Hawaiian and Alaska airlines joint head Diana Birkett Rakow reveals to Travel Weekly how membership of the oneworld alliance will impact travellers in the region.
Given Hawaiian Airlines and Alaska Airlines (AAG) have now taken a decisive step into the global network era, their newly combined Atmos loyalty program combined with oneworld membership promises to reshape how Australians and New Zealanders book Pacific itineraries.
Despite the current climate, the move comes as both carriers press ahead with airport and onboard investments designed to lift the guest experience while keeping both brands distinct following Alaska Airlines’ multi-billion-dollar acquisition of Hawaiian Airlines in September 2024.
“The immediate consumer win is seamless loyalty benefits across a much larger network,” the new joint head of both carriers, Diana Birkett Rakow, told Travel Weekly.
Hawaiian Airlines joins oneworld, partnering with Qantas and boosting global reach for Hawai‘i
“We’re really excited about this milestone, and there’s two parts. One is that our existing loyalty members have, and they already do, but I think using this milestone to really make sure that we’re educating folks about the full breadth of benefits that you get through the Atmos loyalty program,” Birkett Rakow says. “You can earn and redeem points on this incredible breadth of airlines, including Qantas, and the ability to have your elite status recognised.”
And the now Honolulu-based Birkett Rakow is warming to the idea of big changes following eight years in a senior executive role at Alaska. Not that the two airlines were ever poles apart, figuratively speaking, as they are both non-continental US carriers that also have strong individual identities.
South of the equator, for Australian travel advisors Birkett Rakow says the message is simple: Hawaiian is now an option inside existing loyalty ecosystems.
“One, that they newly have Hawaiian as a choice within their existing loyalty ecosystem, that and so it just expands the options for them,” the executive said, urging agents to promote stopovers and multi-destination itineraries that now link more easily into the continental US and beyond.
The combined offering also opens up around-the-world routing possibilities on oneworld carriers.
“You can make it part of around-the-world itinerary,” Birkett Rakow says. “So now you’ve got to stop over in the Pacific as an option if you want to go around the world with oneworld carriers.”
Its presence has also been boosted by group’s appointment of Andrew Stanbury as regional managing director, South Pacific, as part of a shakeup of global regional leadership roles.
Alaska Airlines, including Hawaiian Airlines, names new regional managing director, South Pacific
Investment plan and product refresh
Despite a cautious capacity plan for the year, the airline is pressing ahead with product investment that includes a unified Alaska Hawaiian mobile app offering guests a faster, more intuitive experience, plus tangible benefits including lounge upgrades.
“We’re actually building a new 10,600 square foot (985sqm) Flagship Lounge here (in Hawaii), as well as investing in our airport experience and in our technology,” she says.
The company has also confirmed a widebody interior refresh for its A330 fleet, scheduled to appear in the market in 2028 with lie flat suites in the front cabin and a dedicated premium cabin, plus new finishes and an upgraded in-flight entertainment system. The carrier also highlighted its fast, free Starlink Wi‑Fi as a differentiator for long-haul travellers.
Given the current geopolitical climate and enduring mayhem int he Middle East the executive was measured in her views on potential growth.
“Our plan for this year was actually pretty modest growth,” she reveals. “We are not adding a ton of new capacity, but we’re also not pulling back capacity.”
The emphasis instead is on financial discipline and flexibility to weather geopolitical and market shocks.
Brand identity and culture
A recurring theme of the decision to comb the two airlines last year was the decision to retain their two distinct brands and in-cabin cultures while integrating back-end systems.
“We always entered this journey with the idea that we would keep those two distinct brands,” Birkett Rakow says, noting the deep cultural responsibilities Hawaiian Airlines carries.
“We talk about connecting people with the spirit of aloha, but we really do carry the identity of Hawaii and a deep responsibility to reflect Hawaii across the globe,” she says.
That balance – local identity plus global reach – is central to the pitch for Australian and New Zealand travellers who increasingly look for authentic experiences combined with loyalty perks, and its relative safety and close proximity given what is happening further north.
What this means for agents and travellers
The union of Hawaiian and Alaska under a single loyalty umbrella and oneworld membership is a strategic play to convert brand strength into network utility. It keeps the islands’ unique identity front and centre while giving travel sellers and passengers new ways to stitch Hawaii into broader itineraries – from short leisure escapes to multi-stop business trips and round‑the‑world adventures.
If there is any advice that advisors can be taken from Birkett Rakow, it’s that advisors should highlight the ability to earn and redeem points across the expanded network and to build Hawaii stopovers into US-bound itineraries, including business travellers, without any extra fare.
In doing so, they gain more choice and recognition of elite status, plus get improved lounge access and will get a refreshed long‑haul product in the years ahead.
“It’s a good opportunity to let people know that offering and that they have not just the option to fly Hawaiian, but they actually get loyalty benefits in doing so, which is a game changer,” Birkett Rakow says. “And our partnership with Qantas is phenomenal. They’re a fantastic airline, and so being able to actually combine itineraries and take advantage of both carriers is a plus.”
Trade partners can expect more marketing assets and renderings to be released as lounge and cabin visuals are finalised.
