If you have a Hawaiian Airlines HawaiianMiles Visa card, like so many of us do who live in or travel to Hawaii, you’ll want to take notice. Your current card is about to be automatically replaced and there are significant new benefits coming.
The HawaiianMiles Visa card issued by Bank of America is no more. Starting in April, cardholders will automatically receive a replacement MasterCard issued by Barclaycard.
Our take is that if you fly Hawaiian even a couple of times a year, this card can make good sense. Here’s why.
Free checked luggage now included and more:
- One free checked bag on all Hawaiian Airlines flights booked directly on their website using the new card. Good deal.
- One-time 50% companion discount on a published full coach round-trip fare between North America and Hawaii. Can be worth $300 or more.
- One companion discount at each credit card anniversary. $100 off.
- No international transaction fees. If you ever travel internationally, this is great, typically saving 3% on all purchases.
- Other benefits are largely unchanged. Those include 2 miles for every dollar spent on Hawaiian Airlines tickets, and 1 mile for all other purchases. Plus the ability to share HawaiianMiles.
Card fees increase:
The bad news is that the fee for the new card is $89 per year. If you fly on Hawaiian, however, just the free checked bag allowance could justify the cost. Checked bags are $17 inter-island and $25 trans-Pacific. Interest charges on unpaid balances will also increase to between 16% and 25%.
Your thoughts or questions?
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On the hawaiian air website, that any flights booked from Jan 1, 2014 with their current hawaiian miles card, would honor checked bag fees. Here is the quote:
[4] Qualified 1st checked baggage fees and foreign transaction fees assessed on your current Hawaiian Airlines Visa card between January 1, 2014 and April 28, 2014 will be credited to your Hawaiian Airlines World Elite MasterCard statement within ninety (90) days after you receive your new card. You must activate your new card in order to receive the statement credit.
Hawaiian airlines just sent me a pre-release packet of info on the new Barclay’s MasterCard. It looks like the fee is only $50/year acc to the paper they sent to me. They said the card will come mid April.
I am wondering if it is still an option to cancel the current card and sign up for the new Barclay’s card to get the 35,000 miles offered for opening the new card.
I know someone said they did this awhile back? Any one else tried recently???
thanks!
Is there anything that would stop me from getting the card, getting the miles in 90 days, and using the miles plus companion discount? Thanks
So, we will not lose any Hawaiian miles we have been accumulated when the card changes?
If I cancel my hawaiian card ( in order to apply for a new barclay’s card for the 33,000 miles, before the miles accumulated this month have been added to my hawaiian miles account, will I lose those miles??
thanks!
Hi Joan.
Long time no talk. You won’t lose your miles and I’ve seen various and conflicting information about whether all new Barclaycard members will receive the bonus. Suggest staying tuned as I believe emails will be coming shortly explaining all this.
Aloha.
I booked our flight to Hawaii for April 14, 2014 using my Hawaiian Air Visa card. My question is this…will I still qualify for no baggage fee?
Hi Vicky.
No that must be booked with the new card which won’t be out until April.
Aloha.
I decided to cancel my Bank of Hawaii Hawaiian Airlines Visa card the other day. I received an email from them stating that my card would convert to the Barclays Visa, but I would not receive the bonus miles offered to new card holders. So, I applied for the new Barclay’s card online, was approved, and will receive 35,000 miles after spending $1K within 90 days. I then called Bank of Hawaii and cancelled the Visa I had with them. I urge others to do the same before they convert your existing VISA card.
My family and I travel to Hawaii once or twice a year for vacation. I travel Alaska Airlines frequently for business on the mainland, and there Visa card comes with and annual companion fare for 100 dollars and includes Hawaii. It would be nice if the new card would do something similar.
Hi John
I already have the Bank of America CC. I was wondering if I get this new card would I be eligible for the 35,000 bonus points if I spend over the $1000 in 90 days or because I already have an account I can not receive that offer?
Thanks,
Brian.
Hi Brian,
My guess is no, that the bonus is for completely new signups, but we’re in the same boat.
Aloha.
What if your Hawaiian Airlines card is issued by Visa Bank of Hawaii?
Hi John,
Good point. It is the Bank of America card that is being replaced. We understand that Bank of Hawaii is still in the partnership with Hawaiian Airlines. Based on that, we assume that your credit card will not be replaced. Not sure about that however, or whether the terms associated with that card would change as well. If you hear anything, please let us know.
Aloha.