Direct transfers between Hawaii and Alaska Airlines are not possible

You cannot move miles directly from a Hawaiian Airlines account to an Alaska Airlines account, or vice versa. The two programs do not have a transfer partnership, and neither airline allows account-to-account transfers of miles between their own members. If you have miles in one program and want to use them with the other airline, you will need to book a flight with the miles you have rather than consolidating them.

However, you can earn miles in both programs simultaneously using co-branded credit cards, and you can use miles from either program to book flights on partner airlines. Understanding which partners each program works with, and which card earns miles in which program, will help you decide where to concentrate your spending.

Key Takeaways

  • Hawaiian Airlines and Alaska Airlines do not transfer miles to each other, so you must use miles within the program where you earned them.
  • You can hold both Hawaiian Airlines HawaiianMiles and Alaska Airlines Mileage Plan accounts at the same time and earn miles in both through separate credit cards.
  • Both airlines let you book partner airlines with your miles, so miles in one program may still reach your destination even if that airline does not fly the route.
  • The two airlines have different partner networks, so the value of miles depends on which airlines and routes you plan to use.
  • If you have a small balance in one program, you may be able to spend it on a short flight or ancillary purchase before focusing on the other program.

How the two programs' partner networks differ

Hawaiian Airlines' HawaiianMiles program partners with airlines including American, Delta, United, and Southwest, as well as some international carriers. This means you can use HawaiianMiles to book flights on those airlines even if Hawaiian does not fly the route. Alaska Airlines' Mileage Plan has a different set of partners, including American, Delta, United, Air France-KLM, and others.

The partner lists overlap but are not identical, so a route you can book with one program's miles may not be bookable with the other. Before you decide which program to focus on, check whether the routes you fly most often are available through each program's partners. A route from Honolulu to the mainland might be bookable on both, but a specific connection or international flight might only be available through one program's partner network.

Credit cards that earn in each program

The Hawaiian Airlines World Elite Mastercard earns miles in HawaiianMiles only. The Alaska Airlines Visa Signature card earns miles in the Mileage Plan only. If you want to build balances in both programs, you would need to hold both cards and direct spending to each one based on which miles you want to earn.

Some general-purpose rewards cards earn points that can be transferred to airline partners, but Hawaiian Airlines and Alaska Airlines are not always included in the same transfer network. American Express Membership Rewards, for example, transfers to both programs, but the transfer ratio and availability may differ. Check the specific card's transfer partners before assuming you can move points between programs.

Using miles for flights when you cannot transfer them

If you have a small balance in one program and a larger balance in the other, you have a few options. You can book a short domestic flight or a one-way ticket in the program with fewer miles, freeing up that account to focus on the program where you have more miles. Many short flights within Hawaii or to the West Coast cost 5,000 to 10,000 miles one-way, so even a modest balance may be enough for a useful booking.

Alternatively, you can use miles for ancillary purchases like seat upgrades, baggage fees, or in-flight purchases if the program offers that option. This lets you spend down a small balance without booking a full flight. Check each program's website to see what non-flight redemptions are available.

When to hold both programs versus focusing on one

If you live in Hawaii or fly there frequently, Hawaiian Airlines miles may be more useful because the airline has a strong presence in the islands and frequent service to the mainland. If you live on the mainland and fly to Hawaii occasionally, Alaska Airlines might be more practical because it serves more mainland cities and has more frequent service to Hawaii from the West Coast.

You can also split your focus by airline rather than by geography. If you fly one airline most often for work and another for personal travel, earning miles in both programs lets you build balances faster in each. The trade-off is that you will not consolidate your miles into a single large balance, which can limit your redemption options on expensive flights.

Maximizing the value of miles in each program

Both Hawaiian Airlines and Alaska Airlines publish award charts or dynamic pricing schedules that show how many miles a flight costs. Before you commit to earning heavily in one program, check the award chart to see whether the routes you fly most often are priced reasonably. Some programs price short flights very competitively but charge high mile amounts for longer routes, while others do the opposite.

You can also check whether either program offers sweet spots — routes or flight lengths where the mile cost is unusually low compared to the cash price. If one program has a strong sweet spot on a route you fly regularly, that program becomes more valuable to you than the other, even if the partner network is smaller.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I combine Hawaiian Airlines and Alaska Airlines miles into one account?

No. The two programs do not have a transfer partnership and do not allow cross-program transfers. You must use miles within the program where you earned them. If you have balances in both, you will need to book flights separately in each program.

If I book an Alaska Airlines flight with Hawaiian Airlines miles, do I earn miles in both programs?

No. When you book a partner airline flight with miles from one program, you earn miles only in that program, not in the partner airline's program. The earning rate depends on the program whose miles you used to book the flight.

Which program has better redemption rates for flights to Asia?

Both programs have partners that fly to Asia, but the specific routes, pricing, and availability vary. Check each program's award chart or search tool for the routes you want to fly before deciding which program to prioritize. Pricing can change, so comparing current rates is more useful than relying on historical data.

Can I transfer credit card points from a third-party card to both programs?

Some cards, like American Express Membership Rewards, transfer to both Hawaiian Airlines and Alaska Airlines, but not all do. Check the specific card's transfer partners before opening an account. Transfer ratios and availability may differ between the two programs even if both are listed as partners.

What happens to my miles if I close my account with one airline?

Most airline programs allow you to keep your miles for a set period even after you close your account, though the timeframe varies. Check each program's policy on account closure and mile expiration before you decide to close an account. You may be able to transfer miles to a family member or use them for a final booking before the account closes.