How I’m Earning More Miles Than Ever With the Alaska and Hawaiian Airlines Merger

Updated: October 1, 2024, 8:30am CDT

Edited by:

Why I Value Alaska Miles
1. Apply for the Hawaiian Airlines World Elite Card
2. Transfer Amex Points to Hawaiian Airlines
Final Thoughts

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Earning Alaska miles was quite the challenge until very recently — that is, when the merger and Alaska Airlines and Hawaiian Airlines became finalized. Transferring miles freely between the 2 loyalty programs at a 1:1 ratio recently became possible.

Why is this a big deal? Alaska Airlines Mileage Plan loyalty program is praised for its low mileage redemptions, lack of fuel surcharges on partner awards, and vast partner network. Not to mention, Alaska miles are difficult to earn because they only partner with Marriott Bonvoy (with a 3:1 transfer ratio), and more recently, Bilt Rewards (with a 1:1 ratio).

With this major update, I’m going all-in with HawaiianMiles to accumulate as many as I can them. Here’s a look into my strategy for earning a ton of Hawaiian (and thereby, Alaska) miles.

Why I Value Alaska Miles

Alaska’s Mileage Plan loyalty program offers excellent value, especially when you redeem miles for partner airlines — like American Airlines. This is largely thanks to its distance-based award chart, which offers great value when for short-haul flights on pricier routes.

One of the program’s standout features is its short-haul awards “within the Americas” — which includes the Caribbean, Central, and South America. You can score one-way flights starting at just 4,500 Alaska miles for trips of 700 miles or less, making it a great option for quick getaways. Here’s a closer look at the award chart for flights within the Americas:

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Distance (miles)	Economy Starting at	Premium Economy Starting at	Business Starting at	First Starting at
Less than 700	4,500	6,000	9,000	13,500
701–1,400	7,500	10,000	15,000	25,000
1,401–2,100	12,500	17,500	25,000	40,000
2,101–4,000	17,500	22,500	35,000	52,500
4,001–6,000	25,000	32,500	50,000	75,000
6,001 and above	30,000	40,000	60,000	90,000

Living in South Florida puts me just a short hop away from the Caribbean, so I often travel there. Even so, airfare can be very expensive, especially when jetting off to fabulous islands like Turks and Caicos, the Cayman Islands, or the Bahamas. For instance, in November, a one-way ticket from Miami International Airport (MIA) to Turks and Caicos or the Bahamas island of North Eleuthera can cost more than $700.

Knowing that I can book short-haul American Airlines flights to the Caribbean, I only need to redeem 4,500 Alaska miles and will save hundreds of dollars on airfare to fly to an idyllic island near my home.

AS Award Price MIA PLS — Alaska’s distance-based award chart for partners makes this a sweet spot for short-haul flights. Image Credit: Alaska Airlines

This is just one of the many reasons why I’m eager to convert my HawaiianMiles to Alaska miles.

Hot Tip:

Alaska miles hold significant value, and our latest points and miles valuations determine they’re worth 1.6 cents apiece. For inspiration on maximizing your Alaska miles, see our guide on the best ways to redeem Alaska miles for maximum value!

1. Apply for the Hawaiian Airlines World Elite Card

Applying for a new credit card with a welcome offer is often the quickest way to boost your mileage balances.

And, for a limited time, the Hawaiian Airlines^® World Elite Mastercard^® is offering a great welcome bonus with simple minimum spend requirements. New cardholders can receive 70,000 HawaiianMiles by making their first purchase with the card and paying the $99 annual fee within the first 3 months after account opening.

In other words, by making a single purchase and paying the $99 annual fee, I will theoretically earn 70,000 Alaska miles. That alone convinced me to apply for the Hawaiian Airlines World Elite card, and thankfully, I was approved.

Hawaiian Airlines Approval Credit Card Screenshot — I applied and was approved for the 70,000 HawaiianMiles after 1 purchase and paying the annual fee. Image Credit: Barclays

We value HawaiianMiles at 0.9 cents per point, meaning a 70,000-mile welcome offer is worth $630 in our estimation — very impressive for just making a single purchase. However, we value Alaska miles higher than HawaiianMiles at 1.6 cents apiece. Therefore, the welcome bonus is worth more like $1,120 — almost double the value!

Once I receive the card, I plan to make a purchase and pay the annual fee right away to earn the welcome bonus offer. This strategy is by far the most straightforward approach to collect a large amount of Alaska miles for partner award redemptions.

Hot Tip:

I would also consider applying for the Alaska Airlines Visa Signature^® credit card to double up on earning even more bonus miles, but I already have one.

2. Transfer Amex Points to Hawaiian Airlines

Hawaiian Airlines is also a 1:1 transfer partner of American Express Membership Rewards and Bilt Rewards, as well as Marriott Bonvoy, though at a poorer 3:1 ratio. It’s way simpler to boost my Alaska Mileage Plan balance by transferring points from my Amex Membership Rewards account indirectly to Alaska via Hawaiian.

Amex Hawaiian Miles — With the option to transfer HawaiianMiles to Alaska Airlines, American Express becomes an invaluable transfer partner for Alaska Mileage Plan fans like myself. Image Credit: American Express

I’m not sure how many points I’ll transfer just yet, but I definitely intend to send some across when I find the right award flights on Alaska and its airline partners.

Final Thoughts

I never thought I’d say this, but I am fully committed to earning HawaiianMiles. The news of this merger is great news for travelers overall, so I’m excited to make the most of my Alaska and Hawaiian miles to book more vacations for my family and me.

The information regarding the Hawaiian Airlines World Elite Card was independently collected by Upgraded Points and not provided nor reviewed by the issuer.
The information regarding the Alaska Airlines Visa Signature^® credit card was independently collected by Upgraded Points and not provided nor reviewed by the issuer.