HawaiianMiles is the frequent flyer and mileage program of Hawaiian Airlines. As with most airlines’ programs, it will be mainly of interest to regular users of the airlines. This is, even more, the case with HawaiianMiles, as the airline is not part of any of the main alliances.
The best way to earn miles is by flying Hawaiian Airlines and its few partners. Unlike the major US airline loyalty programs, HawaiianMiles still awards miles based on the flight distance, so even the cheapest economy tickets can earn well.
Earn by flying with Hawaiian Airlines
Mileage earning is distance based and is very straightforward. All flights operated and marketed by Hawaiian Airlines will earn miles at a rate of 100% of the distance flown. When flying domestic first class and international business class, there is an additional bonus of 50%. HawaiianMiles elite members earn a further bonus of 50% or 100%.
Photo: Vincenzo Pace / Simple Flying
Rather than publish a table of percentage rates, HawaiianMiles have tables showing total miles earned for all sectors that Hawaiian Airlines operates. The tables below show a selection of these – view them all on the HawaiianMiles website.
Earning miles on partner flights
Hawaiian Airlines is not in any of the three major airline alliances. Such membership for other airlines means the guaranteed ability to share mileage and elite status benefits across all member airlines.
Instead, Hawaiian Airlines has partnerships with several other airlines where travelers can earn (and redeem) miles in the Hawaiian Airlines program. These partners include:
- China Airlines
- Japan Airlines
- JetBlue
- Korean Air
- Virgin Atlantic
- Virgin Australia
Photo: Getty Images.
With all these partner airlines, HawaiianMiles miles are earned based on the distance flown and the booking class of the ticket. HawaiianMiles publishes charts for each airline showing the percentage accrual for each booking class. This includes any applicable cabin bonus – there are no further bonuses to add. These percentages range from 200% for the highest paid first class fares down to 50% and 25% for lower economy fares. Note that with some airlines (including JetBlue, Japan Airlines, and Virgin Atlantic), the lowest economy fares do not earn any miles.
The charts below are current examples for JetBlue and Virgin Atlantic. To see all partner airlines’ charts, go to the HawaiianMiles website.
Earning through credit cards
Earning miles through credit cards is an increasingly popular way to build up mileage. Hawaiian Airlines offers co-branded cards with the Bank of Hawaii – there is both a credit card and a debit card (linked to a Bank of Hawaii account) available.
The credit card (Hawaiian Airlines World Elite Mastercard) earns miles on all purchases. There is also a signup bonus for new card customers of around 60,000 miles (although this can change throughout the year). The card offers travel benefits with Hawaiian Airlines as well, including two free checked bags and an annual companion ticket discount of $100.
Miles earned are as follows:
- Three miles per dollar spent on all Hawaiian Airlines flight purchases.
- Two miles per dollar on spending at gas stations, for dining spending, and for eligible grocery spending.
- One mile per dollar on all other purchases.
The debit card earns miles at a lower rate of one mile for every two dollars spent on the card (with no bonus categories).
Image: Hawaiian Airlines
Other ways of earning miles
Earning through flying and spending on cards are likely to be the main source of earning for most people. There are other ways to earn as well, though, especially if in Hawaii.
Earn at hotels. HawaiianMiles does not have general partnerships with many hotel chains (as most other US airline loyalty programs do). The only global chain it partners with is Marriott, where you can earn two HawaiianMiles per dollar spent worldwide. In Hawaii, it has additional partnerships with a number of hotels and chains, including Outrigger resorts (earning 200 miles per night), Alohilani Resort Waikiki (earning up to 1000 miles per night), and Ambassador Hotel Waikiki (earning up to 1000 miles per night).
Car rental. HawaiianMiles has partnerships with three main car rental companies – Avis, Budget, and Payless. For rentals with each of these, you earn miles based on your elite status with HawaiianMiles. Without status, you will earn 250 miles per rental. With Pualani Gold this increases to 500 miles per rental, and with Pualani Platinum, it is 750 miles. There are often additional bonus offers as well.
Earn through shopping. HawaiianMiles has partnerships with many stores, with a collection known as The HawaiianMiles Marketplace. There is a predominance of Hawaii-based stories (including a range of gift stores across Hawaii), but also some national and online options. Participating stores can be found on the website or by using an app.
Image: Hawaiian Airlines
Shop at Foodland. One Hawaii shopping partner stands out for residents and visitors. You can earn miles when shopping at Foodland grocery stores across Hawaii. Spending $250 gives 200 miles (through a certificate reward), and you can earn extra miles by re-using bags at the store.
Buying miles. This is generally a poor-value option but can be useful if you need to top up miles for a specific redemption target. Rates vary, but as a guide, 10,000 miles currently costs $300.
There are plenty of other ways to earn HawaiianMiles, but certainly more options for those based in or regularly visiting Hawaii. Do you use the HawaiianMiles program? Feel free to share in the comments your experiences and preferred ways to earn miles.
Source: simpleflying.com
