This fall, merged carriers Alaska Airlines and Hawaiian Airlines are making key changes to one of their core services.
On October 3, Hawaiian will launch new daily, supplemental service on one of its most popular Neighbor Island routes.
On its route between Honolulu and Kahului, the carrier will add three daily roundtrip flights operated by a Boeing 737-800 plane.
The addition will increase capacity on the busy route between two of the airline’s largest Hawaii hubs, while also maintaining existing flight frequencies.
Hawaiian will continue to use its Boeing 717 fleet to fly about 140 flights per day across its other Neighbor Island routes. However, the carrier plans to retire those smaller planes by 2028.
The upgraded 737-800 planes offer perks like in-seat power, USB charging ports, and free Starlink Wi-Fi.
As part of the changes, Hawaiian is also changing how far in advance travelers must check in and drop bags for all Neighbor Island flights.
Starting October 3, passengers must be checked in at least 50 minutes before takeoff for all Neighbor Island routes. That’s 20 minutes earlier than the current requirement, which is 30 minutes before takeoff.
Hawaiian says that the earlier check in time will help with baggage handling logistics and on time departures.
Additionally, guests departing Kahului aboard a 737 Neighbor Island flight should now visit the Alaska Airlines counter, which is next to Hawaiian’s, for check in and baggage drop.
International departures from Honolulu will move to Terminal 2, Lobby 4. Travelers on international itineraries should visit the Hawaiian desk in that location for check in and baggage drop, starting October 3.
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