Alaska Airlines just dropped another loyalty bombshell, and this one might be the easiest status we’ve seen in a while. If you love elite perks but hate the grind to earn them, you’ll want to pay attention.
Hawaiian Airlines and Alaska Airlines now have a reciprocal status match. But calling it a “status match” doesn’t quite do it justice—because it’s actually much better than that.
You don’t need to have elite status at all to take advantage of this. Instead, once you link your Alaska and Hawaiian accounts, every mile you earn toward elite status in one program will automatically count toward the other.
Why This Is HUGE
Hawaiian Airlines makes it way easier to earn top-tier status than most airlines. Instead of multiple elite tiers with massive mileage requirements, Hawaiian keeps it simple:
Pualani Gold: 20,000 elite miles
Pualani Platinum: 40,000 elite miles
That’s it. Just two levels. And because Alaska now owns Hawaiian, all the miles you earn toward Alaska status—including those from Oneworld partner flights and even some award flights—also count toward Hawaiian status.
Translation? You can earn elite status with Hawaiian by flying on Alaska and its partners, and vice versa.
The Fast Track to Hawaiian’s Top-Tier Status
Earning 40,000 elite miles with Hawaiian sounds like a lot—until you realize that:
Alaska EQMs (Elite Qualifying Miles) count toward Hawaiian status
Alaska lets you earn EQMs on partner flights AND award tickets
For example, you could book a roundtrip flight from New York to London on American Airlines for just 22,500 Alaska miles one way—and still earn nearly 7,000 qualifying miles toward elite status in BOTH programs.
If you fly Alaska (or its partners) somewhat regularly, you could hit Pualani Platinum status faster than you think—without ever actually flying Hawaiian Airlines.
Why You Want Pualani Platinum Status
Once you hit Pualani Platinum status with Hawaiian, things start getting very interesting.
For starters, you’ll get two first-class upgrade certificates—and these are seriously valuable. Unlike some airlines that make you jump through hoops, Hawaiian lets you apply these upgrades even if you booked the cheapest economy fare on their website.
Here’s how it works:
You book a flight on Hawaiian (even via Alaska’s website)
You apply your upgrade certificate within 30 days of departure
If a first-class seat is open, they’ll confirm the upgrade starting 72 hours before the flight
First Class to Hawaii
Let’s say you book a Los Angeles to Honolulu flight for $134 on Hawaiian’s brand-new 787 Dreamliner. Instead of paying thousands for first class, you can apply your free upgrade and fly in style—with lie-flat seats and all the perks.
Considering that these first-class seats usually go for over $1,000, this is one of the easiest and cheapest ways to fly to Hawaii in luxury.
Why You Should Link Your Accounts ASAP
This new Alaska-Hawaiian link-up is a no-brainer for frequent flyers. Here’s the takeaway:
Every mile you earn toward Alaska status also counts toward Hawaiian status
Hawaiian status is much easier to earn than Alaska’s, making elite perks more accessible
Pualani Platinum gets you two free first-class upgrade certificates on Hawaiian flights
You can leverage Alaska’s partner flights and award redemptions to qualify faster
If you’re already earning elite miles with Alaska, you might be closer to Hawaiian status than you think. So go ahead, link your accounts, and start racking up the perks.
