A credit card with useful perks and benefits for Hawaiian Airlines regulars.
30-second take
- Get this card if you’re a frequent Hawaiian Airlines flyer.
- Pick something else if you’re an occasional traveler.
- Apply with good to excellent credit score of 680 or higher.
| Product Name | Hawaiian Airlines® World Elite Mastercard® |
|---|---|
| Card Type | Mastercard |
| Annual Fee | $99 |
| APR (Annual Percentage Rate) for Purchases | 17.74%, 21.74% or 26.74% variable |
| Introductory Balance Transfer APR | 0% for the first 15 billing cycles (then 17.74%, 21.74% or 26.74% variable) |
| Balance Transfer Fee | 3% or $5 of the transaction, whichever is greater |
| Cash Advance Rate | 26.99% variable |
| Cash Advance Fee | $10 or 5% of the cash advance amount, whichever is greater |
| Foreign Transaction Fee | None |
| Interest Free Period | Up to 23 days |
| Minimum Interest | $0.5 |
| Late Payment Fee | $37 |
| Returned Payment Fee | $37 |
| Additional Cardholder Fee | $0 |
| Minimum Age | 18 years of age |
|---|
| Welcome Bonus | Earn 50,000 miles after spending $3,000 in the first 90 days |
|---|---|
| Reward Value per Dollar | 1 miles |
| Rewards Points Expiry | Never |
The basics
The Hawaiian Airlines® World Elite Mastercard® may be the right choice for a niche flyer — and most helpful if you fly to and from Hawaii often. But there are other things to consider if you’re thinking about picking up the card.
The signup bonus is relatively easy to obtain, which is enough for a one-way flight between North America and Hawaii in the Coach Saver fare class. Also, you get other solid perks, like no foreign transaction fees, a 5,000-mile bonus each year you spend $10,000 or more on your card, and a one-time 50% discount for your companion for a round trip.
But with a $99 annual fee, the card may not be the right fit for casual flyers. If you want to save up for an occasional flight, consider a card like the Barclaycard Arrival® Plus World Elite Mastercard®.
The perks
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Signup bonus.
Spend $3,000 in the first 90 days and earn 50,000 bonus miles. This is relatively easy to earn, and the value you get is solid.
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First checked bag free.
The primary cardholder gets a one-time free checked bag, which can save you $25 with this perk.
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One-time companion discount.
Get 50% discount for your companion for a round trip coach travel between Hawaii and North America. Depending on the distance traveled, you can save approximately $450.
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Earn miles.
Earn 3x miles on eligible Hawaiian Airlines purchases. Earn 2x miles on gas, dining and grocery store purchases and 1x on everything else. Redeem miles for flights, hotels, rental cars and gift certificates.
How to earn additional miles?
You can purchase miles in increments of 500 if you need additional miles to redeem a reward.
Or you can earn miles when flying with Hawaiian Airlines partners. Some of them include:
- Japan Airlines
- Virgin Atlantic
- Korean Air
- jetBlue
- China Airlines
When you stay at certain hotels, you also earn miles. But first you have to be a member of the hotel’s loyalty program and then you must provide your Hawaiian membership number when checking in. Among the hotels where you can earn miles are:
- Marriott hotels. Up to 2 miles per dollar.
- Starwood hotels. Earn 3 miles per dollar.
- Hyatt hotels. Up to 5,000 miles.
- Hilton hotels. Redeem Hilton Honor points for HawaiianMiles in 1.5:1 ratio.
- Alohilani resort. Up to 1,500 miles per night.
- Maui Coast hotel. Earn 150 miles per night.
- Prince Resorts Hawaii. Earn 5,000 miles and fourth night free.
If you rent a car from AVIS, Budget and Payless car rental companies or if you shop at certain locations in Hawaii you earn additional miles.
Download an app once you log in to your HawaiianMiles membership account and it’ll show you all locations where you can earn Hawaiian Miles.
You’ll also like …
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Intro APR period on balance transfers.
Get 0% intro APR period for the first 15 billing cycles for balance transfers that post to your account within 45 days of account opening. After that, a variable APR of 17.74%, 21.74% or 26.74% applies.
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No foreign transaction fees.
Use this card freely when you travel abroad and you won’t incur any international transaction fees. Other cards have up to 3% fees of the amount of every transaction.
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Companion ticket discount.
Get $100 discount for your companion every year on your credit card account anniversary. A useful perk if you fly with a companion on Hawaiian Airlines every year.
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Miles boost.
Once you spend $10,000 in a calendar year, get 5,000 bonus miles, or $50 in value.
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ShareMiles.
You can send and receive miles with your friends and family up to 10 times annually, without paying any fees for miles transfer.
What to watch out for
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Balance transfer limitations.
To use the intro APR period, make sure you post all your balance transfers within 45 days of account opening. For each transfer, you’ll pay either a $5 or 3% of the amount, whichever is greater. If your transfer amount exceeds your credit limit, Barclays may decline your transfer or may accept only a partial amount.
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Annual fee.
To own the card, you’ll pay $99 each year. The fee isn’t waived for the first year. However, if you often travel, you’ll offset the annual fee many times.
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Potentially high APR.
Depending on your credit, you can have a purchase APR of 17.74%, 21.74% or 26.74% variable.
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Penalty fees.
For any late or returned payment you make, expect to pay up to $37. This is one of the rare cards that don’t have a penalty APR.
How to make the annual fee worth it
There are two one-time bonuses that make the annual fee worth paying. If you earn the signup bonus, the card pays for itself. And for one flight, you’ll get 50% off when you bring a companion. For a $500 round-trip flight, that’s savings of around $250.
Long-term, the card is worth keeping if you take someone on a trip every year: The $100 companion-ticket discount more than covers the annual fee.
HawaiianMiles are worth around 1.2 cents apiece. If you can earn around 7,500 miles from your card every year, your bonus miles will outweigh your annual fee.
Consider other cards if…
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You fly on other airlines.
Depending on which airline company you prefer to fly with, you can consider the Gold Delta SkyMiles® Credit Card from American Express if you fly Delta, the United℠ Explorer Card for United Airlines flights or the Citi® / AAdvantage® Platinum Select® World Elite™ Mastercard® if you fly American Airlines.
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You want a general travel rewards card.
A general travel rewards card lets you earn points redeemable for flights, hotels, car rentals, cruises and more. The fan-favorite is the Barclaycard Arrival® Plus World Elite Mastercard®.
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You want a cashback card.
If you want a simple, no-annual-fee card, you can consider the Cash Magnet™ Card from American Express or the Chase Freedom Unlimited® credit card where both cards earn you unlimited 1.5% cash back. If you want a higher cash back for select categories of purchases, consider the Discover it® Cash Back or the Blue Cash Preferred® Card.
How does a balance transfer work with this card?
The 0% intro APR period for 15 billing cycles is available to you if you post your balance transfers within 45 days of card membership. After the intro period passes, a variable APR of 17.74%, 21.74% or 26.74% will apply. Know that it takes at least four weeks for your balance transfers to post to your account.
The balance transfer fee is either $5 or 3% of the amount, whichever is greater. This means that the fee for $1,000 balance transfer is $30.
If you request an amount that exceeds your credit limit, Barclays may either decline your request or accept only a partial amount. If your balance transfer comes from another Barclays account, the bank won’t accept it.
For balance transfers you initiated when you applied for the card, you can cancel them within 10 days from the day your credit card was approved. All you need to do is call the number on the back of your card.
What should I know before I apply?
To apply for the Hawaiian Airlines® World Elite Mastercard®, you must be at least 18 years old and a US resident. Residents of Puerto Rico and US territories are not eligible.
Also, you’ll need to provide data, such as:
- Full name and contact information
- Employment and financial information.
- Social Security number
- Date of birth and mother’s maiden name
What credit score do I need?
You’ll have a better chance if you apply with a good to excellent credit score of 680 or higher. With a better credit score, you’ll get a lower APR and a higher credit line.
Which partner airlines can I fly with HawaiianMiles?
Aside from Hawaiian Airlines where the redemption value is highest, you can redeem your miles for flights with partner airlines. Some of them include:
- jetBlue. You’ll need up to 50,000 miles for tickets valued up to $419.
- Korean Air. Between 100,000 and 200,000 miles costs a round-trip flight between South Korea and the US.
- Virgin Atlantic. Between 60,000 and 160,000 miles cost a flight from the UK to US West Coast, depending on which class you fly.
- Virgin Australia. Between 100,000 and 200,000 miles cost a flight from Australia to international destinations, depending on which class you fly.
Call HawaiianMiles service center at 1-877-HA-MILES (1-877-426-4537) from Monday to Friday 7 a.m.–4:30 p.m. Hawaii-Aleutian Time to redeem miles for partner flights.
What do customers say about the Hawaiian Airlines® World Elite Mastercard®?
The Better Business Bureau has rated Barclays US with an A+, while the customers there have given the bank a composite score of 3.77 out of 5 stars. Most customers complain about poor customer support for the bank in general.
As for the card itself, some customers consider the number of miles required to redeem a flight ticket to be too high. However, those who often travel between Hawaii and the US claim that this is a card with a good value.
How to apply for the Hawaiian Airlines® World Elite Mastercard®?
- Go to the Barclays US website and select the Hawaiian Airlines® World Elite Mastercard® from the list of cards. Click Apply Now.
- Complete the application form.
- Review your application and submit it.
How long will it take to get my Hawaiian Airlines® World Elite Mastercard®?
Typically, you’ll receive an immediate decision on your application. In rare cases, you may need to wait a few days to a few weeks until your application is manually approved.
Once approved, expect your card to arrive within 7 to 10 business days.
I got the card. Now what?
- Download Barclays US Mobile banking app. Make payments, access your FICO® score and more.
- Avoid interest. After the close of each billing cycle, you have a grace period of 23 days to pay your balance to avoid paying interest on your purchases.
- Avoid fees. Late and returned payments come with hefty fees of up to $37. Balance transfers and cash advances also come with fees.
- Customer service. If you have questions, contact Barclaycard customer service at 866-928-8598.
Bottom line
This may be a good choice for Hawaiian Airlines regulars. You get to earn miles not just by making purchases, but with the distance flown with Hawaiian Airlines and their partners. Also, staying at certain hotels and by renting cars from certain companies can earn you additional miles.
However, if you’re a casual flyer, you might get more out of a general travel card.