Quick Verdict: HawaiianMiles is ending in August 2025 as Hawaiian Airlines merges with Alaska Airlines, but there's still time to maximize your miles. With miles worth an average of 1.38 cents each and ranking as the 4th best frequent flyer program for 2025, HawaiianMiles offers solid value—especially if you act quickly to transfer your balance or book Hawaii travel before the shutdown.

If you've been holding onto HawaiianMiles or considering earning them for Hawaii travel, you're facing a critical decision point. The program that has served Hawaii travelers since 1983 is about to disappear forever, but your miles won't vanish—they'll just operate under different rules. We covered the Alaska Air acquisition of Hawaiian Air extensively when it was first announced, and now it's time to understand what this means for your loyalty program strategy.

HawaiianMiles Program Overview

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How to Earn HawaiianMiles (While You Still Can)

Flying with Hawaiian Airlines

Unlike some frequent flyer programs, miles in this program are awarded based on distance flown instead of cost. This distance-based earning means you won't be penalized for snagging a great deal on flights. You can learn more about earning strategies in our complete guide to airline loyalty programs.

Earning Examples:

• Honolulu to Kahului: 101 miles
• New York to Honolulu: 4,981 miles

Elite Status Bonuses:

• Pualani Gold: 50% bonus miles
• Pualani Platinum: 100% bonus miles

Credit Card Spending

The Hawaiian Airlines® World Elite Mastercard® offers 60,000 bonus HawaiianMiles after spending $2,000 in the first 90 days, plus:

• 3X miles on Hawaiian Airlines purchases
• 2X miles on gas, dining, and groceries
• 1X miles on everything else
• $99 annual fee

Important: You can now earn 1 elite-qualifying mile for every $3 spent on the credit card, up to 30,000 EQMs through December 31, 2025. If you're new to travel rewards, check out our guide to understanding miles and points to maximize your strategy.

Partner Airlines and Shopping

You can now earn HawaiianMiles when flying on Alaska Airlines, plus traditional partners like Japan Airlines, Korean Air, and Virgin Atlantic. However, many shopping partnerships are ending June 30, 2025. For booking partner flights, consider using Expedia to compare options across multiple airlines.

Best Ways to Redeem HawaiianMiles

Sweet Spot Redemptions

Inter-Island Hawaii Travel Economy flights booked with cash can be upgraded to first class for 7,500 to 15,000 miles. For short flights between Hawaiian islands, this represents excellent value. When planning your Hawaii itinerary, Booking.com offers great hotel options to complement your award flights.

Hawaii to Mainland US Awards start at 20,000 miles between Hawaii and the West Coast, though pricing can vary significantly based on demand. Alaska Airlines cardholders will soon be able to use their companion fare benefits on Hawaiian flights starting in July 2025.

International Sweet Spots Honolulu to Tahiti one-way in business class from 47,500 HawaiianMiles plus about $10 in taxes offers exceptional value for Pacific travel. For comprehensive Pacific travel planning, check our guide to finding cheap international flights.

Award Chart Highlights

Hawaiian Airlines-Operated Flights:

• Inter-island Hawaii: 7,500 to 15,000 miles each way
• Hawaii to West Coast: 40,000 miles in economy (can reach 100,000 during peak times like Christmas)
• Hawaii to Asia/Pacific: 47,500-95,000 miles depending on destination and class

Partner Redemptions: Partner redemption rates aren't competitive when compared to other award charts. For example, Hawaiian requires 80,000 miles for a round-trip economy class award between the West Coast and the United Kingdom, while the same award costs just 30,000 miles when booked through Virgin Atlantic Flying Club. For better UK deals, consider searching Skyscanner to compare cash fares across carriers.

Pualani Elite Status: Is It Worth Pursuing?

Status Requirements

Pualani Gold:

• 20,000 miles or 30 segments on Hawaiian Airlines
• 50% bonus miles on Hawaiian flights
• Complimentary Extra Comfort upgrades for member only

Pualani Platinum:

• 40,000 miles or 60 segments on Hawaiian Airlines
• 100% bonus miles on Hawaiian flights
• Complimentary Extra Comfort upgrades for member and up to 6 guests
• Complimentary first-class upgrades on neighbor island flights
• First-class upgrade certificates (number depends on miles earned)

Learn more about elite status strategies across airlines to maximize your travel benefits. The official Pualani Elite pageprovides complete details on qualification requirements.

Elite Benefits Highlights

Gold members get their first 2 checked bags free. Platinum members get their first 3 checked bags free. Both levels also receive priority boarding, complimentary seat holds, and free same-day standby on neighbor island flights.

Important Limitation: Unlike many airlines, with Hawaiian you cannot qualify for elite status through a co-branded credit card. You must actually fly to earn status.

The Alaska Airlines Merger: What Changes

Account Linking and Transfers

Once you link your HawaiianMiles account to Mileage Plan, you can transfer miles between programs at a 1:1 ratio. Miles are transferred at a 1:1 ratio for no charge. The official Alaska-Hawaiian loyalty updates page provides step-by-step instructions for linking accounts.

Status Matching

Pualani Elite members can match their status and take advantage of benefits on Alaska and oneworld airlines. For context on how this compares to other airline alliances, read our guide to Star Alliance vs Oneworld. The status matching works as follows:

• Pualani Gold → Alaska MVP Gold
• Pualani Platinum → Alaska MVP Gold 75K

Timeline for Changes

Key Dates to Remember:

• June 30, 2025: Last day to book partner award flights and earn miles with certain shopping partners
• August 2025: HawaiianMiles program officially ends
• June 30, 2025: Final day American Express Membership Rewards points can be transferred to HawaiianMiles

Pros and Cons

Pros

• Fixed award charts: Good rates on both Hawaiian-operated and partner-operated award flights due to fixed award charts
• Distance-based earning: No penalty for booking discounted fares
• Strong Hawaii coverage: Unmatched for inter-island and Hawaii travel
• Free Alaska transfers: 1:1 ratio transfers to Alaska Mileage Plan at no cost
• No blackout dates: Use your miles to book flights with no blackout dates

Cons

• Limited time remaining: Program ends August 2025
• Poor partner value: Partner redemption rates aren't competitive compared to other programs
• Phone booking required: Partner awards can only be booked over the phone, making it difficult to find availability
• Limited global reach: Primarily valuable for Hawaii and Pacific travel

Who Should Consider HawaiianMiles

Perfect For:

• Hawaii frequent travelers: If you regularly visit Hawaii or travel between islands
• Last-minute planners: Members will get the 'last seat available' benefit
• Pacific travelers: Good value for travel to Tahiti, Australia, and other Pacific destinations. Consider Agoda for hotel bookings in Asia-Pacific destinations
• Status matchers: Easy transfer to Alaska's more robust program

Skip If:

• Infrequent Hawaii travelers: Limited value outside Hawaiian routes
• Partner award seekers: Much better rates available through other programs like American AAdvantage
• Long-term planners: Program ending makes future planning difficult

What You Should Do Right Now

For Current HawaiianMiles Members:

1. Link accounts immediately: Connect your HawaiianMiles to Alaska Mileage Plan for 1:1 transfers
2. Use Amex transfers: Transfer any American Express points by June 30, 2025
3. Book partner awards: Last chance to book partner flights by June 30, 2025. Use Going.com to find deals if award space is limited
4. Consider status matching: Link accounts to match your Pualani status to Alaska

For New Members:

Only join if you have immediate Hawaii travel plans or want to take advantage of the 60,000-mile credit card bonus before transferring to Alaska. For trip planning, Get Your Guide offers excellent Hawaii activities and tours to complement your award flights.

How HawaiianMiles Compares to Competitors

The Hawaiian Airlines HawaiianMiles program ranks as the 4th best frequent flyer program for 2025, but this ranking will become irrelevant once the program merges with Alaska.

vs. Alaska Mileage Plan: Alaska offers broader route network, more partner options, and isn't disappearing. Read our Alaska Mileage Plus guide for details. vs. American AAdvantage: Better global coverage but less value for Hawaii-specific travel. See our complete AAdvantage review. vs. Delta SkyMiles: More predictable award pricing but fewer Hawaii options. Check our Delta SkyMiles program overview.

Final Verdict: Act Fast or Transfer

HawaiianMiles offers solid value, especially for Hawaii travel, but time is running out. With miles worth 1.38 cents each on average and good redemption opportunities for Pacific travel, it's worth maximizing your current balance.

Bottom Line: If you have HawaiianMiles, link your account to Alaska Mileage Plan immediately and consider using miles for Hawaii travel before August 2025. For new members, only join if you can quickly earn and use miles or want to leverage the credit card bonus before transferring to Alaska's more robust program. When booking Hawaii hotels to use with your award flights, Hotels.com often has competitive rates for the islands.

The end of HawaiianMiles marks the close of a chapter for Hawaii travelers, but linking to Alaska Mileage Plan ensures your miles retain value in a stronger, more versatile program. Just don't wait—August 2025 will arrive faster than you think.

For real-time updates on this merger, follow the official HawaiianMiles updates page from Hawaiian Airlines.

Looking for more loyalty program guidance? Check out our comprehensive guide to the best airline loyalty programs and stay updated on the latest changes affecting your travel rewards.

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