Skift Take

Alaska Airlines CEO said a loyalty program for a combined Alaska-Hawaii may look similar to Marriott Bonvoy, an idea that is somewhat unusual for the airline industry.

When Alaska Airlines said Hawaiian Airlines would maintain its independent brand under a merged company, it was unclear how the two carriers would combine their loyalty programs. 

Alaska CEO Ben Minicucci gave a clue Sunday evening when he said Alaska and Hawaiian would operate under a single loyalty program, and compared it to Marriott Bonvoy. 

“So think of something like Marriott Bonvoy, right? You're part of Marriott Bonvoy, but you could stay in different hotels right under this house of brands. So that's how we're thinking about it,” he said.

The idea of two separate brands under a single frequent flier program