Alaska Airlines’ acquisition of Hawaiian Air has been one of the juiciest topics in points and miles sewing circles over the last year or so. The previously unremarkable HawaiianMile has been transformed into an object of desire and intrigue based on its new 1:1 transferability to Alaska Mileage Plan miles.
Hawaiian is a transfer partner of American Express Membership Rewards, which effectively means that Alaska is now a transfer partner also: transfer your Amex points to Hawaiian, then convert them to Alaska miles on a 1:1 basis.
While this has provided a never-before-seen opportunity for infrequent Alaska customers to stockpile Mileage Plan miles, it also gives rise to a very common question: when will transfers from Amex to Hawaiian be going away?
Alaska has set a target date for debuting a combined Alaska/Hawaiian loyalty program of “Summer 2025.” Accordingly, we’ve assumed that’s generally when Amex transfers will go away.
A few weeks ago, Frequent Miler Insiders moderator Zed saw that, as of July 1st, 2025, Virgin Australia will no longer be a partner of Hawaiian Air. Today, MonkeyMiles noticed that the last day for ALL non-Alaska airline partnerships with Hawaiian will be 6/30/25. In addition, several shopping and dining partners will be ending on the same day.
Given all that, it seems a fair guess to say that this will also be the last day that Amex to Hawaiian transfers will be possible as well.
Quick Thoughts
To be 100% clear, this is pure speculation for now. We haven’t heard anything concrete from Alaska, Hawaiian or American Express. That said, we’ve been waiting for indications at to when the final hammer will drop, and the announcement of the same end-date for all of these Hawaiian airline and shopping partners seems to be a pretty good guess.
Frankly, if I had Membership Rewards and wanted to transfer them to Hawaiian/Alaska, I’d do it sooner than later…there’s no guarantee that the ability to do so will be there next week. While the tea leaves are pointing to June 30th, there’s absolutely no reason to try and wait until the last minute.
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I partially expect a devaluation of some sort to occur at the same time. Nothing to base it on other than it seems like an easy time for Alaska to do it with the launching of a new program and the influx of points on its balance sheet. Hopefully I’m wrong!
Interesting that Delta wasn’t kicked off as a partner program
@Tim. If you use Alaska Miles to book flights on AA metal, can you use your AA status for seats, boarding position etc.?
Yes
Thanks!
When you make the booking on the Alaska web site, don’t let your Alaska profile be the passenger. Take the “someone else” option, then refill it with your name and other information. Otherwise your Alaska number will “stick” and can only be changed by phone call(s) or at the airport.
I can’t remember offhand whether this way you will be able to put your AA number in on the Alaska website, or whether you will still have to go into AA with the AA record locator number that Alaska will provide you, and add your AA number there (within AA site); but I do know that you will not be able to change your Alaska number to your AA loyalty number even on the AA site if you allowed Alaska to pre-populate your info while you are booking.
Very helpful. Makes sense
Isn’t JAL part of One World?
Partner doesn’t necessarily mean that they’re part of the same alliance.
Sorry, that should have been edited to say “non-Alaska.” Fixed.
unless of course, you are holding out hope for a transfer bonus.
Waiting for that 20% MR > HI transfer bonus to come back. Still slapping myself for not doing that last year.
I’d wager there’s a snowball’s chance in hell of a transfer bonus happening before HawaiianMiles gets the axe
O man…….so you are saying there is a chance?!!!!!!!!!!!???!!!!! Hell yea!!
So you’re telling me there’s a chance!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cbrTKw50X6U
They don’t make em like they used to. I laughed my ass off for most of the movie.