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10 Best Ways to Redeem Hawaiian Airlines Miles for Max Value

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Stephen Au
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Stephen Au

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Kellie Jez

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Hawaiian Airlines is the Aloha State’s largest carrier and the tenth-largest commercial airline in the U.S. Although it’s not in any major alliance, Hawaiian has codeshare agreements with a dozen airlines in various alliances and serves many destinations, including Asia and Oceania.

HawaiianMiles is the airline’s frequent flyer program. Though many flagship carriers now award redeemable miles based on the cost of a ticket, HawaiianMiles still lets flyers earn miles based on the distance of their flight.

This helps program members earn miles more quickly! For example, Los Angeles to Honolulu would earn 2,556 redeemable HawaiianMiles, and New York to Honolulu would earn 4,981 redeemable HawaiianMiles.

If you’ve collected enough points for an award flight — either through credit card spending, by flying the airline and its partners, or by shopping and dining with its partners — keep on reading for some of the best ways to use HawaiianMiles.

Boost Your Hawaiian Airlines HawaiianMiles With Partners

Amex Membership Rewards Credit Cards

Amex points transfer to Hawaiian Airlines at a ratio of 1:1. Look out for sporadic transfer bonuses that can Amex offer to Hawaiian, too! The last major bonus offered a 25% bonus.

Recommended Amex Cards (Personal)

BEST LOUNGE ACCESS
The Platinum Card® from American ExpressTerms Apply / Rates & Fees

The Platinum Card® from American Express

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The rating for this card has been determined by our own industry experts who know the in's and out's of credit card products. Bonuses, rewards as well as rates and fees are all taken into account. Compensation from the issuer does not affect our rating. We only recommend products we either use ourselves or endorse.

The Amex Platinum reigns supreme for luxury travel, offering the best airport lounge access plus generous statement credits, and complimentary elite status.

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The Platinum Card® from American Express

The Amex Platinum reigns supreme for luxury travel, offering the best airport lounge access plus generous statement credits, and complimentary elite status.
Earn 80,000 Membership Rewards® Points after you spend $8,000 on purchases on the Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership.
80,000 points
$1,760
$695
See Pay Over Time APR
Upgraded Points credit ranges are a variation of FICO®Score 8, one of many types of credit scores lenders may use when considering your credit cardapplication.
Good to Excellent (670-850)

When it comes to cards that offer top-notch benefits, you’d be hard-pressed to find a better card out there than The Platinum Card® from American Express.

Make no mistake — the Amex Platinum card is a premium card with a premium price tag. With amazing benefits like best-in-class airport lounge access, hotel elite status, and tremendous value in annual statement credits, it can easily prove to be one of the most lucrative cards in your wallet year after year.

Pros

  • The best airport lounge access out of any card (by far) — enjoy access to over 1,400 worldwide lounges, including the luxurious Amex Centurion Lounges, Priority Pass lounges, Plaza Premium Lounges, and many more!
  • 5x points per dollar spent on flights purchased directly with the airline or with AmexTravel.com (up to $500,000 per year)
  • 5x points per dollar spent on prepaid hotels booked with AmexTravel.com
  • Annual and monthly statement credits upon enrollment (airline credit, Uber Cash credit, Saks Fifth Avenue credit, streaming credit, prepaid hotel credit on eligible stays, Walmart+ credit, CLEAR credit, and Equinox credit)
  • TSA PreCheck or Global Entry credit
  • Access to American Express Fine Hotels and Resorts
  • Access to Amex International Airline Program
  • No foreign transaction fees (rates and fees)

Cons

  • $695 annual fee (rates and fees)
  • Airline credit does not cover airfare (only incidentals like checked bags)
  • Earn 80,000 Membership Rewards® Points after you spend $8,000 on purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership. Apply and select your preferred metal Card design: classic Platinum Card®, Platinum x Kehinde Wiley, or Platinum x Julie Mehretu.
  • Earn 5X Membership Rewards® Points for flights booked directly with airlines or with American Express Travel up to $500,000 on these purchases per calendar year and earn 5X Membership Rewards® Points on prepaid hotels booked with American Express Travel.
  • $200 Hotel Credit: Get up to $200 back in statement credits each year on prepaid Fine Hotels + Resorts® or The Hotel Collection bookings with American Express Travel when you pay with your Platinum Card®. The Hotel Collection requires a minimum two-night stay.
  • $240 Digital Entertainment Credit: Get up to $20 back in statement credits each month on eligible purchases made with your Platinum Card® on one or more of the following: Disney+, a Disney Bundle, ESPN+, Hulu, The New York Times, Peacock, and The Wall Street Journal. Enrollment required.
  • $155 Walmart+ Credit: Cover the cost of a $12.95 monthly Walmart+ membership (subject to auto-renewal) with a statement credit after you pay for Walmart+ each month with your Platinum Card®. Cost includes $12.95 plus applicable local sales tax. Plus Up Benefits are excluded.
  • $200 Airline Fee Credit: Select one qualifying airline and then receive up to $200 in statement credits per calendar year when incidental fees are charged by the airline to your Platinum Card®.
  • $200 Uber Cash: Enjoy Uber VIP status and up to $200 in Uber savings on rides or eats orders in the US annually. Uber Cash and Uber VIP status is available to Basic Card Member only. Terms Apply.
  • $300 Equinox Credit: Get up to $300 back in statement credits per calendar year on an Equinox membership, or an Equinox club membership (subject to auto-renewal) when you pay with your Platinum Card®. Enrollment required. Visit https://platinum.equinox.com/ to enroll.
  • $189 CLEAR® Plus Credit: Breeze through security with CLEAR Plus at 100+ airports, stadiums, and entertainment venues nationwide and get up to $189 back per calendar year on your Membership (subject to auto-renewal) when you use your Platinum Card®. Learn more.
  • $100 Global Entry Credit: Receive either a $100 statement credit every 4 years for a Global Entry application fee or a statement credit up to $85 every 4.5 years for a TSA PreCheck® (through a TSA official enrollment provider) application fee, when charged to your Platinum Card®. Card Members approved for Global Entry will also receive access to TSA PreCheck at no additional cost.
  • Shop Saks with Platinum: Get up to $100 in statement credits annually for purchases in Saks Fifth Avenue stores or at saks.com on your Platinum Card®. That's up to $50 in statement credits semi-annually. Enrollment required.
  • $300 SoulCycle At-Home Bike Credit: Get a $300 statement credit for the purchase of a SoulCycle at-home bike with your Platinum Card®. An Equinox+ subscription is required to purchase a SoulCycle at-home bike and access SoulCycle content. Must charge full price of bike in one transaction. Shipping available in the contiguous U.S. only. Enrollment Required.
  • Unlock access to exclusive reservations and special dining experiences with Global Dining Access by Resy when you add your Platinum Card® to your Resy profile.
  • $695 annual fee.
  • Terms Apply.

Financial Snapshot

  • APR: See Pay Over Time APR
  • Foreign Transaction Fees: None

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BEST FOR DINING
American Express® Gold CardTerms Apply / Rates & Fees

American Express® Gold Card

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The rating for this card has been determined by our own industry experts who know the in's and out's of credit card products. Bonuses, rewards as well as rates and fees are all taken into account. Compensation from the issuer does not affect our rating. We only recommend products we either use ourselves or endorse.

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!

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American Express® Gold Card

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!
Earn 60,000 Membership Rewards® Points after you spend $6,000 on eligible purchases with your new Card within the first 6 months.
60,000 points
$1,320
$250
See Pay Over Time APR
Upgraded Points credit ranges are a variation of FICO®Score 8, one of many types of credit scores lenders may use when considering your credit cardapplication.
Good to Excellent (670-850)

The American Express® Gold Card is a game-changer.

With this card, you can earn 4x Membership Rewards points at restaurants and you’ll also earn 4x Membership Rewards points at U.S. supermarkets on up to $25,000 per calendar year in purchases, then 1x.

There isn’t another card on the market that offers a 1-2 punch like this. Of course, there are several other benefits of the Gold Card as well, including extra monthly dining rewards and more.

Pros

  • 4x points per dollar at restaurants, plus takeout and delivery in the U.S.
  • 4x points per dollar at U.S. supermarkets, up to $25,000 per calendar year in purchases; and 1x thereafter
  • 3x points per dollar on flights purchased directly from airlines or at Amex Travel
  • Up to $120 annual dining credit: up to $10 monthly statement credit when you pay with the Amex Gold card at Grubhub, The Cheesecake Factory, Goldbelly, Wine.com, Milk Bar and select Shake Shack locations
  • Up to $120 in annual Uber Cash: get $10 monthly in Uber Cash for Uber Eats orders or Uber rides in the U.S. when you add your Gold Card to your Uber account
  • No foreign transaction fees (see rates and fees)
  • Access to Amex’s The Hotel Collection
  • Access to American Express transfer partners

Cons

  • 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).
  • Earn 3X Membership Rewards® points on flights booked directly with airlines or on amextravel.com.
  • $120 Uber Cash on Gold: Add your Gold Card to your Uber account and each month automatically get $10 in Uber Cash for Uber Eats orders or Uber rides in the U.S., totaling up to $120 per year.
  • $120 Dining Credit: Satisfy your cravings and earn up to $10 in statement credits monthly when you pay with the American Express® Gold Card at Grubhub, The Cheesecake Factory, Goldbelly, Wine.com, Milk Bar and select Shake Shack locations. Enrollment required.
  • Get a $100 experience credit with a minimum two-night stay when you book The Hotel Collection through American Express Travel. Experience credit varies by property.
  • Choose the color that suits your style. Gold or Rose Gold.
  • No Foreign Transaction Fees.
  • Annual Fee is $250.
  • Terms Apply.

Financial Snapshot

  • APR: See Pay Over Time APR
  • Foreign Transaction Fees: None

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If you’re a business owner, see our list of the best Amex business credit cards.

Hawaiian Airlines Credit Cards

The following cards also collect HawaiianMiles directly, but this is not our preferred method because the points are not transferable or flexible like Amex points are.

Marriott Credit Cards

You can earn Marriott Bonvoy points and transfer those to Hawaiian at a transfer rate of 3:1. Plus, for every 60,000 Marriott points that you transfer, you’ll receive an extra 5,000 HawaiianMiles bonus. See our list of the best Marriott credit cards in our guide.

List of Hawaiian Airlines Partners

As mentioned above, Hawaiian Airlines is not part of an alliance, but it does have several airline partners. These partners include:

Boost Your Hawaiian Airlines HawaiianMiles With Partners

Passengers who hold a Hawaiian Airlines World Elite card (or have HawaiianMiles elite status) are eligible for discounted flight awards.

The credit card typically offers a welcome bonus, but the annual fee of $89 is not waived in the first year.

The 10 Best Ways to Use Your Hawaiian Airlines HawaiianMiles

1. Fly to the Neighboring Hawaiian Islands on Hawaiian Airlines (From 7,500 Miles One-Way)

Hawaiian Airlines Flight Attendant
Easily fly between the Hawaiian Islands on Hawaiian Airlines for a crazy low number of miles! Image Credit: Hawaiian Airlines

If you’re already in Hawaii and want to take advantage of an opportunity to island-hop, one-way flights in coach are 7,500 to 20,000 miles.

Hawaiian Airlines also offers premium cabin awards for 15,000 to 30,000 miles.

Do you enjoy flying in style on short flights? Economy flights booked with cash can be upgraded to first class for 7,500 to 15,000 miles.

All award upgrades must be processed through reservations and ticketed at least 26 hours before departure.

Here are a few great example redemptions you can make:

  • Hilo (ITO) – Kahului (OGG) one-way in Hawaiian Airlines economy from 7,500 HawaiianMiles + ~$5.60 in taxes and fees
  • Honolulu (HNL) – Lanai (LNY) one-way in Hawaiian Airlines economy from 7,500 HawaiianMiles + ~$5.60 in taxes and fees
  • Kauai (LIH) – Kailua-Kona (KOA) one-way in Hawaiian Airlines economy for 7,500 HawaiianMiles + ~$5.60 in taxes and fees

2. Fly From the Continental U.S. to Hawaii in Hawaiian Airlines First Class (From 40,000 Miles One-Way)

Hawaiian Airlines First Class
Hawaiian Airlines first class. Image Credit: Hawaiian Airlines

Most travelers looking to fly to Hawaii on points are likely located in the continental U.S. and will benefit from this redemption opportunity.

First class awards are as low as 80,000 miles round-trip, with a maximum of 160,000 miles round-trip from the West Coast and 260,000 miles round-trip from the East Coast.

Here are a few great example redemptions you can make:

  • Boston (BOS) – Honolulu (HNL) one-way in Hawaiian Airlines first class from 40,000 HawaiianMiles + ~$10 in taxes and fees
  • Las Vegas (LAS) – Kahului (OGG) one-way in Hawaiian Airlines first class from 40,000 HawaiianMiles + ~$10 in taxes and fees
  • New York City (JFK) – Honolulu (HNL) one-way in Hawaiian Airlines first class from 40,000 HawaiianMiles + ~$10 in taxes and fees
  • Salt Lake City (SLC) – Honolulu (HNL) one-way in Hawaiian Airlines first class from 40,000 HawaiianMiles + ~$10 in taxes and fees

Hot Tip: The Amex Platinum card provide miles you can transfer to HawaiianMiles and also offers great travel benefits like lounge access and airline fee credits to help pay for bags and other services!

3. Fly From Hawaii to Australia or New Zealand in Hawaiian Airlines Business Class (From 65,000 Miles One-Way)

Hawaiian Airlines A330 Business Class Blanket and Amenities
Fly to Australia and New Zealand in style with Hawaiian Airlines. Image Credit: James Larounis

Hawaiian Airlines also connects the mainland with the land down under and presents some interesting redemption opportunities.

A round-trip flight from Hawaii to either Sydney or Auckland in first class ranges from 130,000 to 260,000 miles.

In comparison, you’ll need 180,000 Delta SkyMiles to book a flight from Honolulu to either Sydney or Auckland at the lowest redemption level.

We’ve found availability for a round-trip ticket from Honolulu to Auckland at the Saver level on United for 140,000 MileagePlus miles. American Airlines requires 150,000 AAdvantage miles.

Here are a few great example redemptions you can make:

  • Honolulu (HNL) – Auckland (AKL) one-way in Hawaiian Airlines business class from 65,000 HawaiianMiles + ~$34 in taxes and fees
  • Honolulu (HNL) – Brisbane (BNE) one-way in Hawaiian Airlines business class from 65,000 HawaiianMiles + ~$54 in taxes and fees
  • Honolulu (HNL) – Sydney (SYD) one-way in Hawaiian Airlines business class from 65,000 HawaiianMiles + ~$52 in taxes and fees

4. Fly From Hawaii to Japan in Hawaiian Airlines Business Class (65,000 Miles One-Way)

Hawaiian Airlines Business Class Seat Close Up
Enjoy Hawaiian’s long-haul business class from Hawaii to Japan. Image Credit: James Larounis

Hawaii and Japan are 2 of the most intimately connected regions. In fact, the first known arrival of Japanese came in 1806, and the Japanese have since become the second largest ethnic group in Hawaii.

For this reason, Hawaiian Airlines, among other airlines, offers some of the most unique routes to/from Japan. And by booking these tickets on Hawaiian Airlines, you’ll get to experience its long-haul business class product on point-to-point routes.

For one-way flights between Hawaii and Japan on Hawaiian Airlines, you’ll pay as little as 35,000 miles in economy and 65,000 miles in business.

Here are some great example routes you can take:

  • Honolulu (HNL) – Fukuoka (FUK) one-way in Hawaiian Airlines business class for 65,000 HawaiianMiles + ~$10 in taxes and fees
  • Honolulu (HNL) – Osaka (KIX) one-way in Hawaiian Airlines business class for 65,000 HawaiianMiles + ~$10 in taxes and fees
  • Honolulu (HNL) – Sapporo (CTS) one-way in Hawaiian Airlines business class for 65,000 HawaiianMiles + ~$10 in taxes and fees
  • Honolulu (HNL) – Tokyo (TYO) one-way in Hawaiian Airlines business class for 65,000 HawaiianMiles + ~$10 in taxes and fees
  • Kona (KOA) – Tokyo (HND) one-way in Hawaiian Airlines business class for 65,000 HawaiianMiles + ~$10 in taxes and fees

5. Fly From Hawaii to the South Pacific in Hawaiian Airlines Business Class (From 47,500 Miles One-Way)

Lalomanu on Upolu on Samoa
Visit stunning Samoa by using your HawaiianMiles with Hawaiian Airlines. Image Credit: Samoa Tourism Authority

The South Pacific region includes far-flung tropical destinations such as Pago Pago in American Samoa and Papeete in Tahiti.

Many travelers put Tahiti and its gorgeous islands high on their bucket list and using HawaiianMiles to get there isn’t a bad redemption if you depart from the Hawaiian Islands.

A round-trip flight from Hawaii to Papeete in first class is 95,000 to 190,000 miles round-trip.

Here are a few great example redemptions you can make:

  • Honolulu (HNL) – Pago Pago (PPG) one-way in Hawaiian Airlines business class from 47,500 HawaiianMiles + ~$10 in taxes and fees
  • Honolulu (HNL) – Tahiti (PPT) one-way in Hawaiian Airlines business class from 47,500 HawaiianMiles + ~$10 in taxes and fees

6. Fly Hawaiian Airlines Partner Japan Airlines (From 24,000 Miles Round-Trip)

Japan Airlines Business Class 777
The Japan Airlines business class seat is spacious and comfortable! Image Credit: Stephen Au

Hawaiian has several partnerships with other airlines and offers a separate award chart for each of its partners. For example, Hawaiian uses a region-based award chart for flights booked on Japan Airlines, the second-largest airline in Japan after ANA.

You can book either one-way or round-trip flights on Japan Airlines, where round-trip is twice the cost of a one-way ticket.

Flying round-trip on Japan Airlines between North America and Japan will cost 90,000 HawaiianMiles in economy, 120,000 in premium economy, and 180,000 in business class.

Flying round-trip on Japan Airlines between Japan and Hawaii will cost 80,000 HawaiianMiles in economy, 100,000 in premium economy, and 150,000 miles in business class.

For shorter hops, travelers will spend 24,000 HawaiianMiles on a round-trip flight within Japan in economy and 30,000 miles for premium economy. One thing to remember that each flight is priced by sector, meaning this price is only valid for nonstop flights. If you want to book a connecting flight, it’ll double in price for adding that extra segment.

Hawaiian Airlines’ own redemption rate to Japan ranges from 80,000 to 280,000 HawaiianMiles round-trip.

Here are a few great example redemptions you can make:

  • Boston (BOS) – Tokyo (NRT) one-way in Japan Airlines business class for 90,000 HawaiianMiles + ~$13 in taxes and fees
  • Honolulu (HNL) – Osaka (KIX) one-way in Japan Airlines business class for 75,000 HawaiianMiles + ~$13 in taxes and fees
  • Komatsu (KMQ) – Okinawa (OKA) round-trip in Japan Airlines economy for 24,000 HawaiianMiles + ~$43 in taxes and fees
  • New York City (JFK) – Tokyo (HND) one-way in Japan Airlines business class for 90,000 HawaiianMiles + ~$13 in taxes and fees
  • Tokyo (HND) – Amami (ASJ) one-way in Japan Airlines economy for 12,000 HawaiianMiles + ~$51 in taxes and fees
  • Tokyo (HND) – Ishigaki (ISG) round-trip in Japan Airlines economy class for 24,000 HawaiianMiles + ~$63 in taxes and fees

Hot Tip: Looking to fly to Japan using points and miles? We’ve got you covered in our guide!

7. Fly Hawaiian Partner Korean Air Within Asia in Business Class (From 60,000 Miles Round-Trip)

Korean Air business class
With direct aisle access and a lie-flat bed, you can rest peacefully when flying business class on Korean Air. Image Credit: Korean Air

Just as with ANA, it is possible to redeem HawaiianMiles for flights operated by Korean Air (but not Korean Air’s other partners). This award chart is region-based. At the moment, you can only redeem flights for:

  • Round-trip awards wholly within South Korea
  • Round-trip awards within Asia
  • Round-trip awards between the U.S. and South Korea

Passengers can book a round-trip flight within Korea for 15,000 HawaiianMiles in economy and 30,000 miles in business class. Flyers can also book a round-trip within Asia for 30,000 HawaiianMiles in economy and 60,000 miles in business.

A round-trip flight between Korea and the U.S. can be booked for 100,000 HawaiianMiles in economy and 200,000 in business class.

All the redemptions above can actually be booked with Korean Air SKYPASS miles for a bit cheaper: 10,000 miles for flights within Korea, 30,000 miles within Asia (China and Japan, for example), and 70,000 miles from Seoul to Honolulu — all in economy class.

Please note, awards on Korean Air booked through Hawaiian Airlines are based on round-trip travel only, while Korean Air allows one-way award bookings through its own program.

Hawaiian Airlines’ own redemption rate to Korea ranges from 80,000 to 280,000 HawaiianMiles round-trip originating in Hawaii.

Here are some great example redemptions you can make:

  • Seoul (ICN) – Kuala Lumpur (KUL) round-trip in Korean Air business class for 60,000 HawaiianMiles + ~$78 in taxes and fees
  • Seoul (ICN) – Singapore (SIN) round-trip in Korean Air business class for 60,000 HawaiianMiles + ~$64 in taxes and fees
  • Seoul (ICN) – Ulaanbaatar (ULN) round-trip in Korean Air business class for 60,000 HawaiianMiles + ~$31 in taxes and fees

Hot Tip: Need help booking? Check out our step-by-step guide to booking Korean Air business class.

8. Fly Hawaiian Partner Virgin Australia Within Australia (From 20,000 Miles Round-Trip)

Virgin Australia 777 the business Cabin
Fly around Australia in style with Virgin Australia business class! Image Credit: Greg Stone

This award chart is distance-based, meaning a longer flight will require more miles to book.

Flights within Australia can be booked for 20,000 miles in economy if they’re 1,000 miles or shorter, and 40,000 miles in economy for distances longer than 1,000 miles.

These rates increase to 30,000/60,000 miles for awards booked in premium economy, and 40,000/80,000 miles for business class flights.

International destinations served by Virgin Australia also vary. Passengers can book economy flights of 2,000 miles in length or shorter for 40,000 HawaiianMiles (60,000 in premium economy and 80,000 in first).

Travelers can book flights that are between 2,001 and 4,000 miles in length for 60,000 HawaiianMiles in economy, 90,000 miles in premium economy, and 120,000 miles in business class.

Flights longer than 4,000 miles can be booked for 100,000 HawaiianMiles in economy, 150,000 miles in premium economy, or 200,000 miles in first class. All mileage calculations are based on round-trip bookings.

Similar to airlines previously mentioned, these awards cannot be booked on flights operated by Virgin Australia’s other partners.

Here are some great example routes you can take:

  • Brisbane (BNE) – Mount Isa (ISA) round-trip for 20,000 HawaiianMiles + ~$96 in taxes and fees
  • Brisbane (BNE) – Perth (PER) round-trip for 80,000 HawaiianMiles + ~$200 in taxes and fees
  • Perth (PER) – Onslow (ONS) round-trip for 20,000 HawaiianMiles + ~$127 in taxes and fees
  • Perth (PER) – Sydney (SYD) round-trip for 80,000 HawaiianMiles + ~$195 in taxes and fees

9. Fly Hawaiian Partner JetBlue (From 10,000 Miles)

JetBlue Mint A321 left cabin
Use your HawaiianMiles to book the comfortable JetBlue Mint class. Image Credit: Stephen Au

It is possible to redeem HawaiianMiles on JetBlue flights, and this award chart works a little differently. Redemption levels are directly correlated with a monetary ticket value, which is a little unusual considering most other partner redemptions are distance- or region-based.

JetBlue tickets that cost $99 or less require 10,000 HawaiianMiles. If the flight costs between $100 and $179, then redemptions fall between 15,000 miles and 20,000 miles. Tickets that cost between $180 and $259 will cost between 25,000 and 30,000 miles.

Flights costing $260 and $339 require 35,000 to 40,000 miles to book, and a ticket that costs $340 to $419 can be booked for 45,000 to 50,000 HawaiianMiles.

As you can see, redemption values are the poorest for the more expensive flights, coming in at about 0.8 cents per mile. Generally, redeeming TrueBlue points will return a better value of about 1.5 cents per mile.

10. Fly Hawaiian Partner Virgin Atlantic From the U.S. to the U.K. in Upper Class (From 125,000 Miles Round-Trip)

Virgin Atlantic Airbus A350 Upper Class Cabin from Front
Virgin Atlantic has a new business class product you can book using HawaiianMiles! Image Credit: Greg Stone

Redeeming rewards on this Hawaiian Airlines partner will be based on regions rather than distance flown or ticket costs. As with the other partners we mentioned, HawaiianMiles can be redeemed for flights operated by Virgin Atlantic only.

Flying round-trip from the U.K. to the Caribbean, Africa, Middle East, or North American East Coast will cost 60,000 miles in economy, 100,000 miles in Premier Economy, and 125,000 miles in Upper Class.

For flights originating in the U.K., awards to India, Asia, Australia and the West Coast of North America come to 80,000 miles in economy, 130,000 miles in Premier Economy, and 160,000 miles in Upper Class.

It turns out that redemptions from the East Coast to the U.K. are on par with many U.S. carriers’ mileage redemptions, which makes this a decent use of HawaiianMiles. Expect to pay 60,000 miles in economy, 100,000 in Premier economy, and 125,000 miles in Upper Class for North America East Coast flights.

North America West Coast flights are slightly more expensive at 80,000 miles in economy, 130,000 miles in Premier economy, and 160,000 miles in Upper Class.

Another bonus of using HawaiianMiles to book Virgin Atlantic flights is that Hawaiian does not charge exorbitant fuel surcharges on these flights.

Here are some great example redemptions you can make:

  • Los Angeles (LAX) – London (LHR) round-trip in Virgin Atlantic New Upper Class for 160,000 HawaiianMiles + ~$369 in taxes and fees
  • Miami (MIA) – London (LHR) round-trip in Virgin Atlantic Upper Class for 125,000 HawaiianMiles + ~$369 in taxes and fees
  • New York (JFK) – London (LHR) round-trip in Virgin Atlantic New Upper Class for 125,000 HawaiianMiles + ~$369 in taxes and fees

Final Thoughts

We hope you’ve enjoyed learning about what we feel are some of the best ways to use HawaiianMiles.

Hawaiian Airlines does not always present the most lucrative options for booking award flights, but there are a few sweet spots travelers can leverage if they’ve amassed a healthy balance of HawaiianMiles.

Hawaiian Airlines is also an Amex transfer partner if you need to top off a balance before booking one of these awards.

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.
The information for The Amex EveryDay® Credit Card has been independently collected by Upgraded Points and not provided nor reviewed by the issuer.
The information regarding the The Amex EveryDay® Preferred Credit Card was independently collected by Upgraded Points and not provided nor reviewed by the issuer.

For rates and fees of The Platinum Card® from American Express, click here.
For rates and fees of the American Express® Gold Card, click here.
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.

Frequently Asked Questions

What are HawaiianMiles?

HawaiianMiles are the miles associated with Hawaiian Airlines’ frequent flyer program.

What are HawaiianMiles worth?

The value of HawaiianMiles depends on how you redeem your points. It is easily possible to get at least 1 cent per point in value for your miles, but the value can be much higher depending on what exact ticket you’re booking.

Is it possible to transfer HawaiianMiles to other airlines?

No, but you can redeem your HawaiianMiles for flights on its partner airlines.

How can you earn more HawaiianMiles?

HawaiianMiles is a transfer partner of American Express Membership Rewards.

There are more than 10 Membership Rewards credit cards: the Amex Gold card, The Amex EveryDay® Credit Card, The Amex EveryDay® Preferred Credit Card, the Amex Platinum card, and more!

Hawaiian’s own co-branded Hawaiian Airlines World Elite card also offers the opportunity to earn more miles.

When do HawaiianMiles expire?

As of February 12, 2021, HawaiianMiles no longer expire.

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About Stephen Au

Stephen is an established voice in the credit card space, with over 70 to his name. His work has been in publications like The Washington Post, and his Au Points and Awards Consulting Services is used by hundreds of clients.

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