The Best Ways To Fly to Hawaii With Points and Miles [2024]

Updated: January 17, 2024, 8:45am CST

Edited by:

The Best Ways To Fly to Hawaii With Points and Miles [2024]

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If there’s one destination we hear people rave about over and over again, it’s Hawaii. That’s no surprise: People spend years dreaming of a beach vacation on one of the Hawaiian Islands where they can relax by the water, enjoy some great food and drinks, and just get away from it all.

However, if you’ve seen the prices of cash tickets to Hawaii, you probably understand why people have to save up for this adventure. Fortunately, there are several ways you can use miles and points to book your flights and save a ton of money.

Today we’ll dive into the different economy and domestic first class award booking options available. For those who want a lie-flat seat that you would find in an international business class cabin layout, we’ll talk about those options, too.

Best Programs To Book Award Flights to Hawaii

Before we dig into each of the best options, it’s important to note that planning ahead when booking award flights to Hawaii can make your life much easier. Unsurprisingly, award space is not always readily available because so many people pay for cash tickets.

If there’s one variable that can simplify the process of booking an award trip to Hawaii, it’s schedule flexibility. As with all award bookings, being open to traveling on different dates or even different months can unlock some amazing opportunities.

Hot Tip: Check out our ultimate Hawaii travel guides to Oahu, the Big Island, Lanai, Maui, and Kauai, as well as the best times to visit Hawaii by season and islands.

Korean Air SKYPASS

Delta One Seat 3A Windows — On some routes, Delta flies a Boeing 767-300 with lie-flat business class seats to Hawaii, which can be booked for 45,000 Korean Air SKYPASS miles round-trip. Image Credit: Stella Shon

The Korean Air SKYPASS program has competitive economy class and business class redemption rates on its SkyTeam partner Delta. There are several ways to earn SKYPASS miles, despite it being a foreign frequent flyer program.

Book Awards With Korean Air SKYPASS

Korean Air SKYPASS uses a region-based award chart for SkyTeam partner award bookings. Unlike many airlines, Korean Air considers all of the U.S. as a single region, including Hawaii. As a result, the redemption rates are quite reasonable on Delta, and much better than Delta’s own SkyMiles program.

You can search for award space on Korean Air’s website and book from there. Just make sure you select SkyTeam Award after selecting Redeem Miles, otherwise, you won’t see the necessary city pairings.

If you don’t see award space when you run a search, double-check on Air France’s site as it is generally the best place to search SkyTeam partners. You can call Korean Air to book if you find space on Air France’s website.

It’s easy to book award flight award flights with Korean Air using these steps:

Search for flights on the Air France or Korean Air website.
Confirm the same availability on Korean Air.
Book the flight online or call Korean Air at 800-438-5000.
Pay the taxes and fees.

Additionally, it’s important to remember that Korean Air SKYPASS only allows round-trip bookings for SkyTeam awards. So if you only need a one-way award, this won’t be the program for you.

Now let’s take a look at the round-trip SkyTeam award ticket mileage requirements when booking with Korean Air SKYPASS:

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Class of Service	Delta Flights	Taxes and Fees
Economy	25,000 SKYPASS miles	$11.20
Business	45,000 SKYPASS miles	$11.20

Unlike using Korean Air SKYPASS to book award tickets on Delta to London, you won’t get hit with high fuel surcharges. In fact, you’ll only be responsible for $11.20 out of pocket.

Need help booking? Take a look at our step-by-step guide on booking Delta One with Korean Air SKYPASS miles and you’ll be ready to book before you know it.

Korean Air also partners with Alaska Airlines and Hawaiian Airlines, which gives you 2 other great options to fly to Hawaii. The mileage requirement for these partners is a bit different than what is required for Delta flights, though:

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Class of Service	Alaska and Hawaiian Flights	Taxes and Fees
Economy	30,000 SKYPASS miles	$11.20
Business	60,000 SKYPASS miles	$11.20

The redemption rates above (round-trip) aren’t quite as good, but the ability to redeem Korean Air SKYPASS miles for flights on Alaska Airlines and Hawaiian Airlines provides you with more nonstop routes from the continental 49 states (see below for details).

You will have to call Korean Air to book, as its online search function only allows you to search for award space on SkyTeam partners. Alternatively, you can use American Airlines’ website to find award space on Alaska Airlines.

Hot Tip: Check out some of the other fun ways you can redeem Korean Air SKYPASS miles for award flights.

Nonstop Routes to Hawaii Bookable With Korean Air SKYPASS Miles

Thanks to these 3 airline partners, there are tons of nonstop routes to several Hawaiian airports that can be booked with Korean Air SKYPASS miles. Here’s a look at nonstop routes to Hawaii’s largest airport, Honolulu (HNL):

Airports With Nonstop Delta Flights to Hawaii

Atlanta (ATL)
Detroit (DTW)
Los Angeles (LAX)
Minneapolis (MSP)
New York (JFK)
Salt Lake City (SLC)
Seattle (SEA)

Airports With Nonstop Alaska Airlines Flights to Hawaii

Anchorage (ANC)
Los Angeles (LAX)
Oakland (OAK)
Portland (PDX)
San Diego (SAN)
San Francisco (SFO)
San Jose (SJC)
Seattle (SEA)

Airports With Nonstop Hawaiian Airlines Flights to Hawaii

Austin (AUS)
Boston (BOS)
Las Vegas (LAS) — seasonal
Long Beach (LGB)
Los Angeles (LAX)
New York (JFK)
San Jose (SJC)
Oakland (OAK)
Ontario (ONT)
Orlando (MCO)
Phoenix (PHX)
Portland (PDX)
Sacramento (SMF)
San Diego (SAN)
San Francisco (SFO)
Seattle (SEA)

Earn More Korean Air SKYPASS Miles

Korean Air is transfer partners with Marriott Bonvoy. You can earn Marriott Bonvoy points and transfer those to Korean at a rate of 3:1.

There are many Marriott credit cards available which we cover in our in-depth guide.

Hot Tip: Check out some of our favorite ways to earn Korean Air SKYPASS miles to ensure you have enough for your Hawaiian vacation.

Air France-KLM Flying Blue

Delta Airbus A220 Economy Class Seat — You can book round-trip award flights on Delta for 35,000 miles with the Air France-KLM Flying Blue program. Image Credit: Greg Stone

Our second SkyTeam option for booking award flights to Hawaii is the Air France-KLM Flying Blue program. While the redemption rates with Flying Blue aren’t quite as good as what Korean Air SKYPASS provides, they might be the best option for many travelers for one crucial reason.

The biggest advantage Air France-KLM Flying Blue offers over Korean Air SKYPASS is the ability to book one-way award tickets at half the mileage cost, plus the ease of earning points through transfer partnerships.

Book Awards With Air France-KLM Flying Blue

Like Korean Air SKYPASS, Air France-KLM Flying Blue can book award flights on SkyTeam partner Delta.

Unlike Korean Air, Flying Blue does not charge fixed redemption rates for these flights. Prices will fluctuate and are determined dynamically depending on the route.

Take a look at the table below to see the round-trip economy class and business class redemption rates to Hawaii:

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Class of Service	Delta Flights	Taxes and Fees
Economy	From 35,000 Flying Blue miles	$11.20
Business	From 86,000 Flying Blue miles	$11.20

Flying Blue requires 5,000 more miles to fly Delta than Korean Air SKYPASS in economy and is more expensive overall, but allows you to book one-way award tickets for added travel flexibility.

It’s easy to search for award space on Delta by using Air France’s online search. Once you find space, you can quickly complete the booking process online.

To book an award flight with Air France-KLM, follow these steps:

Search for availability on the Air France or Delta website.
Select the flight you want to book.
Confirm your ticket selection and pay the taxes and fees.

If you can find award space on the outbound flight but not on the dates you need to return, you could book a one-way award with Flying Blue and a one-way award on United Airlines or American Airlines with another program.

Hot Tip: The fun doesn’t stop with Hawaii. Check out some of the other amazing ways you can use Air France-KLM Flying Blue miles to see the world.

Nonstop Routes to Hawaii Bookable With Air France-KLM Flying Blue Miles

As a partner of Delta, Air France-KLM Flying Blue can help you book any of these nonstop routes between the continental U.S. You can even connect from your home airport to 1 that flies directly to Hawaii at no extra cost.

Airports With Nonstop Delta Flights to Hawaii

Atlanta (ATL)
Detroit (DTW)
Los Angeles (LAX)
Minneapolis (MSP)
New York (JFK)
Salt Lake City (SLC)
Seattle (SEA)

Hot Tip: Flying to Hawaii is a great way to get maximum value from your points on a U.S. domestic route.

Earn More Flying Blue Miles

We already talked about Air France-KLM Flying Blue’s ability to book one-way award tickets, which is a nice advantage over Korean Air SKYPASS. However, there is another big advantage related to earning Flying Blue miles.

Air France-KLM partners with one of our favorite points programs, American Express Membership Rewards. There are plenty of credit card choices with Amex, and many cards offer some great bonus categories to help you earn more points faster. Throw in a 1:1 transfer ratio and quick transfer time, and this is another great option to get your hands on more Flying Blue miles.

In addition, Flying Blue is transfer partners with Bilt Rewards, Brex Rewards, Capital One Miles, Chase Ultimate Rewards, Citi ThankYou Rewards, and Marriott Bonvoy.

Recommended American Express Cards (Personal)

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Foreign Transaction Fees: None

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If you're approved and accept this Card, your credit score may be impacted.

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This is the best card for food lovers who dine out at restaurants (worldwide), order take-out and want big rewards at U.S. supermarkets!

Welcome OfferEarn 60,000 Membership Rewards® Points after you spend $6,000 on eligible purchases with your new Card within the first 6 months.
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Credit Recommended

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Cons

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No lounge access

Earn 60,000 Membership Rewards^® points after you spend $6,000 on eligible purchases with your new Card within the first 6 months of Card Membership.
Earn 4X Membership Rewards^® Points at Restaurants, plus takeout and delivery in the U.S., and earn 4X Membership Rewards^® points at U.S. supermarkets (on up to $25,000 per calendar year in purchases, then 1X).
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Foreign Transaction Fees: None

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American Express Membership Rewards

If you’re a business owner, we recommend taking a look at the numerous American Express business cards that earn Amex points, as well as offering numerous travel benefits.

Hot Tip: Take a look at some of the other great ways you can earn more Air France-KLM Flying Blue miles for award flights.

Singapore Airlines KrisFlyer

United Polaris Business Class Seat on Boeing 787 9 Dreamliner — United Airlines provides a ton of flights to Hawaii that can be booked with Singapore KrisFlyer miles at a much more reasonable rate than using United’s own MileagePlus miles. Image Credit: Chris Hassan

With Singapore Airlines’ KrisFlyer program, we have our best Star Alliance partner option for booking award flights to Hawaii on United Airlines. Sure, you could use United MileagePlus to book. But why would you, when you could save 10,000 to 20,000 miles and utilize more transfer partners?

Book Awards With Singapore Airlines KrisFlyer

Singapore Airlines allows you to search for and book award flights through Star Alliance partners online.

Here are the steps you’ll want to take to book your Singapore Airlines ticket:

Search for availability on the United website.
Head to the Singapore Airlines website and repeat the search to book or call 833-727-0118.
Select the flight you’d like to book or give the flight details to the phone agent.
Pay for your ticket including the taxes and fees.

Let’s take a look at how many KrisFlyer miles you will need to book round-trip award flights on United.

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Class of Service	United Airlines Flights	Taxes and Fees
Economy	39,000 KrisFlyer miles	$11.60
Business	78,000 KrisFlyer miles	$11.60

If you booked these same flights with United MileagePlus miles, you would need 45,000 miles for economy class and 80,000 miles for business class. Not only is using Singapore KrisFlyer miles a better deal, but they’re much easier to earn (see below).

Hot Tip: Looking for more awesome ways to use the Singapore KrisFlyer program? Check out some of the other great ways to use KrisFlyer miles.

Nonstop Routes to Hawaii Bookable With Singapore KrisFlyer Miles

LAX HNL SQ Economy Saver 1 — When you consider the many options for earning Singapore KrisFlyer miles and the superior redemption rates, it might be the perfect program for booking a nonstop award flight to Hawaii. Image Credit: Singapore Airlines

Singapore Airlines KrisFlyer doesn’t have multiple partners, which means your nonstop options are more limited than when using Korean Air SKYPASS or Air France-KLM Flying Blue. That being said, the nonstop routes operated by United Airlines are convenient for people across the U.S.

Airports With Nonstop United Flights to Hawaii

Chicago (ORD)
Denver (DEN)
Houston (IAH)
Los Angeles (LAX)
Newark (EWR)
San Francisco (SFO)
Washington, D.C. (IAD)

Using Singapore KrisFlyer Miles With Alaska

We’ve focused above on nonstop routes to Hawaii. We’ve already talked about booking flights on United Airlines with Singapore KrisFlyer miles, but you can actually use KrisFlyer miles to book award tickets on Alaska Airlines as well.

Book Awards Tickets on Alaska Airlines With Singapore KrisFlyer

While Alaska Airlines is a member of Oneworld but has an individual partnership with Singapore Airlines that can get you to Hawaii for even fewer miles and points. The award chart for flights on Alaska Airlines divides the U.S. into 5 zones.

From Zone 1, you can book a nonstop economy class flight from California, Oregon, or Washington for just 24,000 KrisFlyer miles round-trip. This is one of the cheapest round-trip awards to Hawaii, and you can even book a one-way award for half the cost at 12,000 miles.

If you aren’t on the West Coast, you’ll need a connecting flight on Alaska Airlines, so the options are a bit more limited. However, if your home airport is served by Alaska Airlines, you could get a great deal.

Zone 2 is a particularly good deal if you’re okay with a connection since it only costs 23,000 KrisFlyer miles round-trip. It might seem odd, but if you have a connecting flight from one of the states in Zone 2, you can book the cheapest possible award to Hawaii.

These are the states in Zone 2:

Arizona
Colorado
Idaho
Montana
Nevada
New Mexico
Wyoming
Utah

Finally, you can also book round-trip economy awards from Zone 3 and Zone 5 for 25,000 KrisFlyer miles. Zone 5 includes nonstop flights from Ted Stevens Anchorage International (ANC), while Zone 3 awards will include a connection.

Zone 3 includes:

Arkansas
Illinois
Iowa
Kansas
Louisiana
Minnesota
Missouri
Nebraska
North Dakota
Oklahoma
South Dakota
Texas
Wisconsin

The remaining states are part of Zone 4; Singapore KrisFlyer’s award chart for flights on Alaska Airlines does not allow for award bookings to Hawaii from Zone 4.

Singapore Airlines’ online search does not include flights on Alaska Airlines, so you will have to call to book this award.

Here are the steps you’ll want to take to book your ticket:

Search for availability on the Alaska website.
Once you’ve located the flight you want to book, call the Singapore Airlines customer service team at 833-727-0118.
Give the flight details to the phone agent, including the flight number, date, and flight times.
Let the agent know you are paying for the flight with your miles and provide them with your loyalty number.
Pay for any applicable taxes and fees and finalize your booking.

Earn More Singapore KrisFlyer Miles

Singapore Airlines’ KrisFlyer program partners with almost all of the transferable points programs. So when it comes to earning the necessary points for a trip to Hawaii, this is by far the easiest of the Star Alliance programs to use.

Amex Membership Rewards, Brex Rewards, Capital One Miles, Chase Ultimate Rewards, and Citi ThankYou Rewards all transfer to Singapore Airlines at a 1:1 ratio while Marriott Bonvoy transfers at a 3:1 rate.

The time it takes for transfers to process varies depending on the points you choose to transfer. Most programs transfer within 2 days while Marriott Bonvoy may take up to 7 days.

In conjunction with the competitive redemption rates to Hawaii, Singapore KrisFlyer is the go-to program for booking award flights on United Airlines.

Recommended Chase Cards (Personal)

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Chase Sapphire Preferred^® Card

U.P. Rating

A fantastic travel card with a huge welcome offer, good benefits, and perks for a moderate annual fee.

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Chase Sapphire Preferred^® Card

A fantastic travel card with a huge welcome offer, good benefits, and perks for a moderate annual fee.

Welcome OfferEarn 60,000 bonus points after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening. That's $750 when you redeem through Chase Ultimate Rewards®.
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UP's Bonus Valuation*:
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$95

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21.49%-28.49% Variable

Credit Recommended

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The Chase Sapphire Preferred^® card is one of the best travel rewards cards on the market. Its bonus categories include travel, dining, online grocery purchases, and streaming services, which gives you the opportunity to earn lots of bonus points on these purchases.

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Cons

$95 annual fee
No elite benefits like airport lounge access or hotel elite status

Earn 60,000 bonus points after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening. That's $750 when you redeem through Chase Travel℠.
Enjoy beneﬁts such as 5x on travel purchased through Chase Travel℠, 3x on dining, select streaming services and online groceries, 2x on all other travel purchases, 1x on all other purchases, $50 Annual Chase Travel Hotel Credit, plus more.
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Count on Trip Cancellation/Interruption Insurance, Auto Rental Collision Damage Waiver, Lost Luggage Insurance and more.
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Financial Snapshot

APR: 21.49%-28.49% Variable
Foreign Transaction Fees: None

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Chase Ultimate Rewards

Chase Sapphire Reserve^®

U.P. Rating

A top player in the high-end premium travel credit card space that earns 3x points on travel and dining while offering top luxury perks.

Learn More(at Chase's secure site)

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A top player in the high-end premium travel credit card space that earns 3x points on travel and dining while offering top luxury perks.

Welcome OfferEarn 60,000 bonus points after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening. That's $900 toward travel when you redeem through Chase Travel.
60,000 points

UP's Bonus Valuation*:
$1,200

Annual Fee

$550

APR

22.49%-29.49% Variable

Credit Recommended

Excellent (740-850)

If you’re looking for an all-around excellent travel rewards card, the Chase Sapphire Reserve^® is one of the best options out there.

The card combines elite travel benefits and perks like airport lounge access, with excellent point earning and redemption options. Plus it offers top-notch travel insurance protections to keep you covered whether you’re at home or on the road.

Don’t forget the $300 annual travel credit which really helps to reduce the annual fee!

Pros

10x total points on hotels and car rentals when you purchase travel through Chase TravelSM immediately after the first $300 is spent on travel purchases annually
10x points on Lyft purchases March 31, 2025
10x points on Peloton equipment and accessory purchases over $250 through March 31, 2025
5x points on airfare booked through Chase Travel^SM
3x points on all other travel and dining purchases; 1x point on all other purchases
$300 annual travel credit
Priority Pass airport lounge access
TSA PreCheck, Global Entry, or NEXUS credit
Access to Chase Luxury Hotel and Resort Collection
Rental car elite status with National and Avis

Cons

$550 annual fee
Does not offer any sort of hotel elite status

Earn 60,000 bonus points after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening. That's $900 toward travel when you redeem through Chase Travel℠.
$300 Annual Travel Credit as reimbursement for travel purchases charged to your card each account anniversary year.
Earn 5x total points on flights and 10x total points on hotels and car rentals when you purchase travel through Chase Travel℠ immediately after the first $300 is spent on travel purchases annually. Earn 3x points on other travel and dining & 1 point per $1 spent on all other purchases
Get 50% more value when you redeem your points for travel through Chase Travel℠. For example, 60,000 points are worth $900 toward travel.
1:1 point transfer to leading airline and hotel loyalty programs
Access to 1,300+ airport lounges worldwide after an easy, one-time enrollment in Priority Pass™ Select and up to $100 application fee credit every four years for Global Entry, NEXUS, or TSA PreCheck^®
Count on Trip Cancellation/Interruption Insurance, Auto Rental Collision Damage Waiver, Lost Luggage Insurance and more
Member FDIC

Financial Snapshot

APR: 22.49%-29.49% Variable
Foreign Transaction Fees: None

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Chase Ultimate Rewards

Business Owner? Check out our article on the best Chase business cards that earn Ultimate Rewards points.

Hot Tip: If you think you might book your next trip to Hawaii with Singapore KrisFlyer miles, check out some of our favorite ways to earn more KrisFlyer miles.

British Airways Executive Club (From the West Coast)

Alaska Airlines economy food — British Airways Executive Club provides a great way to book economy class award flights on American Airlines or Alaska Airlines from the West Coast at 26,000 miles round-trip. Image Credit: Alaska Airlines

You might have noticed that we haven’t discussed how you can fly American Airlines to Hawaii. Well, British Airways Executive Club gives you just that option. Not only that, but you can also use British Airways Avios to book award flights on Alaska Airlines.

Book Awards With British Airways Executive Club

Unlike the other options we have discussed, British Airways Executive Club uses a distance-based award chart, so the total number of Avios required to book an award flight will be determined by the distance you fly. As a result, nonstop flights are ideal if you want to maximize your points.

With this in mind, British Airways’ award chart provides a great option to book nonstop economy class award tickets from the West Coast to Hawaii on both American Airlines and Alaska Airlines.

From many major West Coast airports, you can book a nonstop economy class award for 26,000 British Airways Avios round-trip. American Airlines would charge you 45,000 AAdvantage miles, and Alaska Airlines would charge you 40,000 Mileage Plan miles for the same flights!

If you want to search for award space on flights operated by American Airlines, you can search and book on the British Airways site. To book a flight on Alaska Airlines, you’ll need to search on American Airlines’ site and then call British Airways. The phone agent will need your dates of travel and flight numbers to search the exact flights you found on American Airlines.

Here is how you can book a ticket with British Airways:

Search for availability on the British Airways or American Airlines website.
Select the flight you want to book or call British Airways to book at 800-452-1201.
Pay for the ticket along with any applicable taxes and fees.

Hot Tip: Want some more British Airways sweet spot redemptions? Check out some of our favorite ways to redeem Avios for award flights.

Nonstop Routes to Hawaii Bookable With British Airways Executive Club

British Airways Hawaii Award — If you’re flying to Hawaii from the West Coast, the British Airways Executive Club provides an excellent way to book cheap economy flights at only 26,000 Avios for a round-trip award. Image Credit: American Airlines

With a distance-based award chart, it’s particularly important to find award flights that are nonstop so you don’t have to use more miles and points.

Fortunately, there are some great nonstop options from the West Coast to Hawaii, so you can take advantage of this sweet spot in the British Airways Executive Club program.

Airports With Nonstop American Airlines Flights to Hawaii

Dallas Fort Worth (DFW)
Los Angeles (LAX)
Phoenix (PHX)

Airports With Nonstop Alaska Airlines Flights to Hawaii

Anchorage (ANC)
Los Angeles (LAX)
Oakland (OAK)
Portland (PDX)
San Diego (SAN)
San Francisco (SFO)
San Jose (SJC)
Seattle (SEA)

Earn More British Airways Avios

There are several options for earning British Airways Avios. You can transfer points from American Express Membership Rewards, Capital One Miles, Chase Ultimate Rewards, or Marriott Bonvoy.

Amex Membership Rewards, Capital One Miles, and Chase Ultimate Rewards transfer to British Airways at a 1:1 ratio and transfer almost instantly. Marriott Bonvoy, on the other hand, transfers at a 3:1 rate, and transfers take up to 5 days.

Additionally, British Airways offers the British Airways Visa Signature^® Card that earns Avios directly.

More Reads:

See our guides on: Chase Transfer Partners, Amex Transfer Partners, Capital One Transfer Partners and Marriott Transfer Partners

Recommended Capital One Cards (Personal)

Terms Apply / Rates & Fees

Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card

U.P. Rating

The Capital One Venture X card is an excellent option for travelers looking for an all-in-one premium credit card.

Learn More(at Capital One's secure site)

Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card

The Capital One Venture X card is an excellent option for travelers looking for an all-in-one premium credit card.

Welcome OfferEarn 75,000 bonus miles when you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening, equal to $750 in travel.
75,000 miles

UP's Bonus Valuation*:
$1,350

Annual Fee

$395

APR

19.99% - 29.99% (Variable)

Credit Recommended

Excellent (740-840)

The Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card is the premium Capital One travel rewards card on the block.

Points and miles fans will be surprised to see that the Capital One Venture X card packs quite the punch when it comes to bookings made through Capital One, all while offering the lowest annual fee among premium credit cards.

Depending on your travel goals and preferences, the Capital One Venture X card could very well end up being your go-to card in your wallet.

Pros

10x miles per $1 on hotels and rental cars purchased through Capital One Travel
5x miles per $1 on flights purchased through Capital One Travel
2x miles per $1 on all other purchases
$300 annual travel credit on bookings made through Capital One Travel
Unlimited complimentary access for cardholder and 2 guests to 1,300+ lounges, including Capital One Lounges and the Partner Lounge Network
10,000 bonus miles awarded on your account anniversary each year
Global Entry or TSA PreCheck credit
Add authorized users for no additional annual fee (rates & fees)
No foreign transaction fees (rates & fees)

Cons

$395 annual fee (rates & fees)
Does not offer bonus categories for flights or hotel purchases made directly with the airline or hotel group, the preferred booking method for those looking to earn elite status

Earn 75,000 bonus miles when you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening, equal to $750 in travel
Receive a $300 annual credit for bookings through Capital One Travel, where you'll get Capital One's best prices on thousands of trip options
Get 10,000 bonus miles (equal to $100 towards travel) every year, starting on your first anniversary
Earn unlimited 10X miles on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel and 5X miles on flights booked through Capital One Travel
Earn unlimited 2X miles on all other purchases
Unlimited complimentary access for you and two guests to 1,300+ lounges, including Capital One Lounges and the Partner Lounge Network
Use your Venture X miles to easily cover travel expenses, including flights, hotels, rental cars and more—you can even transfer your miles to your choice of 15+ travel loyalty programs
Elevate every hotel stay from the Premier or Lifestyle Collections with a suite of cardholder benefits, like an experience credit, room upgrades, and more
Receive up to a $100 credit for Global Entry or TSA PreCheck^®

Financial Snapshot

APR: 19.99% - 29.99% (Variable)
Foreign Transaction Fees: None

Card Categories

Rewards Center

Capital One Miles

Terms Apply / Rates & Fees

Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card

U.P. Rating

Get 2x miles plus some of the most flexible redemptions offered by a travel credit card!

Learn More(at Capital One's secure site)

Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card

Get 2x miles plus some of the most flexible redemptions offered by a travel credit card!

Welcome OfferEnjoy a one-time bonus of 75,000 miles once you spend $4,000 on purchases within 3 months from account opening, equal to $750 in travel.
75,000 miles

UP's Bonus Valuation*:
$1,350

Annual Fee

$95

APR

19.99% - 29.99% (Variable)

Credit Recommended

Good to Excellent Credit (670-850)

The Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card is one of the most popular rewards cards on the market. It’s perfect for anyone in search of a great welcome offer, high rewards rates, and flexible redemption options.

Frequent travelers with excellent credit may benefit from this credit card that offers a lot of bells and whistles. And it offers easy-to-understand rewards earning and redemption.

Pros

5x miles per $1 on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel
2x miles per $1 on all other purchases
Global Entry or TSA PreCheck application fee credit
No foreign transaction fees (rates & fees)
Access to Capital One transfer partners

Cons

$95 annual fee (rates & fees)
Limited elite benefits

Enjoy a one-time bonus of 75,000 miles once you spend $4,000 on purchases within 3 months from account opening, equal to $750 in travel
Earn unlimited 2X miles on every purchase, every day
Earn 5X miles on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel, where you'll get Capital One's best prices on thousands of trip options
Miles won't expire for the life of the account and there's no limit to how many you can earn
Receive up to a $100 credit for Global Entry or TSA PreCheck^®
Use your miles to get reimbursed for any travel purchase—or redeem by booking a trip through Capital One Travel
Enrich every hotel stay from the Lifestyle Collection with a suite of cardholder benefits, like a $50 experience credit, room upgrades, and more
Transfer your miles to your choice of 15+ travel loyalty programs

Financial Snapshot

APR: 19.99% - 29.99% (Variable)
Foreign Transaction Fees: None

Card Categories

Rewards Center

Capital One Miles

Hot Tip: You can also use points to book a hotel in Hawaii! See our picks for the best options on Kauai, Maui, and the Island of Hawaii.

Turkish Airlines Miles&Smiles

United B737 800 Island Hopper HNL PNI economy cabin — Turkish Airlines is a great option for United flights to Hawaii. Image Credit: Ryan Smith

Using the Turkish Airlines Miles&Smiles program for United flights is a massive hidden gem that many are unaware of. Using Turkish miles, you can fly with United, from anywhere in the U.S., for just 7,500 miles in economy one way or 12,500 miles in business class.

You read that right.

A round-trip flight from anywhere in the U.S. to Hawaii for just 15,000 miles round-trip in economy or 25,000 round-trip in business. This is an outstanding value!

Book Awards With Turkish Airlines Miles&Smiles

Here’s the catch: to book an award, you used to need to deal with Turkish Airlines’ clunky website. If the website isn’t showing the partner-level award you’re looking for, you’ll need to call a Turkish Airlines phone agent to find the flight you want and ticket the reservation.

But you can find all of this information by first performing award searches on united.com. Remember that the award flight you want must be available at the Saver level in order to book.

Here is a recap of how to book a ticket with Turkish Airlines:

Search for availability on the United website.
Once you find the flight you want to book, visit the Turkish Airlines website, and log into your account by clicking SIGN IN at the top-right corner of the homepage.
Once you’re logged in and redirected to the homepage, hover over your name in the top-right corner and click Miles Transactions in the dropdown menu.
Then, you’ll find a box that says Star Alliance award ticket. Click the button that says Book now. If you’re having difficulty, click this link after logging in.
Enter your search criteria, and locate the flights you want to book.
Complete your booking and pay any taxes and fees.

Nonstop Routes to Hawaii Bookable with Turkish Miles

With your Turkish Miles, you can book nonstop flights out of any of the cities that United flies nonstop to Hawaii.

Airports With Nonstop United Flights to Hawaii

Chicago (ORD)
Denver (DEN)
Houston (IAH)
Los Angeles (LAX)
Newark (EWR)
San Francisco (SFO)
Washington, D.C. (IAD)

Earn More Turkish Airlines Miles

Turkish does not have nearly as many transferable currency options available as some of the other options on this list. But you can use currency from Bilt Rewards, Capital One Miles, Citi ThankYou Rewards, and Marriott Bonvoy to help make bookings possible.

Bilt, Capital One, and Citi transfer at a 1:1 ratio in under 2 days and Marriott Bonvoy will transfer at a 3:1 rate in around 2 days.

Hot Tip: Check out some other ways that you can get excellent value out of Turkish miles.

How To Find Lie-Flat Business Class Seats

If you want to fly to Hawaii in style, a lie-flat business class seat is the way to go. However, finding flights that have an international business class cabin layout isn’t always easy, so we’re going to simplify that process.

United Airlines Boeing 777, 767, and 757

United B777 Seats — United Airlines operates several types of aircraft to Hawaii, but you can find lie-flat business class seats on all Boeing 777 and 767 aircraft. Image Credit: SeatGuru

If you use miles to fly Hawaii on United Airlines, several aircraft types provide a lie-flat business class seat (known as Polaris class), including the Boeing 777, 767, and 757. The image above is from one of United’s Boeing 777s with lie-flat seats. In fact, all 777 and 767 aircraft have lie-flat business class seats.

United B757 Seats — If you’re looking for the best way to sleep on a United flight to Hawaii, make sure you choose a flight that has lie-flat seats in business class. Image Credit: SeatGuru

If your flight on United is on a 757, make sure you check the seat map before booking. While a domestic first class recliner is certainly more comfortable than an economy class seat, a lie-flat seat is even better. United operates its 757 planes with both cabin layouts, so it’s important to know what you are booking before transferring points.

Fortunately, United Airlines offers quite a few flights with lie-flat business class seats. While business class award space to Hawaii is tough regardless of airline, United gives you a bit better chance.

Currently, you can find lie-flat seats on at least 1 of the flights of the following routes to/from Honolulu (HNL):

Chicago (ORD)
Denver (DEN)
Houston (IAH)
Los Angeles (LAX)
Newark (EWR)
San Francisco (SFO)
Washington, D.C. (IAD)

Delta Air Lines Airbus A330 and Boeing 767

Delta B767 Seats — Not all of Delta’s Boeing 767 aircraft have lie-flat seats in business class, but you can feel confident that you will have 1 if you see the image above. Image Credit: Delta

Delta operates several aircraft on its routes to Hawaii, but only 2 aircraft types offer lie-flat business class seats (known as Delta One): the Airbus A330 and the Boeing 767. Its A330 has a reverse herringbone business class cabin layout that is one of the best ways to fly to Hawaii.

MSP HNL — Notice the bed symbol in the image above. This indicates that the business class cabin will have lie-flat seats. Image Credit: Delta

Unfortunately, you need to be careful if the flight you want to book is operated on a 767, as some of these aircraft do not have lie-flat seats. Fortunately, there’s an easy way to tell without even looking at the seat map. If you see a bed symbol when you expand the details of a flight option, this means you will have a lie-flat seat in business class.

Delta provides lie-flat business class seats on 6 routes to Honolulu (HNL) at this time:

Atlanta (ATL)
Detroit (DTW)
Los Angeles (LAX)
Minneapolis (MSP)
New York (JFK)
Salt Lake City (SLC)

American Airlines Airbus A330, Boeing 777 and 767

AA flight on BA search — You can easily check the aircraft type operated by American Airlines when searching on British Airways’ site. Image Credit: British Airways

American Airlines has lie-flat business class seats on all of its Airbus A330, Boeing 777, and Boeing 767 aircraft. Unlike with Delta, you won’t have to figure out whether its 767s have lie-flat seats or recliners.

When booking flights on American Airlines with British Airways, you won’t see a seat map in the search results, but you can quickly check the aircraft type. If you see any aircraft other than an A330, 777, or 767, you’ll know that the business class cabin does not have lie-flat seats.

At this time, the only routes that American Airlines operates with lie-flat business class seats (known as Flagship Business class) are from Dallas Fort Worth (DFW) to Honolulu (HNL) or Kahului (OGG).

Using British Airways Avios won’t be a great way to book this flight, but you can use 63,000 Japan Airlines Mileage Bank miles or 80,000 American AAdvantage miles for a round-trip business class award.

Hawaiian Airlines Airbus A330

Hawaiian Airlines A330 Seats — Some of Hawaiian Airlines’ Airbus A330 aircraft provide lie-flat business class seats that are among the most highly regarded in the industry. Image Credit: Hawaiian

Some of Hawaiian Airlines’ Airbus A330s have lie-flat business class seats that have received great reviews. Obviously, if you find award space, you’ll want to know if you’ll have the opportunity to experience these seats.

Fortunately, Hawaiian Airlines makes it very easy to find out if you’ll have lie-flat seats in business class. While you may be calling Korean Air SKYPASS to book, you can use Hawaiian Airlines’ site to see which flights have lie-flat seats.

You don’t even have to run an award search. Just search for a cash ticket, and under the First Class column you’ll see a note that says Lie-Flat Seats. If it doesn’t have this note, the flight doesn’t offer lie-flat seats.

While finding Saver-level business class award space on Hawaiian Airlines can be very tough, there are lots of routes with lie-flat seats if you can find the space:

Austin (AUS) to Honolulu (HNL)
Boston (BOS) to Honolulu (HNL)
Las Vegas (LAS) to Honolulu (HNL)
Los Angeles (LAX) to Honolulu (HNL) or Kahului (OGG)
New York (JFK) to Honolulu (HNL)
Orlando (MCO) to Honolulu (HNL)
Phoenix (PHX) to Honolulu (HNL)
San Francisco (SFO) to Honolulu (HNL)
Seattle (SEA) to Honolulu (HNL) or Kahului (OGG)

Final Thoughts

No matter which transferable currency you’re hoping to use, you can easily book award flights to Hawaii. In fact, compared to other destinations, it requires significantly fewer points to do so, which makes it easier to bring a loved one or a friend.

If you’re hoping to book a business class award to Hawaii, we suggest using 25,000 Turkish Miles&Smiles miles to fly with United or 15,000 miles in economy class (if you can find Saver availability).

As you can see, with miles and points, the question isn’t if you can go to Hawaii, but when to go! With this info in hand, you’ll be ready to book in no time. Just remember, for a popular destination like Hawaii, travel date flexibility and planning ahead go a long way when searching for award space. Also, don’t forget your beach packing list so you don’t forget anything at home.

The information regarding the Marriott Bonvoy Bold^® Credit Card was independently collected by Upgraded Points and not provided nor reviewed by the issuer.
The information regarding the Marriott Bonvoy Boundless^® Credit Card was independently collected by Upgraded Points and not provided nor reviewed by the issuer.

For rates and fees of the Marriott Bonvoy Bevy™ American Express^® Card, click here.
For rates and fees of the Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant^® American Express^® card, click here.
For rates and fees of The Platinum Card^® from American Express, click here.
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Featured Image Credit: Alexander Demyanenko via Shutterstock

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the fewest number of miles you can use to book an economy class award flight to Hawaii?

Turkish Airlines requires the fewest number of miles when using to book Saver space on United, with ticket prices starting at just 15,000 miles round-trip.

What is the fewest number of miles required to fly business class to Hawaii?

Turkish Airlines requires the fewest number of miles when using to book Saver space on United, with business class ticket prices starting at just 25,000 miles round-trip.

Which transferable currencies can be used to book flights to Hawaii?

In short, all of them! You can use American Express Membership Rewards, Bilt Rewards, Brex Rewards, Capital One Miles, Chase Ultimate Rewards, Citi ThankYou Rewards, and Marriott Bonvoy to book a flight to Hawaii.

What airline is the best to fly to Hawaii?

It depends. Generally speaking, the best airline is whichever one you have points with that you can use for a free flight! If you have transferable points, your options open up quite a bit, but we recommend using Turkish Airlines miles to fly with United.

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About Jarrod West

Boasting a portfolio of over 20 cards, Jarrod has been an expert in the points and miles space for over 6 years. He earns and redeems over 1 million points per year and his work has been featured in outlets like The New York Times.

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