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The airport lounge can offer an escape from the crowds when you're between flights. Not to mention you can take advantage of free snacks and beverages, high-speed Wi-Fi and other perks to help you relax while you wait to board.
Hawaiian Airlines operates Premier Club lounges throughout Hawaii, as well as The Plumeria Lounge in Honolulu. If you have the Hawaiian Airlines® World Elite Mastercard®, then you could be on your way to qualifying for Premier Club membership with the miles you earn on purchases. Here are five helpful things to know about Hawaiian Airlines lounges.
1. Where to find Hawaiian Airlines lounges
Premier Club lounges can be found in these five locations:
Hilo, Hawaii Island.
Honolulu, Oahu.
Kahului, Maui.
Kona, Hawaii Island.
Lihue, Kauai.
Premier Clubs aren't available in North American locations for domestic flights. And access to The Plumeria Lounge at Honolulu International Airport isn't included as part of your Premier Club membership.
Hawaiian Airlines also partners with several airport lounge programs internationally that you can access, including:
Plaza Premium Lounge in Brisbane, Australia.
Plaza Premium Lounge in Sydney, Australia.
JAL Sakura Lounge in Narita, Japan.
ANA Lounge in Osaka, Japan.
Royal Lounge in Sapporo, Japan.
Asiana Business Class Lounge in Incheon, Korea.
Strata Lounge in Auckland, New Zealand.
» Learn More: The complete guide to Hawaiian Airlines partners
2. How to get in to Hawaiian Airlines lounges
The Premier Club is accessible to the following passengers:
North America and Neighbor Island First Class Hawaiian Airlines guests.
Pualani Platinum and Gold members.
Premier Club members.
How do you become a Hawaiian Airlines Premier Club member? For starters, join the HawaiianMiles program. From there, you can either pay a flat fee for Premier Club membership or redeem HawaiianMiles.
This chart outlines the price in dollars and miles to start a new Premier Club membership or renew an existing one, annually.
Membership Type | Price in USD and HawaiianMiles |
|---|---|
New Premier Club Membership | $299 or 40,000 HawaiianMiles |
Renewing Premier Club Membership | $249 or 35,000 HawaiianMiles |
Note that if you're a Gold or Platinum member in the Pualani frequent flyer club, Premier Club membership is automatically included as one of your Elite benefits.
3. You can use credit cards to cover your Premier club membership
If you'd rather not pay the membership fee, there's a simple workaround. If you have the Hawaiian Airlines® World Elite Mastercard® or plan to apply for it, you could easily earn miles toward membership through regular purchases or the introductory bonus available to eligible new cardmembers.
The Hawaiian Airlines® World Elite Mastercard® is currently offering the following welcome bonus: Earn 70,000 bonus miles after spending $2,000 on purchases in the first 90 days..
» Learn More: The complete guide to earning Hawaiian Airlines miles
4. The Plumeria Lounge is different
In addition to the Premier Clubs, Hawaiian Airlines operates what's called the Plumeria Lounge at Honolulu’s Daniel K. Inouye International Airport.
It’s available to Priority Pass members, as well as to select Hawaiian Airlines business and first class travelers, plus frequent fliers with Pualani Platinum elite status.
You can also purchase a day pass. Generally, the fee is $40 per person. Though, if you're a Pualani Gold or Platinum member, you can purchase a discounted pass.
The Plumeria Lounge offers complimentary snacks and beverages, high-speed Wi-Fi and cable TV. Quality is good, but not great. Fresh snacks are as bland as the color of the paint on the walls (think mediocre sandwiches and salad).
The processed snacks are a bit more enticing, particularly given the emphasis on Hawaiian treats such as Honolulu Cookie Company shortbread and Mele Macs macadamia nuts.
The snacks at the Plumeria Lounge in Honolulu. (Photo by Sally French)
5. Premier Club membership offers more than just lounge access
Enrolling in the Premier Club can get you into the airport lounge, but you can also take advantage of these benefits when traveling:
Earn 500 HawaiianMiles for each neighbor island flight.
Discounted awards when you book online.
First and second checked bags free
Access to Premier Club/First-Class check-in at Hilo, Honolulu, Kahului, Kona, Lihue and select North America and international airports.
Priority security lines in selected cities.
Complimentary in-flight entertainment.
Zone 2 priority boarding on Hawaiian Airlines flights.
Priority boarding also extends to two guests who are traveling with you on the same flight. You just need to show your Premier Club membership card at check-in to take advantage of priority boarding for yourself and your guests.
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: Wells Fargo Autograph℠ 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
Planning a trip? Check out these articles for more inspiration and advice: Find the best travel credit card for you 5 things to know about the Hawaiian Airlines World Elite Mastercard The complete guide to earning Hawaiian Airlines miles
