Alaska Airlines Partners with Mokulele Airlines
Set to launch early next year, this new partnership will give Alaska Airlines passengers more access to exotic destinations across the Hawaiian islands
Tahitian dance by a Samoan Dancer in Maui / Photo: Deborah Kolb/Shutterstock
Alaska Airlines has partnered with Mokulele Airlines. Starting in January, the Hawaiian regional carrier will become the newest Alaska Airlines Mileage Plan member, expanding the Seattle-based carrier’s reach into Hawaii.
With its main hubs at Honolulu (HNL) and Kahului (OGG), Mokulele Airlines serves ten destinations across the ‘Aloha State,’ with more than 800 weekly flights. Owned by Southern Airways, the airline flies the most inter-island routes in the state.
Photo: Courtesy of Mokulele Airlines
“We are in a growth mode, bringing more aircraft and larger aircraft to Hawaii,” said Keith Sisson, chief of staff at Southern Airways. “For the upcoming year, we are looking at every possibility of offering a more diverse platform of services to the people of the islands. Enhancing our partnership with Alaska Airlines is the next step to becoming Hawaii’s most comprehensive air service provider.”
According to Alaska Airlines, once the partnership with Mokulele has been finalized, customers can purchase tickets for Mokulele flights directly on the Alaska Airlines website. At the same time, Mileage Plan members will earn miles while flying with Mokulele.
The agreement should give Alaska Airlines customers more accessible reach to Hawaiian destinations such as Hilo, Lanai, and Molokai—places for which passengers currently have to purchase separate tickets.
“Our enhanced partnership with Mokulele Airlines will provide our guests with a more streamlined way to travel to additional communities across the islands to appreciate the culture, beauty, and adventure of Hawaii,” said Nat Pieper, senior vice president of fleet, finance, and alliances at Alaska Airlines.
Photo: Hawaiian beach – Courtesy of Luke Mckeown / Unsplash
“This is also a terrific way for our Mileage Plan members to earn additional miles while traveling to one of the most beautiful places in the world.”
Alaska has been flying to Hawaii for 15 years, having first operated a route between Seattle and Honolulu in October 2007, followed by an Anchorage service two months later.
Alaska Airlines currently operates around 30 nonstop flights per day between Hawaii and the mainland United States. These cover all four of the largest islands—Oahu, Maui, Kauai, and the Island of Hawaii—and connect to seven major cities on the West Coast: Anchorage, Seattle, Portland, San Francisco, San Jose, Los Angeles, and San Diego.
The upcoming partnership will also extend to Mokulele’s parent company, Southern Airways Express, offering passengers even more connections across the U.S., including Phoenix, Denver, Washington-Dulles, Dallas-Fort Worth, and Atlanta.
