- Passengers must change or cancel eligible Hawaii trips by eleven fifty-nine PM HST Sunday to avoid fees.
- The Tropical Storm Lala waiver applies to tickets bought by August thirteenth for travel through August sixteenth.
- Eligible replacement travel must be completed by August nineteenth, twenty twenty-six under the Alaska-issued ticket path.
Alaska Airlines and Hawaiian Airlines passengers must change or cancel eligible Hawaii trips by 11:59 PM HST Sunday, August 16, 2026, to use the Lala waiver without the usual change fee. Replacement travel under the Alaska-issued ticket path can continue through August 19, 2026.
The policy covers tickets bought on or before August 13, 2026, for original travel from August 14 through August 16, 2026. It applies to trips booked to or from Oahu, Hilo, Kona, Lihue or Maui.
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Act before departure. The change or cancellation must occur before the original flight leaves.
The waiver covers listed flights operated by Alaska, Hawaiian, Horizon and SkyWest. Passengers whose flights have already been canceled can also use the policy to rebook without paying the change fee.
Travelers should open the Alaska and Hawaiian travel advisories page and select the Tropical Storm Lala Waiver. Eligible reservations must carry a 13-digit ticket number beginning with 027 or 173, depending on the applicable airline path.
The Sunday deadline and the later replacement-travel date are separate. A passenger must take action by Sunday night, but an eligible new itinerary can extend beyond that deadline.
The waiver deadline arrives Sunday, while replacement trips can run through August 19
The dated eligibility rules cover original travel from August 14 through August 16. Some airline advisories describe the period as “today through Sunday” or “Friday through Sunday.”
| Requirement | Rule |
|---|---|
| Ticket purchase | On or before August 13, 2026 |
| Original travel | August 14 through August 16, 2026 |
| Change or cancellation deadline | August 16, 2026, at 11:59 PM HST |
| Replacement travel under the Alaska path | Through August 19, 2026 |
| Ticket identifier | 13 digits beginning with 027 or 173 |
Eligible passengers can make a one-time itinerary change. The applicable terms waive change fees and fare differences for replacement travel within the stated window.
Passengers who cancel instead of rebooking receive the unused portion as a travel credit valid for one year. The original flight’s departure time still controls eligibility for the fee-free transaction.
Hilo and Kona faced the sharpest service interruptions
More than 82 flights had been canceled across the combined network by Sunday morning. The cancellations included 59 Neighbor Island flights and 23 transpacific flights between the mainland United States and Hawaii.
Hilo suspended all service through Saturday. Teams attempted a gradual restoration Sunday.
Kona suspended all service after 2:00 PM Saturday, then resumed some operations Sunday morning. Kahului also began restoring service as weather conditions improved.
Honolulu remained largely operational, with “most scheduled flights” continuing. Conditions elsewhere remained more difficult.
The storm reached Category 1 strength with maximum sustained winds of 75 mph before passing just south of the Big Island. High-elevation areas received as much as 25 inches of rain, while damaging winds and heavy rain affected parts of Hawaii through Sunday.
Alaska Air Group CEO Ben Minicucci said teams were working to restore the combined operation while keeping passengers and employees safe.
“Our teams are working around the clock to navigate these conditions. We are operating multiple brands on a single platform, and our priority is the safety of our guests and employees as we restore the full strength of our combination.”
Minicucci made the statement on August 15, 2026. The disruption is the first major natural-disaster test for the combined Alaska and Hawaiian network after its system integration in April 2026.
The ticket issuer determines where the change must be handled
Passengers with Hawaiian-flown trips can use Hawaiian’s phone line, live chat or text support at 1-800-367-5320. Alaska customers can call +1-855-321-3341 before the Sunday deadline.
Travelers who booked through a third-party agency, including Expedia, must contact that agency directly. The guidance says the waiver “does not rewrite third-party ticket contracts by itself.”
That requirement affects who can process the reservation. An agency may need to make the change when it issued the booking.
Passengers should check the ticket number before contacting support. The 027 and 173 prefixes identify the applicable Alaska- or Hawaiian-issued ticket paths shown in the advisory.
A canceled flight does not necessarily end the rebooking option. An eligible passenger can still move the itinerary without paying the change fee, provided the replacement date falls within the permitted window.
The combined system now handles both brands through one platform
Alaska and Hawaiian now use the Sabre passenger service system. The integration allows the airlines to publish a single travel advisory page for both brands.
The storm also prompted an emergency warning from Hawaii Gov. Josh Green. He urged residents and visitors on the Big Island to shelter in place.
“I am urging all residents and visitors on the Big Island to shelter in place. This is a historic event, as Lala could be the first hurricane to make landfall here in 155 years.”
Green made the statement on August 15, 2026. Casey Delaries in Kailua-Kona prepared sandbags as the storm approached, while flight attendant Cheryl DeFonce reported back-to-back cancellations of working segments to the islands at LAX and other mainland hubs.
Federal merger protections also form part of the broader service context. U.S. Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg said in September 2024:
“Our top priority is protecting the traveling public. ensuring binding protections that maintain critical flight services for communities.”
Those protections do not extend the Sunday waiver deadline. Passengers seeking the fee-free terms must still complete the change or cancellation before the original departure time.
Check these details before changing the reservation
- Confirm that the itinerary includes HNL, ITO, KOA, LIH or OGG.
- Verify that the ticket was purchased on or before August 13, 2026.
- Check that the original travel date falls from August 14 through August 16, 2026.
- Look for the 13-digit ticket number beginning with 027 or 173.
- Complete any change or cancellation before the original flight departs.
- Choose replacement travel through August 19 under the Alaska path.
- Contact the booking agency directly if a third party issued the reservation.
The final cutoff is 11:59 PM HST on August 16, 2026. Passengers with qualifying trips should complete the transaction before that deadline rather than wait for another service update.
