You can transfer Hawaiian Airlines HawaiianMiles to Alaska Airlines Mileage Plan, but the exchange rate is not one-to-one

Hawaiian Airlines and Alaska Airlines are transfer partners through the HawaiianMiles program. When you move points from your Hawaiian account to Alaska, you receive 1 Alaska mile for every 1.25 Hawaiian miles you transfer. That means 1,250 Hawaiian miles becomes 1,000 Alaska miles. The transfer itself takes place within 24 hours, and there is no fee to move the points.

This exchange rate makes the transfer worthwhile only in specific situations — mainly when you have found an Alaska Airlines flight you want to book and the redemption value is better than what you could get with Hawaiian miles alone. Before you transfer, check what both programs offer for the same flight to see which gives you more value per mile.

Key Takeaways

  • Hawaiian Airlines transfers miles to Alaska Airlines at a rate of 1,000 Alaska miles per 1,250 Hawaiian miles transferred.
  • The transfer completes within 24 hours and costs nothing, but the exchange rate means you lose value unless the Alaska redemption is significantly better.
  • You need an active Alaska Airlines Mileage Plan account before you can receive the transferred miles.
  • Both programs allow you to search award availability before you transfer, so you can confirm the flight exists at the price you expect.

Step-by-step process for transferring your miles

Log into your HawaiianMiles account on Hawaiian Airlines' website. Go to the "Transfers" or "Move Miles" section — the exact name varies, but it is always in the account settings area. You will see an option to transfer to partner programs.

Select Alaska Airlines Mileage Plan from the list of partners. Enter your Alaska Airlines Mileage Plan account number (a nine-digit number that appears on your Alaska account or any statement). Confirm the number is correct, because miles sent to the wrong account cannot be recovered easily.

Enter the number of Hawaiian miles you want to transfer. The system will show you how many Alaska miles you will receive at the current rate. Review the math: if you are transferring 2,500 Hawaiian miles, you should see 2,000 Alaska miles as the result. Confirm the transfer, and the miles will move to your Alaska account within one business day.

When the transfer rate makes sense

The 1.25-to-1 rate means you are giving up 20 percent of your miles' face value. That trade-off is only worth it if Alaska Airlines offers a redemption that is at least 20 percent better value than Hawaiian Airlines for the same flight, or if you have no other way to reach a destination you need.

For example: if a round-trip flight to Seattle costs 25,000 Hawaiian miles on Hawaiian Airlines but only 20,000 Alaska miles on Alaska Airlines, the transfer makes sense. You would spend 25,000 Hawaiian miles directly, or transfer 25,000 Hawaiian miles (receiving 20,000 Alaska miles) and book the flight. The second path saves you 5,000 miles in the end.

Check both programs' award charts or search tools before you transfer. Hawaiian Airlines and Alaska Airlines price flights differently, and the gap changes by route and season. A transfer that looks good for one flight might be wasteful for another.

Requirements before you transfer

You must have an active Alaska Airlines Mileage Plan account before any miles can be sent to it. If you do not have one, you can open an account for free on Alaska Airlines' website in a few minutes. You will receive a Mileage Plan number when ready, and you can use it right away to receive transferred miles.

Your HawaiianMiles account must be in good standing — meaning it is active and you have not violated the program's terms. Accounts that have been closed or flagged for fraud cannot transfer miles.

There is no minimum or maximum transfer amount, but most transfers are at least 1,000 miles (which becomes 800 Alaska miles). Transferring very small amounts wastes the value loss on a redemption that might not be worth the effort.

What happens after the transfer completes

Once the miles land in your Alaska Airlines account, they are yours to use. You can book flights, upgrade existing reservations, or hold the miles for a future trip. Alaska Airlines miles do not expire as long as your account remains active and you have at least one account activity (such as earning or spending miles) every 24 months.

If you transfer miles but then find a better redemption on Hawaiian Airlines before you use them, you cannot transfer them back. The transfer is one-way only. This is why it is important to search both programs' availability and pricing before you move any miles.

Alternatives if the transfer rate is not worth it

If the Alaska Airlines redemption is only slightly better than Hawaiian Airlines, consider booking with Hawaiian miles instead. The 20 percent loss on the transfer might not be worth saving a small number of miles on the other end.

You can also look for flights on other Hawaiian Airlines partners — the program has transfer relationships with several other carriers. Depending on the route and your destination, a different partner might offer better value than Alaska Airlines.

If you have a Hawaiian Airlines credit card, you might earn enough new miles through spending to cover the gap without transferring. Earning new miles at a normal rate is often better than transferring existing miles at a loss.

Frequently Asked Questions

How long does the transfer take?

Hawaiian Airlines processes transfers within 24 hours. In most cases, the miles appear in your Alaska Airlines account the next business day. If you need the miles urgently, confirm the transfer is complete before you attempt to book a flight.

Can I transfer Alaska miles back to Hawaiian Airlines?

No. The partnership is one-way only. Once miles are in your Alaska account, they stay there. You cannot reverse the transfer or move them back to Hawaiian Airlines.

What if I enter the wrong Alaska account number?

Contact Hawaiian Airlines customer service when ready. If the miles went to a different account, the airline may be able to recover them, but the process is slow and not may provide. Double-check the account number before you confirm any transfer.

Do I have to transfer all my miles at once?

No. You can transfer any amount, and you can make multiple transfers over time. There is no limit on how many transfers you can make, and each one takes 24 hours to process.

Are there any fees for transferring?

No. Hawaiian Airlines does not charge a fee to transfer miles to Alaska Airlines or any other partner program. The only cost is the exchange rate itself — the miles you lose in the conversion from 1.25 Hawaiian to 1 Alaska.