Buy Hawaiian Miles With a 50% Bonus (1.69¢ Each) (2024)

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From now through September 13, 2024, you can buy Hawaiian miles for as little as 1.69¢ apiece with a 50% bonus.

Part of what makes this promotion interesting is Hawaiian's intended merger with Alaska Airlines. As part of the merger, the HawaiianMiles program is expected to fold into the Alaska Airlines Mileage Plan program — although we don't know the details of how this will happen or the ratio at which miles may convert.

For those who plan to book travel soon, there are some great opportunities with the current Hawaiian Airlines program. But keep in mind that any miles you don't spend now could be subject to major changes—for better or worse.

This offer will be availableuntil 11:59 pm HST on September 13, 2024. You can trigger the 50% bonus by purchasing at least 3,000 miles—which is an unusually low threshold to maximize a buy-miles offer.

Let's dive into some of the details of this promotion and see if and when it makes sense to buy HawaiianMiles.

Buy HawaiianMiles Offer Details

With this being the first Hawaiian buy miles promotion we've covered, we don't have historical offers to compare, but this 50% bonus has potential value for anyone with an upcoming trip they could book through HawaiianMiles.

Here are the basic terms for this offer:

• This 50% bonus promotion allows members to grab HawaiianMiles for just 1.69¢ each.
• Promotion is valid until 11:59 pm HST on September 13, 2024.
• Members can purchase miles in increments of 1,000.
• Buy up to a maximum of 50,000 miles per transaction (with no annual limit).
• Purchased miles will be credited to the HawaiianMiles member’s account upon completion of the transaction.
• Additional terms for purchasing and gifting miles can be found here.
• All transactions are non-refundable and subject to the HawaiianMiles terms and conditions.

Wondering how long it takes to receive your miles? Data points from AwardWallet users show that HawaiianMiles purchases are processed in an average of 6 hours. So while the Hawaiian Airlines terms state they will be “credited upon completion of the transaction,” our database is showing it takes a bit longer. Track your purchase using AwardWallet's Balance Watch Tool to get alerted as soon as the miles hit your account.

Hawaiian buy miles bonus tiers

This promotion is quite simple and has just two tiers — with only one of them containing a bonus. Members can buy miles at the following rates:

• 1,000–2,000 miles: No bonus (2.54¢ each)
• 3,000–50,000 miles: 50% bonus (1.69¢ each)

The minimum amount of HawaiianMiles you can buy with the 50% bonus is 3,000 miles. You'll end up with 4,500 miles (3,000 base miles + 1,500 bonus miles) for a cost of $76.20. That's 1.69¢ per mile.

When you maximize this offer, you'd receive 75,000 HawaiianMiles (50,000 base miles + 25,000 bonus miles) for $1,270.00 — still 1.69¢ apiece. That makes it easy buy the right number of miles for the redemption you want at the lowest price.

It's important to be aware that Hawaiian Airlines charges a tax recovery fee of 1.6% — which is much lower than the usual 7.5% fee most airlines charge. But it still changes the total cost of your purchase when all is said and done, so just keep that in mind so it doesn't catch you by surprise at checkout.

How To Use Your HawaiianMiles

Hawaiian Airlines uses an award chart system when redeeming HawaiianMiles for flights. There are two types of award charts:

• Flights operated by Hawaiian Airlines (showing prices for one-way trips)
• Flights operated by Hawaiian Airlines' partners (listing prices for round-trip travel unless otherwise noted)

Now granted, this could all change once the merger with Alaska Airlines goes through — so we aren't entirely sure how much longer this setup will be available. But until that day is upon us, let's take a look at how you can redeem your miles for flights through the Hawaiian Airlines website.

Keep in mind that while the booking system is usually the same as the award charts, different dates can present different costs. So don't assume that because you see it on one of the award charts, this deal will be available. Always check the prices for your specific dates before you buy miles.

Honolulu to Sydney in Hawaiian Airlines business class

At close to 11 hours, the flight from the capital of Hawaii to Australia's largest city is quite a haul. That makes grabbing a premium cabin seat for this journey worth it, especially for only 25,000 more HawaiianMiles than the rate you'll pay for economy:

• Mileage rate: 65,000 miles each way + $27
• Typical cash price: $2,800-$3,450 one-way
• Redemption rate: 4.3¢-5.2 per mile
• Cost to purchase 66,000 miles (with 50% bonus): $1,118each way

Honolulu to Auckland in Hawaiian Airlines business class

At two hours less flying time than to Sydney, this flight to Auckland, New Zealand, has a considerably more expensive cash rate — so you'll be able to get a better bang for your buck on this flight. If you're a Lord of the Rings fanatic like I am, you can see the appeal of taking a trip to the country where they filmed the greatest trilogy ever made (sorry Godfather, the third one ruined it and gave the top spot to these masterpieces):

• Mileage rate: 65,000 miles each way + $47
• Typical cash price: $2,850-$4,300 one-way
• Redemption rate: 4.3-6.5¢ per mile
• Cost to purchase 66,000 miles (with 50% bonus): $1,118each way

It's important to remember that the “typical cash price” isn't always the right way to think about your savings per mile spent. You aren't really saving that amount if you'd never consider paying the sticker price out of pocket. A better approach for those who don't usually buy business-class tickets is to start with the economy price and add the amount you'd be willing to pay for an upgrade to a lay-flat, business-class experience.

There are several other loyalty programs offering cheap flights to Hawaii using miles, so be sure to shop around before you pull the trigger and buy Hawaiian miles.

Should You Buy HawaiianMiles?

You're probably well aware of our stance on buying miles by now. It's generally not the best way to spend your money. The pending merger creates even more uncertainty, so this is a case where you want to be especially confident about your plan to redeem the miles you buy right away.

That said, there are specific instances when buying miles can make sense. For example, buying miles can be a good idea if you need to top off your account to make a redemption. You should also consider buying miles if the overall cost is cheaper than the cash fare for your desired flight. Both instances are magnified when there's a sale such as this one.

Maximize Your HawaiianMiles Purchase

Like with so many other airlines, Hawaiian sells its miles via Points.com. That means your purchase won't code as a flight purchase or trigger the travel category on most credit cards. Consider using one of these payment methods:

• A credit card where you're currently working on a sign-up bonus. These are the best welcome offers available now.
• A credit card offering benefits you can unlock from spending, such as hotel free night awards, hotel elite status, or airline elite status.
• Your best credit card for everyday spending, such as the Citi Double Cash® Card or Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card.

Related: Which Credit Card Should You Use To Buy Points and Miles?

Bottom Line

With the Alaska Airlines merger on the horizon, the future of the HawaiianMiles program is uncertain. We can't be sure how or when the programs will be combined, nor can we predict how Hawaiian miles you buy today will be credited to the newly merged loyalty program. But until that day finally arrives, buying Hawaiian Airlines miles is a sneaky good option for bookings you can make in the relatively short term.

Not every trip will make sense to book with miles vs paying a cash airfare. But with a 50% bonus, there are plenty of good opportunities to be found in Hawaiian's current award chart.

If you want to take advantage of this promotion while HawaiianMiles cost 1.69¢ apiece, you have until September 13, 2024, to do so.

Would you buy Hawaiian Airlines HawaiianMiles for 1.69¢ apiece?