Hawaiian Airlines and Alaska Airlines plan a normal Hawaii schedule on Monday, August 17, after Tropical Storm Lala cut 112 Neighbor Island flights and 31 transpacific flights over three storm days. Travelers still holding Monday seats should reconfirm status in the app before leaving for the airport, then use the free change window only if the schedule still fails them.
In a Sunday 2 p.m. Hawaiʻi Time update, the carriers said they were gradually restoring operations that afternoon and intended to return to a normal schedule the next day as Lala moved northwest away from the islands. They also extended a travel waiver through Monday and closed the storm update page, which is the clearest same-week signal that the crisis phase is ending and residual rebooking is the remaining job.
- Monday plan: Alaska and Hawaiian aim for a normal Hawaii schedule on August 17.
- Storm toll: 112 Neighbor Island and 31 transpacific flights canceled across three days.
- Waiver window: Free changes cover original Hawaii travel through August 17.
- Rebook band: Eligible new travel runs August 13 through August 20 in the same cabin.
- First check: Confirm live flight status before heading to HNL, OGG, KOA, ITO, or LIH.
What the carriers closed on Sunday afternoon
The joint update is explicit. Hawaiian and Alaska said they were restoring flying Sunday afternoon and planned a normal schedule Monday as the storm pulled away from the Hawaiian Islands.
That is a different traveler problem than the earlier cut lists.
The job is no longer whether an island hop exists tomorrow. It is whether a Monday seat is still real and whether the free change tool is still needed.
Across the three-day storm period, impacts were heaviest on Hawaiian Neighbor Island service. Combined, the two airlines canceled 112 Neighbor Island flights and 31 transpacific flights to and from Hawaiʻi.
Those totals matter for residual travel because they explain why Monday capacity can look normal on paper while rebooked passengers, delayed bags, and late aircraft still create day-of friction. A published normal schedule is not the same as a quiet terminal.
Local reporting from KITV matched the carriers’ restore message: gradual recovery Sunday and a full schedule target for Monday, August 17, after the multi-day cancel wave.
Who the Monday waiver still covers
Alaska and Hawaiian extended the storm waiver so guests with travel scheduled through Monday can change or cancel under the published exception rules. The live terms sit on the carriers’ shared travel advisories page.
Covered airports are Honolulu (HNL), Hilo (ITO), Kona (KOA), Līhuʻe (LIH), and Kahului/Maui (OGG). Original travel dates under the posted Lala exception run August 14 through August 17, 2026.
Tickets had to be purchased on or before August 13, 2026.
Eligible new travel dates run August 13 through August 20, 2026. Changes or cancellations must be completed before the original flight departs.
For nonrefundable First Class, Main, Saver, or award tickets issued by Alaska Airlines, the published path allows a fee-free change with no fare difference for same-cabin travel through August 20. Guests may also cancel into an account wallet or a future-travel credit certificate.
The waiver text limits rebooking to Alaska, Hawaiian, Horizon, or SkyWest operated as Alaska. Tickets must be Alaska-issued, identified by a 13-digit ticket number that begins with the Alaska code 027.
If a third-party seller issued the ticket, the guest has to work that seller, not the self-service waiver alone.
If you are rebuilding bags and cabin rules after a forced move, keep the current Alaska Airlines baggage policy and Alaska carry-on size rules next to the rebooking screen so a free change does not create a paid bag surprise.
What Monday travelers should do before leaving home
Treat the normal-schedule message as the baseline, not as a guarantee that every individual flight is frozen. Check the Alaska or Hawaiian app for the exact flight number, departure time, and gate note on Monday morning and again before you leave for the airport.
If the app shows an on-time or lightly delayed flight and you still want to travel, go. Bring patience for longer security and bag lines because residual rebooks and aircraft positioning can still thicken the terminal even when the published schedule looks ordinary.
If the app shows a cancel, a multi-hour slip, or a connection that no longer works, use the waiver before the original departure time. Same-cabin inventory through August 20 is the protected band under the posted terms, not an open-ended free rewrite of the trip.
Interisland travelers should be especially careful with same-day Hilo, Kona, Maui, and Kauaʻi turns. Neighbor Island service absorbed most of the three-day cancel total, so even a restored Monday bank can run with tighter turns and fewer spare aircraft.
Transpacific guests connecting through Honolulu should rebuild the full day, not only the long-haul segment. A late Neighbor Island arrival can still break a mainland connection that looks healthy when booked alone.
How this residual differs from earlier Lala posts
Earlier Deep Arrival coverage tracked the pre-storm and peak-cut phase, including Hawaiian’s early Hilo cuts and waiver as the system first tightened. That post answered whether island flying would be reduced as Lala approached.
Monday’s residual answers a later question: after 143 combined cancels and a Sunday restore push, do Alaska and Hawaiian still expect a normal day, and does the free-change tool still cover Monday tickets. Those are not the same traveler decision.
Other carriers ran their own Hawaii policies during the same storm window. Southwest, for example, posted a separate free-change path for Hawaii travel during Lala, which Deep Arrival covered on its own stream.
Do not assume one airline waiver language applies to another ticket stock.
American Airlines also posted Hawaii weather-exception language for selected August travel into HNL, OGG, KOA, and LIH with its own purchase and travel cutoffs. If your ticket is not Alaska-issued, read that carrier’s page rather than forcing the Alaska and Hawaiian tool.
Airports and trip pieces still worth watching
Honolulu remains the main recovery hinge because it concentrates mainland arrivals, Neighbor Island banks, and cruise connections. Guests using the Honolulu cruise port transfer pattern should leave more buffer than a normal non-storm Monday when a same-day flight feeds an embarkation.
Maui, Hawaiʻi Island, and Kauaʻi travelers should recheck hotel late-arrival rules if a Monday flight still slides. A free airline change can still create a paid night or a missed first-day activity if the ground plan never moved.
If your Hawaii plan is still flexible after the storm, a restored air bank is useful only when the ground day still fits. For Oʻahu trip structure after the disruption clears, the live five-day Oahu itinerary framework is a cleaner planning surface than trying to rebuild from a cancel notice alone.
Hawaiian long-haul cabins and lounges are a separate product question from storm recovery. Travelers comparing premium seats after a forced rebook can use the current Hawaiian Airlines business class review only after the new flight number and aircraft type are confirmed.
| If you… | What to do |
|---|---|
| Hold an Alaska or Hawaiian Hawaii flight on Monday | Reconfirm status in the app before you leave, then travel if the seat still shows firm. |
| Need to move a Monday Hawaii ticket under the Lala terms | Change before original departure into same-cabin travel dated August 13 to 20. |
| Bought through Expedia, another agency, or another airline | Contact that seller first. The self-service Alaska waiver is for Alaska-issued 027 tickets. |
| Connect Neighbor Island flying into a mainland departure | Rebuild the full connection day. Do not trust only the long-haul segment status. |
| Already used a different carrier’s Hawaii storm waiver | Stay on that carrier’s rules. Do not mix Southwest or American terms with Alaska’s page. |
- Status first: Check the Alaska or Hawaiian app before leaving for any Monday Hawaii flight.
- Waiver deadline: Complete a free change or cancel before the original flight departs.
- Date band: Keep eligible rebook travel inside August 13 to August 20 in the same cabin.
- Ticket stock: Confirm the ticket begins with 027 or call the third-party seller instead.
- Ground buffer: Add time for bags, hotels, and cruise transfers even on a restored schedule.
If your Monday Alaska or Hawaiian Hawaii flight still shows, go only after a fresh status check. If it does not, use the posted free-change window before departure and keep the new date inside the August 13 to 20 band.
Are Alaska and Hawaiian flying a normal Hawaii schedule on Monday?
Yes. Their Sunday 2 p.m. Hawaiʻi Time update said they planned to operate a normal schedule on Monday, August 17, after gradual Sunday restoration.
How many Hawaii flights did Lala cancel on Alaska and Hawaiian?
The carriers reported 112 Neighbor Island cancellations and 31 transpacific cancellations across the three-day storm period.
Does the free change cover Monday travel?
Yes under the posted Lala waiver. Original travel through August 17 is covered when other eligibility rules are met, and changes must be made before the original departure.
What rebook dates are allowed under the Alaska and Hawaiian Lala waiver?
The published exception lists new travel dates from August 13 through August 20, 2026, in the same cabin for qualifying tickets.
What if my ticket was bought on Expedia or another airline?
Contact that seller. The self-service terms highlighted here apply to Alaska-issued tickets that begin with code 027.
