Plan Your Trip to Hawaii With These Credit Card Offers

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There are a lot of ways to explore Hawaii with miles and points.  If you’re flexible, that’s even better, because Hawaii is a very popular year-round destination.

I’ll show you the best uses of miles and points for a Hawaiian vacation.  And I’ll let you know which cards can help you get there faster!

Flights to Hawaii

Even though Hawaii is a part of the US, most mileage programs charge more for flights to Hawaii because of the distance and high demand.

I’ve written how to find award flights to Hawaii with American Airlines miles, British Airways Avios points, and United Airlines miles.

You can also use Delta miles to fly to Hawaii, which I’ll cover in this post because until June 30, 2015, there are limited-time increased sign-up bonuses on 3 AMEX Delta cards.

You can fly round-trip in coach to Hawaii from anywhere in the mainland US, Alaska, or Canada for 45,000 Delta miles if you can find saver award seats!

Limited-Time Sign-Up Bonuses on AMEX Delta Cards

Link:   Gold Delta SkyMiles Credit Card from American Express

Link:   Platinum Delta SkyMiles Credit Card from American Express

Link:   Gold Delta SkyMiles Business Credit Card from American Express

Through June 30, 2015, there are limited-time sign-up bonuses on the Gold Delta SkyMiles Credit Card from American Express (personal and business) and the Platinum Delta SkyMiles Credit Card from American Express. 

If you’ve ever received the bonus on any personal American Express card, you are NOT eligible to receive it again.

But with American Express business cards, including the Gold Delta SkyMiles Business Credit Card from American Express, you can earn the sign-up bonus again if you haven’t held the card for at least 12 months.

And because the Gold Delta SkyMiles Credit Card from American Express and Platinum Delta SkyMiles Credit Card from American Express are considered different card products, you can get the sign-up bonuses on both!

If you open a new Gold Delta SkyMiles Credit Card from American Express, you’ll earn 50,000 Delta miles after spending $2,000 on purchases within the 1st 3 months of opening your account.

You’ll also get:

• 1st checked bag free for yourself and up to 8 traveling companions on the same reservation
• 2 miles per $1 you spend on Delta
• 1 mile per $1 you spend on everything else
• 20% discount on certain Delta in-flight purchases
• Priority boarding
• Discount on Delta SkyClub lounge passes
• Pay With Miles
• AMEX OPEN discounts (business card only)
• No foreign transaction fees
• Terms and Restrictions Apply

And if you open a new Platinum Delta SkyMiles Credit Card from American Express, you’ll earn 60,000 Delta miles after spending $2,000 on purchases on your new Card within 1st 3 months of account opening.  

You’ll also get:

• 1st checked bag free for yourself and up to 8 traveling companions on the same reservation
• 2 miles per $1 you spend on Delta
• 1 mile per $1 you spend on everything else
• 20% discount on certain Delta in-flight purchases
• Priority boarding
• Discount on Delta SkyClub lounge passes
• Domestic round-trip companion certificate each year on your card anniversary
• 10,000 Medallion qualifying miles and 10,000 bonus miles when you spend more than $25,000 on the card in a calendar year.  And an additional 10,000 Medallion qualifying miles and 10,000 bonus miles when you spend $50,000 in the same timeframe.
• Pay With Miles
• No foreign transaction fees
• Terms and restrictions apply

How to Use the Miles

To get started, click “Book a Flight” on the Delta website.

If your dates are flexible, the website will show you a calendar of open seats.  Be sure to select “Miles” before you click “Find Flights.”

From Los Angeles to Honolulu, I found a lot of open seats in October for 45,000 Delta miles round-trip.

After you select your dates, you can find the best flights.

I found non-stop flights both ways.

The taxes and fees are ~$11 for a round-trip ticket.

Fill in your contact info and click “Complete Purchase.”  You’re on your way to Hawaii!

The flights I selected would’ve been ~$600 if I’d paid for them.

From other cities, tickets cost nearly ~$1,000.  So using miles can be a good deal!

You Have Options

Even though the example above is from Los Angeles to Honolulu, I was able to find many other cities that cost 45,000 Delta Miles.

Cities you can fly from include:

• Atlanta
• Cincinnati
• Detroit
• Minneapolis
• New York
• Seattle

And within Hawaii, you can fly to:

• Honolulu (Oahu)
• Kahului (Maui)
• Kona (Hawaii)
• Lihue (Kauai)

Here’s a trick to save miles.  Instead of buying a round-trip flight, you can check prices for two 1-way flights.  And then use miles for the more expensive flight!  

That way you can fly more people to Hawaii.  And pay for the flights that are less expensive.

Get Free Checked Bags

When you have any of the AMEX Delta cards, you’ll get the 1st bag checked free for yourself and up to 8 people traveling on the same itinerary.

If you have a family of 4, you’ll save $100 each way ($25 per bag X 4 people).

When you fly round-trip or with more people, this perk can save you a lot of money!  If you use it for 1 or 2 trips per year, it can easily make up for the annual fee.  And even be profitable!

Hotels in Hawaii

Link:   Chase Hyatt Visa

Link:   Citi Hilton HHonors Reserve Card

Link:   Citi Hilton HHonors Visa Signature Card

Link:   Citi Prestige Card

Hotels in Hawaii also charge premium nightly room rates.  Let’s look at the best credit card offers right now to get award stays.

Be sure to read how to decide where to stay in Hawaii using hotel points.

To search for any hotel chain in a specific destination, I like to use Hotel Hustle or Award Mapper.  You can filter results to only include hotels up to a certain number of points per night.  And Hotel Hustle will even tell you if award rooms are available!

Hyatt

When you open the Chase Hyatt Visa, you’ll earn 2 nights at any Hyatt after spending $1,000 in purchases within the 1st 3 months of opening your account.

Right now, you’ll also earn a $50 statement credit after your 1st purchase.  And you’ll get 1 free night in Category 1 to 4 Hyatt on every card anniversary.

Emily and I don’t earn a commission on this card, but we’ll always tell you about the best deals no matter what!

Hilton

When you open the Citi Hilton HHonors Reserve card, you’ll earn 2 weekend nights at almost any Hilton after meeting the minimum spending requirement of $2,500 in purchases within 4 months of account opening.

Plus you get a $100 statement credit after spending $100 or more on your 1st Hilton hotel stay within the 1st 3 months of opening your account.

Emily and I don’t earn a commission for this offer, but we always tell you about the best deals!

You can also use Hilton points to stay in Hawaii.  A standard room award at the Hilton Waikoloa Village in October is 50,000 Hilton points per night.

When you get the Citi Hilton HHonors Visa Signature Card, you’ll earn 50,000 Hilton points after spending $1,000 in purchases within the 1st 4 months of opening your account. Read my review of the card.

Remember, there are lots of ways to earn Hilton points!

Fourth Night Free with the Citi Prestige

Don’t forget about the Citi Prestige card!  With its 4th night free perk, you can get a discount on paid hotel stays.

And, you can stay at any hotel available on the Citi Travel Center.

If you want to stay at a specific hotel, check to see if Citi can book it for you!

Credit Cards to Use When You Get to Hawaii

Link:   Chase Sapphire Preferred

Link:   Chase Freedom Card

Link:   Barclaycard Arrival Plus World Elite Mastercard

Link:   SimplyCash Business Card from American Express

Because Hawaii is part of the US, there are NO foreign transaction fees.  But be sure to take a card that will earn you extra points in bonus categories like dining or entertainment.

You’ll earn 2X Chase Ultimate Rewards points per $1 spent on travel and dining with the Chase Sapphire Preferred.

Depending on when you travel, you can get 5X Chase Ultimate Rewards points in rotating quarterly bonus categories with the Chase Freedom.

Categories include dining, gas, and grocery stores, and more.  It’s worth taking the card with you, especially if you plan on spending a lot within the bonus categories.

If you want simplicity, the Barclaycard Arrival Plus earns 2X Barclays Arrival miles on every $1 spent, with no categories to think about.  Then you can redeem the miles for statement credits worth 2.1% back on $100+ travel purchases!

And if you’re in Hawaii on business (lucky you!), the SimplyCash Business Card from American Express is a good card to have.  Because you can get 3% cash back in a category you choose, like airfare, car rentals, gas, or restaurants.

Bottom Line

Hawaii is a great place to redeem your miles for a vacation.  You can use your miles for a flight on nearly any domestic airline.  And you can find award stays at most hotel chains.

Right now, the Gold Delta SkyMiles Credit Card from American Express and Platinum Delta SkyMiles Credit Card from American Express have limited-time sign-up bonuses.  You can use Delta miles to get to Hawaii from many US cities.

And the 1st free checked bag perk can save you a lot of money.  Especially if you have a big family!

When you get to Hawaii, look for award stays at hotels like the Hyatt Regency in Maui or the Hilton Hawaiian Village in Waikiki.

Are you planning to say “Aloha” to a Hawaiian vacation?