Thanks to those who have requested personalized credit card consultations – I’ve really enjoyed hearing about your travel goals. One of your most requested destinations has been Hawaii, so I thought I’d briefly go over the many ways to book a Hawaii vacation for almost free!
Based on my research, the cash cost of roundtrip flights and 4 nights in Hawaii could be over $4,500. However, if you leverage reward points, this trip can cost as little as $22!
Have I gotten your attention yet? Let’s break it down…
Flights To Hawaii
Booking on United Airlines is one of the most straightforward ways to fly to Hawaii on points, however it’s not always the cheapest. United typically charges about 45,000 points for a roundtrip ticket.
Another way to fly to Hawaii is to book through British Airways on an American Airlines-operated plane. British Airways uses a distance-based chart to calculate the cost of the flight, so the longer the flight with the more layovers, the more expensive it will be. Flights from the west coast typically run about 26,000 points roundtrip, and 40,000 points from the east coast.
Since Singapore Airlines is part of the same airline alliance as United, you can book a flight through Singapore on a United-operated plane and it’s actually cheaper (39,000 points roundtrip) even though it’s the same exact flight!
One of my favorite ways to get to Hawaii is on Southwest Airlines, which will run about 15,000 – 45,000 points roundtrip depending on when you go (low/high seasons) AND if you’re able to take advantage of the Companion Pass, you can fly your favorite friend or family member for $11.20 roundtrip! BANANAS.
Delta also flies to Hawaii around 45,000 points roundtrip and will occasionally run flash sales where you can find tickets for less.
Hawaiian Airlines doesn’t offer the best price for flights from the mainland, but they’re usually great for inter-island travel.
Another great way to get to Hawaii is on Turkish Airlines. They charge just 15,000 points for a roundtrip ticket! This award flight is a bit trickier to book, but if you’re flexible with your dates, it’s one of the best and cheapest ways to get to Hawaii.
Use my Transfer Partners Cheat Sheet to see which credit card points transfers to these airlines.
Lodging In Hawaii
I usually find the best value staying at Hyatt hotels because of two main reasons: 1) Hyatt has a fixed award chart, meaning the points rate is dependent upon whether it’s low, mid, or high season and not dependent upon occupancy. Marriott, Hilton, and IHG all have dynamic points charts, which can fluctuate according to their rates and how booked they are. 2) Hyatt’s points rate is usually lower than the other brands so your points go further.
A luxury hotel room at a Hyatt hotel can cost as little as 17,000 points per night, whereas a Marriott or Hilton will charge 50,000 points or more. Unfortunately, Hyatt has only 1 transfer partner: Chase bank (this is another reason why I keep talking about the incredible value of having Chase credit cards).
Hyatt
As you can see from the Hyatt Points Calendar below, a room at the Hyatt Regency Resort in Maui during the off-peak season will cost 21,000 points per night. The standard cash rate for this room is $619/night!
Marriott
Here are some Marriott hotels in the same area during the same dates. Not only are the cash rates higher, but the points rate is more than double that of Hyatt’s!
Hilton
And here are the rates for Hilton properties during the same time:
Airbnb / VRBO / Vacasa
Another lodging option in Hawaii would be to rent an Airbnb or VRBO property. It’s especially nice to have a kitchen when you’re traveling with family because eating out can get pretty expensive.
With a Capital One Venture or Capital One Venture X card, you can “erase” your Airbnb expenses using points. With Citi Premier points, you can book a condo through Vacasa.
Hawaii On Points vs. Cash
Taking what we know about the flight and hotel availability we just searched, let’s see what an example Hawaii vacation would look like and compare it to how much the cash rate would be:
- (2) Roundtrip flights from LAX to Maui on Southwest: 30,000 points + Companion Pass
- (4) Nights at Hyatt Regency Resort in Maui: 84,000 points
Total cost: 114,000 points + $22.40 (Southwest taxes/fees)
And here’s the cash cost of this same trip:
- (2) Roundtrip flights from LAX to Maui on Southwest: average $1,059.
- (4) Nights at Hyatt Regency Resort in Maui: $3,564 (including resort fees, state and occupancy taxes)
Total cost: $4,623.00
Pretty crazy, right? Even crazier… one credit card welcome offer could get you almost all the points you’d need to book this vacation. Just think, you could be sunbathing in Hawaii in about 3 months!
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