Hawaiian Airlines runs the majority of its route network through Hawaii and the mainland U.S., though it does operate some international flights. Although you won’t find any major sweet spots with the airline, there are some times when it makes sense to book Hawaiian Airlines flights using points. Let’s take a look at how to do so, including how to earn those points and everything else there is to know about Hawaiian Airlines.
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About HawaiianMiles loyalty program
Hawaiian Airlines has two levels of elite status, including Pualani Platinum and Paulani Gold. Platinum is earned after traveling 60 segments or 40,000 miles in a year, while Gold is earned after flying 30 segments or 20,000 miles in a year.
Among benefits such as free checked luggage, airport lounge access, complimentary upgrades, and priority service, elite members also earn additional miles when flying. Gold members earn 50% more miles when traveling on a revenue ticket, while Platinum members earn 100% more.
How to earn HawaiianMiles
There are a few different ways to earn HawaiianMiles, and most of them don’t involve stepping on a plane.
Flying
You’ll earn 1 mile for every mile flown, which is more generous than most U.S. airlines.
Transfer partners
Receive 1 HawaiianMile for every point transferred from American Express Membership Rewards.
Other ways to earn
- Credit cards: Use the co-branded Hawaiian Airlines credit card to earn miles on every purchase.
- Hotels: Earn miles when booking hotel stays with eligible partners.
- Shopping and dining: Earn miles on eligible purchases when shopping online or dining at participating restaurants.
- Rental cars: Earn miles when booking rental cars with Avis, Budget, or Payless.
The fare types available on Hawaiian Airlines
There are just two fare types available on Hawaiian Airlines:
- Main Cabin: This is economy class and includes standard economy seating, though you can book extra legroom seats for a fee.
- First class: Depending on where you’re traveling, Hawaiian Airlines first class offers either recliner or lie-flat seats and includes meals.
How to book Hawaiian Airlines flights using rewards points
Booking Hawaiian Airlines flights using points is easy. Here’s how to do it online:
Using HawaiianMiles
If you’d like to redeem your HawaiianMiles for flights, you’ll first need to navigate to the Hawaiian Airlines website. You’ll then need to log in to your account.
After you’ve logged in, you’ll see the toggle to search for a flight with miles. Make sure this is selected.
Then, you can input your search information, including where you’d like to go and when. Then, hit the “‘search flights” button.
From there, you’ll be able to see which flights are available and how much they’ll cost.
Using partner airline miles
If you don’t have any HawaiianMiles, you can also book flights with any of Hawaiian’s partners. These include United, American, Alaska, and Delta.
Generally speaking, expect to pay about the same price for flights with these partners as you would with Hawaiian.
Using online travel portals
Many different card issuers have their own travel portals. These include American Express, Chase, Citi, Bilt, and Capital One.
For the best bang for your buck when booking Hawaiian flights through these portals, you’ll want to have a Chase Sapphire Reserve and book through Chase Travel. This is because you’ll get 1.5 cents in value from your points when redeemed this way.
First, you’ll need to log in to your Chase account on the Chase website. Then, you’ll click on your Chase credit card and select “redeem.”
This will take you to the redemption page, where the “travel” dropdown will take you to the Chase Travel portal.
From here, you can put in your flight search information.
In this example, you’d pay 7,960 Chase Ultimate Rewards for a $120 flight. The same award flight would cost 7,500 Hawaiian miles (or 6,375 for a discounted award). So, booking your Hawaiian flight through the Chase Travel portal in this scenario is not a good idea.
How to redeem points and miles to get the best deal on Hawaiian Airlines
Your best bet for redeeming points and miles on Hawaiian Airlines will be by booking an award flight. This is because travel portals will charge you based on the cash fare, while award flights are usually priced at a fixed cost.
HawaiianMiles
Intra-Hawaii flights are probably the best sweet spot for using HawaiianMiles, as they start at just 6,375 miles one way. Otherwise, you can redeem as little as 40,000 miles one way for a first-class flight from Hawaii to the mainland.
Flying business class using Hawaiian Airlines points
Some of the best ways to redeem your HawaiianMiles is for flights across the Pacific. For example, you can pay just 65,000 miles one-way for a business-class flight from Honolulu to Tokyo.
The same applies to Seoul, South Korea, which is notoriously difficult to fly in premium cabins using reward miles.
More ways to redeem HawaiianMiles
Other ways to redeem HawaiianMiles include hotel stays, gift cards, Boyd Rewards points, rental cars, or donations. Since Alaska Airlines and Hawaiian Airlines are in the process of merging, you can transfer your Hawaiian miles to Alaska Mileage Plan at a 1:1 ratio. Alaska Airlines offers some terrific sweet spots and free stopovers on one-way award tickets. Transfering your Hawaiian miles to Alaska Mileage Plan can be a great way to redeem them for higher value.
The worst ways to redeem Hawaiian Airlines points
The worst ways to redeem your Hawaiian Airlines miles would be for any of the non-flight options mentioned above.
Tips for finding Hawaiian Airlines award seats
Hawaiian Airlines award seats aren’t super difficult to find, though you may have some trouble when looking for lie-flat seats from the mainland U.S. to Hawaii. To score these seats, try booking as soon as the calendar opens, 330 days in advance.
Frequently asked questions about booking Hawaiian Airlines flights with points
What are Hawaiian’s airline partners?
Although Hawaiian Airlines isn’t in any airline alliance, it does have a number of airline partners that can help you earn miles while flying:
- China Airlines
- Japan Airlines
- JetBlue
- Korean Air
- Virgin Atlantic
- Virgin Australia
- American Airlines
- Alaska Airlines
- United Airlines
- Delta Airlines
What are Hawaiian’s transfer partners?
Hawaiian Airlines’ transfer partner is American Express Membership Rewards. You can also transfer Alaska miles to Hawaiian at a 1:1 ratio while the two airlines merge, though we don’t recommend doing this since Alaska miles are more valuable.
What are Hawaiian’s tier status levels?
Hawaiian has two tiers of elite status: Pualani Platinum and Pualani Gold.
Gold gets you benefits such as discounted awards, preferred seats, priority customer service, priority check-in, airport lounge access, priority airport security, free checked luggage, free upgrades, 50% more bonus miles, and priority baggage handling.
Platinum status also gets 100% more bonus miles, Plumeria lounge access, international partner lounge access, and guaranteed seats when booked 72 hours in advance.
How do I earn points with Hawaiian Airlines?
Earning points with Hawaiian can be done in a number of ways, including transfers, flights, shopping, and spending on co-branded credit cards.
How do I redeem points with Hawaiian?
Redeeming points with Hawaiian is simple and can be done when searching for flights. Otherwise, you can redeem them for gift cards, rental cars, and more.
How much are HawaiianMiles points worth?
The value of Hawaiian miles will depend on how you use them. Generally speaking, expect to get at least 1.5 cents in value from a Hawaiian mile, even if that means you need to transfer itf over to Alaska Airlines.
How many Hawaiian Airlines points do I need for a free flight?
The cheapest award flights you’ll find will be intra-Hawaii flights, which can cost as little as 7,500 miles one-way. Sometimes, these awards are discounted to 6,375 miles
Do Hawaiian Airlines points expire?
No, HawaiianMiles don’t expire.
Can I transfer or gift my HawaiianMiles points to someone else?
Yes, you can gift your miles to someone else. It’s free for those who have a co-branded credit card; otherwise, there’s a fee.
Can I book a flight for someone else with my Hawaiian Airlines points?
Yes, you can book a flight for anyone you like using your miles.
Can I book a Hawaiian flight using a combination of points and cash?
No, you must either pay using cash or miles when booking a Hawaiian flight.
How much does it cost to buy HawaiianMiles points?
The cost to buy HawaiianMiles is usually 2.5 cents each.
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