their value or better, with a 1:1 transfer ratio even before the programs are integrated. The new program must also maintain this value.