WrightHI

The AS-HA deal has a ways to go, but appears to be on track and could plausibly close late this year. While HawaiianMiles is a pretty poor program overall, it has its moments, and even where it isn't competitive, it has some customers hooked that AS wants to keep. Some thoughts and speculations on a holiday afternoon (Kuhio Day; hard luck for the rest of you):

• Mileage earning is mostly identical across both carriers, so there shouldn't be much change. One difference is that HA now limits 500-mile minimum credit to elites, to the detriment of non-elite interisland fliers. Restoring 500 mile minimums for everyone seems like an easy give for AS.
• HA has only two tiers of elite status, at 20K and 40K, with additional upgrade certificates at 75K but no higher status levels. Integration will presumably track the AS tiers.
• HA has a lot of segment qualifiers (frequent interisland fliers), while AS just eliminated segment qualification. I expect integration on the AS model since they just implemented it, but this is one of the places where AS has the potential to tick off a segment of locals they don't want to tick off, so some kind of transition strategy would be in order.
• HA provides lounge access to all of its elites, but the lounges aren't much. AS needs to get cracking on a proper lounge at HNL and maybe OGG, keep the existing ones going until those are available, and come up with some kind of transition strategy for local fliers who value the HA lounges even if they're crappy.
• The only unsupported complimentary upgrades on HA are for Plats interisland. On transition, we'll presumably get free upgrades on most routes on the AS system. But there are a couple of nuances. First, HA is pretty liberal with mileage upgrades on all fares, while AS mileage upgrades are usually a lousy deal. It would behoove AS to move a bit toward the HA model so as not to disappoint the segment of HA fliers who save up their miles to fly in front. Second, HA's Plat upgrade certificates don't clear until ~ 72 hours out, but they're usable on any ticket (including awards), and two certificates can be used to upgrade long-haul (east coast and international) flights. AS should give some thought to replacing both its GGUs and HA's Plat certificates with something that will make sense in the new network.
• Other than lounges, segment qualifiers, and some use cases for mileage and certificate upgrades, AS is a better program and should be well received by HA fliers.

Other thoughts? I'm sure I'm missing something.

diver858

Bigger question is if/where AS and HA will combine gates for mainland flights.

The AA/JL HNL lounge is quite good, very convenient for AS mainland flights.

HA lounge in OGG is a joke, perhaps AA/AS will do something, particularly if gates are grouped together.

anteater

AS offers to match HA Gold to Gold and and HA Platinum to 75K through an additional year, as well as uptier (to 75K/100K, respectively) if the pax signs up for the branded CC.

WrightHI

Nice! Would focus people on the upside, and if they can be generous for DL elites, they can be generous to elites they’re buying. (Personally I’m just hoping to have my 2024 AS and HA EQM combined for 2024 status, but I’m an outlier.)

Mokuea

Mileage Plan is one of the best or the best US FF program so I donʻt anticipate any changes.

My speculation is everything will be merged into Mileage Plan:
Miles (including elite qualifying miles) will be a 1:1 match
Elite levels will be a 1:1 match: Pualani Gold=MVP, Pualani Platinum=MVP Gold, "Pualani 75K"=MVP Gold 75K
Interisland upgrades will be part of the current upgrade system
Barclay card will be merged into the Bank of America one
Only thing that needs to be decided is how many miles will be earned on interisland flights
I think Pualani upgrade certificates are gone
I hope they rename the program and elite levels

I think paid Premier Club memberships are gone, maybe replaced with a "Club 49" for Hawaii residents
I think they will close the Premier Club lounges in KOA, LIH, and ITO and open a couple bigger and much improved lounges in Honolulu and maybe one in Kahului since it costs $550 to join.

For me personally, the one thing Iʻm looking forward to is the Million Miler program. Iʻm afraid HAʻs IT is so bad there is no record of past mileage, but Iʻm hoping Iʻm wrong and my HAMiles will count toward Million Miler since Iʻm approaching 2 million miles on HA.

Eastbay1K

We're still waiting MM credit from VX earnings.

diver858

Advantage program added the Barclays card after US' hostile takeover of AA, in addition to Citi. As long as ALK keeps the HA brand, reasonable to expect the Barclays card to continue.

ecdysiast

I forget where I saw it, but one of the filings made by Alaska specifically confirms they will integrate/convert HA's loyalty program into AS's MileagePlan. I didn't confirm it in the original document, but my impression was that miles would move over 1:1.

Baze

I haven't flown Alaska in about 4 years since moving to Hawaii and doing mainly interisland flights but I seem to remember they gave 500 miles minimum to elites and actual to members without status. United was the same. HA gives elites and Premier Club members 500 mile minimum and actual for just members. So, unless I am remembering wrong about Alaska or they have changed that is one thing that is the same between the two programs.