Best Ways to Fly to Hawaii With Miles

Everybody wants to use their miles to get to Hawaii. Here's what it actually looks like depending on what you're working with.

If you have United MileagePlus miles (or Chase Ultimate Rewards points that transfer 1:1 to United), expect to pay around 19,500-25,000 miles one-way in economy from the West Coast. From the Midwest or East Coast it can jump to 35,000-65,000 depending on the date. United uses dynamic pricing, so flexibility helps a lot. Christmas week to Maui? You'll get crushed. Random Tuesday in October? Much more reasonable. If you have a Chase Sapphire card, transferring to United is the most straightforward path.

If you have Delta SkyMiles (or Amex Membership Rewards that transfer 1:1 to Delta), pricing is also dynamic. Economy one-ways to Hawaii typically run 15,000-35,000 miles from the West Coast. Delta occasionally runs flash sales where Hawaii drops to crazy-low prices — I've seen sub-15,000 one-way. The trick is being flexible and checking often. If you have an Amex card with the TakeOff 15 benefit, you get 15% off Delta award flights, which helps.

If you have Alaska Atmos Rewards points, their chart prices Hawaii at 12,500 points one-way in economy from the West Coast, 30,000 in first class. Inter-island flights are just 4,500 points. The "starting at" language means prices can flex higher on peak dates, but when you get saver pricing it's one of the cheapest ways to Hawaii. If you pay rent through Bilt Rewards, those points transfer to Alaska 1:1. Pro tip: if you're also planning an Asia trip on Alaska partner airlines, you can add Hawaii as a free stopover on the way — two trips for the price of one.

If you have Southwest Rapid Rewards points (or Chase points that transfer 1:1 to Southwest), flights to Hawaii run as low as 12,000 points one-way from the West Coast when demand is light. The real killer feature is the Companion Pass — hit 135,000 qualifying points in a year and a companion flies free on every flight (just $5.60 in taxes). Two people to Hawaii for the points price of one. If you fly Southwest regularly as a couple, this is unbeatable.

If you have American AAdvantage miles, Hawaii is priced dynamically on AA metal. You can also use AAdvantage miles on Hawaiian Airlines flights (partnership launched in late 2024), which sometimes has better availability.

One more option if you have Chase or Amex points: you can transfer to British Airways and use their Avios to book Alaska or American flights to Hawaii. West Coast to Hawaii runs about 20,000 Avios one-way. Chase periodically runs 20-30% transfer bonuses to the Avios program, which can bring the effective cost down to 15,000-17,000 points. It's an extra step, but the savings can be significant.

Bottom line: check the actual miles price on your specific dates, then run it through our calculator at /calculator to see if the redemption beats paying cash. Hawaii awards range from incredible to mediocre depending on the program, date, and demand.