10 Best Ways to Redeem Hawaiian Airlines Miles for Max Value

- UPDATED: November 23, 2021 |

Travel /
Airlines

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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.

Table of contents

Boost Your Hawaiian Airlines HawaiianMiles With Partners
Boost Your Hawaiian Airlines HawaiianMiles With Partners
The 10 Best Ways to Use Your Hawaiian Airlines HawaiianMiles
Final Thoughts

Table of Contents

Boost Your Hawaiian Airlines HawaiianMiles With Partners
Boost Your Hawaiian Airlines HawaiianMiles With Partners
The 10 Best Ways to Use Your Hawaiian Airlines HawaiianMiles
Final Thoughts

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)

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.

Recommended Marriott Bonvoy Cards

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)

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 Bed — 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.

It is also possible to transfer American Express Membership Rewards points to Hawaiian if you need to top off a balance before booking one of these awards.

The information regarding the Hawaiian Airlines® World Elite MasterCard®, and Hawaiian Airlines® Business MasterCard® 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 Brilliant™ American Express® Card, click here.
For rates and fees of the Marriott Bonvoy Business™ American Express® Card, click here.

Featured Image Credit: Hawaiian Airlines

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

Born and raised in Los Angeles, Stephen has been privileged to enjoy many premium cabin products and 5-star hotels. As one of the foremost experts in credit cards, over the past 4 years, he has amassed a portfolio of over 70 credit cards, both personal and business. Stephen has personally tested, first-hand, almost every major rewards credit card on the market today, spanning banks such as American Express, Bank of America, Barclays, Brex, Capital One, Chase, Citi, City National Bank, U.S. Bank, and more.

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25 comments

Renee Guevara March 8, 2018
I have a question. When booking a flight and I have points on my account from flying and I have points from my Hawaiian airlines credit card, how do I bundle them to redeem? My daughter will be attending college there (from California) I want to be sure this can be done before being their credit card!
Reply
- Alex Miller March 8, 2018
  When you setup your Hawaiian credit card account, you likely put into your Hawaiian frequent flier number so that the points would deposit into there. If that’s not occurring, my recommendation is to call the CC company and request that your FF is added.
  Reply
AJ September 9, 2018
I can’t find any reference to United being a partner with Hawaiian. I would love to use my Hawaiian miles to go non-stop from SFO to PPT on United. Do you have any more information on United partnership with Hawaiian as referenced at the top of this article?
Reply
- Christine Krzyszton September 10, 2018
  Hawaiian Airline miles can be redeemed for flights on Jet Blue, Virgin Atlantic, Virgin Australia, and Korean Air. http://hawaiianair.custhelp.com/app/answers/detail/a_id/528
  United is a partner for earning United miles on the Hawaiian Airline flights referenced here. https://www.united.com/ual/en/us/fly/mileageplus/earn-miles/airline-partners/hawaiian-airlines.html
  Reply
Linda Marsh September 19, 2018
How do I use my Hawaiian air miles to fly from Portland,Oregon to Tucson,Arizona?
Reply
- Christine Krzyszton September 19, 2018
  Hi Linda and thanks for the question. You can redeem Hawaiian Airline miles only on Hawaiian Airlines and partner airlines Jet Blue, Virgin Atlantic, Virgin Australia, and Korean Air. Some of these airlines don’t even fly out of Portland and none fly direct to Tucson. However, Delta, United, American, Frontier and Alaska Airlines frequently have flights for around $100 each way to Tucson from Portland, a very good value. Here are some examples: https://www.google.com/flights/#flt=PDX.TUS.2018-11-10*TUS.PDX.2018-11-14;c:USD;e:1;sd:1;t:f
  Reply
  - Karen Kelly December 25, 2019
    Hi Christine
    Do you know how to redeem Hawaiian Airline miles on JetBlue? I recently obtained the Barclays card and was advised that the only way to redeem Hawaiian Air miles is by phone call to them. I am looking for a very popular route JFK-LAX on Jetblue and the Hawaiian agent advised that it would be 90,000 miles which is outrageous! I checked several off-peak dates for 2020 and the miles were the same. Do you have any experience with this?
    Thank you.
    Karen
    Reply
    - Jarrod West December 26, 2019
      Hi Karen,
      The number of Hawaiian miles needed to book a Jetblue flight is tied to the cash price of the Jetblue ticket. You can read more about this on the Hawaiian Airlines website: https://hawaiianair.custhelp.com/app/answers/detail/a_id/528/~/redeem-hawaiianmiles-on-partner-airlines
      Reply
DaveS May 5, 2019
My takeaway from this comprehensive and helpful article is that HA miles are just not very useful to me. As you say, a couple of potential sweet spots, but mostly values are inferior to other programs across the board. I have a decent balance and have been trying to find worthwhile redemptions, so this will help, but pretty much I’m at the point of taking what I can get and letting the program go.
Reply
Kim September 28, 2019
How do I avoid paying the $89 Annual Fee for the Hawaiian Airlines credit card? I want to save my 62,000 miles from expiring. Could I save them for 18 months by simply using my chase credit card and buying something for $5 thru the Hawaiian Airlines shopping portal? With each small purchase do I extend the expiration clock by 18 months?
Reply
- Jarrod West September 29, 2019
  Hi Kim,
  Yes, purchasing something through the Hawaiian Airlines Shopping Portal will keep your miles from expiring and re-set the 18-month clock.
  Thanks for reading!
  Reply
  - Charles June 28, 2020
    Any update on the best (ie, cheapest) way to extend miles now that the shopping portal has been discontinued? Thank you for your services!
    “Effective 6/2/20, the HawaiianMiles Online Mall program will be discontinued.” https://partners.hawaiianairlines.com/OnlineMall.aspx
    Reply
    - Jarrod West June 29, 2020
      Hi Charles,
      Do you have the Hawaiian Airlines credit card? If so, making a purchase on the card will extend the clock. If not, the only remaining option would be to use some of the miles or earn some additional ones by booking a flight.
      Thanks for reading!
      Reply
mary lazzara December 23, 2019
I just returned from a trip to Hawaii on Hawaiian Airlines last month where they offered all passengers the opportunity to apply for their Credit Card through Barclays (60,000 miles and no minimum spend – just one purchase). Since Hawaiian is partners with JetBlue I applied and received the card. The bad news is that the only way to book a JetBlue award ticket with Hawaiian Miles is by telephoning Hawaiian Air. Looking to book a one-way ticket on a popular route (NY-LAX) was 90,000 miles -outrageous. I asked the agent to try several dates at different times of the year and it seems that a $150 JetBlue flight costs 90,000 Hawaiian miles. I was wondering if anyone else has more information – I cannot understand this valuation and hope that the agent I spoke to was incorrect. Thanks for your help.
Reply
- Jarrod West December 26, 2019
  Hi Mary,
  According to the Hawaiian Airlines website, what you were told does not seem accurate. The Hawaiian Airlines website states that a flight that costs $150 should cost somewhere between 15,000 to 20,000 miles. Here are the details on the Hawaiian site: The number of Hawaiian miles needed to book a Jetblue flight is tied to the cash price of the Jetblue ticket. You can read more about this on the Hawaiian Airlines website: https://hawaiianair.custhelp.com/app/answers/detail/a_id/528/~/redeem-hawaiianmiles-on-partner-airlines
  Reply
Bob Pruitt January 3, 2020
I have a friend who lives in Hanoi, Vietnam, who I taught English with last year, in Hanoi. He has been on heart meds for a while, but now needs heart surgery sometime in the near future. He needs to go to Vancouver, British Columbia for this surgery, sometime in February. I have about 120,000 Hawaiian Air Miles. Is there a way we can use my miles to get him to Vancouver, and back to Hanoi again after the surgery and some time for recovery?
Reply
- Stephen Au January 4, 2020
  Yes. You can book either Japan Airlines or Korean Air.
  Japan Airlines:
  To get from Hanoi to Japan, you’ll pay 30,000 Hawaiian miles one-way in economy. To then get from Japan to North America, you must pay 45,000 Hawaiian miles one-way in economy. So, the round-trip will cost 150,000 miles, which is more than the 120,000 miles you have.
  Korean Air:
  To get from Vietnam to Korea, you’ll pay 30,000 Hawaiian miles round-trip in economy. Then, from Korea to the U.S., you must pay 100,000 Hawaiian miles. They don’t offer awards to Canada, so you’ll then have to fly from Seattle, for example, to Vancouver.
  Reply
Susan Leu January 8, 2020
Is there a better time (month) to book from west coast to Kauai? Last year I booked for 35K miles and right now it would be 50-60K. My trip is in Nov. so I’m wondering if there is a timeframe when the miles required might be less? I’m booking for 8 so I really want to maximize what I have to use. Having said that I don’t want to wait to long and not be able to get us all on the same flight. Thanks’
Reply
- Stephen Au January 10, 2020
  Hi Susan,
  The short answer is that it’s very difficult to predict definitively. Airline revenue management algorithms are getting more and more convoluted. Plus, the “variable award pricing” that airlines like Hawaiian Airlines or United Airlines use introduces yet another layer that complicates everything. As a general rule of thumb, you’ll want to plan as far in advance as possible.
  Reply
jediw January 20, 2020
For Virgin Atlantic redemption, do you have to call or can you book online? How is the awards availability compared to using VA or Delta miles?
Reply
- Stephen Au January 22, 2020
  Hi jediw,
  You’ll need to call to book these awards. Award availability is reduced compared to Virgin Australia and Delta SkyMiles.
  Reply
Sharon December 12, 2020
Can I use my miles to book a good friend a flight to Hawaii? They are not a Hawaiian Credit cardholder and don’t have Hawaiian miles.
I wanted to give them the gift of a trip if I can.
Reply
- Jarrod West December 14, 2020
  Hi Sharon,
  Yes, you can book a ticket with your miles for anyone. You just need to input their name and travel details when you book the ticket.
  Reply
Biz Caino June 4, 2021
Just so you know, and as a public service, when you attempt to book a flight on Virgin Atlantic using Hawaiian Airlines Award Miles, what you will find is that there are ZERO available award fares. Just got off an incredibly frustrating LONG phone call with three levels of award travel booking at Hawaiian Airlines trying to book seats from Los Angeles to London with Hawaiian miles on Virgin Atlantic only to find that there is not one single ticket, in any fare class, made available to Hawaiian by VA from August 2021 through October 2021. Not. One. Single. Seat. So you may want to amend this entry above to reflect the reality that this is currently not an airline partnership, it is a simple bait-and-switch false advertising scheme to get people to continue to accrue Hawaiian miles, which are virtually useless for air travel other than to and from Hawaii. Hate to be a killjoy, but these are the facts as I find them today.
Reply
Peter November 30, 2021
You write “it is a simple bait-and-switch false advertising scheme to get people to continue to accrue Hawaiian miles, which are virtually useless for air travel other than to and from Hawaii.”
Thats pretty much how I see it.
A scheme to keep you paying for a credit card that I already have from my bank, for free.
I’m finding their advertising super deceptive.
“gift your miles” sure but you have to pay to do that.
We’ll get you flying in no time” BS. more lime months. maybe you can use your miles next year of you pay another 99 bucks to stay in the program.
“Miles dont expire” Ah, the twisted tongue, If you opt out of paying for your card, the miles can “no longer be redeemed” is how i read the fine print.
Reply

Boost Your Hawaiian Airlines HawaiianMiles With Partners

Amex Membership Rewards Credit Cards

Recommended Amex Cards (Personal)

Hawaiian Airlines Credit Cards

Marriott Credit Cards

Recommended Marriott Bonvoy Cards

List of Hawaiian Airlines Partners

Boost Your Hawaiian Airlines HawaiianMiles With Partners

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)

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Final Thoughts

Frequently asked questions

What are HawaiianMiles?

What are HawaiianMiles worth?

Is it possible to transfer HawaiianMiles to other airlines?

How can you earn more HawaiianMiles?

When do HawaiianMiles expire?

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