Airport terminals are currently experiencing something subtly peculiar. People are looking at Hawaiian Airlines flight schedules in search of a trading card rather than prices, routes, or even the free Starlink Wi-Fi. A tangible, pilot-signed, rainbow-foil trading card that is only available to passengers on the aircraft.
It seems like a ruse. And perhaps a portion of it is. However, if you take a few minutes to browse any aviation collector’s forum, you’ll see that threads are already brimming with pictures, trade offers, and in-depth inquiries about which pilots carry which cards on which routes. It’s got legs.
On November 12, Hawaiian Airlines introduced the program by issuing four physical trading cards, one for each of the Boeing 717, Airbus A321neo, Airbus A330, and Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner models in its fleet. Each card has a signature field so the captain or first officer can sign it immediately. It is printed on rainbow foil board with a UV gloss laminate finish. The Air Line Pilots Association, International, which represents Hawaiian Airlines pilots, worked with them to design them. The chair of the Hawaiian Airlines Master Executive Council for ALPA, Captain Larry Payne, described them as “more than collectibles,” portraying them as a real chance to establish a connection between passengers and the pilots. That framing seems deliberate and not wholly incorrect.
However, it’s not just the actual cards that make this truly fascinating. Additionally, Hawaiian Airlines was the first airline to introduce a digital card program, with 66 distinct designs—one for every aircraft in the fleet—that can be collected by tapping your phone against an NFC tag close to the main boarding door.
Every aircraft has a name, and each name reflects a unique cultural theme: the A321neos are named after native plants and forests, the Boeing 717s are named after native Hawaiian birds, and the 787s and A330s are named after stars used by Polynesian travelers for celestial navigation. The origin of that name is revealed by the digital card. Beneath what might have been a marketing gimmick is a subtly reflective piece of cultural storytelling.
The history of airline collectibles is lengthy and somewhat compulsive. For decades, frequent travelers have hoarded KLM’s tiny Delft Blue houses, which are filled with Dutch gin. Trading cards were introduced by Delta. United has a different version. Iberia distributes sets of salt and pepper. Even among passengers who would never consider themselves collectors, there is evidently a persistent desire for this kind of thing. A digital boarding pass never seems to stick with people as much as a tangible item from a flight that was earned rather than bought.
The number of people who will actually change their travel plans to accommodate card availability is still unknown. However, there is already anecdotal evidence that the mechanics of scarcity are working. Even if you book the correct flight, there is no guarantee that you will get one because pilots carry limited quantities on a first-come, first-served basis. Strangely, people probably want them more because of that uncertainty.
Hawaiian also introduced clippable “Keiki Wings” for families with small children, which are kids’ wings with the words “Future Crew” on them and can be requested from any flight attendant. It’s a tiny detail, the kind of item a child packs in a backpack and keeps for years without realizing why. There’s a sense that Hawaiian knows something about this that other airlines are still trying to figure out: passengers want more than just a seat. They want a memento of the journey.
It’s unclear if collectors continue to reserve flights especially for the cards. However, Hawaiian Airlines has at least given the impression that boarding might be worthwhile once more.⁖※
