Alaska Airlines is closely monitoring the devastating impacts from the Maui wildfires and continues to operate eight daily departures from the island. A flexible travel policy is in place for guests who’d like to change or cancel travel to/from Maui. 

To help people leave the island, Alaska Airlines stood up a rescue flight, which departed from the Seattle Cargo facility this morning. The flight was filled with relief supplies including water, non-perishable food, pillows, blankets, towels, wipes, baby formula and diapers. The aircraft will bring guests back to Seattle early tomorrow morning. 

Additional rescue flights are planned to help people leave the island.  And while Alaska Airlines does not normally operate flights between the Hawaiian islands, the airline is sending rescue flights between Maui and Honolulu to move guests off of Maui and bring critical supplies in.

Folasi was one of the lead ramp air freight agents who helped pack the rescue flight with relief supplies. In the two years he’s worked for Alaska, he says this is what the company is all about. 

Folasi is one of many remarkable employees stepping up to support the Maui community and the guests visiting the island. Pilots and flight attendants are volunteering to fly rescue flights, airport employees are showing up to lend a hand wherever needed, Alaska Airlines has offered food and supplies to stranded guests at the airport, employees from Seattle have flown in to support the team on the ground on Maui, and the airline's contact center employees have been helping guests who need assistance.

It’s in times of crisis that Alaska's team’s values of own safety, do the right thing and be kindhearted shine through. Alaska Airlines is proud of the way all Alaska's employees are rallying together to help and care for the Maui community and their guests.  

How you can help support Maui 

Alaska Airlines is donating 5 million miles to- Kanu Hawai‘i. Kanu Hawai‘i is one of the airline's existing non-profit partners that provides opportunities for people to connect with one another and take action to build more compassionate and resilient communities across Hawai‘i.  

In partnership with Maui Rapid Response, a local collective disaster response organization, the donated miles will be used by Kanu Hawai‘i to provide travel for Maui residents displaced by the fire so that they can relocate while they work to rebuild what they have lost.  

The Alaska Airlines Foundation is also donating $25,000 to the Council for Native Hawaiian Advancement (CNHA), which is a member-based 501(c)3 non-profit organization with a mission to enhance the cultural, economic, political, and community development of Native Hawaiians. CNHA has pledged to match Alaska Airline's donation up to $250,000 in support of Maui wildfire relief efforts. Alaska employees are also able to support CNHA through Alaska’s matching gift program. 

Traveling to/from Maui 

Alaska Airlines is offering a flexible travel policy if you would like to change or cancel your flight to Maui.  

In accordance with emergency orders from the state of Hawai‘i, the airline is discouraging guests from non-essential travel to Maui. The flexible travel policy allows guests with planned travel to Maui to change their flight to another Hawaiian island. Alaska serves Honolulu, O‘ahu; Kona, Hawai‘i; and Līhu‘e, Kaua‘i.  

To help the Maui community, for this emergency, Alaska Airlines is allowing guests to cancel their reservations and receive a refund to their original form of payment upon request. As always, you can choose to keep the refund in your Account wallet or receive a credit certificate for future travel, but the airline are doing everything they can to encourage guests to rethink their trips to the island right now.