Recent off its acquisition of Hawaiian Airways final yr, Alaska Airways is gearing as much as announce a “stunning new worldwide expertise” — possible on board the Boeing 787 Dreamliners Hawaiian ordered earlier than the 2 carriers merged.
The reveal is anticipated later this yr, executives mentioned Monday, moments earlier than Alaska and Hawaiian collectively launched their first long-haul flight to Asia.
The brand new flagship worldwide Dreamliner expertise would presumably embrace an all-new business-class product and function the linchpin of the provider’s future worldwide development plans out of its Seattle-Tacoma Worldwide Airport (SEA) residence base — plans that embrace flights to Europe beginning subsequent yr.
“What you may see is all of the flights — worldwide flights — out of Seattle, on 787s … and it will be operated by Alaska,” CEO Ben Minicucci informed TPG in an interview Monday. “It will be a unbelievable new worldwide look.”
That is noteworthy not simply due to the prospects of a flashy new worldwide cabin expertise on a significant U.S. airline, but additionally as a result of it will be Alaska’s first true wide-body service. In any case, it is Hawaiian Airways that is working the just-launched service from Seattle to Tokyo’s Narita Worldwide Airport (NRT), as Alaska and Hawaiian preserve separate manufacturers beneath one company construction postmerger.
However having 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 components that proved engaging for Alaska when it first sought to amass the Aloha State’s residence provider beginning in 2023.
Now, to be clear: It will 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 yr or two.
Hawaiian had plans to obtain a complete of a dozen Dreamliners. It debuted its first 787 final spring, with a gorgeous new inside and critical improve over its legacy long-haul fleet.
A330 retrofits coming
Alaska Air Group can also be planning an eventual face-lift for the older jets in Hawaiian’s fleet, Minicucci informed TPG on Monday.
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The corporate sees Hawaiian’s Airbus A330s as a continued “area of interest” in its fleet on Honolulu routes for years to come back. However, as I noticed on board the Hawaiian-operated inaugural from Seattle to Tokyo, the cabins might use some tender loving care, other than the free, high-speed Starlink Wi-Fi on board.
Certainly, retrofits for these jets are on Minicucci’s to-do record: “These interiors,” he mentioned, “will get a makeover within the subsequent few years.” Snarled business provide chains for seats might throw that timeline into jeopardy, although, he famous.
New loyalty program set for August debut
Alaska additionally revealed one extra bit of reports about the way forward for its new, joint loyalty program that can embody each Alaska and Hawaiian. That program will launch in August, Minicucci informed TPG.
That figures to be a carefully watched reveal, contemplating Mileage Plan presently provides a few of the finest candy spot redemptions of any U.S. airline loyalty program.
“We’re not going to take something away,” Minicucci informed me — although he could not get into specifics.
I did need to ask: Will this system be known as Mileage Plan, or get some type of new identify, a la “Flying Blue” for Air France and KLM, or “Bonvoy” for Marriott’s portfolio of motels? Minicucci solely provided this: “It will be uniquely branded with an entire bunch of recent options on it.”
A much more vital growth value watching: what instant resolution, if any, the corporate makes on its relationship with American Categorical. In the intervening time, 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 an expensive last-minute flight.
Alaska executives have beforehand expressed hesitancy about permitting versatile forex transfers from bank card applications as they dreamed up this new joint loyalty program.
Bilt Rewards Factors do presently switch on to Alaska at a 1:1 ratio.
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