How to Fly to Hawaii for as Little as 11,500 Miles

A Hawaiian vacation is high on the wish list for many Americans. However, here at FinanceBuzz, we don't just want to get you there — we also want to show you how to save money by flying to Hawaii with points. This way you can make that dream vacation a reality, no matter what your budget is.

Several airlines offer flights to Hawaii, which gives you plenty of options when it comes to redeeming miles and points for flights. In this piece, we’ll outline the basics of different airline rewards programs, so you can decide which option is best for you.

How many points you need for a free flight

The price of flying to Hawaii with points varies based on a number of factors, including your location, the class you choose to fly, your destination airport, and whether pricing is fixed or dynamic. As you would expect, flying from the West Coast will be cheaper, in most cases, than flying from the East Coast because of the extra distance. Traveling during peak periods like spring break, summertime, and over Thanksgiving and Christmas, will also result in higher cash or point prices.

The class you select will also affect the number of miles or points required for a flight to Hawaii. Economy flights will almost always be the cheapest, while First Class tickets will generally be the most expensive.

Hawaii also has several airports you can choose to fly into. If you are having difficulty finding award space for your preferred airport when flying to Hawaii with points, consider flying to a different airport. Finding inter-island flights using miles, points, or cash is very easy to do.

It’s also important to keep in mind that some flight redemptions are a fixed price while others are dynamic. Understanding the different options will help you determine which miles and points offer the best value for booking your flights to Hawaii.

Award chart for flying to Hawaii with points

The award chart below highlights the mileage requirements for one-way flights to Hawaii with points. Double the required miles to determine the cost for a round-trip flight.

Flying to Hawaii using Alaska Airlines miles

Alaska Airlines is one of the best options for flights to Hawaii, whether you are using cash or points. If you plan to use cash, look into the Companion Pass that comes with the Alaska Airlines Visa Signature^® Credit Card. With the Companion Pass, your guest's ticket will cost $99 plus taxes, which is an absolute steal. Cardholders receive one Companion Pass every year after renewing the credit card and paying the $95 annual fee.

Using Alaska Airlines miles to book your flight to Hawaii also has its advantages. Because Alaska Airlines is not part of an alliance, it offers flexibility with its partner flights to Hawaii. You can redeem your miles on Alaska or American Airlines. In some cases, it may even be cheaper to book flights on American Airlines using your Alaska miles than booking on Alaska.

The price to book a flight to Hawaii using Alaska miles is fixed based upon your home airport and the carrier you choose. Prices vary depending on whether your ticket is refundable or not. However, the actual cash price of the ticket does not factor into the equation.

The fastest way to earn Alaska Airlines miles

The best way to earn Alaska miles is to get an Alaska credit card. Bank of America offers both a personal and a business version of the card. With the personal card, new cardmembers can earn 60,000 bonus miles plus alaska's famous companion fare™ ($99 fare plus taxes and fees from $23) after making $3,000 or more in purchases within the first 90 days of opening your account (limited time offer) You'll also receive free checked bags and an annual Companion Pass. Alaska Airlines Visa credit card cardholders earn 3X miles on eligible Alaska Airlines purchases; 2X miles on eligible gas, EV charging stations, cable, streaming services, and local transit (including ride shares, trains, tolls, and ferries); and 1X miles on all other eligible purchases, and the card offers a relatively low annual fee of $95.

 For more information, read our Alaska Airlines Visa Signature credit card review.

Flying to Hawaii using American Airlines AAdvantage miles

The American Airlines award chart makes it simple to determine the cheapest time to fly to Hawaii. If your travel days are flexible, I suggest looking at the monthly view to easily find the cheapest days to fly.

American Airlines offers static prices on its award flights to Hawaii. However, the price you pay will vary based on the type of ticket you buy and the available seats remaining for that flight. Gone are the days of 25,000 miles for a round-trip domestic Economy ticket on most airlines.

You'll save a lot of AAdvantage miles on flights to Hawaii if you can book MileSAAver tickets. These award flights are discounted from the normal price of Main Cabin Awards. And "Web Specials" can cost even less, offering tremendous value for travelers.

Just remember that booking within 21 days of departure results in a $75 close-in booking fee. This fee is waived if you are a Gold, Platinum, Platinum Pro, or Executive Platinum member of the American Airlines AAdvantage airline loyalty program.

The fastest way to earn American Airlines miles

Earning American Airlines AAdvantage miles is easy with credit cards offered by both Barclays and Citibank. The Barclays® AAdvantage^® Aviator^® Red World Elite Mastercard^® is a great credit card because it offers free checked bags, priority boarding, and inflight discounts on food and drinks. The Citi^® / AAdvantage Business™ World Elite Mastercard^® offers similar benefits.

Personally, I like the Barclays version better because of its Flight Cents round up feature. Barclays will round up your purchases to the next dollar, and you can purchase AAdvantage miles for just 0.5 cents each. This is a great way to build your mileage balance quickly and cheaply.

Flying to Hawaii using Delta SkyMiles

Delta Airlines no longer offers an award chart. Instead, all of their award flights are dynamically priced based on demand, time of year, capacity, and the cash price of the ticket.

The good news is that there are no blackout dates when you redeem Delta SkyMiles for flights. Plus, you can still find great deals if your travel dates are flexible. Because Delta award flights are dynamically priced, you are not charged close-in booking fees when redeeming SkyMiles for flights.

The fastest way to earn Delta miles

There are many ways to earn Delta SkyMiles you can use to book flights to Hawaii. American Express offers seven Delta credit cards for personal and small business use. The Delta SkyMiles^® Gold American Express Card is a great option for most travelers. Cardholders get some great perks, like first checked bag free and priority boarding, which can help offset the $0 intro annual fee for the first year, $150 per year thereafter annual fee. 

Alternatively, frequent travelers may want to consider The Platinum Card^® from American Express for its lounge access and 5X points per dollar spent on eligible airfare (on up to $500,000 per calendar year, after that 1X) and eligible hotel purchases, and 1X points per dollar on all other eligible purchases. These and other benefits can help offset the $695 annual fee. Select benefits require enrollment.

Delta is also a transfer partner of American Express Membership Rewards. You can transfer your Membership Rewards points on a 1:1 basis from American Express to Delta SkyMiles to redeem miles for flights. One of the most popular cards for earning Membership Rewards is the American Express^® Gold Card. 

It earns 4X Membership Rewards points at restaurants worldwide (up to $50,000 per year, after that 1X), 4X at U.S. supermarkets (up to $25,000 per year, after that 1X), 3X on flights booked directly with airlines or on AmexTravel.com, 2X on prepaid hotels and other eligible purchases booked on AmexTravel.com, and 1X on all other eligible purchases. This card also offers up to $120 in annual dining credits, $120 in Uber Cash each year (in $10 monthly credits to use on U.S. Eats and rides; effective 11/8/2024, an Amex Card must be selected as the payment method for your Uber or Uber Eats transaction to redeem the Amex Uber Cash benefit), $100 anual Resy credit, and $84 annual Dunkin' credit which easily offset the $325 annual fee. Select benefits require enrollment.

 For more information, read our Delta SkyMiles Gold American Express Card review.

Flying to Hawaii using Hawaiian Airlines miles

Hawaiian Airlines also offers a fixed price award chart with no blackout dates. Domestic flights vary in price depending on whether you are flying from the West Coast or East Coast. As more tickets are sold for a flight, the price goes up based on remaining availability in each tier, so it’s good to book early. There are seven tiers of tickets in Economy and two tiers in First Class.

With Hawaiian Airlines, travelers can enjoy discounted award flights to save on miles when flying to Hawaii. This airline offers flight award discounts for Pualani Elite members, Premier Club members, and Hawaiian Airlines Mastercard cardmembers.

The fastest way to earn Hawaiian Airlines miles

To earn Hawaiian Airlines miles, your best bet is the Hawaiian Airlines^® World Elite Mastercard^®. Cardholders can earn 3X miles on eligible Hawaiian Airlines purchases; 2X miles on gas, dining, and grocery store purchases; 1X miles on all other purchases. Plus, this card comes with a one-time 50% discount on a companion ticket, and every year you'll receive a $100 companion discount. You can also send and receive Hawaiian miles from friends and family without a fee for easier redemption of awards.

Flying to Hawaii using Southwest Airlines miles

For many years, whenever someone asked "does Southwest fly to Hawaii?" the answer was a resounding no. However, in 2017, Southwest announced its decision to begin flying to Hawaii, though those flights didn't become a reality until March 2019.

Promotional fares on Southwest flights to Hawaii started out at $49 (or about 3400 points) per person each way. Now that the dust has settled, prices on Southwest flights to Hawaii vary by season and your home airport.

The amount of Southwest points you’ll need to book your flight varies based on the type of ticket that you buy. All of the seats are Economy, and the three ticket classes offer different benefits:

• Wanna Get Away tickets are the cheapest and usually require a 21-day advance purchase
• Anytime tickets are fully refundable
• Business Select tickets receive priority boarding and a premium drink during flight

Southwest points are generally worth about 1.5 cents per point when booking flights. You won't receive outsized value for your points such as booking First Class with other loyalty programs. But the value of Southwest points is consistent and awards flights are very easy to book. These are some of the best airline credit card options if you're concerned about consistency or blackout dates from some other carriers. 

The fastest way to earn Southwest Airlines miles

You can earn Southwest Airlines Rapid Rewards points through the airline's five co-branded credit cards. My favorite is the Southwest Rapid Rewards^® Priority Credit Card because of the extra points upon renewal, four priority boarding passes, and the annual $75 credit. 

Points can also be transferred to Southwest from Chase Ultimate Rewards on a 1:1 ratio. So if you prefer the flexibility of Chase Ultimate Rewards, the Chase Sapphire Preferred^® Card is a great travel rewards credit card. It earns 5X points on travel purchased through Chase Travel℠; 3X points on dining, select streaming services, and online groceries; 2X points on all other travel purchases, and 1X points on all other purchases.

For more information, read our Chase Sapphire Preferred Card review.

Flying to Hawaii using United Airlines miles

United Airlines has offered a fixed price award system for many years. However, effective November 15, 2019, United will no longer publish a chart stating the cost of award tickets. Prices for award tickets will vary based on a variety of factors, including demand. The good thing is that United will no longer charge a $75 close-in booking fee for flights booked within 21 days of departure.

With this new change, flights to Hawaii on United will be cheapest during off-peak travel times. Flights during high seasons like summer break and the holidays will most likely be much more expensive.

The fastest way to earn United Airlines miles

Getting one of United's credit cards is the best way to earn miles. My favorite is the United℠ Explorer Card. With this card, you earn 2 miles per dollar spent on dining, hotel stays, and United purchases and 1 mile per dollar on all other purchases. You'll also receive priority boarding, a free checked bag for you and a companion on the same reservation, and a TSA Precheck or Global Entry credit every four years. Plus, you get two United Club passes each year you renew the card.

Redeem rewards from cards that can cover any flight

Using airline miles can save you a lot of money on flights to Hawaii, however, those miles generally restrict you to one airline (or that airline's alliance partners). Alternatively, flexible points are a great option because they allow you to take advantage of multiple programs.

With some the best travel credit cards like the Chase Sapphire Reserve^®, Chase Sapphire Preferred, and Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card, you have options. You can transfer your rewards to airline partners and redeem them for flights, or you can pay cash for flights using the points that you've earned.

For instance, here’s how to fly to Hawaii with Chase points. With the Chase Sapphire Reserve, you can transfer rewards to any of Chase's airline partners, including British Airways and United Airlines. From the West Coast, my favorite choice is British Airways. With its distance-based awards, you can fly to Hawaii from Los Angeles for 13,000 Avios each way. You'll also be flying with British Airways' partner American Airlines, even though American is not a transfer partner of Chase. Best of all, if you fly using British Airways Avios, you avoid the $75 close-in booking fee that American Airlines charges.

The Chase Sapphire Reserve also lets you book flights using points like cash. Points are worth 1.5 cents each towards travel when booked through the Chase Travel℠ portal. So when you find a great deal on a flight from an airline's newsletter, Google Flights, or a flight deal service, you can book that cash fare with confidence.

How to make your flights completely free

Even if you decide to use miles or points to pay for your flight, you'll still owe the required taxes and fees for your award ticket. You can eliminate these charges by using the Capital One Venture Rewards Card to pay for the taxes and fees.

The charges will post to your account, and then you can redeem miles to cover those travel purchases (within 90 days of posting to your account) if you’ve earned enough rewards. You can do the same thing with any other travel fees that you incur along the way, such as overweight bags, checked bag fees, and change or cancellation fees.

The final word on flying to Hawaii with points

A trip to Hawaii is at the top of many travelers’ bucket lists. Because the lush landscape is so different than the rest of the United States, people often wonder ‘do you need a passport to fly to Hawaii?’ Luckily, Hawaii is part of the U.S., so there is no need for a passport, even if the flight over the Pacific to get there makes you feel like you're on an international vacation.

There are many options for flying to Hawaii with points and miles. You can book directly with an airline, redeem your rewards with one of their partners, or use flexible points like Chase Ultimate Rewards to book your flight. Before you make your choice, research flights to figure out which airline offers the lowest price and most convenient travel times for you. Once you've narrowed down your selection, choose a credit card that will help you earn rewards you can use to reduce the cost of your flight.

Easy-to-Earn Unlimited Rewards

Bank of America^® Travel Rewards credit card

Benefits

Card Details

• $0 annual fee
• Simple, flat-rate rewards
• Flexible redemption options
• Up to 75% preferred Rewards bonus potential
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• Earn unlimited 1.5 points per $1 spent on all purchases, with no annual fee and no foreign transaction fees and your points don't expire as long as your account remains open.
• 25,000 online bonus points after you make at least $1,000 in purchases in the first 90 days of account opening - that can be a $250 statement credit toward travel purchases.
• Use your card to book your trip how and where you want - you're not limited to specific websites with blackout dates or restrictions.
• Redeem points for a statement credit to pay for travel or dining purchases, such as flights, hotel stays, car and vacation rentals, baggage fees, and also at restaurants including takeout.
• 0% Intro APR for 15 billing cycles for purchases, and for any balance transfers made in the first 60 days. After the Intro APR offer ends, a Variable APR that’s currently 18.74% - 28.74% will apply. A 3% Intro balance transfer fee will apply for the first 60 days your account is open. After the Intro balance transfer fee offer ends, the fee for future balance transfers is 4%.
• If you're a Bank of America Preferred Rewards® member, you can earn 25%-75% more points on every purchase. That means instead of earning an unlimited 1.5 points for every $1, you could earn 1.87-2.62 points for every $1 you spend on purchases.
• Contactless Cards - The security of a chip card, with the convenience of a tap.
• This online only offer may not be available if you leave this page or if you visit a Bank of America financial center. You can take advantage of this offer when you apply now.

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Intro Offer

Earn 25,000 online bonus points after you make at least $1,000 in purchases in the first 90 days of account opening - that can be a $250 statement credit toward travel purchases

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Why we like it

• The Bank of America^® Travel Rewards credit card is great for individuals who enjoy earning rewards and traveling.

• Cardholders will enjoy the flexibility to redeem points with no blackout dates and receive a statement credit to pay for travel and dining purchases.

• Earn 1.5X points on all purchases everywhere, every time.

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