american airlines award travel hawaii

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The Best Ways To Fly to Hawaii With Points and Miles [2024]

Jarrod West

Senior Content Contributor

446 Published Articles 1 Edited Article

Countries Visited: 21 U.S. States Visited: 24

Director of Operations & Compliance

6 Published Articles 1182 Edited Articles

Countries Visited: 10 U.S. States Visited: 20

Table of Contents

Best programs to book award flights to hawaii, how to find lie-flat business class seats, final thoughts.

We may be compensated when you click on product links, such as credit cards, from one or more of our advertising partners. Terms apply to the offers below. See our  Advertising Policy for more about our partners, how we make money, and our rating methodology. Opinions and recommendations are ours alone.

If there’s one destination we hear people rave about over and over again, it’s Hawaii. That’s no surprise: People spend years dreaming of a beach vacation on one of the Hawaiian Islands where they can relax by the water, enjoy some great food and drinks, and just get away from it all.

However, if you’ve seen the prices of cash tickets to Hawaii, you probably understand why people have to save up for this adventure. Fortunately, there are several ways you can use miles and points to book your flights and save a ton of money.

Today we’ll dive into the different economy and domestic first class award booking options available. For those who want a lie-flat seat that you would find in an international business class cabin layout, we’ll talk about those options, too.

Before we dig into each of the best options, it’s important to note that planning ahead when booking award flights to Hawaii can make your life much easier. Unsurprisingly, award space is not always readily available because so many people pay for cash tickets.

If there’s one variable that can simplify the process of booking an award trip to Hawaii, it’s schedule flexibility. As with all award bookings, being open to traveling on different dates or even different months can unlock some amazing opportunities.

Hot Tip: Check out our ultimate Hawaii travel guides to Oahu, the Big Island, Lanai , Maui, and Kauai , as well as the best times to visit Hawaii by season and islands .

Korean Air SKYPASS

The Korean Air SKYPASS program has competitive economy class and business class redemption rates on its SkyTeam partner Delta. There are several ways to earn SKYPASS miles, despite it being a foreign frequent flyer program.

Book Awards With Korean Air SKYPASS

Korean Air SKYPASS uses a region-based award chart for SkyTeam partner award bookings . Unlike many airlines, Korean Air considers all of the U.S. as a single region, including Hawaii. As a result, the redemption rates are quite reasonable on Delta, and much better than Delta’s own SkyMiles program .

You can search for award space on Korean Air’s website and book from there. Just make sure you select SkyTeam Award after selecting Redeem Miles , otherwise, you won’t see the necessary city pairings.

If you don’t see award space when you run a search, double-check on Air France’s site as it is generally the best place to search SkyTeam partners. You can call Korean Air to book if you find space on Air France’s website.

It’s easy to book award flight award flights with Korean Air using these steps:

• Search for flights on the Air France or Korean Air website .
• Confirm the same availability on Korean Air.
• Book the flight online or call Korean Air at 800-438-5000.
• Pay the taxes and fees.

Additionally, it’s important to remember that Korean Air SKYPASS only allows round-trip bookings for SkyTeam awards. So if you only need a one-way award, this won’t be the program for you.

Now let’s take a look at the round-trip SkyTeam award ticket mileage requirements when booking with Korean Air SKYPASS:

Unlike using Korean Air SKYPASS to book award tickets on Delta to London, you won’t get hit with high fuel surcharges. In fact, you’ll only be responsible for $11.20 out of pocket.

Need help booking? Take a look at our step-by-step guide on  booking Delta One with Korean Air SKYPASS miles  and you’ll be ready to book before you know it.

Korean Air also partners with Alaska Airlines and Hawaiian Airlines , which gives you 2 other great options to fly to Hawaii. The mileage requirement for these partners is a bit different than what is required for Delta flights, though:

The redemption rates above (round-trip) aren’t quite as good, but the ability to redeem Korean Air SKYPASS miles for flights on Alaska Airlines and Hawaiian Airlines provides you with more nonstop routes from the continental 49 states (see below for details).

You will have to call Korean Air to book, as its online search function only allows you to search for award space on SkyTeam partners. Alternatively, you can use American Airlines’ website to find award space on Alaska Airlines.

Hot Tip:  Check out some of the other fun ways you can redeem Korean Air SKYPASS miles for award flights.

Nonstop Routes to Hawaii Bookable With Korean Air SKYPASS Miles

Thanks to these 3 airline partners, there are tons of nonstop routes to several Hawaiian airports that can be booked with Korean Air SKYPASS miles. Here’s a look at nonstop routes to Hawaii’s largest airport, Honolulu (HNL):

Airports With Nonstop Delta Flights to Hawaii

• Atlanta (ATL)
• Detroit (DTW)
• Los Angeles (LAX)
• Minneapolis (MSP)
• New York (JFK)
• Salt Lake City (SLC)
• Seattle (SEA)

Airports With Nonstop Alaska Airlines Flights to Hawaii

• Anchorage (ANC)
• Oakland (OAK)
• Portland (PDX)
• San Diego (SAN)
• San Francisco (SFO)
• San Jose (SJC)

Airports With Nonstop Hawaiian Airlines Flights to Hawaii

• Austin (AUS)
• Boston (BOS)
• Las Vegas (LAS) — seasonal
• Long Beach (LGB)
• Ontario (ONT)
• Orlando (MCO)
• Phoenix (PHX)
• Sacramento (SMF)

Earn More Korean Air SKYPASS Miles

Korean Air is transfer partners with Marriott Bonvoy. You can earn Marriott Bonvoy points  and transfer those to Korean at a rate of 3:1.

There are many Marriott credit cards available which we cover in our in-depth guide.

Hot Tip:  Check out some of our favorite ways to earn Korean Air SKYPASS miles to ensure you have enough for your Hawaiian vacation.

Air France-KLM Flying Blue

Our second SkyTeam option for booking award flights to Hawaii is the Air France-KLM Flying Blue program . While the redemption rates with Flying Blue aren’t quite as good as what Korean Air SKYPASS provides, they might be the best option for many travelers for one crucial reason.

The biggest advantage Air France-KLM Flying Blue offers over Korean Air SKYPASS is the ability to book one-way award tickets at half the mileage cost, plus the ease of earning points through transfer partnerships.

Book Awards With Air France-KLM Flying Blue

Like Korean Air SKYPASS, Air France-KLM Flying Blue can book award flights on SkyTeam partner Delta.

Unlike Korean Air, Flying Blue does not charge fixed redemption rates for these flights. Prices will fluctuate and are determined dynamically depending on the route.

Take a look at the table below to see the round-trip economy class and business class redemption rates to Hawaii:

Flying Blue requires 5,000 more miles to fly Delta than Korean Air SKYPASS in economy and is more expensive overall, but allows you to book one-way award tickets for added travel flexibility.

It’s easy to search for award space on Delta by using Air France’s online search. Once you find space, you can quickly complete the booking process online.

To book an award flight with Air France-KLM, follow these steps:

• Search for availability on the Air France or Delta website .
• Select the flight you want to book.
• Confirm your ticket selection and pay the taxes and fees.

If you can find award space on the outbound flight but not on the dates you need to return, you could book a one-way award with Flying Blue and a one-way award on United Airlines or American Airlines with another program.

Hot Tip:  The fun doesn’t stop with Hawaii. Check out some of the other amazing ways you can use Air France-KLM Flying Blue miles to see the world.

Nonstop Routes to Hawaii Bookable With Air France-KLM Flying Blue Miles

As a partner of Delta, Air France-KLM Flying Blue can help you book any of these nonstop routes between the continental U.S. You can even connect from your home airport to 1 that flies directly to Hawaii at no extra cost.

Hot Tip: Flying to Hawaii is a great way to get maximum value from your points on a U.S. domestic route .

Earn More Flying Blue Miles

We already talked about Air France-KLM Flying Blue’s ability to book one-way award tickets, which is a nice advantage over Korean Air SKYPASS. However, there is another big advantage related to earning Flying Blue miles.

Air France-KLM partners with one of our favorite points programs, American Express Membership Rewards . There are plenty of credit card choices with Amex, and many cards offer some great bonus categories to help you earn more points faster. Throw in a 1:1 transfer ratio and quick transfer time, and this is another great option to get your hands on more Flying Blue miles.

In addition, Flying Blue is transfer partners with Bilt Rewards ,  Brex Rewards ,  Capital One Miles , Chase Ultimate Rewards , Citi ThankYou Rewards , and Marriott Bonvoy .

Recommended American Express Cards (Personal)

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

Apply With Confidence

Know if you're approved with  no credit score impact.

If you're approved and accept this Card, your credit score may be impacted.

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.

• 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
• $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 eligible purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership. Apply and select your preferred metal Card design: classic Platinum, 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.
• The American Express Global Lounge Collection ® can provide an escape at the airport. With complimentary access to more than 1,400 airport lounges across 140 countries and counting, you have more airport lounge options than any other credit card issuer on the market. As of 03/2023.
• $155 Walmart+ Credit: Save on eligible delivery fees, shipping, and more with a Walmart+ membership. Use your Platinum Card ® to pay for a monthly Walmart+ membership and get up to $12.95 plus applicable taxes back on one membership (excluding Plus Ups) each month.
• $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.
• $189 CLEAR ® Plus Credit: CLEAR ® Plus helps to get you to your gate faster at 50+ airports nationwide and get up to $189 back per calendar year on your Membership (subject to auto-renewal) when you use your Card. CLEARLanes are available at 100+ airports, stadiums, and entertainment venues.
• 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 year period for TSA PreCheck ® application fee for a 5-year plan only (through a TSA PreCheck ® official enrollment provider), 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.
• 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.
• APR: See Pay Over Time APR
• Foreign Transaction Fees:  None

American Express Membership Rewards

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!

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.

• 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 AmexTravel.com
• $250 annual fee (see rates and fees )
• No lounge access
• 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.

If you’re a business owner, we recommend taking a look at the numerous American Express business cards that earn Amex points, as well as offering numerous travel benefits.

Hot Tip:  Take a look at some of the other great ways you can earn more Air France-KLM Flying Blue miles for award flights.

Singapore Airlines KrisFlyer

With Singapore Airlines’ KrisFlyer program , we have our best Star Alliance partner option for booking award flights to Hawaii on United Airlines. Sure, you could use United MileagePlus to book. But why would you, when you could save 10,000 to 20,000 miles and utilize more transfer partners?

Book Awards With Singapore Airlines KrisFlyer

Singapore Airlines allows you to search for and book award flights through Star Alliance partners online.

Here are the steps you’ll want to take to book your Singapore Airlines ticket:

• Search for availability on the United website .
• Head to the Singapore Airlines website and repeat the search to book or call 833-727-0118.
• Select the flight you’d like to book or give the flight details to the phone agent.
• Pay for your ticket including the taxes and fees.

Let’s take a look at how many KrisFlyer miles you will need to book round-trip award flights on United.

If you booked these same flights with United MileagePlus miles, you would need 45,000 miles for economy class and 80,000 miles for business class. Not only is using Singapore KrisFlyer miles a better deal, but they’re much easier to earn (see below).

Hot Tip:  Looking for more awesome ways to use the Singapore KrisFlyer program? Check out some of the other great ways to use KrisFlyer miles .

Nonstop Routes to Hawaii Bookable With Singapore KrisFlyer Miles

Singapore Airlines KrisFlyer doesn’t have multiple partners, which means your nonstop options are more limited than when using Korean Air SKYPASS or Air France-KLM Flying Blue. That being said, the nonstop routes operated by United Airlines are convenient for people across the U.S.

Airports With Nonstop United Flights to Hawaii

• Chicago (ORD)
• Denver (DEN)
• Houston (IAH)
• Newark (EWR)
• Washington, D.C. (IAD)

Using Singapore KrisFlyer Miles With Alaska

We’ve focused above on nonstop routes to Hawaii. We’ve already talked about booking flights on United Airlines with Singapore KrisFlyer miles, but you can actually use KrisFlyer miles to book award tickets on Alaska Airlines as well.

Book Awards Tickets on Alaska Airlines With Singapore KrisFlyer

While Alaska Airlines is a member of Oneworld but has an individual partnership with Singapore Airlines that can get you to Hawaii for even fewer miles and points. The award chart for flights on Alaska Airlines divides the U.S. into 5 zones.

From Zone 1, you can book a nonstop economy class flight from California, Oregon, or Washington for just 24,000 KrisFlyer miles round-trip. This is one of the cheapest round-trip awards to Hawaii, and you can even book a one-way award for half the cost at 12,000 miles.

If you aren’t on the West Coast, you’ll need a connecting flight on Alaska Airlines, so the options are a bit more limited. However, if your home airport is served by Alaska Airlines, you could get a great deal.

Zone 2 is a particularly good deal if you’re okay with a connection since it only costs 23,000 KrisFlyer miles round-trip. It might seem odd, but if you have a connecting flight from one of the states in Zone 2, you can book the cheapest possible award to Hawaii.

These are the states in Zone 2:

Finally, you can also book round-trip economy awards from Zone 3 and Zone 5 for 25,000 KrisFlyer miles. Zone 5 includes nonstop flights from Ted Stevens Anchorage International (ANC), while Zone 3 awards will include a connection.

Zone 3 includes:

• North Dakota
• South Dakota

The remaining states are part of Zone 4; Singapore KrisFlyer’s award chart for flights on Alaska Airlines does not allow for award bookings to Hawaii from Zone 4.

Singapore Airlines’ online search does not include flights on Alaska Airlines , so you will have to call to book this award.

Here are the steps you’ll want to take to book your ticket:

• Search for availability on the Alaska website .
• Once you’ve located the flight you want to book, call the Singapore Airlines customer service team at 833-727-0118.
• Give the flight details to the phone agent, including the flight number, date, and flight times.
• Let the agent know you are paying for the flight with your miles and provide them with your loyalty number.
• Pay for any applicable taxes and fees and finalize your booking.

Earn More Singapore KrisFlyer Miles

Singapore Airlines’ KrisFlyer program partners with almost all of the transferable points programs. So when it comes to earning the necessary points for a trip to Hawaii, this is by far the easiest of the Star Alliance programs to use.

Amex Membership Rewards, Brex Rewards, Capital One Miles, Chase Ultimate Rewards, and Citi ThankYou Rewards all transfer to Singapore Airlines at a 1:1 ratio while Marriott Bonvoy transfers at a 3:1 rate.

The time it takes for transfers to process varies depending on the points you choose to transfer. Most programs transfer within 2 days while Marriott Bonvoy may take up to 7 days.

In conjunction with the competitive redemption rates to Hawaii, Singapore KrisFlyer is the go-to program for booking award flights on United Airlines.

Recommended Chase Cards (Personal)

A fantastic travel card with a great welcome offer, good benefits, and perks for a moderate annual fee.

The Chase Sapphire Preferred ® card is one of the best travel rewards cards on the market. Its bonus categories include travel, dining, online grocery purchases, and streaming services, which gives you the opportunity to earn lots of bonus points on these purchases.

Additionally, it offers flexible point redemption options, no foreign transaction fees, and excellent travel insurance coverage including primary car rental insurance . With benefits like these, it’s easy to see why this card is an excellent choice for any traveler.

• 5x points on all travel booked via the Chase Travel portal
• 5x points on select Peloton purchases over $150 (through March 31, 2025)
• 5x points on Lyft purchases (through March 31, 2025)
• $95 annual fee
• No elite benefits like airport lounge access or hotel elite status
• Earn 60,000 bonus points after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening. That's $750 when you redeem through Chase Travel℠.
• Enjoy benefits such as 5x on travel purchased through Chase Travel℠, 3x on dining, select streaming services and online groceries, 2x on all other travel purchases, 1x on all other purchases, $50 Annual Chase Travel Hotel Credit, plus more.
• Get 25% more value when you redeem for airfare, hotels, car rentals and cruises through Chase Travel℠. For example, 60,000 points are worth $750 toward travel.
• Count on Trip Cancellation/Interruption Insurance, Auto Rental Collision Damage Waiver, Lost Luggage Insurance and more.
• Get complimentary access to DashPass which unlocks $0 delivery fees and lower service fees for a minimum of one year when you activate by December 31, 2024.
• Member FDIC
• APR: 21.49%-28.49% Variable

Chase Ultimate Rewards

A top player in the high-end premium travel credit card space that earns 3x points on travel and dining while offering top luxury perks.

If you’re looking for an all-around excellent travel rewards card, the Chase Sapphire Reserve ®  is one of the best options out there.

The card combines elite travel benefits and perks like airport lounge access , with excellent point earning and redemption options.  Plus it offers top-notch travel insurance protections to keep you covered whether you’re at home or on the road.

Don’t forget the $300 annual travel credit which really helps to reduce the annual fee!

• 10x total points on hotels and car rentals when you purchase travel through Chase TravelSM immediately after the first $300 is spent on travel purchases annually
• 10x points on Lyft purchases March 31, 2025
• 10x points on Peloton equipment and accessory purchases over $250 through March 31, 2025
• $550 annual fee
• Does not offer any sort of hotel elite status
• Earn 60,000 bonus points after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening. That's $900 toward travel when you redeem through Chase Travel℠.
• $300 Annual Travel Credit as reimbursement for travel purchases charged to your card each account anniversary year.
• Earn 5x total points on flights and 10x total points on hotels and car rentals when you purchase travel through Chase Travel℠ immediately after the first $300 is spent on travel purchases annually. Earn 3x points on other travel and dining & 1 point per $1 spent on all other purchases
• Get 50% more value when you redeem your points for travel through Chase Travel℠. For example, 60,000 points are worth $900 toward travel.
• 1:1 point transfer to leading airline and hotel loyalty programs
• Access to 1,300+ airport lounges worldwide after an easy, one-time enrollment in Priority PassTM Select and up to $100 application fee credit every four years for Global Entry, NEXUS, or TSA PreCheck ®
• APR: 22.49%-29.49% Variable

Business Owner?  Check out our article on the best  Chase business cards  that earn Ultimate Rewards points.

Hot Tip:  If you think you might book your next trip to Hawaii with Singapore KrisFlyer miles, check out some of our favorite ways to earn more KrisFlyer miles .

British Airways Executive Club (From the West Coast)

You might have noticed that we haven’t discussed how you can fly American Airlines to Hawaii. Well, British Airways Executive Club gives you just that option. Not only that, but you can also use British Airways Avios to book award flights on Alaska Airlines.

Book Awards With British Airways Executive Club

Unlike the other options we have discussed, British Airways Executive Club uses a distance-based award chart , so the total number of Avios required to book an award flight will be determined by the distance you fly. As a result, nonstop flights are ideal if you want to maximize your points.

With this in mind, British Airways’ award chart provides a great option to book nonstop economy class award tickets from the West Coast to Hawaii on both American Airlines and Alaska Airlines.

From many major West Coast airports, you can book a nonstop economy class award for 26,000 British Airways Avios round-trip. American Airlines would charge you 45,000 AAdvantage miles, and Alaska Airlines would charge you 40,000 Mileage Plan miles for the same flights!

If you want to search for award space on flights operated by American Airlines, you can search and book on the British Airways site . To book a flight on Alaska Airlines, you’ll need to search on American Airlines’ site and then call British Airways. The phone agent will need your dates of travel and flight numbers to search the exact flights you found on American Airlines.

Here is how you can book a ticket with British Airways:

• Search for availability on the British Airways or American Airlines website .
• Select the flight you want to book or call British Airways to book at 800-452-1201.
• Pay for the ticket along with any applicable taxes and fees.

Hot Tip:  Want some more British Airways sweet spot redemptions? Check out some of our favorite ways to redeem Avios for award flights.

Nonstop Routes to Hawaii Bookable With British Airways Executive Club

With a distance-based award chart, it’s particularly important to find award flights that are nonstop so you don’t have to use more miles and points.

Fortunately, there are some great nonstop options from the West Coast to Hawaii, so you can take advantage of this sweet spot in the British Airways Executive Club program.

Airports With Nonstop American Airlines Flights to Hawaii

• Dallas Fort Worth (DFW)

Earn More British Airways Avios

There are several options for earning British Airways Avios . You can transfer points from American Express Membership Rewards, Capital One Miles, Chase Ultimate Rewards, or Marriott Bonvoy.

Amex Membership Rewards, Capital One Miles, and Chase Ultimate Rewards transfer to British Airways at a 1:1 ratio and transfer almost instantly. Marriott Bonvoy, on the other hand, transfers at a 3:1 rate, and transfers take up to 5 days.

Additionally, British Airways offers the British Airways Visa Signature ® Card  that earns Avios directly.

More Reads:

• See our guides on: Chase Transfer Partners , Amex Transfer Partners , Capital One Transfer Partners and Marriott Transfer Partners

Recommended Capital One Cards (Personal)

The Capital One Venture X card is an excellent option for travelers looking for an all-in-one premium credit card.

The Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card is the premium Capital One travel rewards card on the block.

Points and miles fans will be surprised to see that the Capital One Venture X card packs quite the punch when it comes to bookings made through Capital One, all while offering the lowest annual fee among premium credit cards.

Depending on your travel goals and preferences, the Capital One Venture X card could very well end up being your go-to card in your wallet.

• 10x miles per $1 on hotels and rental cars purchased through Capital One Travel
• 5x miles per $1 on flights purchased through Capital One Travel
• 2x miles per $1 on all other purchases
• $395 annual fee ( rates & fees )
• Does not offer bonus categories for flights or hotel purchases made directly with the airline or hotel group, the preferred booking method for those looking to earn elite status
• Earn 75,000 bonus miles when you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening, equal to $750 in travel
• Receive a $300 annual credit for bookings through Capital One Travel, where you'll get Capital One's best prices on thousands of trip options
• Get 10,000 bonus miles (equal to $100 towards travel) every year, starting on your first anniversary
• Earn unlimited 10X miles on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel and 5X miles on flights booked through Capital One Travel
• Earn unlimited 2X miles on all other purchases
• Unlimited complimentary access for you and two guests to 1,300+ lounges, including Capital One Lounges and the Partner Lounge Network
• Use your Venture X miles to easily cover travel expenses, including flights, hotels, rental cars and more—you can even transfer your miles to your choice of 15+ travel loyalty programs
• Elevate every hotel stay from the Premier or Lifestyle Collections with a suite of cardholder benefits, like an experience credit, room upgrades, and more
• Receive up to a $100 credit for Global Entry or TSA PreCheck ®
• APR: 19.99% - 29.99% (Variable)

Capital One Miles

Get 2x miles plus some of the most flexible redemptions offered by a travel credit card!

The Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card   is one of the most popular rewards cards on the market. It’s perfect for anyone in search of a great welcome offer, high rewards rates, and flexible redemption options.

Frequent travelers with excellent credit may benefit from this credit card that offers a lot of bells and whistles. And it offers easy-to-understand rewards earning and redemption.

• 5x miles per $1 on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel
• Global Entry or TSA PreCheck application fee credit
• $95 annual fee ( rates & fees )
• Limited elite benefits
• Enjoy a one-time bonus of 75,000 miles once you spend $4,000 on purchases within 3 months from account opening, equal to $750 in travel
• Earn unlimited 2X miles on every purchase, every day
• Earn 5X miles on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel, where you'll get Capital One's best prices on thousands of trip options
• Miles won't expire for the life of the account and there's no limit to how many you can earn
• Use your miles to get reimbursed for any travel purchase—or redeem by booking a trip through Capital One Travel
• Enrich every hotel stay from the Lifestyle Collection with a suite of cardholder benefits, like a $50 experience credit, room upgrades, and more
• Transfer your miles to your choice of 15+ travel loyalty programs

Hot Tip: You can also use points to book a hotel in Hawaii ! See our picks for the best options on Kauai, Maui, and the Island of Hawaii.

Turkish Airlines Miles&Smiles

Using the Turkish Airlines Miles&Smiles program for United flights is a massive hidden gem that many are unaware of. Using Turkish miles, you can fly with United, from anywhere in the U.S., for just 7,500 miles in economy one way or 12,500 miles in business class.

You read that right.

A round-trip flight from anywhere in the U.S. to Hawaii for just 15,000 miles round-trip in economy or 25,000 round-trip in business . This is an outstanding value!

Book Awards With Turkish Airlines Miles&Smiles

Here’s the catch: to book an award, you used to need to deal with Turkish Airlines’ clunky website. If the website isn’t showing the partner-level award you’re looking for, you’ll need to call a Turkish Airlines phone agent to find the flight you want and ticket the reservation.

But you can find all of this information by first performing award searches on united.com . Remember that the award flight you want must be available at the Saver level in order to book.

Here is a recap of how to book a ticket with Turkish Airlines:

• Once you find the flight you want to book, visit the Turkish Airlines website , and log into your account by clicking  SIGN IN  at the top-right corner of the homepage.
• Once you’re logged in and redirected to the homepage, hover over your name in the top-right corner and click Miles Transactions in the dropdown menu.
• Then, you’ll find a box that says Star Alliance award ticket . Click the button that says Book now . If you’re having difficulty, click this link after logging in .
• Enter your search criteria, and locate the flights you want to book.
• Complete your booking and pay any taxes and fees.

Nonstop Routes to Hawaii Bookable with Turkish Miles

With your Turkish Miles, you can book nonstop flights out of any of the cities that United flies nonstop to Hawaii.

Earn More Turkish Airlines Miles

Turkish does not have nearly as many transferable currency options available as some of the other options on this list. But you can use currency from Bilt Rewards, Capital One Miles, Citi ThankYou Rewards, and Marriott Bonvoy to help make bookings possible.

Bilt, Capital One, and Citi transfer at a 1:1 ratio in under 2 days and Marriott Bonvoy will transfer at a 3:1 rate in around 2 days.

Hot Tip: Check out some other ways that you can get excellent value out of Turkish miles .

If you want to fly to Hawaii in style, a lie-flat business class seat is the way to go. However, finding flights that have an international business class cabin layout isn’t always easy, so we’re going to simplify that process.

United Airlines Boeing 777, 767, and 757

If you use miles to fly Hawaii on United Airlines, several aircraft types provide a lie-flat business class seat (known as Polaris class ), including the Boeing 777, 767, and 757. The image above is from one of United’s Boeing 777s with lie-flat seats. In fact, all 777 and 767 aircraft have lie-flat business class seats.

If your flight on United is on a 757, make sure you check the seat map before booking. While a domestic first class recliner is certainly more comfortable than an economy class seat, a lie-flat seat is even better. United operates its 757 planes with both cabin layouts, so it’s important to know what you are booking before transferring points.

Fortunately, United Airlines offers quite a few flights with lie-flat business class seats. While business class award space to Hawaii is tough regardless of airline, United gives you a bit better chance.

Currently, you can find lie-flat seats on at least 1 of the flights of the following routes to/from Honolulu (HNL):

Delta Air Lines Airbus A330 and Boeing 767

Delta operates several aircraft on its routes to Hawaii, but only 2 aircraft types offer lie-flat business class seats (known as Delta One ): the Airbus A330 and the Boeing 767. Its A330 has a reverse herringbone business class cabin layout that is one of the best ways to fly to Hawaii.

Unfortunately, you need to be careful if the flight you want to book is operated on a 767, as some of these aircraft do not have lie-flat seats. Fortunately, there’s an easy way to tell without even looking at the seat map. If you see a bed symbol when you expand the details of a flight option, this means you will have a lie-flat seat in business class.

Delta provides lie-flat business class seats on 6 routes to Honolulu (HNL) at this time:

American Airlines Airbus A330, Boeing 777 and 767

American Airlines has lie-flat business class seats on all of its Airbus A330, Boeing 777, and Boeing 767 aircraft. Unlike with Delta, you won’t have to figure out whether its 767s have lie-flat seats or recliners.

When booking flights on American Airlines with British Airways, you won’t see a seat map in the search results, but you can quickly check the aircraft type. If you see any aircraft other than an A330, 777, or 767, you’ll know that the business class cabin does not have lie-flat seats.

At this time, the only routes that American Airlines operates with lie-flat business class seats (known as  Flagship Business class ) are from Dallas Fort Worth (DFW) to Honolulu (HNL) or Kahului (OGG).

Using British Airways Avios won’t be a great way to book this flight, but you can use 63,000 Japan Airlines Mileage Bank miles or 80,000 American AAdvantage miles for a round-trip business class award.

Hawaiian Airlines Airbus A330

Some of Hawaiian Airlines’ Airbus A330s have lie-flat business class seats that have received great reviews. Obviously, if you find award space, you’ll want to know if you’ll have the opportunity to experience these seats.

Fortunately, Hawaiian Airlines makes it very easy to find out if you’ll have lie-flat seats in business class. While you may be calling Korean Air SKYPASS to book, you can use Hawaiian Airlines’ site to see which flights have lie-flat seats.

You don’t even have to run an award search. Just search for a cash ticket, and under the First Class column you’ll see a note that says Lie-Flat Seats . If it doesn’t have this note, the flight doesn’t offer lie-flat seats.

While finding Saver-level business class award space on Hawaiian Airlines can be very tough, there are lots of routes with lie-flat seats if you can find the space:

• Austin (AUS) to Honolulu (HNL)
• Boston (BOS) to Honolulu (HNL)
• Las Vegas (LAS) to Honolulu (HNL)
• Los Angeles (LAX) to Honolulu (HNL) or Kahului (OGG)
• New York (JFK) to Honolulu (HNL)
• Orlando (MCO) to Honolulu (HNL)
• Phoenix (PHX) to Honolulu (HNL)
• San Francisco (SFO) to Honolulu (HNL)
• Seattle (SEA) to Honolulu (HNL) or Kahului (OGG)

No matter which transferable currency you’re hoping to use, you can easily book award flights to Hawaii. In fact, compared to other destinations, it requires significantly fewer points to do so, which makes it easier to bring a loved one or a friend.

If you’re hoping to book a business class award to Hawaii, we suggest using 25,000 Turkish Miles&Smiles miles to fly with United or 15,000 miles in economy class (if you can find Saver availability).

As you can see, with miles and points, the question isn’t if you can go to Hawaii, but when to go! With this info in hand, you’ll be ready to book in no time. Just remember, for a popular destination like Hawaii, travel date flexibility and planning ahead go a long way when searching for award space. Also, don’t forget your beach packing list so you don’t forget anything at home.

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.

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 . 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 .

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the fewest number of miles you can use to book an economy class award flight to hawaii.

Turkish Airlines requires the fewest number of miles when using to book Saver space on United, with ticket prices starting at just 15,000 miles round-trip.

What is the fewest number of miles required to fly business class to Hawaii?

Turkish Airlines requires the fewest number of miles when using to book Saver space on United, with business class ticket prices starting at just 25,000 miles round-trip.

Which transferable currencies can be used to book flights to Hawaii?

In short, all of them! You can use American Express Membership Rewards, Bilt Rewards, Brex Rewards, Capital One Miles, Chase Ultimate Rewards, Citi ThankYou Rewards, and Marriott Bonvoy to book a flight to Hawaii.

What airline is the best to fly to Hawaii?

It depends. Generally speaking, the best airline is whichever one you have points with that you can use for a free flight! If you have transferable points, your options open up quite a bit, but we recommend using Turkish Airlines miles to fly with United.

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About Jarrod West

Boasting a portfolio of over 20 cards, Jarrod has been an expert in the points and miles space for over 6 years. He earns and redeems over 1 million points per year and his work has been featured in outlets like The New York Times.

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Traveling to Hawaii with points and miles for 2024

Jun 13, 2024 • 19 min read

Read on for top tips on how to use credit card rewards to get you to Hawaai; Kalalau Beach on the Nā Pali Coast of Kauai, Hawaii © Colton Stiffler / Getty

This series of articles about credit cards, points and miles, and budgeting for travel is brought to you in partnership with  The Points Guy .

Advertiser Disclosure:  This post contains references to products from one or more of our advertisers. We may receive compensation when you click on links to those products. Terms apply to the offers listed on this page. This relationship may impact how and where links appear on this site. This site does not include all financial companies or all available financial offers. All information about  the Southwest Rapid Rewards® Priority Credit Card, Delta SkyMiles Platinum Business American Expre ss Card, United Club Business Card, Alaska Airlines Visa® credit card, Alaska Airlines Visa® Business card, Bilt Mastercard®, all Citi cards, and American Express® Green Card has been collected independently by Lonely Planet. These cards are not available through Lonely Planet.  Terms apply to American Express benefits and offers. Enrollment may be required for select American Express benefits and offers. Visit  americanexpress.com  to learn more.

For many travelers, a trip to Hawaii means a trip to paradise, where you can don a fragrant flower lei, catch a hula show and unwind at the beach. And they’re not wrong — I grew up on the island of Oʻahu and miss it every day.

While Hawaiian vacations have a reputation for being expensive, employing a few budget-friendly tricks , like traveling during the shoulder season or opting for public transportation, can help you save money on your trip. On a larger scale, saving up enough points and miles to cover your flights and hotels would free up more money for dining, tours and other fun activities.

Whether you’re into visiting volcanoes , learning about Hawaiian history and culture or vegging out by the pool, there’s no reason your island vacation has to break the bank. Here’s everything you need to know about traveling to Hawaii using points and miles , with  top tips  to help you get started on your rewards-earning journey and maximize credit card welcome bonuses.

How to get started with travel points and airline miles

The cheapest award flights to Hawaii

Most visitors will fly to Honolulu (HNL) and focus all their energy on Oʻahu . If you’re planning to island-hop, it can sometimes be cheaper to fly into HNL and then snag a 30-minute flight to reach another island. 

That said, some cities do offer direct flights to Maui (OGG), Kauaʻi (LIH), and Hawaiʻi the Big Island (KOA), so check Google Flights to see all your options. Rates also tend to be lower from the West Coast or major US airline hubs.

Here’s a look at the cheapest award flights to Honolulu from the continental US, plus tips for earning the miles you’ll need by maximizing travel credit card welcome bonuses (rates based on flights to Honolulu from West Coast):

• Cheapest economy class ticket to Hawaii: 15,000 Turkish Airlines miles round-trip
• Cheapest business-class ticket to Hawaii: 25,000 Turkish Airlines miles round-trip
• Cheapest first-class ticket to Hawaii: 45,000 Korean Air Skypass miles round-trip

There are two important things to remember: Most airlines are part of an alliance — Oneworld, Star Alliance or SkyTeam — so it’s worth checking how much points redemptions cost with a main carrier as well as its partners.

Secondly, signing up for travel credit cards with flexible rewards programs and lucrative welcome bonuses — Chase Ultimate Rewards, American Express Membership Rewards, Citi ThankYou, Capital One Rewards, Marriott Bonvoy and Bilt Rewards — lets you transfer points to airline and hotel partners within those programs, so you’ll have even more options.

• Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card : Earn 60,000 bonus points after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening. That's $750 when you redeem through Chase Travel℠. ( See full review here. )
• Chase Sapphire Reserve® : Earn 60,000 bonus points after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening. That's $900 toward travel when you redeem through Chase Travel℠.
• American Express® Green Card*: Earn 40,000 bonus points after you spend $3,000 within the first six months of opening your account.
• American Express® Gold Card *: Earn 60,000 bonus points after spending $6,000 within the first six months of account opening. ( See full review here. )
• American Express® Business Gold Card : Earn 70,000 bonus points after spending $10,000 within the first three months of opening your account.
• The Platinum Card® from American Express *: Earn 80,000 bonus points after you spend $8,000 within the first six months of opening your account.
• The Business Platinum Card® from American Express *: Earn 150,000 Membership Rewards® points after you spend $20,000 in eligible purchases on the Card within the first 3 months of Card Membership.
• Citi Premier® Card: Earn 60,000 bonus miles once you spend $4,000 within the first three months of opening your account.
• Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card :  Earn 75,000 bonus miles after you spend $4,000 within the first three months of opening your account.
• Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card : Earn 75,000 bonus miles after you spend $4,000 within the first three months of opening your account.
• Bilt Mastercard®: No welcome bonus, but you can earn points on rent and transfer to a number of airline and hotel partners.

Here’s a look at some of the best ways to fly to Hawaii with points and miles.

American Airlines AAdvantage

Thanks to American Airlines’ nifty award chart, it’s easy to see how many AAdvantage miles you’ll need for a flight to Hawaii in your preferred class with the carrier or one of its Oneworld alliance partner airlines.

• Economy Class: 40,000–45,000 miles round-trip 
• Business Class: 110,000–120,000 miles round-trip
• First Class: 160,000 miles round-trip

To earn AAdvantage miles in a hurry, consider signing up for one of the cobranded credit cards listed below. Otherwise, you can transfer Bilt Rewards points at a 1:1 ratio or Marriott Bonvoy points at a 3:1 ratio.

• Barclaycard AAdvantage Aviator Red World Elite Mastercard: Earn 60,000 bonus miles after making your first purchase and paying the $99 annual fee within the first 90 days of account opening.
• Citi® / AAdvantage® Platinum Select® World Elite Mastercard®: Earn 50,000 bonus miles after spending $2,500 within the first three months of opening your account.
• CitiBusiness® / AAdvantage® Platinum Select® Mastercard®: Earn 65,000 bonus miles after spending $4,000 within the first four months of account opening.
• Citi® / AAdvantage® Executive World Elite Mastercard®: Earn 70,000 bonus miles after spending $7,000 within the first three months of opening your account.

British Airways Avios

The real sweet spot of the Oneworld alliance is booking flights to Hawaii with British Airways Avios. Award rates are based on distance, which means you could score a one-way flight to Honolulu from the West Coast or Phoenix (PHX) for just 13,000 Avios since you’re only flying 2,001 to 3,000 miles.

• Economy Class: 26,000 Avios round-trip
• Business Class: 77,500 Avios round-trip
• First Class: 103,000 Avios round-trip

You can earn British Airways Avios by transferring points from American Express Membership Rewards, Chase Ultimate Rewards, Capital One or Bilt Rewards at a 1:1 ratio or from Marriott Bonvoy at a ratio of 3:1. You could also sign up for its cobranded credit card to use the welcome bonus.

• British Airways Visa Signature® Card : Limited time offer! Earn 85,000 Avios after you spend $5,000 on purchases within the first three months of account opening.

Alaska Airlines Mileage Plan

Another Oneworld partner, Alaska Airlines, offers flights to Hawaii from Seattle (SEA), Portland (PDX), San Francisco (SFO), and San Diego (SAN).

• Economy Class: 30,000 miles round-trip 
• First Class: 80,000 miles round-trip

While you can’t transfer miles between Alaska Airlines Mileage Plan and American Airlines AAdvantage, you can still book flights on one carrier through the other one’s website since they are Oneworld alliance partners. 

Alaska Airlines is partnered with Marriott Bonvoy — you can transfer points to Alaska at a ratio of 3:1 — but the only other way to earn miles quickly is by maximizing the welcome bonus from its two cobranded credit cards.

• Alaska Airlines Visa® credit card: Earn 60,000 bonus miles once you spend $3,000 within the first 90 days of account opening — and earn Alaska’s $99 Companion Fare, plus taxes and fees from $23, each year after you spend $6,000.
• Alaska Airlines Visa® Business card: Earn 50,000 bonus miles, plus Alaska’s $99 Companion Fare, plus taxes and fees from $23, after spending $3,000 within the first 90 days of opening your account.

United Airlines MileagePlus

Since United Airlines uses dynamic pricing, rates can change based on the season and seat availability. A recent sample search revealed the following for a flight in February 2024 from Los Angeles (LAX) to Honolulu (HNL):

• Economy Class: 23,000 miles round-trip
• Business/First Class: 100,000 miles round-trip

United is a transfer partner of Chase Ultimate Rewards and Bilt Rewards, so you can transfer points at a 1:1 ratio. To earn United MileagePlus miles quickly, consider signing up for one of its cobranded credit cards.

• United Gateway℠ Card : Limited-time offer: Earn 30,000 bonus miles after spending $1,000 within the first three months of account opening.
• United℠ Explorer Card : Limited-time offer: Earn 60,000 bonus miles after you spend $3,000 on purchases in the first 3 months your account is open.
• United Quest℠ Card : Limited-time offer: Earn 70,000 bonus miles and 500 Premier qualifying points after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months your account is open.
• United Club℠ Infinite Card : Limited-time offer: Earn 90,000 bonus miles after you spend $5,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening.
• United℠ Business Card : Earn 75,000 bonus miles after spending $5,000 in your first three months of account opening.
• United Club℠ Business Card : Earn 50,000 bonus miles plus 1,000 Premier qualifying points after you spend $5,000 on purchases in the first three months your account is open.

Turkish Airlines Miles&Smiles

While it is possible to book flights to Hawaii with other Star Alliance partners such as Air Canada Aeroplan and Singapore Airlines Krisflyer, the best redemptions come from booking through Turkish Airlines Miles&Smiles. 

• Economy Class: 15,000 miles round-trip
• Business Class: 25,000 miles round-trip

Note that you may need to search for award availability on United’s website first, then through the Turkish Airlines site. If all else fails, call Turkish Airlines to locate the flight you found on the United site to reserve your seat.

While you’ll be booking your award flight with Turkish, you’ll be flying United aircraft since they’re partners. Check to see what availability there is to Hawaii from United hubs like Chicago (ORD), Denver (DEN), Newark (EWR), Houston (IAH), Washington, D.C. (IAD), Los Angeles (LAX) and San Francisco (SFO) to find the best rates.

Several flexible rewards programs, such as Capital One, Citi and Bilt Rewards, let you transfer points to Turkish Miles&Smiles at a 1:1 ratio, while Marriott Bonvoy’s transfer ratio is 1:3.

Delta SkyMiles

Delta also uses dynamic pricing, which makes it tricky to find the best rate since they vary. Here’s a sample search for a flight from Seattle (SEA) to Honolulu (HNL) in February 2024.

• Economy Class: 56,000 miles round-trip
• Business/First Class: 203,000 miles round-trip

Delta SkyMiles is a transfer partner of American Express Membership Rewards, so points can be transferred at a ratio of 1:1. To boost your points balance, consider the generous welcome bonuses by the American Express travel cards listed above or one of Delta’s cobranded cards, listed below.

• Delta SkyMiles® Gold American Express Card *: Limited Time Offer: Earn 65,000 bonus miles after you spend $3,000 in purchases on your new card in the first six months.
• Delta SkyMiles® Gold Business American Express Card *: Limited Time Offer: Earn 75,000 Bonus Miles after spending $6,000 in purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership. Offer Ends 7/17.
• Delta SkyMiles® Platinum American Express Card *: Limited Time Offer: Earn 85,000 bonus miles after you spend $4,000 in purchases on your new card in your first six months.
• Delta SkyMiles® Platinum Business American Express Card*: Limited Time Offer: Earn 95,000 Bonus Miles after spending $8,000 in purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership. Offer Ends 7/17.
• Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card *: Limited Time Offer: Earn 95,000 bonus miles after you spend $6,000 in purchases on your new card in your first six months of card membership.
• Delta SkyMiles® Reserve Business American Express Card *: Limited Time Offer: Earn 110,000 Bonus Miles after spending $12,000 in purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership. Offer Ends 7/17.

Korean Air Skypass

It’s also possible to book flights to Hawaii through Delta’s SkyTeam partners.

To redeem miles with Korean Air Skypass — which lets you book award flights on SkyTeam carriers and partners like Hawaiian Airlines and Alaska Airlines in addition to Korean Air — you must book a round-trip flight, as one-way award redemptions aren’t allowed. 

• Economy Class: 25,000 miles round-trip
• Business Class: 45,000 miles round-trip

If you only need to book a one-way award flight, Air France/KLM’s FlyingBlue loyalty program has economy redemptions for 35,000 miles round-trip or 86,000 miles round-trip in premium cabins.

To earn Korean Air Skypass miles quickly, transfer Marriott Bonvoy points at a ratio of 3:1.

• Marriott Bonvoy Bold® Credit Card : Earn 30,000 bonus points after you spend $1,000 on eligible purchases within the first six months from account opening. Plus, earn up to 14X total points for every $1 spent at thousands of hotels participating in Marriott Bonvoy.
• Marriott Bonvoy Boundless® Credit Card : Earn 3 Free Night Awards (each night valued up to 50,000 points) after spending $3,000 on purchases in your first three months from account opening.
• Marriott Bonvoy Bevy™ American Express® Card *: Earn 85,000 Marriott Bonvoy bonus points after you use your new Card to make $5,000 in purchases within the first 6 months of Card Membership.
• Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant® American Express® Card *:  Earn 95,000 Marriott Bonvoy bonus points after you use your new Card to make $6,000 in purchases within the first 6 months of Card Membership.

Southwest Airlines Rapid Rewards

Southwest bases its redemption rates on the ticket price, so you can use the low-fare calendar on its website to search for the cheapest available option.

Here’s a sample search for a flight from Oakland (OAK) to Kahului, Maui (OGG) in February 2024. Note that Southwest has its own version of business class, which has more to do with ticket refundability and boarding privileges than premium seats.

• Economy Class: 15,432 points round-trip
• Business Class: 40,322 points round-trip

While Southwest lacks airline alliance partners, it is part of Chase Ultimate Rewards, so you can switch your points over to Southwest at a 1:1 ratio. 

• Southwest Rapid Rewards® Plus Credit Card :  Earn 50,000 bonus points after spending $1,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening.
• Southwest Rapid Rewards® Priority Credit Card: Earn 50,000 bonus points after spending $1,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening.
• Southwest Rapid Rewards® Premier Credit Card : Earn 50,000 bonus points after you spend $1,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening.
• Southwest Rapid Rewards® Premier Business Credit Card : Earn up to 120,000 points. Earn 60,000 points after you spend $3,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening and an additional 60,000 points when you spend $15,000 in 9 months.
• Southwest Rapid Rewards Performance Business Credit Card : Earn up to 120,000 points. Earn 80,000 points after you spend $5,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening and an additional 40,000 points when you spend $15,000 in 9 months.

Hawaii hotels you can book with points

You’ll find every major points hotel chain throughout the Hawaiian Islands, including World of Hyatt, Hilton Honors, Marriott Bonvoy, IHG One Rewards, Wyndham Rewards and Choice Privileges, which are all free to sign up for. 

Be aware that some properties charge resort fees on top of the usual taxes and fees for perks like local calls, pool towels, Wi-Fi and other activities not covered by your room rate. 

Certain credit cards, like the  Chase Sapphire Reserve , offer a $300 annual travel credit so you can “erase” those fees, while others, like the Hilton Honors American Express Aspire Card*, offer $200 in statement credits toward resort fees and other purchases made at Hilton hotels twice a year as an included benefit.

No matter which island you visit, signing up for hotel credit cards or transferring flexible points from Chase Ultimate Rewards or American Express Membership Rewards will certainly help save you money .

Should you book travel with cash or points?

If you’re into hiking dormant volcanoes, watching the waves on the North Shore, learning about WWII history at the Pearl Harbor National Memorial or snacking on shave ice by the beach, start on Oʻahu . It’s Hawaii’s busiest island and likely where your flight came in anyway.

Base yourself near Hawaii’s most popular stretch of sand at one of three Hyatt hotels. Rooms at Hyatt Place Waikiki Beach start at 12,000 points per night, while the Hyatt Centric Waikiki Beach nearby has rates from 15,000 points per night. For a real treat, try the Hyatt Regency Waikiki Beach Resort and Spa, where rooms start at 20,000 points per night.

The welcome bonus from the Chase Sapphire Preferred Card or the World of Hyatt Credit Card would be enough to cover at least three nights. You can also transfer Ultimate Rewards points to Hyatt since it’s a hotel partner.

Best credit cards for traveling with kids

As of this writing, Lahaina is closed to the public, and West Maui is still recovering from devastating wildfires . That said, the rest of the island is open for business, with points hotels in Wailea, Kihei, Kahului and Hana — and even more in Ka’anapali and Kapalua when the West Coast recovers.

We recommend staying in Wailea or Kihei in South Maui, home to beautiful beaches and views of the neighboring islands of Lanai and Kaho’olawe. It’s also a great base for doing the famous road trip to Hana, lined with scenic beaches and waterfalls or driving to the summit of Mt. Haleakala, one of Maui’s most popular attractions at 10,023 feet.

Marriott Bonvoy loyalists can stay at the AC Hotel by Marriott Maui Wailea from 33,500 points per night, the Residence Inn Maui Wailea from 61,000 points per night or the Wailea Beach Resort from 65,500 points per night.

Since Marriot Bonvoy is a transfer partner of Chase Ultimate Rewards and American Express Membership Rewards, you can switch points over from either loyalty program. 

Otherwise, the Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant  welcome bonus of two free nights (up to 85,000 points per night) will knock two nights off your total. The card also offers a free night for your anniversary and up to $300 annually ($25 per month) in credits for dining at restaurants.

Best credit cards for road trips

Hawai'i Island (The Big Island)

While you’ll find the highest concentration of points hotels in and around Kona, there is a charming DoubleTree by Hilton property, the Grand Naniloa Hotel, in Hilo if you’re looking to stay on the east side of the island (from 50,000 Hilton Honors points per night). Consider staying here if you’ll be visiting Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park, as it’s just an hour’s drive away.

On the West Coast, rates at Hilton Waikoloa Village — a terrific kid-friendly option for families with multiple swimming pools, a lazy river and several water slides — start at 75,000 points per night.

Hilton Honors is an American Express Membership Rewards hotel partner, so you’ll earn two Hilton Honors points for every Amex MR point you transfer. 

As for welcome bonuses, The Platinum Card from American Express offers enough points to cover one night, while the Hilton Honors American Express Surpass® Card * takes care of two nights. It also comes with Hilton Gold status, giving you access to extra benefits like daily dining credits or continental breakfast, complimentary room upgrades and a nifty fifth-night free perk.

Best travel credit cards for hotels

The Garden Isle is best known for its film locations. Kauaʻi was prominently featured throughout the “Jurassic Park” series, while the ever-popular Fern Grotto appeared in the Elvis classic “Blue Hawaii” and doubled as the Peruvian jungle in “Indiana Jones: Raiders of the Lost Ark.”

Whether you choose to stay on the scenic North Shore or along the eastern or southern beaches, there’s a points property near you. The most notable are part of the World of Hyatt, Marriott Bonvoy and Hilton Honors. 

To the south, the Grand Hyatt Kauai Resort & Spa in Poipu (from 30,000 points per night) and the Koloa Landing Resort at Poipu, part of Marriott’s Autograph Collection (from 85,000 points per night) make excellent choices.

The Sheraton Kauai Coconut Beach Resort in Kapa’a also makes a great base if you’d prefer to stay on the East Coast (from 66,000 points per night), as does the Hilton Garden Inn Kauai Wailua Bay (from 60,000 points per night).

To earn loyalty points in a hurry, consider signing up for any of the Hyatt, Marriott, or Hilton credit cards mentioned above to maximize their respective welcome bonuses. 

You can also transfer Chase Ultimate Rewards points to Hyatt or Marriott at a 1:1 ratio or Amex Membership Rewards points to Hilton (at a 1:2 ratio) or Marriott (at a 1 to 1.5 ratio). It all depends on which hotel brand you prefer.

Best credit cards for adventure travel

Activities and ground transportation

Getting around the islands is best done by rental car or on a guided tour if you’d rather not drive. There are a ton of activities, too — snorkel excursions in Maui, nature tours on the Big Island, guided trips to Kauai’s Na Pali Coast or a night out at Oʻahu's famous Paradise Cove Luau, for instance.

While car rentals and attractions can really add up, there are a few ways to lower your travel budget . If you have the Chase Sapphire Preferred Card or the Chase Sapphire Reserve , you can use the Chase Ultimate Rewards travel portal to book tours and rental cars with points at a rate of 1.25 cents per point or 1.5 cents per point, respectively. 

Some credit cards, like the Capital One Venture Rewards  and the Capital One Venture X Rewards , allow cardholders to “wipe” travel charges by redeeming miles, usually at a value of one cent per mile. It’s always worth checking to see if your preferred card offers something similar, as this is becoming more common.

Best travel credit cards for foodies in 2023

Bottom line

A trip to Hawaii doesn’t have to break the bank, especially if you plan ahead and make the most of airline and hotel loyalty programs. By strategically signing up for credit cards that offer lucrative welcome bonuses and being aware of points and miles opportunities through transfer partners and airline alliances, you’ll be able to cover all your necessities and focus on having fun.

*Terms apply to American Express benefits and offers. Enrollment may be required for select American Express benefits and offers. Visit  americanexpress.com  to learn more.

The information for the Southwest Rapid Rewards Premier Credit Card has been collected independently by Lonely Planet. The card details on this page have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer.  

Editorial disclaimer: Opinions expressed here are the author’s alone, not those of any bank, credit card issuer, airline or hotel chain, and have not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by any of these entities.

This article was first published Nov 1, 2023 and updated Jun 13, 2024.

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Redeem American Airlines Miles: Part 7 — Redeeming for Hawaii

MileValue is part of an affiliate sales network and receives compensation for sending traffic to partner sites, such as CreditCards.com. This compensation may impact how and where links appear on this site. This site does not include all financial companies or all available financial offers. Terms apply to American Express benefits and offers. Enrollment may be required for select American Express benefits and offers. Visit americanexpress.com to learn more.

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I am updating and re-posting this series on redeeming American Airlines miles in light of the fact that right now it’s super easy to earn 146,000 American Airlines miles.

For a limited time, the Citi /AAdvantage Platinum Select MasterCard and the CitiBusiness / AAdvantage Platinum Select World MasterCard are both offering 50k bonus miles for spending $3,000 on each card within three months of opening it. The new Barclaycard AAdvantage Aviator Red World Elite MasterCard is offering 40k bonus American Airlines miles after just one purchase and paying the annual fee of $95 . You can sign up for all three in the same nine day period (you can be approved for no more than one Citi card in an eight day period) and earn at least 146k American Airlines miles within three months after meeting the bonus requirements. 

Credit card links have been removed from posts and added to the menu bar at the top of every page of MileValue under the heading Top Travel Credit Cards.

Let’s talk about how to use American Airlines miles for awards to Hawaii.

“Redeeming American Airlines Miles” Series Index

• Part 1 — 5 Ways to Stretch American Airlines Miles on Economy Redemptions
• Part 2 — 6 Ultra-Luxurious First Classes to Book with American Airlines Miles
• Part 3 — Where to Search Award Space for All Partners
• Part 4 — Award Rules and How Many Miles You Need
• Part 5 — Taxes, Fees, and Fuel Surcharges
• Part 6 — Redeeming for Domestic Awards
• Part 7 — Redeeming for Hawaii (this post)
• Part 8 — Redeeming for East and Southeast Asia
• Part 9 — Redeeming for Middle East and Indian Subcontinent
• Part 10 — Redeeming for Australia and New Zealand
• Part 11 — Redeeming for South America
• Part 12 — Redeeming for Europe
• Part 13 — Redeeming for Africa
• Part 14 — Redeeming for Fiji, Tahiti, Bora Bora, and French Polynesia

The Partners for Hawaii Awards

To Hawaii, American Airlines miles can be redeemed on:

• American Airlines
• Alaska Airlines
• any combination of the two

Award space on both airlines is searchable on aa.com. Here’s how to search aa.com.

As of September 1, 2015 , American Airlines miles cannot book Hawaiian Airlines flights between the mainland and Hawaii. AA miles can still book interisland flights on Hawaiian and flights between Hawaii and Asia, Australia, and New Zealand.

Between the mainland and Hawaii, American charges:

• to Hawaii: December 29 – March 12, August 11 – November 18, November 24 – December 10
• from Hawaii: January 7 – March 19, August 18 – November 27, December 3 – December 25
• 22,500 miles each way in economy the rest of the year
• 40,000 miles each way in First Class
• 65,000 miles each way in First Class if you fly a three-cabin First Class flight on the mainland as part of the award. There is no three-cabin First Class to Hawaii itself.

All the prices mentioned above are for partner awards or MileSAAver awards on American Airlines flights. MileSAAver awards are highly capacity controlled and not available on all or even most flights. When not available, AAnytime awards, which are much more expensive, are available. Here are the prices for flying American Airlines economy, for example, which include the elevated AAnytime prices:

Who Should Never Redeem American Airlines Miles to Hawaii

If you live in one of 10 western cities with direct flights on American or Alaska to Hawaii, you are better off redeeming 12,500 British Airways Avios each way to Hawaii. Full article on the 12,500 Avios routes to Hawaii and how to book them.

The cities/routes with 12,500 Avios awards:

Award Space

Award space to Hawaii is highly seasonal on all airlines, and it lines up well with American’s Off Peak dates.

Award space is usually fairly abundant from mid-January through mid-March and during the Fall. It is non-existent over Christmas and New Year’s and sparse in the Summer and Spring, unless you can afford to wait until right before to book. Space opens up between the United States and many destinations in Hawaii within three weeks of departure. If you want to visit Hawaii over those sparse times and can’t book last minute, use ThankYou Points .

American and its partners serve Hawaii from about a dozen cities, most of them on the west coast, though American also flies from Dallas to Honolulu, Kahului, and Kona (beginning December 15, 2016).

The best award availability is via the west coast during off peak times and in the last month before departure.

I’m going to show award space as a series of calendars. All calendars show availability on direct flights for one passenger. Most people reading this post won’t live in any of the cities shown on the calendars. That’s OK. You can connect via these cities to Hawaii. The award space to these cities shouldn’t be much of a problem and will not add any miles to the award price as long as you add a leg priced as MileSAAver and it’s in the same or a lower cabin as the transoceanic leg.

Los Angeles to Honolulu

There is a smattering of economy space for the coming week and March through the beginning of May…

…but there is absolutely none the rest of May, June, July, August, nor September.  End of October a few economy seats start to pop up, and November has nine days open with economy space. December has just a couple days with flights available.

Come mid-January the calendar for economy award space opens up.

Of course, if you live in LA, you want to book these direct American flights with Avios. If you live elsewhere, you’ll want to use AA miles and connect here.

First Class space is virtually non-existent.

Space is equally good on the return in economy over the next week, smattered but existent through May, and even shows up some days in June.

First Class space on the return is just as non-existent in First Class as it is in economy. In general, award space is terrible in American Airlines First Class to Hawaii.

Los Angeles to Lihue

Los Angeles to Kauai has the most days available over the next month, but economy space is still pretty meager. I saw maybe 15 days with economy seats open between now and January 2018. I saw zero First Class seats.

The return has even less no economy space, save a handful of days in March.

Just like the outbound, I saw not one First Class award seat available on this route.

Los Angeles to Kahului

Maui award space is excellent for the next four weeks to Maui in economy…

The rest of the year is much more open than the other routes discussed so far. Half or more of the days in April and May have economy award seats available. June and July expectedly have less with just a few days scattered here and there, but the calendar starts to open up again in August and by mid October you have half or more of the days available per month through January 2018.

On the return in economy, March is wide open. Through July there are a handful of days each month available, but nothing like March. August and September don’t have much open but the calendar opens up again in October and stays that way through January 2018.

There was no First Class space I saw on the return. Los Angeles to Kona

Economy award space is spotty from Los Angeles to the Big Island for the next four weeks, but there are a handful of seats. The rest of the year through January 2018 has pretty much nothing open. Expectedly there is no First Class space available.

Again, there is no First Class award space to be found.

Dallas to Kahului

Bottom Line

Right now American Airlines miles have good access to award space between the United States and Hawaii in the beginning of 2017 as well as some seats in the fall of this year, which is low season (mid-January to mid-March and fall) and coincides with the Off Peak dates to Hawaii when awards are just 20,000 miles one way (flying American Airlines only).

First Class space doesn’t exist, but there is plenty of economy space to find, especially on specific routes. The best space is available within a month or even a week of departure in most cases.

If you need to plan farther out, book your Hawaii trip with different miles ( United often has better award space ) or ThankYou Points, which have access to every flight to Hawaii with no blackouts.

For me, it’s just as well that American Airlines miles are just OK to Hawaii when you understand the limitations. I never want to use them to Hawaii anyway because there are cheaper awards to Hawaii ( like with Singapore miles ) and because I save my American Airlines miles for these  sweet spots on the new devalued American Airlines award chart instead.

For a limited time, the  Citi /AAdvantage Platinum Select MasterCard  is offering 50,000 bonus American Airlines miles after spending $3,000 in the first three months. The  CitiBusiness / AAdvantage Platinum Select World MasterCard is offering the same bonus. The Barclaycard AAdvantage Aviator Red World Elite MasterCard is offering 40k bonus American Airlines miles after just one purchase and paying the annual fee of $95.

By meeting the $6,000 total spending requirement + putting one purchase on the Barclaycard and paying its $95 annual fee, you’ll earn at least 146,000 American Airlines miles, which is more than enough for three people roundtrip to Hawaii in economy. If you decide to open all three cards, open the Barclaycard first, then either Citi card, and then wait eight days to apply for the second Citi card. For example, on day 1 you apply for the Barclaycard and then immediately following, the personal Citi card. On day 9 you apply for the CitiBusiness card.

Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card

Just getting started in the world of points and miles? The Chase Sapphire Preferred is the best card for you to start with.

With a bonus of 60,000 points after $4,000 spend in the first 3 months, 5x points on travel booked through the Chase Travel Portal and 3x points on restaurants, streaming services, and online groceries (excluding Target, Walmart, and wholesale clubs), this card truly cannot be beat for getting started!

Editorial Disclaimer: The editorial content is not provided or commissioned by the credit card issuers. Opinions expressed here are the author’s alone, not those of the credit card issuers, and have not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by the credit card issuers.

The comments section below is not provided or commissioned by the bank advertiser. Responses have not been reviewed, approved, or otherwise endorsed by the bank advertiser. It is not the bank advertiser’s responsibility to ensure all questions are answered.

34 Comments

Just curious as to what you can tell me about lounges in Honolulu. I booked a first class ticket on HA from HNL-LAS-ORD-SP. All legs are in first class. Am I able to use the lounge in Honolulu before my flight? I used AA miles for the ticket, and the first leg is on HA. The second and third legs are on AA. I don’t have status with either, and don’t have any lounge memberships. Thanks for any input!

HA First = HA lounge. Very very basic. Not worth the time frankly. No other lounges on this trip for you.

Sorry for the typo – my final destination is MSP.

how do you do HNL – SEA – LIM for 15k miles? how to input it?

[…] when so many others have done it for you. Check out this recent post from MileValue.com on how to Redeem American Airlines miles to Hawaii for a good example. The date on this post is very recent, so the information is most likely still […]

[…] Part 6 — Redeeming for Hawaii […]

[…] Part 7 — Redeeming for Hawaii […]

[…] Let’s talk about how to use American Airlines miles for domestic flights including its flagship service between New York and Los Angeles and San Francisco, which includes fully flat beds in Business Class and First Class. (This post doesn’t cover awards to Hawaii. That’s a separate post.) […]

Can anyone tell me if i do it right or not? i try to book a flight from Seattle to Kahului, HI (OGG) under Alaska airplane. But i try to search for the flight on AA website nothing show up, i try to use Alaska website to search then it show a whole bunch direct flight??? so can i use the information for Alaska airplane on Alaska website to book the flight using AVOIS point? i just try to understand clearly before i call BA to book that sweet 12500 point 🙂 thanks for any input.

Partners of Alaska like American Airlines miles and Avios only have access to SAVER award space on Alaska flights. All of that shows up on aa.com. When you searched on alaskaair.com, you saw other award space that costs a LOT of Alaska miles and is NOT bookable with AA miles or Avios. Just search on aa.com.

Lee, Try searching ‘Nonstop only’ on AA.com. I tried searching myself and many weekend departures/returns are blocked out. You can still get SEA to OGG direct on a weekday though.

Do those LAX to Hawaii flights still take you all over the place? Like la to Phoenix to Hawaii. Or la to Seattle to Hawaii and never really direct

All images show award space on nonstop flights, so nothing like you’re describing.

[…] American Airlines economy to Hawaii […]

As usual, DFW is becoming one of the hardest places to use milesaver awards direct anywhere. It never has been good to Hawaii and I have been watching that route for 4 years now…but this is getting ridiculous.

I guess I have just been lucky or the situation is far different for travel to/from ATL. I’ve used AA miles for 2 trips to Hawaii. Both trips, I had absolutely no problem getting what I wanted in First Class. The last time, I flew on Hawaiian from LAX. My trip this year is 1st from ATL to DFW. Then 1st in the sleeper seats from DFW to HNL. I also have the reverse routing coming home in sleeper seats. I chose to pay 67,500 for each 1 way because the few saver 1st class at 40,000 (yes, they were there) offered plain domestic 1st class seats. This is a very long flight from the east coast and worth the extra miles to me. On Delta, the lowest price you pay for these good seats is 80,000 1 way and it goes up to 100,000 and 150,000 depending on when you book it. The main thing I’ve found is to plan 331 days in advance. The seats aren’t always released that far out, but you need to start searching then. AA does release some seats a couple of weeks before a flight, but normally the routing and flight times don’t appeal to me.

Also, anyone thinking that you get lounge privileges due to 1st class, is wrong. It is considered a domestic flight. If you fly on Hawaiian you do get a lounge, but as previously stated, it is hardly worth it. If you have Priority Pass, they show a lounge in HNL.

I have American miles. How do I use those to book an Alaska Airlines ticket so that I don’t have to use as many miles?

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Save Your Miles: Book American Airlines Off-Peak Awards for Less!

Signing up for credit cards through partner links earns us a commission. Terms apply to the offers listed on this page. Here’s our full advertising policy: How we make money .

Update: One or more card offers in this post are no longer available. Check our Hot Deals for the latest offers.

I am a frugal and prefer to squeeze every last bit of value out of my hard-earned miles.  That’s why I love the off-peak award sweet spot on the American Airlines award chart!

If you can plan your trips around off-peak awards, you can save as many as 15,000 miles on a single round-trip award flight between the US to Europe.  That’s enough for another short round-trip domestic American Airlines flight !

And American Airlines miles are super easy to earn from cards like the CitiBusiness® / AAdvantage® Platinum Select® World Mastercard® and no-annual-fee American Airlines AAdvantage MileUp℠ Card .

With American Airlines off-peak awards , you’ll enjoy more free award travel with your miles.  I’ll show you everything you need to know to book these flights!

How to Book American Airlines Off-Peak Award Travel and Save Thousands of Miles!

Link:   How to Use American Airlines Miles

Link:   How to Read the American Airlines Award Chart

When you book American Airlines off-peak awards, you can save thousands of American Airlines miles on flights to Hawaii, Europe, Asia, and more!  This is one of the best ways to get the most out of your miles!

What Are American Airlines Off-Peak Awards?

American Airlines has 2 region-based award charts for flights on its own planes and on partners.  This makes it easy to predict award prices and make travel plans.

These flights are typically during during less popular travel dates to certain destinations .  For example, most folks like to travel to Europe during the summer and fall, but if you are willing to travel in the winter, you can save significantly.

Each region has its own off-peak dates.  And not all regions are included.

Do Restrictions Apply to Off-Peak Awards?

Off-peak awards are very affordable, but they do have a few restrictions to keep in mind:

• You can only book coach flights (NOT Business or First Class)
• In order to get the off-peak pricing, the award ticket must be available at the MileSAAver level and take place within the region-specific off-peak dates
• With the exception of Europe, you must fly on American Airlines or American Eagle flights (not partner airlines) to qualify for off-peak pricing
• There are no off-peak award flights for domestic flights (other than Hawaii)

Other than these few restrictions, an off-peak award flight is treated the same as any other award flight.

How Do You Book American Airlines Off-Peak Awards?

You can search for off-peak awards on the American Airlines website, like any other award flight.  If you search for flights on applicable dates and for applicable regions than the off-peak pricing will automatically be displayed.

From the American Airlines homepage you can search for flights.  Choose your departure and destination airports and the dates you want to travel.  Before you click continue, make sure you click the checkbox for “ Redeem Miles “ .

The next page will show you the lowest award prices for the week of travel you selected.  This page is helpful because it lets you see if other days around your travel day offer better deals than the day you initially requested.

Make any changes to your dates on this screen and click the red “Continue” button to select specific flight itineraries for that day.

You can also click “ Show Full Calendar ” to see a full month of available award seats.

The next page is where you can see specific flight itineraries and the actual number of miles you’ll need for each of them.  From here, you can continue to checkout and use your miles to cover the cost of the flight.

Notice that they don’t show up as “off-peak” on the website, but these prices do match the off-peak prices we were expecting for flights to Hawaii during off-peak dates.

Where and When Can You Travel Using Off-Peak Awards?

Each region has its own time frames for off-peak awards.  Here are all the details about each destination that you need to know.

Hawaii Off-Peak Travel

Flights between the contiguous US states and Hawaii cost just 20,000 American Airlines miles each way with off-peak awards.

Off-peak dates  TO Hawaii :

• December 29 to March 12
• August 11 to November 18
• November 24 to December 10

Off-peak dates FROM Hawaii :

• January 7 to March 19
• August 18 to November 27
• December 3 to December 25

Normal saver awards cost 22,500 American Airlines miles each way, so finding an off-peak flight can save you 2,500 miles each way or 5,000 miles round-trip.  Flights to Hawaii often go for $500 to $1,000 each way throughout the year.  That means waiting until off-peak season and using award fares can save you as much as $2,000 on a round-trip flight.

Caribbean, Mexico, and Central America Off-Peak Travel

Flights between the contiguous US states and the Caribbean, Mexico, or Central America are just 12,500 American Airlines miles each way off-peak.

Off-peak dates for  Caribbean, Mexico, Central America :

• September 7 to November 14
• April 27 to May 20

If you can get some time off in late April through May, these are still some great times to travel to the Caribbean and Mexico.  It is not at peak heat yet but still beautiful, plus the spring break rush is over.  You can save 2,500 American Airlines miles each way (or 5,000 miles round-trip) by traveling off-peak.

South American Off-Peak Travel

Off-peak travel to South America actually covers a huge swath of dates (9 out of 12 months in the year), offering plenty of opportunity to explore this part of the world.

However, only “ South America Region 1 “ countries qualify:

• Manaus (Brazil)

Off-peak Dates for South American travel :

• January 16 to June 14

Travel from the contiguous US states to South America Region 1 normally costs 20,000 American Airlines miles each way, but by finding off-peak dates to travel you can save 2,500 miles each way or 5,000 miles round-trip.

Europe Off-Peak Travel

Travel to and from Europe during off-peak times can save you a significant number of American Airlines miles.  This is also the only destination where American Airlines offers off-peak award rates with their partner airlines, like British Airways, Iberia, and Finnair.

Off-peak dates for European travel :

• January 10 to March 14
• November 1 to December 14

The savings on Europe travel are incredible.  Normally, a low-level award flight costs 30,000 American Airlines miles each way.  But during off-peak travel dates you can get the same flights for 22,500 American Airlines miles, which is a savings of 7,500 miles each way or a whopping 15,000 miles in savings round-trip !

These same tickets can cost $600 to $800 each way depending on the time of year, so this is an awesome way to save tons of money on travel by booking off-peak award fares instead.

Korea Off-Peak Travel

Flights between the contiguous US states and Korea cost just 32,500 American Airlines miles each way off-peak.

Off-peak dates  TO Korea :

• January 1 to April 30
• July 1 to November 30

Off-peak dates FROM Korea :

• January 16 to May 31
• September 1 to December 31

Regular low-level award flights cost 35,000 American Airlines miles each way, so booking off-peak dates will save you 2,500 American Airlines miles each way or 5,000 miles round-trip.  If you paid full price for flights to Korea, you might spend up to $1,200 each way, so these award flights can be an excellent way to save a ton of money.

Japan Off-Peak Travel

Flights between the contiguous US states and Japan are just 32,500 American Airlines miles off-peak, just like to Korea.  The dates are slightly different though.

Off-peak dates  TO Japan :

Off-peak dates FROM Japan :

• January 16 to April 19
• May 2 to May 31

Again, you can save 2,500 American Airlines miles each way or 5,000 miles round-trip by booking off-peak travel dates to Japan.  These flights cost as much as $1,600 each way depending on the time of year!

China and Hong Kong Off-Peak Travel

China and Hong Kong off-peak travel costs 32,500 American Airlines miles each way.

Off-peak dates  TO China & Hong Kong :

• July 1 to September 30
• October 11 to November 30

Off-peak dates  FROM China & Hong Kong :

• February 1 to May 31
• September 1 to September 19
• October 2 to December 31

The award price for China & Hong Kong is the same as other Asian countries (but the dates are different).  A regular low-level flight costs 35,000 American Airlines miles each way, but booking off-peak travel saves you 2,500 American Airlines miles each way or 5,000 round-trip.

Paying for these tickets with cash would cost as much as $1,000 each way!

What’s the Best Way to Earn American Airlines Miles?

The easiest way to earn American Airlines miles for free travel is with an American Airlines credit card like the CitiBusiness® / AAdvantage® Platinum Select® World Mastercard® .   For a limited time, you can earn 70,000 American Airlines miles after spending $4,000 on purchases within the first 4 months of account opening.

The 70,000 American Airlines bonus miles offer is more than enough miles for a round-trip ticket to Hawaii AND a round-trip ticket to the Caribbean if you book using off-peak awards.

• Travel to Hawaii for 20,000 miles each way = 40,000 American Airlines miles
• Travel to Caribbean for 12,500 miles each way = 25,000 American Airlines miles
• Total for both round-trip flights = 65,000 American Airlines miles

This bonus is also enough for a round-trip ticket to Asia (Korea, Japan, China, or Hong Kong) during these off-peak award travel which runs 32,500 each way ( 65,000 miles round-trip ).  Here’s our review of the CitiBusiness AAdvantage Platinum Select card .

American Airlines offers several other credit cards with great bonus offers that are worth checking out:

• Citi® / AAdvantage® Platinum Select® World Elite™ Mastercard® – Another nice bonus!  Here’s our review of the Citi AAdvantage Platinum Select
• American Airlines AAdvantage MileUp℠ Card – No annual fee!  Check out our review of the Citi AAdvantage MileUp
• Citi® / AAdvantage® Executive World Elite™ Mastercard® – Great for frequent American Airlines flyers with lounge access.  Read our review of the Citi AAdvantage Executive

The information for the Citi AAdvantage Platinum and CitiBusiness AAdvantage Platinum card has been collected independently by Million Mile Secrets. The card details on this page have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer.

Are Off-Peak American Airlines Awards Worth It?

Absolutely!  As long as your schedule can accommodate travel during these off-peak dates, this is a great way to travel for cheap.

You don’t need to jump through any hoops to get in on these deals other than being willing to travel during less popular times of the year.  However, this can often lead to some of the best experiences!

I traveled to Italy during February (which is off-peak) and not only was I able to save on airfare, but I got great deals on my hotel and rental car too.  Because everything was off-peak pricing!  In addition, the lines to popular attractions like The Colosseum and Vatican were about 10% the length when I went a few summers earlier.  We spent far less time waiting in line and enjoyed all the same sights with far fewer people ruining our photos.  Overall, I really enjoy traveling off-peak!

Bottom Line

Traveling during less-popular times can save you thousands of American Airlines miles with off-peak awards.

You can book these flights the same as any other American Airlines award flight.  Just remember to search for travel dates that fall into the off-peak times for flights to and from that region.

By booking off-peak travel you can save between 2,500 to 7,500 American Airlines miles each way .  By the time you book round-trip tickets or tickets for companions, this can equal tens of thousands of American Airlines miles saved!  It’s a terrific way to stretch your miles.

And it’s easy to earn American Airlines miles with cards like the CitiBusiness® / AAdvantage® Platinum Select® World Mastercard® and no-annual-fee American Airlines AAdvantage MileUp℠ Card.

Have you booked off-peak awards with American Airlines miles?  Let us know your favorite redemption!

Alex Curtis

Contributor

Alex Curtis is a contributor to Million Mile Secrets, he covers topics on points and miles, credit cards, airlines, hotels, and general travel.

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Travel Codex

Your Resource for Better Travel

American Airlines Limits Award Travel on Hawaiian Airlines

Award travel on will still be possible on Hawaiian Airlines for other flights including intra-island service and service from the islands to Asia and the South Pacific. The restrictions that American Airlines is imposing matches those similar to Delta’s limited partnership with Hawaiian and makes traveling to the beautiful beaches of Hawaii more difficult.

Reservations with American Airline Award miles can be made 330 days in advance and new reservations for Hawaiian Airlines flights between the lower 48 and Hawaii will be accepted through August 31, 2015. Starting September 1, 2015, AA Advantage members will be restricted to award travel to Hawaii on AA/US flights and partner Alaska Airlines. Therefore if you are planning a vacation, consider booking sooner than later, as award travel is drying up quickly as AA is further limited award redemptions on partner airlines.

For Award Travel help:  BookingGuru.org

Read This Next

• Changing or Canceling an American Airlines Award
• Airline Profile: Hawaiian Airlines

About Rocky Horan

Rocky started blogging on his own website When Doublewides Fly to share information about flying around the world on a dime. By maximizing miles and points, cheap deals, sales, backpacking, and couchsurfing Rocky has traveled to 75 countries and still counting.

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The Best Points and Miles for Free Flights to Hawaii

Reviewed by Ryan Smith

AwardWallet receives compensation from advertising partners for links on the blog. Terms Apply to the offers listed on this page. The opinions expressed here are our own and have not been reviewed, provided, or approved by any bank advertiser. Here's our complete list of Advertisers .

Offers for the Hawaiian Airlines ® World Elite Mastercard ® and Marriott Bonvoy Boundless ® Credit Card are not available through this site. All information has been independently collected by AwardWallet and has not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer. Some offers may have expired. Please see our card marketplace for available offers.

Hawaii is a one-of-a-kind destination offering the warmth and exotic experience of a trip to the South Pacific without the hassle and expense of international travel. At the same time, 2,000 miles separate the Hawaiian Islands from the U.S. mainland, so flights to Hawaii can be expensive.

Thankfully, there are multiple ways to use points, miles, and perks to book flights to Hawaii. And, if you're looking for the best deal using points and miles to fly to Hawaii, we've got it below.

Page Contents

Flights to Hawaii With Points and Miles

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This Hawaii sweet spot lets you redeem Turkish Airlines miles for United flights to Hawaii for a super-low 10,000 miles each way in economy! No, that is not a typo. That is just 20,000 miles for a round-trip flight from anywhere in the U.S. mainland to Hawaii, although this price is a bit higher after an award chart change on February 16, 2024 .

If you are lucky enough to find saver-level award space on United, business-class awards will set you back 15,000 miles one-way or 30,000 miles round-trip. Turkish passes on carrier-imposed charges on award tickets. But, since you're flying United within the U.S., the fees and taxes are just $5.60 each way.

Turkish Miles & Smiles lists Hawaii (Honolulu at least) in the North America region, treating flights between the mainland and Hawaii as domestic itineraries.

Turkish Miles & Smiles allows you to book one-way awards for half the price of a round-trip award. Thus, one-way awards cost just 10,000 miles in economy and 15,000 miles in business class. You aren't required to book round-trip itineraries to lock in this pricing.

Don't have a stash of Turkish miles to throw at flights? You have several options for replenishing your account:

Thus, you can transfer points earned on cards like the Citi Strata Premier℠ Card or Marriott Bonvoy Boundless ® Credit Card . The current 75,000-point welcome offer on the Citi Strata Premier (see our Citi Strata Premier review ) will fly a family of four to Hawaii, round-trip from anywhere in the continental U.S. for nearly free. That's a deal.

• 3X points per $1 on airfare and hotels and at gas stations, restaurants, and supermarkets
• Annual Hotel Benefit: Save $100 off a single hotel stay of $500 or more (excluding taxes and fees) when you book through CitiTravel.com
• No foreign transaction fees
• $95 annual fee
• 10X points per $1 on hotels, car rentals, and attractions booked through CitiTravel.com
• 3X points per $1 spent on airfare, and other hotel purchases
• 3X points per $1 spent at gas and EV charging stations
• 3X points per $1 spent on dining at restaurants, including cafes, bars and lounges
• 3X points per $1 spent at supermarkets
• 1X points per $1 spent on all other purchases

A couple of things to bear in mind when booking this award: First, you may run into problems trying to book online for more than one passenger. However, you can book United partner awards over the phone or via email with Turkish Airlines.

For those who don't have Turkish miles already, the email option can be best. You need to nail down the exact flight details you want to book — including flight numbers. We recommend searching for saver-level award space on United.com to do so. Then, email a Ticket Sales Office with your Miles & Smiles account information and all the flight details, then wait to hear back.

When an agent confirms availability, you need to transfer your points or miles to Turkish to get the booking underway. Check out our transfer times tool to determine how long it will usually take for the points to land in your account. Finally, you'll need to fill out and return all the paperwork before Turkish moves forward with ticketing your award.

Turkish Airlines' website has improved, sometimes showing availability for these flights. However, it is not consistent. If booking online doesn't work, revert to the phone and email methods outlined above.

Related:  Do Turkish Airlines Miles & Smiles Miles Expire?

Fares to the Hawaiian Islands have gotten even more competitive, and thanks to Southwest's policy of no blackout dates, there's much more award availability to Hawaii than before.

Southwest Rapid Rewards is a revenue-based rewards program. That means the cost of award flights is tied directly to the cash price. When the cost of tickets is high, the cost of award tickets also rises. You'll likely get better value from one of the fixed-award-chart rewards programs like Singapore KrisFlyer or Turkish Miles & Smiles during peak season. However, during the off-season, the cost of Southwest tickets falls — both for cash and points fares.

Where that value explodes is if you hold a Southwest Companion Pass , which gives you two-for-one flights on Southwest for up to two years.

In the example below, flying from Los Angeles to Honolulu, the lowest one-way fare costs $109 or 7,051 points. Those with the Southwest Companion Pass could book round-trip flights to Hawaii many days of the week for two people for ~14,102 points round-trip — for both people. That's an exceptional value.

As with most carriers on this list, there are a few options for redeeming rewards on Southwest. If you hold a Chase Sapphire Reserve ® , you can purchase these $118 flights through the Chase Travel℠ portal for 7,867 points, redeeming for a fixed value of 1.5¢ per point. Southwest will treat the flight as a revenue fare, and you'll earn 6x Rapid Rewards points on your base fare.

You also could transfer Ultimate Rewards points to Rapid Rewards and redeem 7,051 points plus $5.60 in taxes for the same flight. As the cash price of the ticket is $109, you are getting about 1.47¢ per point for the transferred points. However, you won't earn additional points or miles on the purchase.

Transferring Chase points makes a lot more sense if you hold a Chase Sapphire Preferred ® Card or Ink Business Preferred ® Credit Card , which only return a fixed value of 1.25¢ per point when you redeem via the travel portal. In this case, the flight would cost 8,720 points through the Chase travel portal.

Southwest will not always be the best use of points and miles for flying to Hawaii, but it's a great benchmark program to ensure you get good value from your rewards. Short on Southwest points? You could buy Southwest points or transfer from Chase, but the Southwest ® Rapid Rewards ® Performance Business Credit Card also has a great introductory welcome bonus that could potentially take the whole family to Hawaii.

• Earn 80,000 points after you spend $5,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening and an additional 40,000 points when you spend $15,000 in 9 months.
• 9,000 bonus points after your Cardmember anniversary.
• Earn 4X pts on Southwest ® purchases.
• Earn 3X points on Rapid Rewards ® hotel and car rental partners.
• Earn 2X points on rideshare.
• Earn 2X points on social media and search engine advertising, internet, cable, and phone services and 1X points on all other purchases.
• 4 Upgraded Boardings per year when available.
• Member FDIC
• 4X points per $1 spent on Southwest ® purchases
• 3X points per $1 spent on Rapid Rewards ® hotel and car partners
• 2X points per $1 spent on social media and search engine advertising, Internet, cable and phone services
• 2X points per $1 spent on rideshare
• 1X point per $1 spent on all other purchases

Fly to Hawaii From 13,500 Singapore KrisFlyer Miles

There's more than one way of getting to Hawaii with Singapore Airlines KrisFlyer miles. The cheaper option is via a direct partnership with Alaska Airlines. KrisFlyer has a separate award chart (warning: PDF) for redeeming miles on Alaska Airlines. This chart features lower award prices to Hawaii than if you redeem Singapore miles for United flights.

The downside is that it only applies to flights from the West Coast, Midwest, and the Rocky Mountain states. All cities in Zone 4 are excluded from this pricing with KrisFlyer. Instead, you would need to make two redemptions: one to the West Coast and then the other to Hawaii.

Note that you need to call Singapore Airlines to book Alaska awards. Unfortunately, you cannot book them online.

Although you pay a little more for your flights, there are no such geographic or booking restrictions if you redeem Singapore miles on United flights. KrisFlyer charges 19,500 miles each way to fly United to Hawaii from the contiguous 48 states, with a round-trip economy award costing 39,000 miles + $11.20 in fees and taxes.

The ease with which you can book United redemptions on the KrisFlyer website makes it much less of a hassle than booking over the phone or by email. And you can redeem miles for nonstop flights from many United hubs, including Newark, Chicago–O'Hare, Washington–Dulles, Houston–International, Los Angeles, San Francisco, and Denver. If you're able to find award availability for United business class, KrisFlyer charges 39,000 miles each way for that.

A big part of the value of Singapore KrisFlyer is that you can transfer points from numerous programs, making it an ideal solution if points are spread across multiple rewards programs:

Any card earning these types of points can be used to earn Singapore KrisFlyer miles.

• Earn 60,000 bonus points after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening. That's $750 when you redeem through Chase Travel℠.
• Enjoy benefits such as 5x on travel purchased through Chase Travel℠, 3x on dining, select streaming services and online groceries, 2x on all other travel purchases, 1x on all other purchases, $50 Annual Chase Travel Hotel Credit, plus more.
• Get 25% more value when you redeem for airfare, hotels, car rentals and cruises through Chase Travel℠. For example, 60,000 points are worth $750 toward travel.
• Count on Trip Cancellation/Interruption Insurance, Auto Rental Collision Damage Waiver, Lost Luggage Insurance and more.
• Get complimentary access to DashPass which unlocks $0 delivery fees and lower service fees for a minimum of one year when you activate by December 31, 2024.
• 5X points on Lyft rides through March 2025
• 5X points on travel purchased through Chase Travel℠
• 3X points on dining at restaurants worldwide
• 3X points on eligible streaming services
• 3X points on online grocery purchases (excluding Target, Walmart, and wholesale clubs)
• 2X points on all other travel
• 1X point per dollar spent on all other purchases

One of the most well-known and high-value redemptions for flights to Hawaii from the West Coast comes courtesy of British Airways Executive Club . British Airways, which counts both American and Alaska as partners, offers a distance-based award chart. This includes non-stop flights to Hawaii operated by American and Alaska from Oakland, Phoenix, San Diego, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Sacramento, Bellingham, San Jose, Portland, Seattle, and even Anchorage.

A recent Avios hike in award fares on Alaska and American raised the cost of economy flights between 2,000 and 3,000 miles from 13,000-16,000 points. All things considered, 32,000 Avios for a round-trip flight to Hawaii is still a good deal . In addition: while out-of-pocket costs on British Airways awards can be incredibly expensive, the taxes and fees on this award are just $5.60 each way.

Read through our guide on how to redeem British Airways Avios and check out the latest credit card offer for the British Airways Visa Signature ® Card if you're looking to take more people to Hawaii. British Airways even allows you to pool points in its loyalty program , Executive Club, with other travelers. Plus, its numerous transfer partners make for an easy way to add up Avios for a redemption.

• Limited time offer! Earn 85,000 Avios after you spend $5,000 on purchases within the first three months of account opening.
• Earn 3 Avios per $1 spent on purchases with British Airways, Aer Lingus, Iberia, and LEVEL.
• Earn 2 Avios per $1 spent on hotel accommodations when purchased directly with the hotel.
• 10% off British Airways flights starting in the US when you book through the website provided in your welcome materials.
• Every calendar year you make $30,000 in purchases on your British Airways Visa card, you'll earn a Travel Together Ticket good for two years.
• Pay no foreign transaction fees when you travel abroad.
• Simply tap to pay with your contactless British Airways Visa Signature Card. Just look for the contactless symbol at checkout. It's fast, easy and secure!
• 3X Avios per $1 spent on purchases with British Airways, Aer Lingus, Iberia, and LEVEL
• 2X Avios per $1 spent on hotel accommodations
• 1X Avios for every $1 spent on all other purchases

Related:  How To Book American Airlines Flights Using British Airways Avios

The Air Canada Aeroplan program also has a distance-based award chart, with partner flights to Hawaii costing 12,500 or 22,500 Aeroplan points, depending on where you are flying from.

You can get a round-trip award for twice the points price of a one-way ticket. Aeroplan is in the Star Alliance with United, so you can use Aeroplan points to fly on United's non-stop flights to Hawaii.

You also have multiple ways to accumulate Aeroplan points, providing easier access to these awards.

• Earn 70,000 bonus points
• Earn 70,000 points after you spend $3,000 on purchases in the first 3 months your account is open.
• $95 Annual Fee
• Redeem points for both international and domestic flights with the Aeroplan ® Credit Card.
• Fly to another continent and travel the world with the Aeroplan ® Credit Card.
• Earn 3X points for each dollar spent at grocery stores, on dining at restaurants, and Air Canada directly. Earn 1X point for each dollar spent on all other purchases.
• 500 bonus points for every $2,000 you spend in a calendar month - up to 1,500 points per month.
• 3x points directly with Air Canada
• 3x points on dining, including takeout and eligible delivery services
• 3x points at grocery stores
• 1x point on all other purchases

Using Alaska Mileage Plan miles for flights to Hawaii is another good option for those flying from the West Coast. Flights start at only 10,000 miles one-way in economy or 40,000 miles in first class. If you don't fly out of the West Coast, you could take advantage of Alaska's “stopover trick” for more value.

Related:  Best Alaska Airlines Mileage Plan Award Chart Sweet Spots

Of all the airlines that use the Avios currency, Qatar Airways has the best award rates to the Hawaiian islands . On flights covering 2,001 to 3,000 miles in total distance, you'll redeem just 13,000 Qatar Airways Avios for an economy seat or 38,750 Avios for business/domestic first class. This distance band covers most American Airlines- or Alaska-operated flights from the West Coast to Hawaii.

Even better, you can quickly accrue Qatar Airways Avios courtesy of a trio of transfer partners. However, there are even more ways to grow your Qatar Avios balance when you consider that you can freely transfer Avios between accounts, opening up the doors to earn British Airways Avios, for example, and transferring them to Qatar.

More people than ever before are utilizing frequent flier miles. But, when it comes to leveraging different programs, most of us still focus on legacy airlines that are now merged into just three carriers: American, Delta, and United.

All three of these legacy carriers no longer have a traditional award chart, so the miles price will vary drastically depending on where you're coming from and your travel dates. While there will be some routes and dates where you can get a good deal — particularly from the West Coast — generally, it's hard to find outsized value by booking directly with American, Delta, or United.

However, there are occasional opportunities to book at decent rates, such as a United flash sale to Hawaii for 9,600 miles or unannounced Delta flash sales .

Use Flexible Rewards Programs for Flights to Hawaii

Our preferred method of collecting miles to get to Hawaii is with flexible rewards programs that offer transferable points. This strategy allows you to transfer travel rewards into mileage programs with multiple airlines, letting you use your points with whichever program has availability at a price you are willing to pay.

There are top flexible rewards currencies:

• American Express Membership Rewards
• Bilt Rewards
• Citi ThankYou ® Points

Our favorite program for flights to Hawaii is Ultimate Rewards , which offers  nearly two dozen different ways to redeem Chase points . Points can be earned with Chase's Ultimate Rewards-earning cards like the Chase Sapphire Preferred ® Card or the Ink Business Preferred ® Credit Card . You can transfer these points at a ratio of 1 point:1 mile (in 1,000-point increments) to 11 different airlines:

You can earn Chase Ultimate Rewards with multiple credit cards , find a good redemption option, and then transfer points when you're ready to book.

• Earn 100k bonus points after you spend $8,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening. That's $1,000 cash back or $1,250 toward travel when redeemed through Chase Travel℠
• Earn 3 points per $1 on the first $150,000 spent on travel and select business categories each account anniversary year. Earn 1 point per $1 on all other purchases
• Round-the-clock monitoring for unusual credit card purchases
• With Zero Liability you won't be held responsible for unauthorized charges made with your card or account information.
• Redeem points for cash back, gift cards, travel and more - your points don't expire as long as your account is open
• Points are worth 25% more when you redeem for travel through Chase Travel℠
• Purchase Protection covers your new purchases for 120 days against damage or theft up to $10,000 per claim and $50,000 per account.
• 3X points per $1 on the first $150,000 spent in combined purchases on travel, shipping purchases, Internet, cable and phone services, advertising purchases made with social media sites and search engines each account anniversary year
• 1X point per $1 on all other purchases

You can transfer American Express Membership Rewards to 18 different airlines, including Delta, Singapore Airlines, and British Airways.

Additionally, Hawaiian Airlines offers awards starting at 20,000 miles one-way from the West Coast, along with awards from 25,000 or 30,000 miles each way from further into the mainland U.S. First class with Hawaiian starts at 40,000 miles each way. Note that prices for both economy and first class are “starting at” and can increase as seats get full. However, those with elite status or a Hawaiian Airlines credit card like the Hawaiian Airlines ® World Elite Mastercard ® get access to reduced award prices that can provide discounts of 12% or more.

Despite recent changes to the program, another option is Flying Blue , the frequent flyer program for Air France and KLM, which partners with numerous points transfer partners . That makes it one of the easiest programs in which to fund a balance for redemption.

You can earn Membership Rewards points with many cards , providing multiple ways to earn and redeem rewards for flights to Hawaii.

• 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.
• Rates & Fees
• 4X Membership Rewards ® Points at restaurants, plus takeout and delivery in the U.S.
• 4X Membership Rewards ® points at U.S. supermarkets (on up to $25,000 per year in purchases, then 1X)
• 3X Membership Rewards ® points on flights booked directly with airlines or on amextravel.com
• 1X on other eligible purchases
• Earn up to a total of $10 in statement credits monthly when you pay with the Gold Card at Grubhub, The Cheesecake Factory, Goldbelly, Wine.com, Milk Bar and select Shake Shack locations. This can be an annual savings of up to $120. Enrollment required.

Related:  How To Transfer Amex Points: A Step-by-Step Guide

If you've got points from co-branded Marriott credit cards like the Marriott Bonvoy Boundless ® Credit Card , you can transfer Marriott points to 40 airline partners.

Using Korean SKYPASS miles, you can book awards to Hawaii on Delta for just 25,000 miles round-trip in economy or 45,000 miles in first, which can be a fantastic deal. Check out our post on how to redeem miles within the Korean SKYPASS program for more details.

• Earn 85,000 Marriott Bonvoy bonus points after you use your new Card to make $5,000 in purchases within the first 6 months of Card Membership.
• Earn 6X Marriott Bonvoy® points for each dollar of eligible purchases at hotels participating in Marriott Bonvoy.
• Earn 4X points at restaurants worldwide and U.S. supermarkets (on up to $15,000 in combined purchases at restaurants and U.S. supermarkets per calendar year, then 2X points).
• Earn 2X points on all other eligible purchases.
• Marriott Bonvoy 1K Bonus Points Per Stay: Earn 1,000 Marriott Bonvoy® bonus points per paid eligible stay booked directly with Marriott for properties participating in Marriott Bonvoy.
• With complimentary Marriott Bonvoy Gold Elites status, earn up to 2.5X points from Marriott Bonvoy® on eligible hotel purchases with the 25% Bonus Points on stays benefit, available for Qualifying Rates.
• Marriott Bonvoy Bevy Free Night Award: Earn 1 Free Night Award after spending $15,000 on eligible purchases on your Marriott Bonvoy Bevy™ Card in a calendar year. Award can be used for one night (redemption level at or under 50,000 Marriott Bonvoy® points) at a hotel participating in Marriott Bonvoy®. Certain hotels have resort fees.
• 15 Elite Night Credits: Each calendar year with your Marriott Bonvoy Bevy™ American Express Card® you can receive 15 Elite Night Credits toward the next level of Marriott Bonvoy® Elite status. Limitations apply per Marriott Bonvoy member account. Benefit is not exclusive to Cards offered by American Express. Terms apply.
• Plan It® is a payment option that lets you split up purchases of $100 or more into equal monthly installments with a fixed fee. Plus, you'll still earn rewards the way you usually do.
• $250 Annual Fee.
• 6X points on purchases at hotels participating in Marriott Bonvoy
• 4X points on up to $15,000 in combined purchases per year at restaurants worldwide and at U.S. supermarkets
• 2X points on all other eligible purchases

Related:  Which Credit Cards Earn Marriott Bonvoy Points?

The key is knowing which points make the most sense for your unique situation. If you value flexibility, it's hard to beat Chase Ultimate Rewards with some of the best transfer partners available at the best rates.

We also need to add Citi's ThankYou Rewards into the mix when discussing the best points for flights to Hawaii. While not traditionally one of the best programs in the world, the Turkish Miles & Smiles option and the ability to redeem KrisFlyer miles on Alaska Airlines flights make ThankYou Points another valuable option for using points to get to Hawaii.

For rates and fees of the cards mentioned in this post, please visit the following links: American Express ® Gold Card ( Rates & Fees ), and Marriott Bonvoy Bevy™ American Express ® Card ( Rates & Fees )

The comments on this page are not provided, reviewed, or otherwise approved by the bank advertiser. It is not the bank advertiser's responsibility to ensure all posts and/or questions are answered.

Sweet Spot Sunday: Fly to Hawaii for 20,000 AAdvantage miles each way

You might assume a flight to Hawaii is expensive. However, especially when paid rates are high, you can save a lot of money by redeeming airline miles for your flight.

There are many ways to get to Hawaii using points and miles . In this guide, I'll discuss a Hawaii sweet spot that travelers with American Airlines AAdvantage miles may want to utilize: American Airlines off-peak awards .

Get the latest points, miles and travel news by signing up for TPG's free daily newsletter .

Why it's special

As I mentioned above, there are many ways to get to Hawaii using points and miles . There are also some excellent sweet spots to consider if you have transferable points . For example, we've previously covered how to fly to Hawaii for 13,000 British Airways Avios each way .

However, if you already have American Airlines AAdvantage miles , you may want to redeem these miles before transferring points to another program. After all, points and miles are a bad long-term investment . Also, points and miles in specific programs like American Airlines AAdvantage are more susceptible to devaluation than transferable points.

Based on American's award charts , you can redeem American Airlines AAdvantage miles as follows for a one-way main cabin economy ticket between Hawaii and the contiguous 48 U.S. states and Canada:

• MileSAAver Off Peak : 20,000 miles.
• MileSAAver : 22,500 miles.
• AAnytime Level 1 : 40,000 miles.
• AAnytime Level 2 : 50,000 miles.

You may also see other award prices when you search for a main cabin economy award. After all, you may see Web Special awards for select flights and dates when you search on American Airlines' website or mobile app. In this guide, though, I'll focus on MileSAAver off-peak awards between the contiguous 48 U.S. states and Hawaii.

You'll only see MileSAAver off-peak award pricing between the continental U.S. and Hawaii on flights operated by American Airlines. As evidenced by the "off-peak" part of its name, MileSAAver off-peak awards are only available on select dates:

• To Hawaii : Dec. 29 to March 12, Aug. 11 to Nov. 18 and Nov. 24 to Dec. 10.
• From Hawaii : Jan. 7 to March 19, Aug. 18 to Nov. 27 and Dec. 3 to Dec. 25.

Of course, you might not find any MileSAAver availability on some off-peak dates and routes. You'll also need to pay taxes and carrier-imposed fees on these awards. However, if your itinerary doesn't have any long layovers, the taxes and fees will typically be $5.60 per person per award.

Related: American's loyalty chief reveals the fate of AAdvantage award charts

How to book this award

American Airlines makes it relatively easy to search for awards on its website. Go to aa.com and enter your origin, destination, travel date and the number of passengers. Be sure to check "Redeem miles" before clicking "Search."

You'll hopefully find some results on the next page. You'll see the minimum price for your search date and surrounding dates, but the first results you see will likely cost more than this minimum price.

You can click the arrow next to "Main Cabin" to sort prices from lowest to highest.

You can also click "Stops" and "Nearby airports" to filter out specific options. For example, when flying from New York City, I often filter out inconvenient airports.

Although there are multiple MileSAAver off-peak awards bookable on my sample date, I could click on "Calendar" to see my options for other dates. Any of the filters you selected so far should carry over to the calendar search. As you can see, there's pretty good MileSAAver off-peak award availability from New York City to Honolulu in January 2023.

Click on a date to move forward with booking. If I wanted to depart on Jan. 20, 2023, I'd have several MileSAAver off-peak one-stop award options.

Click on the main cabin award cost for the option you want. You'll see your trip summary on the next page. But, you'll need to log in to continue booking.

After logging in, you'll need to enter passenger details, select seats if you want to and then review and pay for your trip.

I have enough miles for this award. However, if I didn't have enough miles, I assume American Airlines would have told me after I logged in.

Now let's consider how to earn enough miles for this award.

Related: I had sworn off Hawaii during the pandemic — here's why I went back (and plan to again)

How to earn miles for this award

This sweet spot is best suited for travelers who already have American Airlines miles in their account. After all, you'll want to consider other sweet spots to Hawaii if you have transferable points .

If you decide an American Airlines award is best for your trip and you need to earn more American Airlines AAdvantage miles , you can transfer points to American AAdvantage from:

• Marriott Bonvoy at a 3:1 ratio (transfers typically take 48 hours ).
• Bilt Rewards at a 1:1 ratio (transfers are usually instant ).

Or, you could sign up for a new American Airlines credit card . Here are some of the best cards and their current sign-up bonuses:

• Citi® / AAdvantage® Platinum Select® World Elite Mastercard® : Earn 50,000 bonus miles after you spend $2,500 on purchases within the first three months of account opening (see rates and fees ).
• AAdvantage Aviator Red World Elite Mastercard : Earn 60,000 bonus miles after making your first purchase and paying the $99 annual fee in full, both within the first 90 days.
• Citi® / AAdvantage® Executive World Elite Mastercard® : Earn 100,000 bonus miles after spending $10,000 within the first three months of account opening (see rates and fees ).
• American Airlines AAdvantage® MileUp® : Earn 10,000 bonus miles and get a $50 statement credit after $500 in purchases in the first three months of account opening.

The information for the AAdvantage Aviator Red, Citi Platinum Select, and AAdvantage MileUp cards has been collected independently by The Points Guy. The card details on this page have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer.

However, note that you'll need to meet the minimum spending requirements on your new card and then wait for your bonus miles to post. So, signing up for a new card is only a good option if you're planning your trip well in advance.

If you only need a few extra miles, you can also earn American Airlines miles through the AAdvantage shopping portal , AAdvantage Dining , SimplyMiles and other partner programs. Or, you could consider buying American Airlines miles during a promotion .

Related: How to change or cancel an American Airlines flight

Bottom line

If you want to fly to Hawaii, there are many award options to consider. Although American Airlines MileSAAver off-peak awards aren't the least expensive awards you can book, they can be a good option if you have unused American Airlines miles sitting in your account.

However, it's also worth checking paid rates. After all, we've recently seen several flight deals to Hawaii . So, be sure to consider whether to pay cash or points for your flight before booking.

If you're not sure how to compare, check out this article on how to decide whether to redeem points for a flight or pay cash . If you choose to pay cash for your flight, consider using one of the best credit cards for airfare to maximize your earnings.

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The Guide to American Airlines Flights to Hawaii

As a digital nomad for nearly five years, JT is a freelance writer that proves through experience that credit card rewards can drastically reduce the cost of travel. After working as a tax accountant for a decade, JT turned his analytical skills to points, miles and credit cards. He published over 2,000 articles as a writer for The Points Guy.

Many or all of the products featured here are from our partners who compensate us. This influences which products we write about and where and how the product appears on a page. However, this does not influence our evaluations. Our opinions are our own. Here is a list of our partners and here's how we make money .

Hawaii is a bucket list destination for many, and U.S. citizens love the fact they can visit a tropical paradise without a passport . But reaching this island state can be quite a trek for some travelers, especially those coming from the East Coast.

The onboard experience for your flight there can vary quite a bit depending on the route you take when flying American Airlines. Given the distance, it will vary based on the aircraft and flight time as well as if you have AAdvantage elite status . Paying for a premium cabin seat can also offer a variety of options.

For American Airlines passengers, let’s take a look at the nonstop flight options to Hawaii to better understand which routes offer the best onboard experience.

» Learn more: American Airlines AAdvantage program: The complete guide

What nonstop routes does American operate to Hawaii?

American Airlines, like other carriers, operates flights based on the season, day of the week and demand. At press time, the airline was flying on an average weekday to four different Hawaiian islands on 10 routes.

The island destinations are: Oahu, Maui, Kauai and the Island of Hawaii (commonly referred to as the Big Island). Among these, there are two categories of flights that American offers: Flagship Hawaii flights (using widebody aircraft often seen on international routes) and standard domestic flights using the Airbus A321).

What are American Airlines Flagship Hawaii flights?

Flagship Hawaii flights in economy class offer free meals in all cabins, in-flight entertainment screens, premium economy seating and lie-flat seats in business class.

At the moment, Flagship Hawaii flights are currently limited to just two routes:

Dallas-Fort Worth to Honolulu.

Dallas-Fort Worth to Kahului.

What are the other American flights to Hawaii?

These are the remainder of American Airlines’ nonstop flights to Hawaii, which are on the narrowbody Airbus A321neo. These planes are also used on standard domestic routes, and they lack seatback entertainment screens in both cabins, a proper premium economy class and lie-flat beds in the premium cabin. This more barebones experience is available on these routes:

Los Angeles to Honolulu.

Los Angeles to Kahului.

Los Angeles to Kona.

Los Angeles to Lihue.

Phoenix to Honolulu.

Phoenix to Kahului.

Phoenix to Kona.

Phoenix to Lihue.

In the past, American has also flown from Dallas-Fort Worth to Kona and from Charlotte and Chicago-O’Hare to Honolulu. These are not currently operating.

» Learn more: The complete guide to redeeming American Airlines miles

What makes Flagship flights to Hawaii different?

American Airlines' Flagship flights to Hawaii offer a better overall experience, regardless of cabin, because they use internationally configured wide-body aircraft. All seats feature inflight entertainment screens, power outlets, complimentary meals and complimentary drinks, including beer, wine and spirits.

This is in contrast to flights on the Airbus A321. On these planes, complimentary soft drinks and snacks (generally, pretzels or buy-on-board sandwiches, salads and other items) are available in economy and meals and an open bar are offered in the premium cabin.

Passengers on select routes can book a Flagship business class seat. This elevated experience includes:

A flat-bed seat.

Hot meals and an open bar.

Amenity kit from D.S. & Durga.

Casper bedding with duvet and pillow.

Access to the Flagship Lounge .

If you don’t want to pay for Flagship business, the carrier also offers premium economy on these routes. This ticket comes with a Casper day blanket and pillow, complimentary meals and drinks, wider seats and free entertainment.

How to search for award flights to Hawaii with miles

Airline miles can be a great way to save money on your next Hawaiian vacation. You can use any Oneworld mileage program to go to Hawaii including Alaska Mileage Plan , American AAdvantage or British Airways Avios . When using airline miles, you will want to search for the best deal, and you may even need to rely on transferring credit card points to airline miles. You will just need to pay the taxes on the ticket.

» Learn more: The best airline credit cards right now

How to use American Airlines AAdvantage miles

American uses a dynamic pricing model to determine the number of miles you need for a trip. This means you can get a good deal or an inflated price depending on your flexibility.

To find better deals, avoid travel around the holidays and be willing to shift your travel dates if possible.

American also has a calendar search feature on its website that can help you determine cheaper days to travel on mileage.

A one-way economy class ticket could cost as little as 22,500 miles each way, and on some days, you can get a business class ticket for as few as 55,000 miles. Just take note that often the lower mileage awards in the premium cabin are not for Flagship business class. You will pay more to redeem miles for a lie-flat seat.

How to use British Airways Avios for a flight to Hawaii

The Avios program uses a distance-based model for its redemptions although it does not publish an award chart. The shorter your flight, the fewer miles you would need. For example, an American flight from Los Angeles or Phoenix to Hawaii would fall into one of British Airways sweet spots for Hawaii flights .

For example, a nonstop American flight from Los Angeles to Hawaii is under 3,000 miles so you would pay 10,000 Avios for a one-way, off-peak ticket. In business class (remember this is not a Flagship route), you would need 31,250 points for a one-way, off-peak ticket.

If you need to top up your Avios account, the program is a transfer partner with American Express Membership Rewards® , Chase Ultimate Rewards or Capital One to British Airways at a 1:1 ratio.

You can also transfer points from Aer Lingus , Finnair , Iberia and Qatar Airways , all of which use Avios as their award currency.

How to use Alaska miles for an American flight to Hawaii

The Alaska Airlines website makes it quite easy to search for award flights on its website.

As a Oneworld partner, it offers flights on its own planes to Hawaii as well as on American Airlines. The airline also makes it easy to see how many miles you need for a flight with its calendar feature at the top of the search page.

When to use credit card points for American flights to Hawaii

Sometimes it makes sense to use credit card points to book travel instead of cash or airline miles since these are typically valued at a penny each.

This means that a $200 one-way flight could cost 20,000 credit card points. If you can’t find an award flight, booking travel in an online portal of a major bank rewards/transferable currency program is an option to consider.

Why Chase Ultimate Rewards® can be the best option

If you have the Chase Sapphire Reserve® card, you know that your points are worth even more since they can be redeemed at 1.5 cents per point for paid travel through Chase's travel portal . That $200 one-way flight would only cost 13,333 points using this card.

If you have the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card and Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card , you can accrue 1.25 cents per point in value so that same $200 one-way flight would cost just 16,000 points over.

This represents far greater value than redeeming miles or points from a frequent flyer program directly. Plus, you will earn miles since these flights are booked as if it were a revenue ticket.

Using American Express Membership Rewards points

Most AmEx cardholders earn Membership Rewards points, which can be redeemed through the AmEx Travel Portal at the rate of 1 cent per point.

That $200 one-way flight above would cost 20,000 points, but you would also earn miles for the trip. Plus, you won’t pay any taxes when using a credit card portal since it is factored into the fare already (versus when redeeming miles, you have to pay taxes and fees on top of the actual mileage).

Using Citi ThankYou Points

Citi ThankYou Points can be another valuable resource for booking American Airlines flights to Hawaii. Similar to other credit card transfer partners, Citi cardholders can redeem their ThankYou Points in the Citi Travel Portal at a value of one penny per point. That $200 one-way flight, like with American Express, would cost 20,000 points.

The difference between American Airlines flights to Hawaii

American’s global network can take travelers from any corner of the world to several Hawaiian islands. But, its flights can vary in terms of in-flight experience depending on which route you’re taking.

Flagship Hawaii flights offer a superior overall flight experience, but are only available on. very limited routes. Other nonstop flights offer more standard flight experiences, but will cost less.

Consider booking with AAdvantage miles or another partner. If redemptions aren't available direct on the airline websites, try to use your credit card's travel portal instead.

How to maximize your rewards

You want a travel credit card that prioritizes what’s important to you. Here are some of the best travel credit cards of 2024 :

Flexibility, point transfers and a large bonus: Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card

No annual fee: Bank of America® Travel Rewards credit card

Flat-rate travel rewards: Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card

Bonus travel rewards and high-end perks: Chase Sapphire Reserve®

Luxury perks: The Platinum Card® from American Express

Business travelers: Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card

on Capital One's website

2x-5x Earn unlimited 2X miles on every purchase, every day. Earn 5X miles on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel, where you'll get Capital One's best prices on thousands of trip options.

75,000 Enjoy a one-time bonus of 75,000 miles once you spend $4,000 on purchases within 3 months from account opening, equal to $750 in travel.

on Citibank's application

1x Earn 1 Loyalty Point for every 1 eligible AAdvantage® mile earned from purchases.

100,000 For a limited time, earn 100,000 American Airlines AAdvantage® bonus miles after spending $10,000 within the first 3 months of account opening.

on Chase's website

1x-5x 5x on travel purchased through Chase Travel℠, 3x on dining, select streaming services and online groceries, 2x on all other travel purchases, 1x on all other purchases.

60,000 Earn 60,000 bonus points after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening. That's $750 when you redeem through Chase Travel℠.

Deal alert: Book American Airlines round-trip flights for just 10,000 miles

A merican Airlines has a new award sale for AAdvantage members across its short- and long-haul network, with one-way flights in economy available for as little as 5,000 AAdvantage miles each way or 10,000 miles round-trip.

The award sale is available until July 2, and unlike previous AAdvantage award sales limited to domestic flights only, these discounted fares are offered across most of American's worldwide network.

The AAdvantage program prices awards for flights operated by American Airlines dynamically , so regular prices are always "starting from" and may be much higher during peak periods, such as summer holidays. This promotion reduces the starting prices by as much as 35%, and plenty of dates and routes are available, which you can browse here .

Related: A review of American Airlines economy on the Boeing 777-300ER from Los Angeles to London

American Airlines award sale

American is one of an increasing number of airlines offering discounted redemptions. Singapore Airlines and Air France-KLM offer monthly award promotions, and Virgin Atlantic also occasionally offers discounts.

Deal basics

Airline: American Airlines.

Routes: American Airlines-operated flights within the United States, Mexico, the Caribbean, Latin America, Europe and Asia Pacific.

How to book : Directly with the airline .

Travel dates: Aug. 19-Dec. 13 for domestic, Mexico, Caribbean and Latin American flights; Aug. 19-Dec. 13 for flights to Europe and Asia Pacific. For all routes, blackout dates are Sept. 2 and Nov. 21-Dec. 1.

Book by: July 2.

Before you book, a few other things to know: All mileage rates are subject to availability — so don't wait to book. Additionally, you can't apply the offer retroactively or to existing reservations.

The promotion is only valid on American Airlines- or American Eagle-operated flights; codeshare flights operated by other carriers, such as British Airways or Alaska Airlines, are not included.

Finally, basic economy nonrefundable fares are included in the promotion, but you won't be assigned a seat until you check in.

American Airlines award sale sample flights

To book, go to aa.com and enter your departing airport and destination in the usual boxes. Filter the results to show only routes available to book with miles (not cash) to see what's on offer.

Related reading: Best credit cards for American Airlines flyers

Here's a snapshot of some of the routes currently on offer:

Domestic flights from 10,000 miles round-trip plus $12 in fees and taxes (usually starting at 15,000 miles)

• Dallas Fort Worth International Airport (DFW) to Los Angeles International Airport (LAX)
• Los Angeles to Miami International Airport (MIA)
• Philadelphia International Airport (PHL) to San Francisco International Airport (SFO)
• Dallas Fort Worth to Denver International Airport (DEN)
• Charlotte Douglas International Airport (CLT) to Miami

Flights to the Caribbean and Mexico from 13,000 miles round-trip plus $96.23 (usually starting at 20,000 miles)

• Charlotte to St. Maarten's Princess Juliana International Airport (SXM)
• Charlotte to Jamaica's Sangster International Airport (MBJ)
• Miami to Grand Cayman's Owen Roberts International Airport (CGM)
• Dallas to Antigua's V. C. Bird International Airport (ANU) (from 14,500 miles)
• Dallas to Cancun International Airport (CUN) (from 15,000 miles)

Flights to Europe from 43,000 miles round-trip plus $55.30 (usually starting at 50,000 miles)

• Los Angeles to London's Heathrow Airport (LHR)
• Los Angeles to Paris-Charles de Gaulle Airport (CDG)
• Dallas to London
• Dallas to Paris
• Miami to Adolfo Suárez Madrid-Barajas Airport (MAD)

Flights to Asia Pacific from 48,000 miles round-trip plus $40.54 (usually starting at 70,000 miles)

• New York's John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK) to Delhi Indira Gandhi International Airport (DEL)
• San Francisco to Tokyo's Haneda Airport (HND) (from 56,000 miles)
• Dallas to Shanghai Pudong International Airport (PVG) (from 56,000 miles)
• Los Angeles to Sydney Airport (SYD) (from 57,000 miles)
• Dallas to Auckland Airport (AKL) (from 68,000 miles)
• Dallas to Brisbane Airport (BNE) (from 75,000 miles)

Best travel credit cards to maximize your purchase

If you book this deal and want to maximize your spending on fees, taxes or other add-ons, use a credit card that earns bonus points on airfare purchases, such as:

• The Platinum Card® from American Express : 5 points per dollar spent on airfare when booked directly with the airline or through American Express Travel (on up to $500,000 of these purchases per calendar year, then 1 point per dollar)
• Citi® / AAdvantage Business™ World Elite Mastercard® (see rates and fees ): 2 miles per dollar spent on eligible American Airlines purchases
• Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card : 2 points per dollar spent on travel
• American Express® Gold Card: 3 points per dollar spent on airfare when booked directly with the airline or through American Express Travel
• Chase Sapphire Reserve® : 3 points per dollar spent on airfare
• Citi Strata Premier℠ Card (see rates and fees ): 3 points per dollar spent on air travel

Bottom line

American Airlines is offering an award sale with round-trip flights starting at 10,000 miles, a discount of up to 35% on the regular prices. A wide range of routes and dates are available, but you must book before July 2 to take "advantage" of this great offer.

Editorial disclaimer: Opinions expressed here are the author’s alone, not those of any bank, credit card issuer, airline or hotel chain, and have not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by any of these entities.