Hawaiian Airlines has started construction on a new premium lounge at Honolulu’s Daniel K. Inouye International Airport (HNL). The airline marked the start of work in late October 2026 with a traditional Hawaiian blessing. The catch for anyone planning a trip soon: the lounge isn’t due to open until the first half of 2028, and Hawaiian hasn’t said who will be allowed in.
Here’s what has been announced, what’s still unknown, and what it means if you fly through Honolulu on Atmos Rewards points or a oneworld ticket.
What was announced
According to Alaska Airlines’ newsroom (Hawaiian is part of Alaska Air Group) and local coverage from Hawaii News Now and Maui Now, the new lounge will sit near the entrance of HNL’s Mauka Concourse. It’s part of the Kahuʻewai Hawaiʻi Investment Plan, which commits more than $600 million over five years to airport, cabin, technology and community projects across the islands.
| Detail | What’s been announced (as of November 2026) |
|---|---|
| Location | Near the entrance of the Mauka Concourse, HNL |
| Size | About 13,000 square feet |
| Capacity | About 200 guests |
| Expected opening | First half of 2028 |
| Food and drink | Locally inspired food and drinks, a signature local coffee experience, and a full-service bar with handcrafted cocktails |
| Space | Private workspaces and gathering areas, with artwork by Hawaiʻi artists |
| Who gets in | Not yet announced |
Hawaiian says the new space will complement its existing Plumeria Lounge in Honolulu and its six Premier Clubs across the islands. The same announcement gave an update on Alaska’s new lounge complex in Seattle’s C Concourse, about 41,000 square feet with a 500-seat Alaska Lounge and a 200-seat Aurora Lounge, scheduled for late 2027.
The big open question: access
None of the official announcements spell out who can use the new lounge. Beat of Hawaii, which covered the groundbreaking, reports that Hawaiian earlier indicated access would look similar to today’s Plumeria Lounge, with passengers in Hawaiian’s lie-flat Leihōkū suites among those eligible. Nothing has been published yet on Atmos Rewards elite access, Alaska Lounge memberships, credit card access or paid day passes for the new space. We’d treat anything you read about those as speculation until Hawaiian publishes the rules.
Your options at HNL today
Until 2028, the Plumeria Lounge is Hawaiian’s premium lounge in Honolulu. As reported by Beat of Hawaii in October 2026:
- Access depends on your route, ticket or lounge membership, not just on sitting in First Class.
- oneworld-eligible travelers flying to or from an international destination qualify.
- Other Hawaiian passengers can buy a $40 day pass when space is available, and passengers upgraded to First pay a $25 entry fee.
- Both tiers of Alaska Lounge membership include Plumeria access.
- The lounge can fill up; Beat of Hawaii reported that paid guests were being turned away during a recent visit.
Lounge rules change often, so check Hawaiian’s lounge pages or ask at the lounge desk before you count on getting in, especially on a day pass.
How this fits a points trip to Honolulu
If you book Hawaiian flights with Atmos Rewards points, or fly Hawaiian on a oneworld partner award, the new lounge is a nice future perk, not a reason to change plans now. For this winter and all of 2027, the practical questions are the same as before: which miles get you to Honolulu for the fewest points, and where to stay. We cover both in Flying to Honolulu on Miles in 2026 and Waikiki on Points.
Our take
The upside: Honolulu is Hawaiian’s main hub, and its premium travelers have long had fewer lounge options there than at other big hubs. A purpose-built space with local food, a real bar and room for about 200 people should be a real step up, and it shows Alaska Air Group is putting money into the Hawaiʻi side of the business after the merger.
The downsides: it’s more than a year away, and the access rules are the whole story. If entry stays limited to international premium cabins and lounge members, most travelers flying Hawaiian domestically on points won’t see the inside. About 200 seats is also not huge for a hub, so crowding could be an issue if access is broad. We’ll update you when Hawaiian publishes who gets in.
Sources
- Alaska Airlines Newsroom: Hawaiian Airlines begins construction of premium Honolulu lounge
- Hawaii News Now: Hawaiian Airlines breaks ground on new premium lounge at Honolulu airport
- Maui Now: Hawaiian Airlines starts construction of new premium lounge at Honolulu Airport
- Beat of Hawaii: Hawaiian’s new Honolulu lounge, who actually gets in
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