What the Hawaiian Airlines Credit Card Does
The Hawaiian Airlines credit card is a co-branded card issued by Bank of Hawaii in partnership with Hawaiian Airlines. It earns miles on every purchase you make, with bonus earning rates on Hawaiian Airlines tickets and certain other categories. The card also comes with perks tied to Hawaiian Airlines travel—checked baggage discounts, priority boarding, and mile bonuses just for opening the account.
This card is built for people who fly Hawaiian Airlines regularly or live in Hawaii where the airline dominates. If you fly other carriers most of the time, a general travel card or cash-back card might earn you more value. The Hawaiian Airlines card makes sense when your actual flight patterns match the card's earning structure.
Key Takeaways
- The Hawaiian Airlines card earns bonus miles on Hawaiian Airlines purchases and selected categories like dining and gas, plus a one-time mile bonus when you open the account.
- You pay an annual fee to hold the card, which the issuer offsets partly through an annual free checked baggage benefit and other travel perks.
- Miles you earn can be redeemed for Hawaiian Airlines flights, seat upgrades, and partner airline tickets through Hawaiian's frequent flyer program.
- The card's value depends on how often you fly Hawaiian Airlines and whether you can use the perks included with the account.
How Miles Earning Works on This Card
When you use the Hawaiian Airlines card, you earn miles at different rates depending on what you buy. Hawaiian Airlines tickets earn the highest rate—typically 3 miles per dollar spent. Purchases in bonus categories like restaurants, gas stations, and groceries earn 2 miles per dollar. Everything else earns 1 mile per dollar.
You also receive a one-time bonus of miles when you meet a spending threshold in the first few months after opening the account. This bonus is usually substantial enough to cover at least one domestic Hawaiian Airlines flight if you redeem it right away. The exact bonus amount and spending requirement change periodically, so check the current offer before you explore.
Miles accumulate in your Hawaiian Airlines frequent flyer account automatically. You do not have to transfer them or take any extra step—they post directly to your account when the purchase posts to your card.
What the Annual Fee Covers
The Hawaiian Airlines card charges an annual fee, typically in the $75 to $100 range depending on the specific version of the card. The issuer builds in a benefit to offset part of that cost: one free checked bag on Hawaiian Airlines flights when you use the card to buy your ticket. If you fly Hawaiian Airlines at least once a year, that benefit alone covers a meaningful portion of the fee.
Beyond the checked bag benefit, the card usually includes priority boarding on Hawaiian Airlines, a small mile bonus on your account anniversary, and access to Hawaiian Airlines lounges on certain flights. Read the full benefits list when you review the offer, because the specific perks vary by card version and can change.
How to Redeem Miles for Flights and Upgrades
Miles are redeemed through the Hawaiian Airlines frequent flyer program, which you access on Hawaiian Airlines' website or through their mobile app. You search for available flights the same way you would search for paid tickets, but instead of paying dollars you pay miles. The number of miles required depends on the route, the time of year, and how far in advance you book—peak travel dates cost more miles than off-peak dates.
You can also use miles to upgrade a paid ticket to first class, extend a trip with a stopover, or book partner airline flights through Hawaiian's alliance partners. Upgrades typically cost fewer miles than booking an entire flight, so if you have a paid ticket and extra miles, upgrading is often the better value.
Miles do not expire as long as your frequent flyer account stays active, which means you can accumulate them over time and use them for a bigger redemption later. However, if your account goes inactive for three years with no activity, Hawaiian Airlines may close it and forfeit your miles.
When This Card Makes Financial Sense
The Hawaiian Airlines card delivers the most value if you fly Hawaiian Airlines at least two or three times per year. Each flight gives you the checked bag benefit, which is worth $30 to $50 per trip. If you fly that often, the annual fee pays for itself quickly.
The card also makes sense if you live in Hawaii or travel there regularly for family or work. Hawaiian Airlines is the dominant carrier on inter-island flights, so you will use the card's bonus categories and perks consistently. If you live on the mainland and fly Hawaiian only occasionally, the annual fee becomes harder to justify unless you spend heavily in the bonus categories.
Calculate your own value by estimating how many times you will use the checked bag benefit and how much you spend in bonus categories in a typical year. If the checked bag benefit alone covers more than half the annual fee, the card is worth considering.
Comparing This Card to Other Airline Cards
Other airline cards work the same basic way—you earn miles, pay an annual fee, and get travel perks. The difference is which airline you fly most. If you fly United, American, or Southwest more than Hawaiian, their co-branded cards will earn you more value because you will use the perks more often.
General travel cards that earn cash back or flexible points on all purchases sometimes beat airline cards for people who do not fly one airline consistently. A 2% cash-back card, for example, gives you the same earning rate on Hawaiian Airlines tickets as the Hawaiian Airlines card gives on non-airline purchases. The choice depends on your actual spending and travel patterns, not on which card sounds best.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I lose my miles if I close the card?
No. Your miles belong to your Hawaiian Airlines frequent flyer account, not to the credit card itself. You can close the card and keep your miles. However, if your frequent flyer account goes three years without any activity—no flights, no miles earned, no redemptions—Hawaiian Airlines may close the account and forfeit the miles.
Can I use miles to book flights on other airlines?
Yes, through Hawaiian Airlines' partner airlines. Hawaiian has partnerships with carriers like American Airlines, Delta, and others. You can search for and book partner airline flights in the Hawaiian Airlines frequent flyer program, though partner flights usually cost more miles than Hawaiian Airlines flights on the same route.
What happens to my miles if I move off Hawaii or stop flying Hawaiian?
Your miles stay in your account indefinitely as long as you keep your frequent flyer account active. You do not have to keep the credit card open to keep your miles. If you stop flying Hawaiian, you can still redeem miles for partner airline flights or save them for occasional Hawaiian Airlines trips.
Does the annual fee waive for the first year?
Some versions of the Hawaiian Airlines card waive the annual fee for the first year, while others charge it when ready. Check the current offer details before you open the account. Even if the fee applies right away, the welcome bonus miles and first checked bag benefit usually make the card worthwhile in year one.
Can I earn miles on my credit card payments?
No. Payments you make to the credit card bill do not earn miles. Only purchases you make with the card earn miles. Paying your balance in full each month is the best practice to avoid interest charges, but those payments themselves do not generate rewards.