How to Fly to Hawaii With British Airways Avios Points

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Did you know you can redeem British Airways Avios points on American Airlines or Alaska Airlines for award flights to Hawaii?  And, you’ll often pay fewer miles than other mileage programs!

You’ll earn 50,000 Chase Ultimate Rewards points when you sign-up for the Chase Sapphire Preferred and meet the minimum spending requirements.  And you can transfer your points directly to British Airways at a 1:1 ratio.

That’s enough to fly a family of 4 one-way to Hawaii from many cities on the West Coast!  Or get round-trip award flights for two!

There’s also an offer to earn a total of 100,000 British Airways Avios points with the Chase British Airways Visa Signature Card after meeting the required tiered spending requirements.  That’s enough to fly a family of 4 round-trip to Hawaii from the West Coast!

I’ll show you how to use British Airways Avios points for award flights to Hawaii.  And help you decide which card is best for you!

Who Should Use United Airlines Miles Instead?

United Airlines charges the same number of miles for flights to Hawaii, regardless of which city you’re starting from in the continental US, Alaska, or Canada.

To Hawaii, you’ll pay:

• 22,500 United Airlines miles 1-way in coach
• 40,000 United Airlines miles 1-way in Business Class
• 50,000 United Airlines miles 1-way in First Class

It’s usually better to save your United Airlines miles for other trips, because there are cheaper ways to get to Hawaii using miles and points.  Keep reading and I’ll explain why!

Who Should Use British Airways Avios Points?

Link:   Book British Airways Award Flights Like a Pro

British Airways has a distance-based award chart.  That means the amount you’ll pay depends on the length of your flight.

You can use British Airways Avios points to book flights to Hawaii on American Airlines or Alaska Airlines.  Depending on where you depart, you’ll often pay much fewer miles with British Airways Avios points to Hawaii.

Because of this, folks on the West Coast get the best deal with British Airways Avios points.  You can fly to Hawaii on Alaska Airlines from:

• Anchorage
• Bellingham
• Oakland
• Portland
• Sacramento
• San Diego
• San Jose
• Seattle

On all of these routes, you’ll pay:

• 12,500 British Airways Avios points in coach 1-way
• 37,500 British Airways Avios points in Business Class 1-way
• 50,000 British Airways Avios points in First Class 1-way

And on American Airlines, you can depart from:

• Dallas
• Los Angeles
• Phoenix

The prices for these routes are the same except for Dallas, where you’ll pay:

• 20,000 British Airways Avios points in coach 1-way
• 60,000 British Airways Avios points in Business Class 1-way
• 80,000 British Airways Avios points in First Class 1-way

You’ll get the best deal with British Airways for coach award flights.  Folks on the West Coast get a better deal in Business Class, and will pay the same amount of miles as United Airlines in First Class.

And folks in Dallas will pay 2,500 fewer points in coach with British Airways Avios points, but for Business Class and First Class, it’s cheaper to use United Airlines miles.

You can find American Airlines and Alaska Airlines award flights on the American Airlines website.  Look for “SAAver” (low-level) award seats because these are the only kind of award seats you can book with an airline partner’s miles.  

You can book American Airlines flights on the British Airways website.

But for Alaska Airlines flights, you must call British Airways at 800-452-1201 to book your award tickets to Hawaii.

Be sure to take note of the flight dates and times so you can easily book your award ticket.  And ask British Airways to waive the phone booking fee because these Alaska Airlines flights can NOT be booked online.

What If You Have to Connect?

Link:   British Airways Award Flight Calculator

Link:   Wandering Aramean’s Avios Map

British Airways charges per segment flown.  So if you have to connect, you’ll pay more miles.

But it can be worth connecting because you can get a good deal even if you pay for each segment.

Keep in mind British Airways is changing their award chart on February 2, 2016.  From then on, all flights under 1,150 miles will cost 7,500 British Airways Avios points (until then, flights under 650 miles are 4,500 British Airways Avios points, and flights over 650 miles and under 1,150 miles are 7,500 British Airways Avios points).

For example, folks in Albuquerque can pay 7,500 British Airways Avios points to fly on American Airlines to Los Angeles.  And then pay 12,500 British Airways Avios points to continue on to Hawaii.

In total, you’ll pay 20,000 British Airways Avios points each way, which is still a good deal to Hawaii (and less than United Airlines charges).

Remember, you can always use the British Airways award flight calculator to add up each segment to check how many miles you’ll need for your trip.

And you can check Wandering Aramean’s Avios calculator tool to see all the places you can fly from your home airport non-stop with British Airways Avios points.

Singapore Airlines Miles Save the Day!

Remember earlier when I told you it’s usually not cheaper to use United Airlines miles to Hawaii?  Here’s why.

You can use Singapore Airlines miles to book the exact same United Airlines flights with fewer miles. 

With Singapore Airlines miles to Hawaii, you’ll pay:

• 17,500 Singapore Airlines miles for a 1-way coach award flight
• 30,000 Singapore Airlines miles for a 1-way Business Class award flight
• 40,000 Singapore Airlines miles for a 1-way First Class award flight

The savings can add up fast, especially if you’re booking awards for multiple people!  This is a fantastic option if you want to pay the least number of miles possible.

And, you can fly to Hawaii from anywhere in the mainland US, Alaska, or Hawaii for the same price, even if you have to connect.  So for folks on the East Coast, on in the Central or Southern US, Singapore Airlines miles are your best deal to visit Hawaii.

You can find United Airlines award flights on United.com.

Write down the flights you want.  Then call Singapore Airlines at 800-742-3333 to book.

Be aware that it takes ~1 day for your transfer from Chase Ultimate Rewards to Singapore Airlines to complete.

Remember you can use ExpertFlyer to alert you when there’s an award seat available so you don’t have to remember to check!

And keep in mind you can add Singapore Airlines miles to your account by transferring your American Express Membership Rewards points, Citi ThankYou points, or Starwood points into their mileage program.

Where Can You Go?

It’s a good idea to check flight prices using British Airways Avios points AND Singapore Airlines miles.  And pick the flights you like better.  Especially if you’re in a city where the prices are similar, or if you have to connect.

That’s 1 reason I love Chase Ultimate Rewards points.  Because you have the flexibility to transfer to either British Airways OR Singapore Airlines!

As always, run the numbers to find the best deal for you before you book!

I used Wandering Aramean’s Avios calculator tool to check which islands folks on the West Coast (or Dallas) can fly into:

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

Let’s look at each one!

1.   Honolulu

Honolulu is Hawaii’s cultural and economic center, and its biggest city.

You can hike the Diamond Head Summit Trail, catch waves at world-famous Waikiki Beach, or enjoy fine dining and fun bars during a night out on the town.

While in Honolulu, consider visiting the USS Arizona Memorial to the Pearl Harbor attack, which is ~30 minutes away.  It’s an important part of history and my friend says it’s worth the trip.

2.   Kahului

You’ll fly into Kahului as your starting point to explore the laid-back island of Maui.

The surfing and beaches are as good as Oahu’s, but you’ll see more folks windsurfing there.

You can arrange a whale-watching tour.  Or rent a car and drive the legendary Road to Hana like Emily and I did!

Check out what we did in Maui to get more ideas about how to spend your time on this beautiful island!

3.   Kona

Kona is on the Big Island of Hawaii, and is definitely worth a visit.

You’ll find all types of landscapes there, from pastures in the northwest, to black sand beaches in the southeast.  And, it’s the only US state where coffee grows!  Try a cup of Kona coffee at 1 of the roasting plants near the airport!

You can see active nature including flowing magma at Hawaii Volcanoes National Park.

Friends of mine visited the Big Island and had a great trip!  Give yourself a few days there to explore every corner.

4.   Lihue

Emily and I used American Airlines miles and United Airlines for our vacation to Kauai.  Of course, you can redeem British Airways Avios points and Singapore Airlines miles for the same flights we took to the Garden Island! 🙂

We had a great time at Waimea Canyon, the Grand Canyon of the Pacific!

This island is less built-up than the others, so it’s perfect if you like hiking, off-roading, or exploring nature!

Chase Ultimate Rewards or British Airways Avios Points?

Chase Sapphire Preferred

Link:  Chase Sapphire Preferred

With the Chase Sapphire Preferred card, you’ll earn 50,000 Chase Ultimate Rewards points when you spend $4,000 on purchases within the 1st 3 months of opening your account.

This is the best bonus I’ve seen on the card.  And it’s the #1 card I recommend if you’re new to miles and points.

Chase Ultimate Rewards is my favorite points program.  Because the points are flexible, they transfer 1:1 to airline and hotel partners like British Airways, Singapore Airlines, United Airlines, and Hyatt if you have the Chase Sapphire Preferred, Chase Ink Plus, or (no longer offered) Chase Ink Bold cards.

If you have the Chase Freedom or Chase Ink Business Cash Credit Cards, you can combine your points and transfer them to any travel partner as long as you have 1 of the other cards!

Chase Ultimate Rewards points are easy to earn with everyday spending.  For example, you can earn up to 15,000 Chase Ultimate Rewards points when shopping at Amazon through December 31, 2015, with the the Chase Freedom card if you activated the offer in time.

For folks who aren’t near 1 of the cities with non-stop flights, Singapore Airlines miles is a better choice.  With Chase Ultimate Rewards points, you can transfer to both British Airways or Singapore Airlines for the most options!

Chase British Airways

Link:   Chase British Airways – Earn a Total of 100,000 British Airways Avios Points

Chase also has a fantastic offer to earn a total of 100,000 British Airways Avios points with the Chase British Airways card.

That’s enough to fly a family of 4 round-trip from the West Coast to any island in Hawaii!  Or it’s enough for 8 one-way flights!

If you’re near a city with non-stop service to Hawaii for 12,500 British Airways Avios points, this card might be a better choice because you can get more free trips out of the sign-up bonus.

Just sure you’re comfortable meeting the full minimum spending requirement before you apply!

Read my series on how to book British Airways award flights like a pro, and my review of the Chase British Airways card offer to decide if you should sign-up.

And you might even decide to get the Chase British Airways card even if you don’t want to spend what’s required to earn the most bonus points.

Or, Get Both!

It’s possible to get both cards.

But Chase has tightened up on their approvals, especially if you’ve opened more than 5 new credit cards within the past 24 months.  However, some folks report success opening new Chase cards anyway.  If you have a good relationship with Chase, they may decide to extend new credit to you.

That said, you should apply for the Chase Sapphire Preferred if that’s your top choice.  Because Chase might not approve both applications.

Keep in mind the rule applies to Chase cards that earn Ultimate Rewards points like the Chase Sapphire Preferred, but not co-branded cards like the Chase British Airways card.

Both cards could add up to a LOT of Big Travel to Hawaii!

Where to Stay?

Check out my posts about where to stay with your hotel points:

• How to Decide Where to Stay in Hawaii Using Hotel Points
• Plan Your Trip to Hawaii With These Credit Card Offers
• 5 Top US Hotels Where You Can Stay 2 Weekend Nights With the Hilton Reserve Card
• 5 of the Best US Beaches With Hyatt Hotels
• 5 Great Hotels in the US With IHG Card’s Free Night

Bottom Line

You’ll earn earn 50,000 Chase Ultimate Rewards points after meeting the minimum spending requirements with the Chase Sapphire Preferred card.

And transfer your points directly to British Airways and Singapore Airlines at a 1:1 ratio.

If you’re in a city with non-stop service on American Airlines or Alaska Airlines to Hawaii, the Chase British Airways card is ideal because it has a total of 100,000 British Airways Avios points as a sign-up bonus.  A family of 4 could visit Hawaii and redeem points for round-trip coach award flights!

Or, get both!  But keep in mind Chase has tightened up on their approvals, although there have been lots of exceptions.  Still, I recommend applying for the Chase Sapphire Preferred 1st if that’s your top choice.

You can use British Airways Avios points for award flights to Hawaii on airline partners American Airlines and Alaska Airlines.  It’s a fantastic option for folks on the West Coast, because many flights are 12,500 British Airways Avios points each way!

And if you’re not on the West Coast, remember you can book United Airlines flights to Hawaii with Singapore Airlines miles.