Alaska/Hawaiian Airlines Merger Cleared Final Approval Hurdle

Yesterday, the Department of Transportation officially gave its blessing for the merging of Alaska Airlines and Hawaiian Airlines. You can read the official news release here and more in-depth information on this post on One Mile at a Time. This news is exciting for many of us miles and points hobbyists who hope to convert Hawaiian miles into Alaska miles in the future for better/more award redemptions.

Important Things to Know About Merger

• The merger is expected to be finalized in the next few days
• The DOT approved the merger with certain required conditions, including:
  • Miles accrued under both airlines before merger will not have expiration date
  • Miles will transfer from each airline at a 1:1 ratio
  • The combined airline may not devalue Hawaiian miles
  • The combined airline must match and maintain customers’ status
  • No new junk fees
  • Fee-free family seating
• Alaska Airlines is pursuing a single-operating certificate
• The Hawaiian Airlines brand will still exist (i.e. planes won’t be re-painted to say Alaska Airlines)

I imagine the company’s IT department will still need time to combine loyalty programs and functions. I have not seen an estimated timeline for that.

However, as of now, the Barclays Hawaiian Airlines credit card (non-affiliate link) is still offering a 70,000-mile welcome bonus after spending $2000 on purchases in the first 90 days. My husband and I both got this card recently.

Also, American Express currently still offers transfers from Membership Rewards to Hawaiian Airlines. I don’t know when this will end. I’ve opted not to transfer Membership Rewards points speculatively at this time. You can also transfer Marriott and Wyndham points to Hawaiian Airlines.

Are you excited about this merger getting approval from the DOT?