Redeeming Miles To Hawaii In First Class

Yesterday I wrote about how to redeem Virgin Atlantic miles for first class flights to Hawaii on Virgin America. There were some follow up questions about the relative values of redeeming miles to Hawaii in general, so I figured I’d go through some of the options.

Besides, Hawaii is a decent enough place to daydream about on a Wednesday, and I’m sure I’m not the only one ready for some time on a beach.

For the most part, when we talk about “first class” to Hawaii we are talking about standard domestic recliner-style seats, with maybe a plumeria thrown on the tray table to add some Aloha spirit. There are a few routes with nicer aircraft, but Hawaii is a decidedly leisure market, and there just isn’t demand for better products.

Using miles for first class flights to Hawaii

To begin, it probably makes sense to look at the current options for flying to Hawaii in first class, along with some of the mileage prices at the saver level. I’m not going to list every possible option, just the more common mileage programs, or those with the best rates.

Air Canada (Rouge)

• 30,000 Singapore KrisFlyer miles one-way
• 35,000 Miles & More miles one-way
• 37,500 Avianca LifeMiles one-way
• 40,000 Aeroplan miles one-way
• 40,000 United miles one-way

Alaska Airlines

• 60,000 Korean Air SkyPass miles round-trip
• 37,500 American AAdvantage miles one-way
• 40,000 Alaska MileagePlan miles one-way
• 40,000 Delta SkyMiles one-way
• 50,000 British Airways Avios one-way on nonstops from the West Coast

American Airlines

• 37,500 American AAdvantage miles one-way
• 47,500 Alaska MileagePlan Miles one-way
• 50,000 British Airways Avios one-way on nonstops from the West Coast

Delta Air Lines*

• 45,000 Korean Air SkyPass miles round-trip
• 60,000 Alitalia Millemiglia miles round-trip
• 80,000 Alaska MileagePlan Miles round-trip
• “Some” Delta SkyMiles depending on your origin city

* These rates for partner programs are all dependent upon finding low-level award space on Delta. In other words, it’s probably not happening. So don’t transfer miles to these programs with the intention of redeeming for domestic awards on Delta unless you’ve verified space.

Hawaiian Airlines

• 25,000 – 40,000 Virgin America Elevate points one-way
• 40,000 Hawaiian miles one-way
• 60,000 Korean Air SkyPass miles round-trip
• 80,000 Virgin Atlantic FlyingClub miles round trip

United Airlines

• 30,000 Singapore KrisFlyer miles one-way
• 35,000 Miles & More miles one-way
• 37,500 Avianca LifeMiles one-way
• 40,000 Aeroplan miles one-way
• 40,000 United miles one-way

Virgin America

• 75,000 – 150,000 Virgin Atlantic FlyingClub miles round trip
• 90,000 Hawaiian miles roundtrip
• 79,000 – 137,000 Singapore KrisFlyer miles one-way

If you want to check out economy rates, or see what other airlines would charge, you can find the full award charts here.

There are some killer deals here! Obviously it won’t make sense to use KrisFlyer miles for Virgin America, but Singapore offers the best rates for travel on United; flights on Alaska are less costly using Korean or American miles than through the Alaska program directly, and so forth.

In general, I tend to think the best approach for redeeming miles to Hawaii is to look for space over your dates, and then figure out which miles you want to use. Space can be at a premium over school holidays, and some airlines are particularly stingy with award space lately.

People often get excited about the award rates to Hawaii using Korean Air miles, for example, and then are frustrated by the lack of space on Delta. That’s not to say you shouldn’t focus on the best deals, but be prepared to be flexible in how you book things. Spending an extra 15k Korean miles for a roundtrip on Alaska or Hawaiian is still a good deal overall.

So while it’s good to have these target numbers in mind, if you can keep your points flexible you’ll have many more options when it’s time to book your trip. You’ll also want to consider how you value each mileage currency to determine whether the best deal on paper is the best deal for you.

Earning miles for Hawaii

With the exception of Avianca LifeMiles (which can be purchased during promotions), all of the above programs are transfer partners of at least one of the main flexible points currencies. This means you can earn points in one of the below programs, then move points to an airline as needed:

American Express Membership Rewards Transfer Partners

Chase Ultimate Rewards Transfer Partners

Starwood Preferred Guest Transfer Partners

Premier Citi ThankYou Transfer Partners

It is worth noting that while American Express and Chase transfers are rather quick (and instant in many cases), SPG and Citi transfers can take some time, depending on the program you’re transferring to.

Should you use miles for first class to Hawaii?

This section might defeat the purpose of the entire post, but for many of us, the answer is “meh.”

Unlike some destinations where revenue tickets would be outrageously expensive, and miles are clearly the better value, paid tickets to Hawaii can be pretty reasonable if you aren’t traveling over peak dates. Beyond that, if you have elite status with any airline, these routes tend to make for easy upgrades. Even purchasing an upgrade prior to departure can make sense — Alaska routinely offers upgrades at check-in, and Virgin America likely will on this route as well.

So in those cases, you might be better off purchasing your flight through the Citi ThankYou portal for 1.6 cents towards the cost of an American/US Airways ticket, or 1.33 cents towards the cost of a flight on another airline.

Personally, I won’t be using miles to fly to Hawaii. Having elite status with American (and being married to someone who has elite status with Alaska), I might use ThankYou points to purchase a ticket that can be upgraded, but that’s the extent of it. I have other (different, but not necessarily better) aspirations for my miles.

However, any number of these options might still make sense for you!

Bottom line

While there are only a handful of carriers offering first class to Hawaii, there are myriad ways to redeem miles for those seats. These airlines have partners outside their main alliances as well, which leads to some really interesting redemption opportunities.

Make sure to check space prior to moving any points around, however, as award availability can be quite limited.

Has anyone redeemed miles to Hawaii? Which program did you book through?