HawaiianMiles Confusion: What Really Happens Next

We’ve been flooded with questions about HawaiianMiles—by email, in comments, and even in person—and with good reason. The loyalty program is heading for big changes, but clear answers have been hard to come by.

One reader, Kimo, put it like this: “I currently have 900,000 Hawaiian miles. What is going to happen to my Hawaiian miles come July 1, 2025? Will I still be able to use my miles on Hawaiian flights? Do I need to move them to Alaska Air by July 1, or lose them? Will Hawaiian miles and Alaska miles automatically combine without me doing anything?”

That’s just one of dozens of nearly identical questions we’ve received. Over 40 comments piled up on a recent article, many asking the same thing. The confusion is widespread, and it’s no wonder. The airlines haven’t clearly spelled out what matters most to travelers, and changes are coming fast.

Here’s what you really need to know—what’s changing, what’s not, and what we’re doing with our own miles right now.

What actually happens on July 1, 2025.

HawaiianMiles themselves aren’t in any way ending on July 1. What is ending are most of Hawaiian’s exclusive partner agreements—eighteen of them. That includes a list of 18 airline and transfer partnerships, Amex Membership Rewards transfers, and even Foodland Maika‘i points.

If you’ve relied on any of those programs to earn or redeem HawaiianMiles, that’s what’s going away. After that, Hawaiian will begin transitioning to a broader set of partners through Alaska and the Oneworld alliance. You’ll start to see Alaska’s existing partners come into play: Qantas, American Airlines, Fiji Airways, and many more.

However, July 1 is not a cutoff date for using miles on Hawaiian. You’ll still be able to do that, and you don’t need to take any urgent action unless you plan to use one of those expiring partners.

Your HawaiianMiles will transfer to Alaska Mileage Plan.

The biggest misconception is that miles must be moved, claimed, or manually transferred before July 1 or on any date. That’s wrong.

Your HawaiianMiles will transfer automatically into Alaska’s Mileage Plan program. The two programs are in the process of integration, and when that concludes—expected sometime likely this summer—your balance will carry over at a guaranteed 1:1 ratio. That has been confirmed by both airlines.

If you haven’t already, you can and should create an Alaska Mileage Plan account and link it with your HawaiianMiles account. That option is already available on both airlines’ websites. You are not required to do so, but it’s a smart move to ensure your accounts are properly connected ahead of time.

What to expect from the value of your miles.

While the 1:1 transfer ratio is locked in, what you can actually get with those miles may look different. Alaska uses a distance-based award chart with variable pricing, which may not reflect Hawaiian’s historical redemption patterns. We’ve already seen some flights price much higher on Alaska than they typically have on Hawaiian.

That’s one reason we’re using our miles wherever it makes sense—on every airline. These programs have shifted dramatically. Devaluations are happening without notice, sweet spots are vanishing, and loyalty is no longer being rewarded as it once was. We no longer believe these programs are structured in any way that benefits travelers. They’re designed to help airlines, and they do so admirably.

If you have a redemption that offers decent value today, we recommend using your miles. Don’t wait around hoping for a better chart or more availability. That’s not the direction in which things are moving at all.

What about existing Hawaiian award tickets?

If you’ve already booked a flight using HawaiianMiles, it will be honored. That includes tickets booked for travel, no matter the date. You do not need to take any action whatsoever.

Award ticket rules will eventually move into Alaska’s platform, but that won’t happen on July 1. You’ll still be able to manage your HawaiianMiles bookings through Hawaiian’s site until the full integration is complete. We don’t yet know the date when that will occur.

What’s changing with Amex Membership Rewards.

Amex Membership Rewards will no longer transfer to HawaiianMiles after June 30. That’s a permanent change. If you’ve used this transfer option before, you already know its value—especially for last-minute interisland or West Coast flights. We’ve used it many times, and it’s one we’ll miss. If you still plan to transfer, act fast.

What to know about the Hawaiian credit card.

Confusion around the Barclays Hawaiian Airlines credit card hasn’t let up, and we understand why. The card still earns HawaiianMiles, eventually converting into Alaska Mileage Plan miles. But its future role in the new system is anything but clear.

After we published our prior article, HawaiianMiles Ends In 90 Days, both Barclays and Hawaiian contacted us directly. In a follow-up article, Hawaiian Says Don’t Worry—But Travelers Still Await Clear Answers, we reported what we heard—and what we still didn’t.

Barclays told us in no uncertain terms that the card is “not going away or changing any time soon.” Tricia Schafer-Petrecz, VP of Communications, shared this statement from Doug Villone, Head of Cards and Partnerships at Barclays:

“We renewed our partnership agreement with Hawaiian Airlines in July 2024, and our consumer and small business credit card program will remain intact for the next several years… We continue to acquire new customers and service our existing customers with the enhanced benefits of the combined airlines.”

That’s a clear stance. But Hawaiian Airlines didn’t go nearly as far. The airline only said the card “will continue to be valid” after the loyalty program combination. There was no mention of how long the card would last, whether benefits would be retained, or what changes travelers should expect.

So, while Barclays wants to reassure cardholders, many travelers remain unconvinced. Some say they’re canceling, others are negotiating waived fees due to uncertainty, and a few have said they’ll hold the card only until the next renewal. Victoria just commented: “On my recent flight home from Hawaii on HA they were promoting the Barclays credit card & that you could get 70,000 miles. I thought that odd since they were merging with Alaska.”

That brings us to the one piece of advice we offer with confidence: watch your renewal date carefully. Don’t assume you’ll get a clear warning. Some cardholders told us Barclays doesn’t make that date easy to find—you may need to call. That’s what we’re doing ourselves. We don’t plan to renew unless we see concrete long-term value.

Even if the card remains valid, that doesn’t guarantee it will still be worth keeping. Until the details are clearer, proceed with caution.

We’ll continue reporting on any official changes, and we’d like to hear what you’re seeing too.

What not to do right now.

Do not assume your miles are expiring. They are not. Those partner programs may be going away, but your HawaiianMiles will live on as Alaska miles in a future combined loyalty program.

Do not expect loyalty program improvements. The trend across the airline industry is toward higher redemption costs, lower upgrade value, and shrinking elite benefits. That’s why we believe the smartest move is to use your miles whenever you see value, perhaps even if it’s less than you’d hoped.

What we’re doing at Beat of Hawaii.

We’re burning miles across all airline programs. Hawaiian. Alaska. United. It doesn’t matter anymore. The value of frequent flyer miles continues to erode, and nothing in the trendlines suggests that will in any way reverse. Airlines are monetizing loyalty more aggressively than ever, leaving travelers with fewer and fewer good redemption opportunities.

This is not a warning—it’s the new reality.

If you’ve been waiting for a better deal, don’t. Use your miles while they still get you somewhere you want to go. You’ll be glad you did.

We’ll continue to track changes and highlight anything that impacts your travel or your wallet. Let us know what questions you still have—we’ll either answer them here or in a follow-up story.