Fresh off its acquisition of Hawaiian Airlines final 12 months, Alaska Airlines is gearing as much as announce a “beautiful new international experience” — doubtless on board the Boeing 787 Dreamliners Hawaiian ordered earlier than the 2 carriers merged.
The reveal is anticipated later this 12 months, executives mentioned Monday, moments earlier than Alaska and Hawaiian collectively launched their first long-haul flight to Asia.
The new flagship worldwide Dreamliner expertise would presumably embody an all-new business-class product and function the linchpin of the service’s future worldwide development plans out of its Seattle-Tacoma International Airport (SEA) house base — plans that embody flights to Europe beginning subsequent 12 months.
“What you’ll see is all the flights — international flights — out of Seattle, on 787s … and it’ll be operated by Alaska,” CEO Ben Minicucci advised TPG in an interview Monday. “It’ll be a fantastic new international look.”
That’s noteworthy not simply due to the prospects of a flashy new worldwide cabin expertise on a serious U.S. airline, but in addition as a result of it could be Alaska’s first true wide-body service. After all, it is Hawaiian Airlines that is working the just-launched service from Seattle to Tokyo’s Narita International Airport (NRT), as Alaska and Hawaiian preserve separate manufacturers beneath one company construction postmerger.
But getting access to Hawaiian’s bigger twin-aisle jets — and the Dreamliners it is had on order for a number of years — was one of many elements that proved engaging for Alaska when it first sought to accumulate the Aloha State’s house service beginning in 2023.
Now, to be clear: It’ll be a short while earlier than passengers see this new worldwide Dreamliner product hit the skies. These deliberate 787 shifts are contingent on the completion of labor offers, Minicucci mentioned, which might take a 12 months or two.
Hawaiian had plans to obtain a complete of a dozen Dreamliners. It debuted its first 787 final spring, with a surprising new inside and critical improve over its legacy long-haul fleet.
A330 retrofits coming
Alaska Air Group can be planning an eventual face-lift for the older jets in Hawaiian’s fleet, Minicucci advised TPG on Monday.
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The firm sees Hawaiian’s Airbus A330s as a continued “niche” in its fleet on Honolulu routes for years to return. But, as I noticed on board the Hawaiian-operated inaugural from Seattle to Tokyo, the cabins might use some tender loving care, except for the free, high-speed Starlink Wi-Fi on board.
Indeed, retrofits for these jets are on Minicucci’s to-do checklist: “Those interiors,” he mentioned, “will get a makeover in the next few years.” Snarled trade provide chains for seats might throw that timeline into jeopardy, although, he famous.
New loyalty program set for August debut
Alaska additionally revealed one further bit of stories about the way forward for its new, joint loyalty program that can embody each Alaska and Hawaiian. That program will launch in August, Minicucci advised TPG.
That figures to be a intently watched reveal, contemplating Mileage Plan at the moment presents a few of the greatest candy spot redemptions of any U.S. airline loyalty program.
“We’re not going to take anything away,” Minicucci advised me — although he could not get into specifics.
I did need to ask: Will this system be referred to as Mileage Plan, or get some kind of new title, a la “Flying Blue” for Air France and KLM, or “Bonvoy” for Marriott’s portfolio of accommodations? Minicucci solely provided this: “It’ll be uniquely branded with a whole bunch of new features on it.”
A much more important growth price watching: what fast resolution, if any, the corporate makes on its relationship with American Express. At the second, Amex members can switch Membership Rewards factors to HawaiianMiles, after which shift these miles seamlessly over to Mileage Plan. Earlier this month, I used that tactic to redeem 4,500 Alaska miles for what would have been a dear last-minute flight.
Alaska executives have beforehand expressed hesitancy about permitting versatile foreign money transfers from bank card applications as they dreamed up this new joint loyalty program.
Bilt Rewards Points do at the moment switch on to Alaska at a 1:1 ratio.
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