Alaska Airlines enters its intercontinental era with first-ever nonstop flight to Asia, operated by Hawaiian
Editor's Note
Make way for Alaska Airlines on the global stage.
Nine months after the Seattle-based carrier got government approval to acquire Hawaiian Airlines, I was on board Monday as the two airline brands — now operated by one parent company — worked together to launch nonstop service from Alaska's Pacific Northwest home base to Tokyo.
Touching down Tuesday at Narita International Airport (NRT), the flight ushered in a new era for Alaska, a longtime domestic-focused airline that only ventured as far outside the U.S. as its fleet of narrow-body Boeing 737s would take it.
The new flight will offer travelers a new way to get to Japan with points and miles. And, with more nonstop international destinations in the works, the route will likely serve as the launching pad for a global expansion that Alaska expects will take the combined carrier to a dozen long-haul destinations by the end of this decade.
Inaugural Japan service
There was some irony in the pomp and circumstance surrounding Monday's inaugural flight from Seattle-Tacoma International Airport (SEA) to Narita, to be sure. After all, multiple airlines already fly nonstop to Tokyo from Seattle, from Delta Air Lines to All Nippon Airways and Japan Airlines; Hawaiian has also flown between its home state and Japan for years.
Still, this flight held extra meaning.
When Alaska Air Group first announced plans to acquire Hawaiian Airlines in December 2023, part of the vision was to become a true global airline. Among the opportunities Alaska saw in its Honolulu-based counterpart: Hawaiian's fleet of larger, wide-body planes — and its orders for more of them in the years to come.
In recent months since the merger, we've seen Alaska and Hawaiian work to integrate their loyalty programs and behind-the-scenes operations. They even moved gates at major hubs to be closer to one another.
Executives saw the launch of a global gateway at SEA as a key step in that evolution that now has the two brands— beacons in America's 49th and 50th states — growing together as the nation's fifth-largest carrier.
“It’s surreal for me to see how much our growth has been," Alaska CEO Ben Minicucci said, speaking before the flight.
At the airport
From the outset, Hawaiian will operate this new international service between Seattle and Narita on a route that, uniquely, won’t touch Hawaii at all — unlike most of the routes it has operated in its history.
For passengers checking a bag (or checking in) at the airport, that meant this trip started at the Hawaiian ticket counter in Seattle.
Even though there’s now one parent company behind Alaska and Hawaiian, the two airlines will still operate as two distinct airlines — much like KLM and Air France do in Europe, despite sitting under one corporate umbrella.
The melting pot that is this combined airline operation really started to become obvious once I passed through security.
As a Hawaiian business-class passenger on Monday’s flight, I got access to the Alaska Lounge, opting to visit the spacious N-concourse outpost closest to the gate.
Ahead of the early afternoon departure, guests could choose from a breakfast buffet or visit the full-service coffee and cocktail bars — the latter of which offered up a Narita Banana concoction ($9) curated for the inaugural flight.
Outside the window sat the Hawaiian Airbus A330 scheduled to fly the Tokyo route.
Overlooking the aircraft, I ran into Anchorage, Alaska, native Matthew Sandoval, a self-described Alaska “super fan” who once had his 10th birthday party at an Alaska gate — and since then has been on more of the carrier's inaugural flights than he can count.
“Cincinnati, Columbus, Belize, Fort Myers, Jackson Hole, Anchorage, JFK,” he rattled off. "This one’s definitely different."
Inaugural festivities
Down at the gate, passengers and passersby found all the pomp and circumstance you'd expect from an inaugural flight, from decor to food and entertainment.
Following a taiko drumming performance and a traditional Hawaiian blessing, Alaska and Hawaiian executives cut the ribbon that signaled it was time to board.
At their seats, passengers found a few more tokens commemorating the flight, from a bag tag to a porcelain chopsticks holder.
Onboard product
Hawaiian's A330 flying this route still sported all of the touches you’d expect on a Hawaiian plane, from cabin crew members in classic Hawaiian shirts to an inflight safety video that showed scenery from the Aloha State accompanied by ukulele music.
It's also a more legacy cabin experience overall, with the aging product a bit evident in the economy and Extra Comfort sections of the aircraft.
While the business-class cabin does offer lie-flat seats, they're arranged in a 2-2-2 configuration that’s lost competitiveness in a world of suites and universal direct aisle access.
To be clear: The ability to lie down and sleep on a long flight beats any coach seat by a long shot.
But, compared with some of the newer lie-flat products I've flown, the pods in Hawaiian's A330 front cabin certainly are less modern, spacious and private — and they lack many of the bells and whistles you'd find on Hawaiian's own Boeing 787 Dreamliner that debuted just about a year ago.
That said, there may be an aircraft upgrade on the horizon.
"We’re very excited that over time, we will shift our international flying here in Seattle to 787 Dreamliner aircraft," Joe Sprague, the new CEO of the Hawaiian Airlines brand, said Monday.
Another bit of news: Executives suggested those Dreamliner flights from Seattle to Tokyo — and other long-haul destinations — may ultimately be operated by Alaska itself, not Hawaiian.
Inflight Starlink a 'plus'
Easily the most impressive feature on board this Hawaiian A330: the fast, free Starlink Wi-Fi that was available from boarding. Hawaiian has been the only U.S. carrier to offer Starlink service — though United Airlines is set to debut the technology this week.
Business-class experience
Up front, I settled into my seat in Row 2 with the assistance of a flight attendant, who added a mattress cover to my seat, offering a bit more padding ahead of the overnight trip.
Hawaiian's cabin crew members also brought around an amenity kit “buffet” of sorts, allowing you to grab the products you wanted in the tote bag the airline provided.
Following a predeparture glass of Champagne, a water cannon salute from Seattle’s first responders and a just-behind-schedule takeoff, HA Flight 823 was on its way to Asia.
Inflight dining
At cruising altitude, the inflight meal service allowed passengers to choose from a Hawaiian Fusion or Japanese menu for dinner.
I chose the latter, and found the roasted chicken with umami sauce alongside steamed white rice and miso soup to be the highlight of the inflight service — though the cheesecake for dessert didn't hurt, either.
I also enjoyed the ginger scallion chicken and chow fun noodles that appeared about 90 minutes prior to our landing at Narita — an arrival that came at 4:53 p.m., after 10 hours and 45 minutes in the air.
How to book Hawaiian's new Seattle-Tokyo flight
Travelers hoping to book the new Hawaiian-operated, Alaska Air Group flight from Seattle to Tokyo have a few options.
- You can redeem Alaska Mileage Plan miles or HawaiianMiles miles. Keep in mind, you can shift your miles seamlessly between the two programs over the next couple of months, ahead of the launch of a new, joint loyalty program encompassing both airline brands. So book your award flight through whichever program offers the best redemption.
- Travelers who need to up their Mileage Plan account balance can transfer Bilt Rewards Points to Alaska at a 1:1 ratio.
- For now, you can transfer American Express Membership Rewards points to HawaiianMiles and then (if you want) move those miles over to Alaska Mileage Plan at a 1:1 ratio — though you may want to act sooner rather than later if you're going this route.
Keep in mind that you can also use Alaska miles to fly across the Pacific on a variety of Oneworld alliance partner airlines too, including nonstop flights from the U.S. to Tokyo on both Japan Airlines and American Airlines.
Seoul is next ... then Europe
Looking ahead, Alaska’s long-haul ambitions in Seattle go far beyond Tokyo.
TPG already reported Hawaiian-operated flights to Seoul, South Korea, will start later this year. On Monday, the carrier confirmed Europe flights will begin during the second quarter of 2026.
It hopes to launch 12 international long-haul destinations from its SEA hub by 2030.
But don’t expect a third global hub for the brands (beyond Seattle and Honolulu) anytime soon. “At least for the foreseeable future it’ll all be Seattle-centric,” Minicucci told me. “Beyond that, we’ll see.”
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Why We Chose It
There’s a lot to love about the Amex Gold. It’s a fan favorite thanks to its fantastic bonus-earning rates at restaurants worldwide and at U.S. supermarkets. If you’re hitting the skies soon, you’ll also earn bonus Membership Rewards points on travel. Paired with up to $120 in Uber Cash annually (for U.S. Uber rides or Uber Eats orders, card must be added to Uber app and you can redeem with any Amex card), up to $120 in annual dining statement credits to be used with eligible partners, an up to $84 Dunkin’ credit each year at U.S. Dunkin Donuts and an up to $100 Resy credit annually, there’s no reason that foodies shouldn’t add the Amex Gold to their wallet. These benefits alone are worth more than $400, which offsets the $325 annual fee on the Amex Gold card. Enrollment is required for select benefits. (Partner offer)Pros
- 4 points per dollar spent on dining at restaurants worldwide and U.S. supermarkets (on the first $50,000 in purchases per calendar year; then 1 point per dollar spent thereafter and $25,000 in purchases per calendar year; then 1 point per dollar spent thereafter, respectively)
- 3 points per dollar spent on flights booked directly with the airline or with amextravel.com
- Packed with credits foodies will enjoy
- Solid welcome bonus
Cons
- Not as useful for those living outside the U.S.
- Some may have trouble using Uber and other dining credits
- You may be eligible for as high as 100,000 Membership Rewards® Points after you spend $6,000 in eligible purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership. Welcome offers vary and you may not be eligible for an offer. Apply to know if you’re approved and find out your exact welcome offer amount – all with no credit score impact. If you’re approved and choose to accept the Card, your score may be impacted.
- Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on purchases at restaurants worldwide, on up to $50,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
- Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent at US supermarkets, on up to $25,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
- Earn 3X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on flights booked directly with airlines or on AmexTravel.com.
- Earn 2X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on prepaid hotels and other eligible purchases booked on AmexTravel.com.
- Earn 1X Membership Rewards® point per dollar spent on all other eligible purchases.
- $120 Uber Cash on Gold: Add your Gold Card to your Uber account and get $10 in Uber Cash each month to use on orders and rides in the U.S. when you select an American Express Card for your transaction. That’s up to $120 Uber Cash annually. Plus, after using your Uber Cash, use your Card to earn 4X Membership Rewards® points for Uber Eats purchases made with restaurants or U.S. supermarkets. Point caps and terms apply.
- $84 Dunkin' Credit: With the $84 Dunkin' Credit, you can earn up to $7 in monthly statement credits after you enroll and pay with the American Express® Gold Card at U.S. Dunkin' locations. Enrollment is required to receive this benefit.
- $100 Resy Credit: Get up to $100 in statement credits each calendar year after you pay with the American Express® Gold Card to dine at U.S. Resy restaurants or make other eligible Resy purchases. That's up to $50 in statement credits semi-annually. Enrollment required.
- $120 Dining Credit: Satisfy your cravings, sweet or savory, with the $120 Dining Credit. Earn up to $10 in statement credits monthly when you pay with the American Express® Gold Card at Grubhub, The Cheesecake Factory, Goldbelly, Wine.com, and Five Guys. Enrollment required.
- Explore over 1,000 upscale hotels worldwide with The Hotel Collection and receive a $100 credit towards eligible charges* with every booking of two nights or more through AmexTravel.com. *Eligible charges vary by property.
- No Foreign Transaction Fees.
- Annual Fee is $325.
- Terms Apply.