Managing Money In A Crisis
Weekly tips sent straight to your inbox
Finder is committed to editorial independence. While we receive compensation when you click links to partners, they do not influence our opinions or reviews. Learn how we make money.
How to redeem HawaiianMiles for best value
Make the most of your miles by redeeming them on flights to Hawaii.
Travel Credit Card Guides
If you’re a frequent traveler to Hawaii or a resident, you’re likely familiar with HawaiianMiles. You can get great value out of this program by accruing and redeeming miles for flights to Hawaii and between neighboring islands.
What's in this guide?
How to redeem points for maximum value
The value of HawaiianMiles are fairly average when it comes to airline loyalty programs, hovering around 1 to 1.2 cents per mile. However, there are a few ways to get the most value out of your miles when using the HawaiianMiles loyalty program.
Fly between neighboring islands
Booking main cabin flights between Hawaii’s neighboring islands is one of the best uses for your HawaiianMiles. Round-trip flights between Kahului and Honolulu can be as low as 15,000 miles. If you stick to main cabin or economy seating, most neighboring island flights will provide a value of a little over 1 cent per mile.
Below is the Hawaiian Airlines mileage chart for flights between neighbor islands. Fares are one-way.
| Main Cabin | Miles required | Miles required for discounted award |
|---|---|---|
| Main Cabin 1 | 7,500 | N/A |
| Main Cabin 2 | 10,000 | N/A |
| Main Cabin 3 | 15,000 | 12,500 |
| Main Cabin 4 | 20,000 | 20,000 |
| First Class | Miles required |
|---|---|
| First Class 1 | 15,000 |
| First Class 2 | 30,000 |
| Upgrade 1 | 7,500 |
| Upgrade 2 | 15,000 |
Fly between North America and Hawaii
With a little research, you can find some solid redemption options for between North America and Hawaii. Round-trip economy flights from LAX to HNL, for example, can cost as little as 40,000 miles normally – a value of about 1 cent per mile. If you qualify for discounted awards — for example, if you have Pualani Elite status or you have an eligible cobranded card — round-trip economy award flights can be as little as 35,000 miles.
Be quick to reserve these flights as they can fill up fast.
Here’s the Hawaiian Airlines award chart for flights between North America and Hawaii. Fares are one-way.
Hawaii to and from North America (West Coast)
| Main Cabin | Miles required | Miles required for discounted award |
|---|---|---|
| Main Cabin 1 | 20,000 | 17,500 |
| Main Cabin 2 | 30,000 | 26,250 |
| Main Cabin 3 | 40,000 | 35,000 |
| Main Cabin 4 | 50,000 | 43,750 |
| Main Cabin 5 | 60,000 | 52,500 |
| Main Cabin 6 | 80,000 | 70,000 |
| Main Cabin 7 | 90,000 | 85,000 |
| First Class | Miles required |
|---|---|
| First Class 1 | 40,000 |
| First Class 2 | 80,000 |
| Upgrade 1 | 25,000 |
| Upgrade 2 | 50,000 |
Hawaii to and from North America (east coast)
| Main Cabin | Miles required | Miles required for discounted award |
|---|---|---|
| Main Cabin 1 | 30,000 | 26,250 |
| Main Cabin 2 | 40,000 | 35,000 |
| Main Cabin 3 | 50,000 | 43,750 |
| Main Cabin 4 | 60,000 | 52,500 |
| Main Cabin 5 | 80,000 | 70,000 |
| Main Cabin 6 | 100,000 | 87,500 |
| Main Cabin 7 | 120,000 | 99,000 |
| Main Cabin 8 | 130,000 | 110,000 |
| First Class | Award Amount |
|---|---|
| First Class 1 | 40,000 |
| First Class 2 | 130,000 |
| Upgrade 1 | 25,000 |
| Upgrade 2 | 50,000 |
Fly between Hawaii and Japan, Korea, Australia and New Zealand
Hawaiian Airlines offers flights between Hawaii and Japan, Korea, Australia and New Zealand. Booking a round-trip Main Cabin flight will cost you between 80,000 and 280,000 miles depending on which cabin you fly in. Discounted flights cost from 70,000 to 245,000 miles.
Below, you’ll find the Hawaiian Airlines mileage chart for flights between these destinations. Fares are one-way.
| Main Cabin | Miles required | Miles required for discounted award |
|---|---|---|
| Main Cabin 1 | 40,000 | 35,000 |
| Main Cabin 2 | 50,000 | 43,750 |
| Main Cabin 3 | 60,000 | 52,500 |
| Main Cabin 4 | 80,000 | 70,000 |
| Main Cabin 5 | 100,000 | 87,500 |
| Main Cabin 6 | 120,000 | 105,000 |
| Main Cabin 7 | 140,000 | 122,500 |
| Business Class | Miles required |
|---|---|
| Business Class 1 | 65,000 |
| Business Class 2 | 130,000 |
| Upgrade 1 | 45,000 |
| Upgrade 2 | 90,000 |
All information from the Hawaiian Airlines website. Collected on July 3, 2020.
Partner awards
Hawaiian Airlines allows you to redeem rewards for partnered award flights directly with no need to transfer points. To redeem your HawaiianMiles on partner airlines, call the HawaiianMiles service center at 877-426-4537 weekdays from 7 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. HST.
Keep in mind that if you want to redeem HawaiianMiles for award flights on partner airlines, you can select round-trip fares only. According to the award chart listed on the Hawaiian Airlines website, the exception is Japan Airlines. If you don’t have quite enough miles to redeem on a partner carrier, consider using them for a one-way flight on Hawaiian Airlines.
JetBlue
Redeem up to 50,000 miles for tickets valued at up to $419. Before trading your miles, watch your redemption rate: It’s a good chance you’ll find many fares below a 1-cent-per-mile value.
| JetBlue ticket value (estimated) | Miles required | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| From | To | From | To |
| $0 | $99 | — | 10,000 |
| $100 | $179 | 15,000 | 20,000 |
| $180 | $259 | 25,000 | 30,000 |
| $260 | $339 | 35,000 | 40,000 |
| $340 | $419 | 45,000 | 50,000 |
Korean Air
Redeem from 100,000 to 200,000 miles for round-trips between South Korea and the US. These award flights apply to fares operated by Korean Air only.
| Flight | Coach | Business |
|---|---|---|
| 1 round-trip flight within South Korea | 15,000 | 30,000 |
| 1 round-trip flight within Asia | 30,000 | 60,000 |
| 1 round-trip flight between Korea and the US | 100,000 | 200,000 |
Japan Airlines
For flights between Hawaii and Japan, redeem from 40,000 to 150,000 miles — depending on whether you want a one-way or round-trip flight and which class you fly. For flights between Japan and North America, redeem from 45,000 to 180,000 miles.
| Flight | One-way or round trip | Economy | Premium Economy | Business |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flights within Japan | One-way | 12,000 | 15,000 | N/A |
| Round trip | 24,000 | 30,000 | N/A | |
| Between Hawaii and Japan | One-way | 40,000 | 50,000 | 75,000 |
| Round trip | 80,000 | 100,000 | 150,000 | |
| Between Japan and Asia 1 | One-way | 17,000 | 25,000 | 40,000 |
| Round trip | 34,000 | 50,000 | 80,000 | |
| Between Japan and Asia 2 | One-way | 30,000 | 45,000 | 60,000 |
| Round trip | 60,000 | 90,000 | 120,000 | |
| Between Japan and Europe | One-way | 45,000 | 60,000 | 90,000 |
| Round trip | 90,000 | 120,000 | 180,000 | |
| Between Japan and North America | One-way | 45,000 | 60,000 | 90,000 |
| Round trip | 90,000 | 120,000 | 180,000 | |
| Between Hawaii and Asia 1 | One-way | 47,000 | 70,000 | 110,000 |
| Round trip | 94,000 | 140,000 | 220,000 | |
| Between Hawaii and Asia 2 | One-way | 60,000 | 85,000 | 120,000 |
| Round trip | 120,000 | 170,000 | 240,000 |
Virgin Atlantic
Redeem from 60,000 to 160,000 miles for round-trip tickets from the UK to the US, depending on the class you fly.
| From/To | To/From | Economy | Premier Economy | Upper Class |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| United Kingdom | Caribbean, Africa, Middle East | 60,000 | 100,000 | 125,000 |
| United Kingdom | India, Asia, Australia | 80,000 | 130,000 | 160,000 |
| United Kingdom | North America East Coast | 60,000 | 100,000 | 125,000 |
| United Kingdom | North America West Coast | 80,000 | 130,000 | 160,000 |
Virgin Australia
Redeem from 100,000 to 200,000 miles for round trips from Australia to destinations over 4,000 miles away — such as the United States — depending on the class you fly.
| Flight distance | Economy | Premium Economy | Business |
|---|---|---|---|
| Within Australia | |||
| 0 to 1,000 miles | 20,000 | 30,000 | 40,000 |
| Over 1,000 miles | 40,000 | 60,000 | 80,000 |
| From Australia to Virgin Australia International destinations | |||
| 0 to 2,000 miles | 40,000 | 60,000 | 80,000 |
| 2,001 to 4,000 miles | 60,000 | 90,000 | 120,000 |
| Over 4,000 miles | 100,000 | 150,000 | 200,000 |
All information from the Hawaiian Airlines website. Collected on July 3, 2020.
Other ways to redeem miles
If you’re not sure you want to redeem miles for flights, or if you don’t have enough, consider using your miles for other options. Car rental gift certificates offer poor value, but magazine subscriptions are often a great option.
Gift cards
You can redeem 5,000 miles for a $25 Foodland gift card. This is a mediocre value, giving you a redemption rate of 0.5 cents per mile.
Hawaiian Airlines periodically lets you redeem miles online for gift cards valid for use with the airline. Details are released as the promotions are announced, but typically you can find a redemption value of 1 cent per mile.
Car rental gift certificates
You can redeem between 10,000 and 40,000 miles for gift certificates worth $50 to $200 from Avis and Budget. Overall, these are poor deals, giving you a redemption rate of 0.5 cents per mile.
Redemption rates with Avis
| Award | Miles required |
|---|---|
| $50 gift certificate | 10,000 |
| $100 gift certificate | 20,000 |
| $200 gift certificate | 40,000 |
Redemption rates with Budget
| Award | Miles required |
|---|---|
| $50 gift certificate | 10,000 |
| $100 gift certificate | 20,000 |
| $200 gift certificate | 40,000 |
Magazines and newspapers
You can redeem miles for around two dozen publications, including Barron’s, Vanity Fair, Better Homes & Gardens, People and Travel + Leisure. Costs generally range from 200 to 2,300 miles.
While you’ll want to calculate the value of your miles before redeeming, magazine subscriptions can deliver excellent value. For example, a Travel + Leisure subscription is normally $12 for 12 issues. You can subscribe for 200 miles, which gives you an excellent 6-cents-per-mile redemption rate.
Donate
You can donate your miles to the following charities:
- American Cancer Society Hawaii Pacific, Inc.
- American Red Cross of Hawaii
- Big Brothers Big Sisters Hawaii
- Blood Bank of Hawaii
- The Coral Reef Alliance (CORAL)
- Friends of Hokule’a and Hawai’iloa
- Hawaiian Humane Society
- HUGS (Help, Understanding, and Group Support)
- Make-A-Wish Hawaii
- Maui Forest Bird Recovery Project
- National Kidney Foundation of Hawaii
- Shriners Hospital for Children of Honolulu
- Special Olympics Hawaii
- Surfrider Foundation Oahu Chapter
At the end of each year, Hawaiian Airlines matches up to 500,000 in donated miles to each charity. Ultimately, donating miles can be an easy way to use your rewards if you don’t quite know what to do with them. It can also be a useful method of keeping your miles from expiring.
Sharing and gifting
You can share HawaiianMiles in one of two ways:
- Own a qualifying card. If you have a Hawaiian Airlines® World Elite MasterCard®, Bankoh Hawaiian Airlines Visa® check card or Hawaiian Airlines Visa® credit card issued in Japan, you can give and receive miles at no cost.
- Pay to transfer miles. If the person to whom you’re transferring miles doesn’t have a qualifying card, you’ll pay a $25 service fee plus a 1-cent fee per mile transferred. You must transfer at least 2,000 miles at a time. As you might expect, this leads to a very poor value, so try to avoid it whenever possible.
You can also use your miles to gift a Premier Club membership to someone. At the time of this writing, this costs $299 or 40,000 miles.
How to earn HawaiianMiles
Aside from flying with the airline and HawaiianMiles partners, making purchases with eligible credit cards is the most effective way to build your HawaiianMiles. You can earn bonus miles on eligible purchases and complete welcome offer requirements to jump-start your collection.
Compare cards for earning HawaiianMiles
Earn bonus miles on eligible Hawaiian Airlines purchases and other HawaiianMiles perks using Hawaiian Airlines’s cobranded credit cards. Plus, both cards offer a solid welcome offer you can earn after you sign up.
{"niche":"USCCF"}
Bottom line
You’ll get the most value out of the HawaiianMiles program if you redeem your miles on flights. Also, plan out a few neighboring island flights when you’re traveling. That way, you can see all that Hawaii has to offer.
If you’re looking for broader travel rewards, compare travel credit cards to find a program that suits your travel and spending preferences.
Frequently asked questions
Ask an Expert