✦ Hawaii Award Guide · July 2026
Best cards for Hawaii on points & miles
Compare award flight and hotel redemptions for Hawaii across the top loyalty programs. Use the calculator below to see exactly which cards cover your trip. No affiliate links. We earn $0 from applications.
Best flight path
United MileagePlus off-peak economy 22,500 pts OW mainland to HNL · Alaska Mileage Plan 35k OW
Best hotel value
World of Hyatt · Andaz Maui at Wailea Resort ~25,000 pts/nt vs. $600–800+ cash · ~2.4¢/pt
Active transfer bonus
+30% Chase UR → World of Hyatt through 2026-05-06
Always verify
Confirm award space before transferring — points are not reversible
Top flight program
United MP
22.5k off-peak OW to HNL
Top hotel value
Hyatt Maui
~25k/nt vs. $600+
Best hotel CPP
~2.4¢
Andaz Maui
Last updated
Jul 2026
Rates & bonuses verified
Enter your points balances — see your Hawaii trip gap
Shows coverage % and compatible transfer paths in real time
→ United · Virgin · Avios · Hyatt
→ Flying Blue · Aeroplan · KrisFlyer
→ Turkish · KrisFlyer · Flying Blue
→ Aeroplan · Turkish · LifeMiles
→ United · Hyatt · Avios
Hawaii trip coverage—
Enter your balances above to see how close you are
Your Hawaii trip calculator
● Live dataTop Pick
Chase
Sapphire Reserve
Chase Ultimate Rewards
60k
signup pts
35% covered by bonus
$550/yr 40k – 55k pts business Recommended
Points needed for your trip
Flight per person (business) 40k – 55k
Flight total (2 travelers) 95,000 pts
Hotel (4 nights avg) 75,000 pts
Total trip estimate 170,000 pts
Signup bonus covers 35%
Earn rates
3x on travel & dining; 1x everything else. 1.5¢ via portal.
Transfer partners for this destination
Hotel transfer partners
Destination-specific note
Best Chase card for Hawaii. United for flights (22.5k off-peak OW), Hyatt for Andaz Maui or Grand Hyatt Kauai. +30% Chase UR → Hyatt bonus through May 6.
Key perks
$300 travel credit
Priority Pass
Global Entry credit
Top Pick
Chase
Sapphire Preferred
Chase Ultimate Rewards
60k
signup pts
35% covered by bonus
$95/yr 40k – 55k pts business Recommended
Points needed for your trip
Flight per person (business) 40k – 55k
Flight total (2 travelers) 95,000 pts
Hotel (4 nights avg) 75,000 pts
Total trip estimate 170,000 pts
Signup bonus covers 35%
Earn rates
3x dining/online groceries/streaming; 2x travel; 1x everything else
Transfer partners for this destination
Hotel transfer partners
Destination-specific note
Best value Hawaii card. 60k bonus covers ~2 OW tickets at off-peak. +30% Chase UR → Hyatt bonus through May 6 makes Andaz Maui only 19.2k UR per night.
Key perks
$95 annual fee
Same transfer partners as Reserve
$50 hotel credit via portal
American Express
Platinum Card
Amex Membership Rewards
80k
signup pts
46% covered by bonus
$695/yr 40k – 55k pts business
Points needed for your trip
Flight per person (business) 40k – 55k
Flight total (2 travelers) 95,000 pts
Hotel (4 nights avg) 80,000 pts
Total trip estimate 175,000 pts
Signup bonus covers 46%
Earn rates
5x on flights booked directly or via Amex Travel; 1x everything else
Transfer partners for this destination
Hotel transfer partners
Destination-specific note
Amex MR → Hilton 1:2 for Grand Wailea or Hilton Hawaiian Village. Centurion Lounge at Honolulu. Not the best for Hawaii flights — use Chase UR for United instead.
Key perks
Centurion lounges at HNL
$200 airline fee credit
$200 hotel credit
American Express
Gold Card
Amex Membership Rewards
60k
signup pts
34% covered by bonus
$250/yr 40k – 55k pts business
Points needed for your trip
Flight per person (business) 40k – 55k
Flight total (2 travelers) 95,000 pts
Hotel (4 nights avg) 80,000 pts
Total trip estimate 175,000 pts
Signup bonus covers 34%
Earn rates
4x restaurants & US supermarkets; 3x flights; 1x everything else
Transfer partners for this destination
Hotel transfer partners
Destination-specific note
4x at resort restaurants earns well during a Hawaii trip. Use MR for Hilton hotels. Best combined with Chase cards for flight coverage.
Key perks
$120 dining credit
$120 Uber Cash
4x at resort restaurants
Wells Fargo
Bilt Mastercard
Bilt Rewards
0k
signup pts
0% covered by bonus
$0/yr 40k – 55k pts business
Points needed for your trip
Flight per person (business) 40k – 55k
Flight total (2 travelers) 95,000 pts
Hotel (4 nights avg) 75,000 pts
Total trip estimate 170,000 pts
Signup bonus covers 0%
Earn rates
1x on rent (up to $100k/yr), 3x dining, 2x travel, 1x everything else
Transfer partners for this destination
Hotel transfer partners
Destination-specific note
$0 fee card that transfers to United (flights) and Hyatt (hotels) at 1:1 — both are the top Hawaii programs. Use rent payments to earn points with no annual fee.
Key perks
No annual fee
Transfers to Hyatt and United at 1:1
Rent Day double points
Citi
Premier Card
Citi ThankYou Points
60k
signup pts
68% covered by bonus
$95/yr 38k – 50k pts business
Points needed for your trip
Flight per person (business) 38k – 50k
Flight total (2 travelers) 88,000 pts
Total trip estimate 88,000 pts
Signup bonus covers 68%
Earn rates
3x air, hotels, restaurants, supermarkets, gas; 1x everything else
Transfer partners for this destination
Hotel transfer partners
Destination-specific note
Citi TY has limited Hawaii-specific transfers. +20% Citi TY → Turkish through May 10 for future routing value. Not the ideal Hawaii card — better for Europe/Asia destinations.
Key perks
3x on 5 categories
$100 hotel credit
Best booking paths for Hawaii
#1 Best Flight
United MileagePlus off-peak saver to HNL
United MileagePlus has fixed off-peak pricing for domestic Hawaii: 22,500 miles one-way in economy from the continental US. Peak pricing is 30,000. Chase UR transfers to United at 1:1. Bilt also transfers to United at 1:1. No fuel surcharges on domestic United flights.
#2 Alaska Options
Alaska Mileage Plan or Atmos Rewards
Alaska Airlines and Hawaiian Airlines have merged as Atmos Rewards. Alaska Mileage Plan books Hawaii flights at 35,000 miles one-way from the West Coast. Best for West Coast departures. Earn via the Alaska Airlines Visa card (Bank of America) — no flexible currency transfers here.
#3 Luxury Hotels
World of Hyatt — Andaz Maui or Grand Hyatt Kauai
Hyatt has two of the best Hawaii redemptions: Andaz Maui at Wailea (~25,000 pts/nt vs. $600–$800+ cash) and Grand Hyatt Kauai (~20,000 pts/nt). Resort fees are waived on award nights at both properties. Chase UR and Bilt transfer to Hyatt at 1:1. Currently +30% Chase UR → Hyatt bonus through May 6.
#4 Hilton Resorts
Hilton Honors — Grand Wailea or Hilton Hawaiian Village
Hilton has the widest Hawaii resort footprint. Grand Wailea and Hilton Hawaiian Village Waikiki run 60,000–80,000 points per night. Amex MR transfers to Hilton at 1:2. Resort fees are often waived on award stays. The fifth night free benefit with Hilton Amex cards applies.
Insider tips for Hawaii award travel
Tip 01 — Off-peak United pricing
United off-peak dates are less congested shoulder seasons. Off-peak HNL is 22,500 miles OW — same flight, 25% fewer miles than peak (30,000). Check United off-peak calendar before booking. Bilt points also transfer to United at 1:1.
Tip 02 — Active bonus: Chase UR → Hyatt +30%
There is currently a 30% Chase UR → Hyatt bonus through May 6, 2026. 19,231 Chase UR → 25,000 Hyatt points — enough for one night at Andaz Maui. For a 5-night trip that is 96,155 Chase UR instead of 125,000. Significant.
Tip 03 — Resort fees on award stays
This is specific to Hawaii and very important: Hyatt waives resort fees on award nights. Hilton often waives them with Hilton Amex cards. Marriott does NOT waive resort fees on award stays. At Andaz Maui, resort fees are $50–$75/night — waiving them on a 5-night trip saves $250–$375.
Tip 04 — Domestic, no FTF needed
Hawaii is domestic — no foreign transaction fees needed. Focus on maximizing hotel points and minimizing flight points. Use a cash-back card for food and activities if you have no high-earn travel card with you.
Tip 05 — Book flights early
Hawaii is the most popular domestic award destination. Off-peak United saver space at 22,500 miles disappears fast. Search at 11 months out and be flexible on departure date. Maui (OGG) and Kona (KOA) have less award space than Honolulu (HNL).
Tip 06 — Island hopping strategy
If visiting multiple islands, use cash for interisland flights (Hawaiian or Southwest) — interisland award prices are rarely worth it versus the $39–$79 cash fares. Save your points for the mainland-Hawaii leg and hotels.
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Hawaii Award Travel FAQ
What is the best credit card for Hawaii travel?
The Chase Sapphire Preferred and Sapphire Reserve are the best Hawaii cards. Chase UR transfers to United MileagePlus (22,500 off-peak OW economy) and World of Hyatt (Andaz Maui ~25,000 pts/nt with resort fees waived). There is currently a 30% Chase UR → Hyatt bonus through May 6, 2026.
How many miles does it cost to fly to Hawaii?
United MileagePlus off-peak saver pricing: 22,500 miles one-way economy from the continental US to Honolulu. Peak pricing is 30,000 miles. Alaska Mileage Plan runs ~35,000 one-way from the West Coast. No fuel surcharges on domestic US flights.
Are resort fees waived on Hawaii award hotel stays?
It depends on the program. World of Hyatt waives resort fees on standard award nights — this is very significant in Hawaii where resort fees run $40–$80/night. Hilton Honors often waives resort fees for Hilton Amex cardholders on award stays. Marriott Bonvoy does NOT waive resort fees on award stays.
What is the best hotel points program for Hawaii?
World of Hyatt offers the best value in Hawaii — Andaz Maui at Wailea runs ~25,000 points per night versus $600–$800+ cash (about 2.4¢ per point) with resort fees waived. Chase UR and Bilt both transfer to Hyatt at 1:1. There is currently a 30% Chase UR → Hyatt bonus through May 6.
Can I use Chase points for Hawaii?
Yes. Chase Ultimate Rewards transfers to United MileagePlus (for flights) and World of Hyatt (for hotels) at 1:1. Both are the top programs for Hawaii. Bilt Rewards also transfers to both. The current 30% Chase UR → Hyatt bonus makes Hyatt the best value right now.
When is the best time to visit Hawaii for award availability?
April through June and September through November offer the best combination of good weather and award availability. Summer (July–August) and Christmas/New Year have peak pricing and limited award space. Book 11 months out for peak dates.
Pre-transfer checklist
Transferred points cannot be returnedPoints
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I have enough points or an active transfer bonus makes it worthwhile now
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I verified the exact points cost on the airline or hotel website before transferring
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I confirmed the transfer ratio (most are 1:1 — verify before moving points)
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I am not transferring speculatively — award space is confirmed first
Flights
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I searched for award space on the airline website before transferring any points
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I confirmed routing, layover, connection time, and terminal
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I know the cancellation and redeposit policy if my dates change
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I confirmed any fuel surcharges and included them in my total cost estimate
Hotels & Timing
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I searched award hotel availability for my exact dates before transferring
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I checked whether resort fees are waived on award stays for this property
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I checked for active transfer bonuses in the live panel above before transferring at standard rate
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I confirmed my points do not expire before the trip dates
YourBestCards is a property of the ByTheMath network. Award rates and transfer bonuses verified July 2026. No institution pays for placement or ranking. Always verify award availability and surcharges directly at the airline or hotel website before transferring points — transferred points cannot be returned. Editorial policy · Scoring methodology