Are you still trying to make airline miles and loyalty work for Hawaii travel? You’re not alone—many of us are searching for award availability and coming away empty-handed. For years, miles helped offset the high cost of flights, making award travel or upgrades an attainable goal. But recently, that’s changed, and it is impacting airline loyalty.
This all comes as Hawaii air travel prices skyrocket. As of February 2025, Reuters said that U.S. airfares have experienced their fastest rise in 21 months, contributing to increased profits for major airlines.
We’ve been watching the trends closely and attempting to use miles wherever possible. Award prices are rising dramatically, availability is shrinking, and loyalty programs no longer reward those who don’t spend top dollar. The result? Travelers are giving up on earning and redeeming miles, which is one of the core strategies for saving on Hawaii flights.
When miles no longer work for Hawaii travelers.
A recent attempt to book a flight between Hawaii and New York using miles was eye-opening. Economy seats were priced very high in both miles and cash. It was rare to find any roundtrip fares below $1,000, except for the briefest windows of low-season pricing, which still hovered high.
Business and first-class redemptions were nearly impossible, with roundtrip mileage requirements often exceeding 260,000 miles. Meanwhile, cash fares in premium (business/first class) cabins started at around $3,900 roundtrip.
Even flights to the West Coast, once a reliable use of miles, have changed. Economy redemption started at 20,000 miles roundtrip on a narrow-body and 36,000 on a widebody. Business-class seats often required 160,000 miles or more, making cash fares the better option in many cases.
Trying to get to Europe? We have used partner awards on British Airways, American Airlines and United Airlines, which have nearly doubled in cost over the past year, with much more limited availability. The few remaining options for off-season travel involved multi-stop itineraries, sometimes with one leg in economy (called mixed itinerary) despite booking a business-class award.
BOH Editor Jeff has used Alaska Airlines awards for many first and business-class tickets to Europe in past years. But this time, he came up completely empty-handed. No matter what routes, dates, or airlines he looked at, he couldn’t find anything that made sense. The only business and first-class award options were the dregs—puddle-jumping across the U.S. in economy before heading to Europe in business.
Some sweet spots still can be found.
Ultimately, Jeff opted for a ticket on United Airlines instead and is doing the three-seat economy trick to London from Hawaii, with just one brief stop in San Francisco. During their sale, it was only 40,000 miles one way for each ticket.
Jeff also just found 20,000-mile award tickets for a round-trip flight from Los Angeles to and from Hawaii on Hawaiian Airlines in May that he took advantage of. So, there are bright spots, but those are becoming rare exceptions rather than standard redemptions.
Is airline loyalty still worth it? In a word…
Frequent flyer programs have increasingly stopped rewarding miles and status only based on flight distance and instead prioritize how much passengers spend. This shift disproportionately benefits high-spending travelers while reducing earning potential for those who book lower fares—especially on routes like Hawaii, where ticket prices already tend to be high.
Many travelers feel left behind. BOH editors recently lost their Gold status with United when the airline increased the qualifying spending requirements to the point it was no longer worth pursuing. As a side-note, United offered a one year status renewal on a paid basis, for $4,000.
The shift to airline dynamic pricing for awards means travelers can no longer plan around fixed award charts. Instead, mileage prices fluctuate wildly, often exceeding the cash cost of a ticket. Basic economy fares, which once provided a way to save money, are sometimes (mysteriously) priced higher than regular economy seats, further complicating this equation.
Maintaining elite status has become significantly more expensive for those who once held it. United and Delta have raised spending requirements to levels that exclude all but the most frequent business travelers.
Will Alaska/Hawaiian loyalty changes be the dealbreaker for Hawaii travelers?
Alaska has reassured members that it will not “fully” adopt a revenue-based model like its competitors, but recent comments from the company have raised concerns about a gradual transition. If the switch happens, it could be the final nail in the coffin for those who relied on mileage-based earning for Hawaii travel by less frequent fliers.
Alaska’s VP of Loyalty, Brett Catlin, recently stated that “a majority of guests want to earn based on revenue.”
While he stopped short of confirming an official change, his comments fueled widespread speculation that Alaska is preparing to transition to a revenue-based program once the Hawaiian integration is finalized.
The reaction online was swift and overwhelmingly negative. Longtime Mileage Plan loyalists rejected the idea, with one person calling it the “biggest lie of the year” and threatening to drop their loyalty to Alaska entirely. Another commenter put it bluntly: “If they go revenue-based, I’m out.”
This shift would be significant for Hawaii travelers. Alaska’s program, which allows travelers to earn miles based on distance rather than price, is one of the best for long-haul travelers. If Alaska aligns with the rest of the industry, it could mark the final decline of mileage-based loyalty programs in the U.S.
With Hawaiian Airlines now merging into Alaska, many travelers worry that the program’s most significant advantage—earning miles based on distance flown—could disappear entirely.
Yes, we have many points, but no, we can’t find availability.
More miles, yet fewer rewards are available for Hawaii travelers. Airlines are issuing more miles than ever, but award availability is shrinking fast. With record miles in circulation and fewer seats available for redemption, award costs have skyrocketed.
When frequent flyer programs first began, flights were only about 65% full. Today, most operate at 85% capacity or higher, leaving fewer empty seats for award redemptions. Airlines also restrict partner bookings, making it harder for travelers to find usable awards even when they have the miles.
The result? Many Hawaii travelers are sitting on large mileage balances but struggling to find reasonable redemption options.
The new reality for Hawaii travelers.
Many travelers are shifting their approach, with airline miles no longer providing consistent value. Instead of chasing loyalty, they focus on finding the best fares, regardless of the airline.
Flexible credit card points have become the preferred option for those who still want to leverage rewards. Chase Ultimate Rewards and American Express Membership Rewards, while not perfect, are examples that allow transfers to multiple airlines, making it easier to use miles when availability is actually found.
Some are turning to cash-back credit cards instead, avoiding the devaluation of miles entirely. By earning straightforward savings, they can apply them to another flight purchase without worrying about fluctuating loyalty redemption rates. But before you go there, it’s important to understand their hidden complexities.
One common issue with cash-back cards is rotating bonus categories. A card offering 5% cash back on travel this quarter might drop to just 1% in the next. Worse, some cards require you to activate these bonus categories every few months manually. Keeping up with these changes can feel like a chore and limits your ability to predict rewards long-term.
For those who still value elite perks, status matches with alternative programs provide a way to retain benefits with lower spending requirements. But for most, the days of airline loyalty determining travel choices are largely over. It’s all come down to price.
Have you noticed the shift in airline miles for Hawaii travel? Are you still trying to make them work, or have you moved on from airline loyalty? Let us know what your experience has been.
Lead Photo Credit – Hawaii sunset at Ala Moana Beach Park on Oahu. Photographed by Beat of Hawaii.
Get Breaking Hawaii Travel News
What can you use miles for besides booking flights.
LAX Terminal B almost ruined my marriage! The last trip with my blind husband ended with each of us saying I am Never traveling with you again, ever. This was our 4th trip together to the Islands, 3rd on Hawaiian.
We couldn’t get a ride on the shuttle because the employee told my husband “he wasn’t disabled enough”. I considered filing a formal complaint, but who would even care. So we schlepped through the worst walk of my life, bag and blind man in tow through the horrendous maze. Up on elevator, down, around, up collect bags, back down, await the hotel shuttle. We both said never again…
I was even looking at further airports from where I live, so we could bypass the walk from hell. Even reluctantly considering layovers and plane changes to avoid terminal B!
While I am happy to hear my upcoming solo trip to Kauai will save me from the walk of pain, I know that the Aloha of Hawaiian will be missing via the joy of terminal 6 and “Alaska”.
Also, if I read correctly on the Southwest update, there will now be expiration dates on at least some, if not all, our miles.
“Dynamic pricing” is a euphamisim for legalized price gouging. Best value is to transfer credit card reward points to a foreign carrier (they set flat rates, so far) and then fly on their “partner” airlines. Ie book thru Air Canada’s Aeros reward program but flights are on United.
There’s an interesting video on youtube by a 747 pilot called Kelsey. I can’t link to him, but the channel name is 74 Gear (no affiliation). The video is about a year old and he talks about the published financials for a few of the major airlines. Just about all of them are running at a loss for their operations. They only thing that makes them profitable are their financial services, which includes signing up people for their branded credit cards.
It makes more sense for me to stay with my CC which provides gives me 2% points for each dollar I spend. I can then use those points to pay for any travel expenses including hotel, rental cars, air fare, etc.
Alaska has already increased Hawaiian redemption rates. I was hoping to use miles to go to New Zealand next winter. This past winter HNL to AKL was about 57,000. Alaska has already jacked it up to 115,000 for next winter
I was also looking to go to New Zealand at the end of the year. LAX to AKL is around 250,000 HawaiianAir miles! It’s ridiculous!
Jeff, you already said what I was going to say. I’ve been with United since the EATP (Executive Air Travel Program), the precursor to Mileage Plus. They have always been there for me, especially when I had my spinal cord injury and had to fly. Anyone who has Mileage Plus can look and see that United hasn’t decided to gouge us like the others have. I’m staying with them for as long as they stay with us!
Thanks 😊
Agree MJ.
UA has an excellent program in Mileage Plus. I have no complaints and appreciate the lifetime million miler program. We fly a lot of different airlines, but UA is always our “go to” choice in most situations.
Update on my own comment:
Excuse me, BOH. I had missed your comment that UAL wanted $4K for you to stay Gold. I can’t travel like I used to, so I dropped from that level awhile ago. Did you talk with them about all options? I don’t know if you folks are considered “fat cats” by the airlines, or are they trying to “cull top level flyers?”
What say ye?
No matter what airline card you have you still get charged for the annual fee and the interest charged for unpaid monthly balances. Airlines wouldn’t offer their own cards if they weren’t money makers.
Owning multiple airline cards and not using them will lead you to a bad credit rating. Think again. It only makes sense if you charge everyday items to them for airlines points but still if you don’t fly often then they aquire your annual fee.
So why carry a balance on your credit card? That is a choice and one that I stopped doing 28 years ago. If I can’t pay for something that I want the next month after my bill shows up then I don’t need it. Also, unused credit cards do Not have any impact on your credit score. Credit utilization is one factor that does impact your score, especially if you have too much outstanding credit balances. I also use my airline and hotel credit cards for literally everything I purchase. I literally have hundred’s of thousands of point on several of them and yes I do use those points to stay at some incredible places and also fly where and when I want to. They have worked for me for over 4 decades and I have no reason to change now even if Hawaii is no longer an easy upgrade or even free flights. Lots of places that I have yet to see.
Thanks. That’s the way to go. Pay it off every month. I know some people that use credit cards like it’s free money. Their response is hey the bank issued me the card so it has to be their fault. I didn’t force them to send me the card. I just know when I bought my home the mortgage lender said if I don’t charge on store cards or any credit cards on a regular basis then it looks bad to a lender as my ability to pay off debt. His advise was don’t carry more cards than you actually really need. What is the average american credit card debt today? 6000 dollars.
If I use my Crédit card(s) I pay them off on the billing cycle. I don’t believe in carrying debt & I recently approved for a mortgage after submitting the application 12 hrs before. So use than pay and your credit score goes up. It’s worked for me.
Just for reference (and we receive no money for saying this), my partner and I have a Chase United Explorer card for $100/year. It gives free extra bag check and other perks besides Mileage Plus membership. Don’t know how it compares with others, but there you are…
Soon airline miles will be like popcorn, everybody has plenty of them and they are worthless, then what?
Mileage programs are a joke. When a trip used to cost me 25,000pts and now costs 45,000pts, I decided I will no longer be loyal to any airline. I am now loyal to my wallet. I book the best flight for me regardless of what airline it is. And no way will I get any of there credit cards. I’ll stick with my Capital One card.
BLUF, things have changed considerabvly over the past 20+ years for the airline industry. We’re now sitting on a boatload of HA miles that we can’t use to travel from the Eastern US to HNL. Before 9/11, you could travel in first class on AA for 60K miles rt. For both AA and UA same seats are now ~300K miles rt. And yes, if you pay cash for the same seats, it’s going to be upwards of $3-5K. The airlines have become very good at monetizing their product, and the various travel bloggers have greatly helped them to market their flights.
Excellent article BOH. For many years the advice on frequent flyer miles was simply to “earn and then burn quickly” as the value of miles keeps going down. Now the devaluation and dynamic pricing has changed dramatically to the point that mileage runs to re-qualify for elite status is no longer an option for most. I’m fortunate that I have lifetime million miler premier gold on United but have to re-qualify every year for AA. This is probably the last year for that, as the threshold keeps going up. Sweet spots are harder to find, and the airline airport lounge visits are now limited with your credit card, even with $595.00 and up annual fees. It’s just ridiculous!
3 days ago I tried to book a Hawaiian Air flight using my mileage points. HA! Round trip in Extra Comfort was 80k points! I ended up paying using my Hawaiian Air Credit card which will rake in more mileage points. After reading this article it looks like the “Revenue” based mileage plan has already started. The prices for Extra Comfort has gone up since February too. What cost me $850 round trip from Seattle to Honolulu in February flying on a Wednesday, usually the cheaper fare, just cost me $1100. If Alaskan/Hawaiian becomes a full “Revenue” based mileage program, I’ll drop my loyalty to both, close out my credit cards for both airlines & take my loyalty to Delta or United. Alaskan/Hawaiian have already canceled my Premier Club membership I had with Hawaiian; this would be my nail in their coffin.
For decades I was loyal to United Airlines for Hawaii and international travel. As you’ve experienced, UAL and other major airlines now require far more miles to successfully “buy” an award ticket. Finding logical flight connections for award travel has become ridiculously restricted. I just burned off my accumulated United miles booking flights this summer to Alaska and Canada. Am wondering how soon I should burn off my Hawaiian miles, in case Alaska Air tanks their value? Except for the highest tier business and luxury travelers, airline loyalty cards have lost their value. I will simply watch for best fares on any airline, and and switch to cash-back credit cards.
I gave up the airline plans a few years ago because they kept raising the flights mile credits. You could fly to California with 10K miles. Now it’s 40k. They will just keep going up. Sad! Rip-off
I used my miles in January as I noticed that the Alaskan merger had already affected miles. I thought it was ridiculous last year with Hawaiian but it has gotten worse.
Yeah flights to New Zealand are Double what the are now for next winter
It’s Alaska not Alaskan.
I booked Sea Hnl for 15,000
Just remember: the reason United miles are still valuable is because it sells Credit Cards. Period.
Not sure about others…
Thank you for all of the helpful information you provide.
I live in Hawai’i and have had both Hawaiian Air and Alaska Air credit cards for many years. Now that they’re merged, I’m wondering if it makes sense to continue with just one of those cards and if so, which one to keep?
Can you please share your thoughts on this?
Mahalo nui loa,
Cat
Hi Cat, I’m just another reader, not editor. We go to HI every year since we have family there (two of us). We use Alaska’s Companion Fare which is $120 plus any bag fees. We have an upcoming trip from Seattle to Honolulu, and the air fare was about $812 for both of us. This is in the “cattle” section. I used to be able to use miles to upgrade to better seats, but to my recollection I haven’t been able to do this for some years. I gave up trying and just think of the Companion Fare as a win.
I suppose that if you live in Hawaii then the whole concept of brand loyalty has definitely been watered down by the Alaska acquisition of Hawaiian. The one thing that I won’t do is give up on brand loyalty because last year flying back from Hawaii I cashed out most of my Hawaiian miles getting from Maui to the Big Island and then from the Big Island to San Diego for 2 people. Pretty much emptied my account but first class seats on all of my flights made the difference for me, especially the flight to San Diego. I also flew first class with miles on American to and from LAX and also to and from Tampa so there is no way I will give up on American loyalty. Access to Admiral’s Clubs also makes a big difference to me for longer departures between flights.
I’m afraid BoH is right, loyalty programs are a one-way proposition, your loyalty to the airline only. Like everything else about flying, diminished service, lack of a comfortable seat, crowding except in premium sections, lousy food (when you get it), and delayed/late arriving flights. Wonder how long those ‘happy’ airline employees in those ads and the videos are going to be able to ‘keep smiling!’.
Wait a few months for the recession to hit – there may be more seats what with all the government workers being kicked out of jobs, not to mention the downstream effects of lack of spending at other businesses by those suddenly unemployed. People won’t be spending much for vacations, considering inflation, tariffs, employment and stock market impacts.
I am maintaining my loyalty to American Airlines, and I haven’t even tried to redeem any miles for the past 20 years! I have American’s credit card that gives me access to their lounges, which is a huge plus for me, as I travel to the mainland about every six weeks or so, almost always with a layover. My Executive Platinum status gives me access to extra-legroom seats right when I book, which is another big plus. I can also check up to three bags (at 70 pounds each) at no additional cost. And, I generally get complementary upgrades to first/business about every other flight. I see no reason to switch to any other airline.
Back in 1985, I used 75,000 miles on United to send my sister and brother-in-law first class round trip from Chicago to Kauai. Now I have 120,000 United miles. Maybe that would get me an economy seat from San Francisco to San Jose. How times have changed.
Hubs and I flew SWA to Hawaii for the first time in June 2023. We usually flew Hawaiian. If we booked same flight today for this June, 2025 – it would require 100,000 more miles! Instead, I shopped early and grabbed a decent fare and I may get enough SWA miles for a YETI cup. :0)
Living on the big island, I only use miles for interisland flights. Outside of that, not worth my time and aggravation. No offense to airlines, but you become a second class citizen when using miles. It’s like you’re a freeloader or something.
United offered me 1K status for $15K or 1.5M miles. The offer ended Feb 28, 2025, but received an email extending the offer to March 14. Even at 1K 2 years ago, I gave back all of my 280 plus points because I could not use them even though I tried. The only benefit at 1K is pre-board and free snack/hot entree on flights. Definitely not worth the $15K. Get real United.
I had 1K status on UA back in 2012/2013 when I was President of the IEEE EMC Society. It was a miles flown program back then and required you to fly (ride) them 100,000 miles per year. Now that I’m retired, but have well over 1,000,000 miles total with UA, I have Premier Gold status for life (and my wife does, as well). That gives me E+ seating at time of purchase, along with two checked bags free. That alone is worth some serious coin.
I have been holding onto my HawaiianMiles hoping for another great redemption and trip, but after the Alaska merger and changes coming to the program, I’m wondering if I should just cash them out as soon as possible before they’re devalued again one way or the other. Thoughts?
I’m glad you covered the shift toward cash-back cards. At least with those, I know exactly what I’m getting instead of playing this airline roulette. Not that those are perfect either, but the loyalty programs are worse.
I don’t mind paying a fair amount in miles for a good award seat, but when the price jumps 50% and availability drops at the same time, it’s clear the system is broken and award programs are largely either a thing of the past or only for the very most frequent of travelers.
Alaska was my last hope for a decent mileage program. If they switch to spend-based rewards, I might as well just go for the cheapest flight every time. In fact, it seems inevitable at this point.
Just last year, I booked Hawaii to New York roundtrip for 40,000 miles. Now? I can barely get a one-way for that. Time to rethink my own airline strategy.
The airlines claim these changes are what travelers want, but who exactly did they ask? Every frequent flyer I know prefers the old mileage-based system.
I used to plan my Hawaii trips around earning and redeeming miles, but it feels like a losing game now. If Alaska ditches distance-based earning, what’s even left to be loyal to?
Free agent is the best way to go, but most people will not use it.
I stopped focusing on airline status about a year and a half ago, and switched to an Amex Membership Rewards Card for more flexibility. I generally find that it’s cheaper to pay for a seat upgrade to get preferred boarding, etc. than to spend enough to qualify for airline status.
Delta Companion Passes which are now at long last usable for Hawai’i travel are also a dry well.
I tried using them last month for travel in late April only to hit a no availability wall. This was literally the day companion passes were issued for the year.
I noticed the change even last year. Hawaiian requires way too many miles for a ticket.
Yup, tried to book a first class R/T to HNL from San Diego on Hawaiian several months ago on Hawaiian with 190K+ miles in my acct. No availability, wouldn’t let me do it. It’s like they are telling us that our miles are worthless. I think they are, now.