Winter Getaway to Kauai: Part 12 – Flight From Kauai to Austin
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Update: One or more card offers in this post are no longer available. Check our Hot Deals for the latest offers. Emily Jablon: Daraius and I went to Maui, Hawaii in March 2013. We loved Hawaii so much that we decided to return, but this time to Kauai. Kauai is more laid back and less built-up than Maui.We went to Kauai over Valentine’s Day week, which made for a very romantic getaway. Using our miles and points made it even better!
Winter Getaway to Kauai – Trip Report Index:
- Part 1 – Using Miles and Points to Get to Kauai
- Part 2 – Only $10 for 2 One-Way United Flights From Austin to Kauai
- Part 3 – Grand Hyatt Kauai Resort & Spa
- Part 4 – Grand Hyatt Garden Suite for 87% Off
- Part 5 – 3 Free Nights & a Partial Ocean View Upgrade at the Grand Hyatt Kauai
- Part 6 – Activities in Kauai
- Part 7 – Adopting a Little Girl
- Part 8 – The Many Pools of the Grand Hyatt Kauai and more…
- Part 9 – Southside Eats
- Part 10 – More South Kauai Eats!
- Part 11 – Shave Ice Bigger Than Your Face and More Yummy Meals!
- Part 12 – Flight From Kauai to Austin
- Part 13 – Conclusion and Blog Giveaway
Flight from Kauai to US Mainland
We left the Grand Hyatt and drove to the airport, which only took about 20 minutes.
We were seated near the front of the plane and were among the 1st to board.
17,500 miles was a good deal for this award ticket. We like stretching our miles to get more Big Travel with Small Money!
The exit row seats had plenty of legroom…
There was slightly more legroom which made for a comfortable flight. Saving our miles is what made us happiest!
We also received a small blanket.
We had plenty of room to spread out because the flight wasn’t full.
Some 3-seat rows were empty, and some passengers moved to those empty rows to get better sleep. Daraius and I were the only ones occupying our 3-seat row.
Our 1st layover was in Los Angeles. We used this opportunity to perform an experiment for the blog at the American Airlines Admirals Club Lounge.
There were snacks, drinks, and pastries available.
The lounge was mostly empty and the decor was a little dated.
Daraius suggested we play a board game to pass time, but I was too tired from the flight.
We had a layover in Dallas as well, so we decided to check out the new American Express Centurion Lounge with The Platinum Card from American Express.
We were impressed with the quality of food. It was much better than most US lounges.
The Centurion Lounge wasn’t terribly busy, either. I liked the warm wood paneling and modern furnishings.
How You Can Do It Too!
We redeemed 20,000 United Airlines miles each and 17,500 American Airlines miles each for 1-way flights in coach to and from Austin and Kauai, Hawaii. We could have redeemed our miles for First Class seats but we like saving those for longer flights.
We used 41,295 Citi ThankYou points to pay for our car rental.
Daraius transferred 103,500 Chase Ultimate Rewards points to Hyatt points for 3 nights in a Garden View room. And 3 nights in a Garden View suite at the Grand Hyatt Kauai.
How Many Miles And Points You Need:- Coach: 35,000 to 45,000 American Airlines miles
- First Class: 95,000 American Airlines miles
The American Airlines coach award tickets were 1-way off-peak awards which cost 17,500 to 22,500 American Airlines miles per person and 40,000 to 50,000 American Airlines miles during regular times.
How to Get the Miles and Points:
The easiest way to get miles and points for Kauai is by applying for credit cards.
Earning American Airlines Miles
1. Citi American Airlines Executive Card
You get 100,000 American Airlines miles when you spend $10,000 within 3 months using the Citi® / AAdvantage® Executive World Elite™ Mastercard®. This is the fastest way to get a lot of American Airlines miles!
But spending $10,000 in 3 months might be tricky. So here are some tips to make your minimum spending.
2. Citi American Airlines Cards
The Citi® / AAdvantage® Platinum Select® World Elite™ Mastercard® and CitiBusiness® / AAdvantage® Platinum Select® World Mastercard® each get you 50,000 miles after spending $3,000 within 3 months.
The information for the Citi AAdvantage Platinum and CitiBusiness AAdvantage Platinum card has been collected independently by Million Mile Secrets. The card details on this page have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer.3. American Express Starwood Cards
The Starwood Preferred Guest® Credit Card from American Express
and the Starwood Preferred Guest® Business Credit Card from American Express each get you 25,000 Starwood points when you spend $5,000 within 6 months. As always, terms and conditions apply.
Starwood points transfer to American Airlines at a 1:1 ratio. You’ll also get a 5,000 point bonus each time you transfer 20,000 points to American Airlines.
If you earn the bonus on both cards you will have 60,000 Starwood points (50,000 bonus points + 10,000 points from completing the minimum spending).
You can transfer Starwood hotel points to American Airlines. 60,000 Starwood hotel points transfers to 75,000 American Airlines miles (60,000 miles + 15,000 transfer bonus), more than enough miles to get to Kauai!
Bottom LineIt cost us each 17,500 American Airlines miles and $5 in fees to fly from Kauai to the US mainland. We didn’t mind the coach seats because we saved so many miles. And the flights were short enough and went by fast.
If you have the chance to check out the American Express Centurion Lounge in Dallas, definitely try the food. It’s excellent!
Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card
Earn 80,000 bonus points after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening. That’s $1,000 when you redeem through Chase Ultimate Rewards®. Plus earn up to $50 in statement credits towards grocery store purchases within your first year of account opening.
Earn 2X points on dining including eligible delivery services, takeout and dining out and travel. Plus, earn 1 point per dollar spent on all other purchases.
Get 25% more value when you redeem for airfare, hotels, car rentals and cruises through Chase Ultimate Rewards®. For example, 80,000 points are worth $1,000 toward travel.
With Pay Yourself Back℠, your points are worth 25% more during the current offer when you redeem them for statement credits against existing purchases in select, rotating categories.
Get unlimited deliveries with a $0 delivery fee and reduced service fees on eligible orders over $12 for a minimum of one year with DashPass, DoorDash’s subscription service. Activate by 12/31/21.
Count on Trip Cancellation/Interruption Insurance, Auto Rental Collision Damage Waiver, Lost Luggage Insurance and more.
Get up to $60 back on an eligible Peloton Digital or All-Access Membership through 12/31/2021, and get full access to their workout library through the Peloton app, including cardio, running, strength, yoga, and more. Take classes using a phone, tablet, or TV. No fitness equipment is required.
Intro APR on purchases
N/A
Regular APR
15.99%-22.99% Variable
Annual Fee
$95
Balance Transfer Fee
Either $5 or 5% of the amount of each transfer, whichever is greater.
Rates & Fees
Other
MORE INFO
Editorial Note: We're the Million Mile Secrets team. And we're proud of our content, opinions and analysis, and of our reader's comments. These haven’t been reviewed, approved or endorsed by any of the airlines, hotels, or credit card issuers which we often write about. And that’s just how we like it! :)
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