Key takeaways
- Hawaiian Airlines has its own frequent flyer program called HawaiianMiles, which awards customers with miles they can use for flights and other types of travel.
- According to recent Bankrate valuations, HawaiianMiles are worth approximately 0.7 cents each when redeemed for airfare.
- Frequent flyers can earn Hawaiian Airlines HawaiianMiles by flying with the airline, completing qualifying activities with airline partners and spending with a co-branded Hawaiian airlines credit card or debit card.
The Hawaiian Airlines rewards program, HawaiianMiles, allows those who travel frequently throughout Hawaii — and to other select destinations in the U.S., Japan, Australia, New Zealand and more — to earn rewards, free flights and elite status perks. Flight awards with the program start as low as 7,500 miles one-way for travel within Hawaii or at 20,000 miles for awards between Hawaii and the U.S. mainland.
Miles earned with this program can also be used for award flights with partners like JetBlue, Korean Air and Virgin Atlantic, to name a few. Continue reading to learn more about this program, how it works and the best ways to earn and redeem Hawaiian Airlines HawaiianMiles.
What is the HawaiianMiles program?
Hawaiian Airlines’ frequent flyer program, HawaiianMiles, allows members to earn and redeem flexible miles, qualify for elite status benefits, receive limited-time promotions and more.
HawaiianMiles is free to join and only takes a few minutes to sign up. All you need to do is create an account and add some basic information about yourself, like your name and address. Once you complete this step, you can start earning rewards immediately.
How to earn Hawaiian Airlines miles
Consumers can earn Hawaiian Airlines miles in several different ways:
Earn HawaiianMiles when you fly with Hawaiian Airlines
The most common way to earn miles is by flying with Hawaiian Airlines. Unlike some frequent flyer programs, miles in this program are awarded based on distance flown instead of cost. This means if you’re able to score a great deal on a flight, you won’t be penalized when it comes to earning miles.
Hawaiian Airlines also provides a mileage chart to help you get a better idea of how many miles you’ll earn on your next trip. For example, a one-way coach flight from Honolulu to Kahului would earn 101 miles, and a one-way coach flight from New York to Honolulu would earn 4,981 miles.
Earn HawaiianMiles with a credit or debit card
Hawaiian Airlines offers one consumer credit card, one business card and one debit card, all of which allow you to earn HawaiianMiles:
- The Hawaiian Airlines® World Elite Mastercard®*: With this credit card, you’ll earn 3X miles on eligible Hawaiian Airlines purchases, 2X miles on gas, dining and eligible grocery store purchases and 1X miles on all other purchases.
- Hawaiian Airlines® World Elite Business Mastercard®*: This business credit card comes with a similar rewards structure to its consumer counterpart. You’ll earn 3X miles on eligible Hawaiian Airlines purchases, 2X miles on gas, dining and office supply store purchases and 1X miles on all other purchases.
- Bankoh Hawaiian Airlines® Visa® Debit Card*: This debit card lets cardholders earn 1X miles for every $2 spent on qualifying net purchases (up to 1,000 HawaiianMiles per month). You can also automatically earn bonus miles with select partner merchants through the HawaiianMiles Buy & Fly program (formerly known as the Hawaiian Marketplace).
Earn HawaiianMiles with Hawaiian Airlines partners
The Hawaiian Airlines rewards program has an expansive partner network of airlines, hotels, rental cars, shops, restaurants and services that allow you to earn additional HawaiianMiles. Some partners include JetBlue, Marriott Bonvoy, Avis, Foodland, Teleflora, Vinesse Wines and more. In addition to these partners, Hawaiian Airlines World Elite Mastercard and Bankoh Hawaiian Airlines Visa® Debit Card members automatically earn bonus miles when making purchases at participating shops and restaurants in the HawaiianMiles Buy & Fly program.
How to redeem Hawaiian Airlines miles
Curious about how to use HawaiianMiles? HawaiianMiles are incredibly flexible and can be redeemed in many ways.
Flights with Hawaiian Airlines or partner airlines
The most common way to redeem HawaiianMiles is for flights with Hawaiian Airlines. You can redeem miles for main cabin flights or upgrades to business or first class. For travel within Hawaii, flight awards start at 7,500 miles one-way, which will help you rack up free travel in no time.
Hawaiian Airlines also allows you to redeem HawaiianMiles with a number of partner airlines, including Japan Airlines, JetBlue, Virgin Atlantic and more. Note that awards on partner airlines depend on availability.
Hawaiian Airlines award charts
The HawaiianMiles award chart is a convenient and streamlined way to see exactly how many miles you’ll need to book a free Hawaiian Airlines flight. Redemption amounts are separated by geographical location and the level of ticket you’re interested in. The chart also shows the points needed to upgrade a ticket to a higher class or business class. These upgrade amounts vary based on where the flight is going to or coming from. For example, a first-class upgrade (the highest level) on a flight from Hawaii to the west coast of North America is 50,000 miles. For the same level upgrade to Japan, you’ll need 90,000 miles.
Hawaiian Airlines also provides an award chart for redeeming with partner airlines. Note that each partner has its own terms and conditions. For example, the award chart for JetBlue is based on estimated mileage and ticket values, which means redemption may vary from what’s listed in the chart. Additionally, you won’t be able to book first class flights on most partner airlines, and business class flights will typically be subject to availability.
Hotel stays or car rentals
HawaiianMiles redeem other ways, such as for hotel stays or car rentals. For hotel stays, you can book discounted stays at more than 300,000 hotels worldwide, and you may be able to book a stay for only 1,000 HawaiianMiles. You can also redeem HawaiianMiles for car rentals with Avis and Budget.
Gift cards or magazines
Another way to redeem HawaiianMiles is for gift cards with select partners. For example, you can redeem 5,000 miles for a $25 gift card to Foodland, Hele Gas, The Alley Restaurant or Koa Pancake House. Note that gift cards will take at least four to six weeks to arrive.
Boyd Rewards points
Boyd Rewards is the loyalty program for Boyd Gaming. You can redeem HawaiianMiles for Boyd Rewards, which can be used at any Boyd Gaming property, including 10 currently open Las Vegas casinos. Note that 5,000 HawaiianMiles turn into 25,000 Boyd Points.
Sharing, gifts or donations
You can also share your miles with friends and family, donate your miles to select charities — including the American Red Cross of Hawaii or Big Brothers Big Sisters Hawaii — or gift miles to other members for a special occasion.
HawaiianMiles elite status
HawaiianMiles members who frequently fly with the airline can earn Pualani elite status, which comes with even more travel benefits. To reach the first level, Pualani Gold, you’ll need to earn 20,000 miles or fly 30 segments, and to reach Pualani Platinum, you’ll need to earn 40,000 miles or fly 60 segments.
Some of the benefits you’ll receive for each status level are:
| Benefits | Pualani Gold | Pualani Platinum |
|---|---|---|
| More seat availability when booking | Yes | Yes |
| Complimentary access to preferred seats for primary member and up to 6 travel companions | Yes | Yes |
| Priority routing and handling when using Exclusive Reservations Line service | Yes | Yes |
| One complimentary Fare-Hold | Yes | Yes |
| Neighbor Island economy seat guaranteed up to 72 hours before departure for revenue e-ticket bookings | No | Yes |
| Premier Club/first class check-in line for primary member and up to 2 guests | Yes | Yes |
| Premier Club access in select locations for primary member and up to 2 guests | Yes | Yes |
| Priority security and baggage (when available) | Yes | Yes |
| Plumeria Lounge access in select locations for primary member and 1 guest | No | Yes |
| International partner lounge access in select locations for primary member and 1 guest | No | Yes |
| Free checked bags on Hawaiian Airlines | 2 bags | 3 bags |
| Earn 500 HawaiianMiles on Neighbor Island flights | Yes | Yes |
| Bonus miles for revenue tickets | 50% | 100% |
| Priority boarding for primary member and up to 2 guests | Zone 2 | Zone 1 |
| Complimentary upgrades | Yes | Yes |
| Discounted first class upgrades on day of departure | Yes | Yes |
| Neighbor Island same-day standby for an earlier flight with no fee | Yes | Yes |
How much are HawaiianMiles worth?
According to our latest points and miles valuations, HawaiianMiles are estimated to be worth about 0.7 cents each, which is much less than valuations for some other airlines’ rewards programs:
| Airline loyalty program | Value* |
|---|---|
| HawaiianMiles | 0.7 cents |
| American AAdvantage | 1.0 cents |
| Cathay Pacific Asia Miles | 2.9 cents |
| JetBlue TrueBlue | 1.3 cents |
| Southwest Rapid Rewards | 1.5 cents |
| Virgin Atlantic Flying Club | 2.6 cents |
HawaiianMiles partners
As mentioned, Hawaiian Airlines has an incredible list of partners, including airlines, hotels, rental cars, shops, restaurants, services and more. You can earn HawaiianMiles by completing qualifying activity or making purchases with any of the following partners:
HawaiianMiles general partners
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- China Airlines
- Japan Airlines
- JetBlue
- Korean Air
- Virgin Atlantic
- Virgin Australia
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- Alohilani Resort Waikiki Beach
- Boyd Rewards
- Marriott Bonvoy
- Park Shore Waikiki
- Pearl Hotel Waikiki
- The Twin Fin
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- Foodland and Foodland Farms
- Holy Grail Donuts
- Kualoa Ranch
- Koa Pancake House
- Kono’s Restaurants
- Kira Hawaii
- Honolulu Cookie company
- Andy’s Sandwiches & Smoothies
- City Mill
- Zippy’s
- Leonard’s Bakery
- Hawaiian Chip Company
- La Tour Café
- Aiea Bowl and The Alley Restaurant
- Jana Lam
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- Teleflora
- 1-800-Flowers
- Vinesse Wines
- NOHO Home
- Maui Jim Sunglasses
- Hele
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- 21st Century Insurance
- Bestegg
- Lex Brodie’s
- Murakami Roofing
- Star Advertiser
- SunPower
- Kapili Roofing and Painting
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HawaiianMiles transfer partners
In addition to the above partners, you can also transfer rewards from select loyalty programs to HawaiianMiles. Transfer partners and their conversion rates are as follows:
| Loyalty program | Points: Miles | Notable terms |
|---|---|---|
| American Express Membership Rewards | 1:1 | Transfers must be made in increments of 1,000 |
| Marriott Bonvoy | 3:1 | You can transfer 3,000 to 240,000 points per day |
| Diners Club Rewards | N/A | Log in to your Club Rewards account for details on current conversation rates |
| Boyd Rewards points | 1:5 | Maximum transfer of 25,000 Boyd Rewards points per month |
Top credit cards that earn HawaiianMiles
While some airlines have several co-branded credit cards to choose from, Hawaiian Airlines offers just one consumer credit card and one business credit card.
Hawaiian Airlines World Elite Mastercard
The Hawaiian Airlines World Elite Mastercard, issued by Barclays, offers a number of cardholder perks for a $99 annual fee. First off, you can earn a welcome bonus of 70,000 bonus miles (worth $700 in travel) after spending $2,000 within the first 90 days. You’ll also earn 3X miles on eligible Hawaiian Airlines purchases, 2X miles on gas, dining and grocery store purchases (excluding Target and Walmart) and 1X miles on all other purchases.
Other travel benefits include two free checked bags for the primary cardholder, a one-time 50 percent off companion discount for a round-trip flight between Hawaii and North America, up to a $100 companion discount each account anniversary year for a round-trip flight between Hawaii and North America, the ability to share miles with friends and family at no cost, discounted award flights and no foreign transaction fees.
Hawaiian Airlines World Elite Business Mastercard
The Hawaiian Airlines World Elite Business Mastercard, which also comes with a $99 annual fee, is one of the best business cards issued by Barclays. It currently includes a welcome offer of 50,000 bonus miles after spending $4,000 on purchases within 90 days of account opening, plus earn an additional 10,000 bonus HawaiianMiles after a purchase is made on an employee card within 90 days. On top of that, you can earn up to 40,000 bonus HawaiianMiles each year if you spend $100,000 or more in annual purchases.
In terms of earning rewards for spending, you’ll earn 3X miles on eligible Hawaiian Airlines purchases, 2X miles on gas, dining and office supply store purchases and 1X miles on all other purchases. Other benefits include a one-time 50 percent off companion discount for a round-trip flight between Hawaii and North America, the ability to share miles with friends and family at no cost, no foreign transaction fees, complimentary employee cards, travel assistance services and consolidated expense statements.
Frequently asked questions about HawaiianMiles
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HawaiianMiles never expire.
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Yes, you can share HawaiianMiles with other HawaiianMiles members. If you have an eligible Hawaiian Airlines credit or debit card, you can share miles for free, with no limits on how many miles you can transfer. However, it should be noted that Hawaiian Airlines cardholders can only receive 10 transactions during a calendar year.
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HawaiianMiles are not typically available to purchase. Some limited-time offers may be available.
The bottom line
If you’re a frequent flyer to the Hawaiian islands and nearby destinations, the flexible HawaiianMiles program can make travel easier and more affordable with points that never expire. Hawaiian Airlines credit and debit card holders will also benefit from the HawaiianMiles Buy & Fly program.
To learn more about other rewards programs, check out our latest points and rewards program guides.
*All information about the The Hawaiian Airlines® World Elite Mastercard®, Hawaiian Airlines® World Elite Business Mastercard® and Bankoh Hawaiian Airlines® Visa® Debit Card has been collected independently by Bankrate and has not been reviewed or approved by the issuer.
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