The Cheapest Ways to Fly to Hawaii Using Points and Miles

Ariana Arghandewal
By Ariana Arghandewal 
Updated
Edited by Mary M. Flory

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When you think of Hawaii, what probably comes to mind are gorgeous beaches, palm trees, lush mountains, and that endearing Aloha spirit. The next thing? “It’s expensive” — and you’re not wrong. During peak travel season, airfare can be sky high.

If you’re looking for a cheap way to fly to Hawaii using points and miles, there are five excellent options you should know about:

15,000 miles round-trip on United using Turkish miles

You can still get a bargain on flights to Hawaii on United. Star Alliance partner Turkish Airlines offers economy class awards between the U.S. and Hawaii for just 15,000 miles round-trip.

Want to splurge on business class? It will set you back just 25,000 miles.

That’s incredible, considering United currently requires 45,000 miles for economy class on the same route. You can transfer Citi ThankYou points to Turkish Airlines miles.

Credit cards that earn or transfer to Turkish Airlines miles

26,000 Avios round-trip from the West Coast to Hawaii

British Airways Avios are great for West Coast travelers looking for affordable flights to Hawaii. Since British Airways partners with both American and Alaska Airlines, there are lots of flight options.

British Airways no longer publishes an award chart, so head over to the British Airways website and do a quick search for the routes you’re looking for to figure out how many miles you’ll need to save. West Coast to Hawaii flights cost as few as 13,000 miles each way and $5.60 in taxes.

Examples include Los Angeles to Kauai or Honolulu, and Phoenix to Honolulu. Flights with stops will require more miles even if the distance to the final destination is the same. For example, San Francisco to Honolulu via Los Angeles clocks in at 20,500 miles.

Another great thing about using Avios for flights to Hawaii is that you won’t pay close-in booking fees on last-minute reservations, and Avios are easy to acquire. British Airways has a co-branded credit card; it's also a transfer partner of Chase Ultimate Rewards®, American Express Membership Rewards and Citi ThankYou.

American Express is currently offering a 40% transfer bonus, which means the above-mentioned award would set you back less than 9,290 Membership Rewards each way.

Credit cards that earn or transfer to Avios

Terms apply.

While rewards from the Chase Freedom Flex℠ and Chase Freedom Unlimited® are technically cash back, you can convert them to points by transferring them to your Chase Ultimate Rewards® account.

West Coast to Hawaii on Southwest

If you’re on the West Coast, Southwest could be a great option for flying to Hawaii using points and miles. Southwest has a fare-based award program, meaning the points required for an award is determined by the cost of the ticket. This can create some great redemption opportunities.

For example, using Southwest’s low fare calendar, we were able to find one-way flights between Oakland and Honolulu in October for just 12,086 points ($179 cash fare). Meanwhile, return flights cost as few as 8,967 points ($139 cash fare). That’s an incredible bargain, especially considering what some legacy carriers charge for the same route.

Aside from low fares, flying Southwest also gets you two free checked bags per person. If you’re short on Southwest points, you can transfer some over from your Chase Ultimate Rewards® account. If you’re saving up well in advance, consider picking up a Southwest credit card. At the moment, you can earn quite a few points with the sign-up bonus from the 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.

Credit cards that earn or transfer to Southwest

25,000 miles round-trip with Korean Skypass miles

Korean Air partners with Delta Air Lines and allows you to redeem just 25,000 miles for a round-trip flight to Hawaii in economy. If sitting upfront is more your style, a first class ticket will cost you just 45,000 miles round-trip.

Earning SkyPass miles has become slightly more challenging since the airline ended its partnership with Chase Ultimate Rewards®. However, you can still earn Korean SkyPass miles through their co-branded credit cards.

Credit cards that earn or transfer to Korean SkyPass

  • Skypass Visa Business.

  • SKYPASS Visa® Signature Credit Card.

  • Skypass Visa Classic Card.

  • SKYPASS SkyBlue Visa® Card.

30,000 miles round-trip with Air France Flying Blue

As a SkyTeam partner, Air France and KLM’s joint Flying Blue program offers lots of great redemption options. One of those are round-trip flights between the U.S. and Hawaii for just 35,000 miles round-trip in economy class. Premium cabin flights are pricier at 86,000 miles and not worth it, in our opinion.

What makes Flying Blue such a great choice, aside from the low redemption levels, is that points are easy to come by. In addition to a co-branded credit card, Flying Blue partners with Chase Ultimate Rewards®, American Express Membership Rewards and Citi ThankYou.

Credit cards that earn or transfer to FlyingBlue

Terms apply.

The information related to Citi Prestige® Card and Amex EveryDay® Credit Card has been collected by NerdWallet and has not been reviewed or provided by the issuer or provider of this product or service


How to maximize your rewards

You want a travel credit card that prioritizes what’s important to you. Here are our picks for the best travel credit cards of 2024, including those best for:

Travel Cards from Our Partners
Chase Sapphire Preferred Credit Card

on Chase's website

Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card
5.0
NerdWallet Rating
Rewards rate

1x-5x

5x on travel purchased through Chase Ultimate Rewards®, 3x on dining, select streaming services and online groceries, 2x on all other travel purchases, 1x on all other purchases.

Points

Intro offer

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 toward travel when you redeem through Chase Ultimate Rewards®.

Points
Chase Freedom Unlimited Credit Card

on Chase's website

Chase Freedom Unlimited®
5.0
NerdWallet Rating
Rewards rate

1.5%-6.5%

Enjoy 6.5% cash back on travel purchased through Chase Travel; 4.5% cash back on drugstore purchases and dining at restaurants, including takeout and eligible delivery service, and 3% on all other purchases (on up to $20,000 spent in the first year). After your first year or $20,000 spent, enjoy 5% cash back on travel purchased through Chase Travel, 3% cash back on drugstore purchases and dining at restaurants, including takeout and eligible delivery service, and unlimited 1.5% cash back on all other purchases.

Cashback

Intro offer

$300

Earn an additional 1.5% cash back on everything you buy (on up to $20,000 spent in the first year) - worth up to $300 cash back!

Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card

on Capital One's website

Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card
4.7
NerdWallet Rating
Rewards rate

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.

Miles

Intro offer

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.

Miles
See more travel cards
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