Credit Cards for Booking Your Dream Vacation to Hawaii

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Last updated on April 13th, 2023

There are countless blogs explaining what to do when you get to your holiday spot, but not as many that offer advice on how to pay for the trip itself. At BestCards.com, we understand how tough it can be to book a dream vacation – that’s why we’ve devised a guide on how to book your Hawaiian getaway.

“Get Me to Hawaii” Credit Cards for Dream Vacations

Perhaps the hardest part about booking a dream vacation to Hawaii is figuring out how to get the most bang for your buck – and that starts with booking flights. Flying to Hawaii isn’t cheap (otherwise everyone would likely be there), but there are plenty of airlines that can get you there.

Premium Travel Rewards Credit Cards

Fortunately, when it comes to booking flights to Hawaii, there are plenty of great airline rewards credit cards that can help you save money on the cost of flights. First among these cards are the usual suspects, including the American Express Platinum Card and the Chase Sapphire Reserve. Both cards fit into the ultra-premium category and offer excellent earning potential. The Platinum Card earns a whopping 5x points on travel purchases booked through American Express, whereas the Reserve earns 3x points on travel. These cards also come with a massive raft of perks, including TSA Pre✓® and lounge access, meaning they remove much of the stress of traveling. Unfortunately, however, these cards also come with an ultra-premium annual fee of between $450 to $550, firmly placing them out of the reach of many travelers – notably many young families.

The Hawaiian Airlines® World Elite Mastercard®

For those with a much less exotic budget, there are still tons of great airline rewards cards that offer significant perks to the Hawaii-bound traveler. Take the Hawaiian Airlines® World Elite Mastercard®, for instance. Hawaiian Airlines is an excellent carrier, and for many would seem like an obvious choice of airline to fly to the Aloha Islands. The airline’s World Elite Mastercard, from Barclays, earns triple miles for every dollar spent with Hawaiian Airlines, as well as a considerable bonus of 60,000 miles when you make just $2,000 in purchases within the first 90 days. Since flights to Hawaii typically run into the thousands of dollars, booking a family vacation with the Hawaiian Airlines® World Elite Mastercard is more than enough to trigger this great bonus – so you’ll be able to plan another trek to Hawaii for free at a later date. HawaiianMiles can be redeemed for flights to Hawaii from Mainland U.S. for as little as 20,000 miles, meaning up to three people can fly one-way with bonus flights! Hawaiian Airlines® World Elite Mastercard® also offers some great flight perks for cardholders that provide substantial value when planning a vacation. New holders receive a one-time 50% discount on a companion fare and an additional $100 companion fare discount on each cardmember anniversary. Cardholders also receive their first checked bag free on Hawaiian Airlines operated flights. HawaiianMiles are redeemable for hotel stays, so the miles accrued in the initial offer spend can also be used for booking your hotel – saving you even more money to use when exploring the islands!

Other Airline Card Options

Two of the best frequent flyer programs available are the Alaska Airlines Mileage Plan™ and JetBlue’s TrueBlue. Both airlines offer flights across North America, although Alaska is the only one of the two with services to Hawaii. This accessibility, combined with the huge mile-earning potential of the Mileage Plan Program, makes flying to the islands with Alaskan Airlines a great choice. This case is further bolstered by the impressive perks of the Alaska Airlines Visa® from Bank of America. Cardholders receive Alaska’s Companion Fare – entitling cardholders to a companion fare of $99 plus taxes – each year of membership. Additionally, they’ll receive one free bag for up to six people on the same reservation for Alaska-operated flights, as well as 50% savings on Alaska Airlines lounge access. The Alaska Airlines card is great if you plan to fly from the west coast; for everyone else, however, the perks of the card are limited. Fortunately, JetBlue also offers superb value – especially when it comes to transferring rewards points. Since Hawaiian Airlines are a code-share partner of JetBlue, TrueBlue members can transfer existing points to Hawaiian Airlines flights, opening up travel to the 50th state for those loyal to the blue brand! JetBlue offers two cards that are great for those who frequently travel: the JetBlue Card and the JetBlue Plus Card, both of which offer significant points earning potential, as well as no expiration of rewards or blackout dates.

Find the Perfect Rewards Card for Your Next Dream Vacation

In no way is this selection of travel rewards credit cards complete. There are dozens of other great options to consider from major airlines like Delta, United, or American. When you factor in airline alliances, such as Oneworld, SkyTeam, or Star Alliance, the opportunities are even greater. If you are struggling to find a rewards credit card to fit your needs, we’re here to help. BestCards.com has a wide selection of impartial reviews on some of the best credit cards on the market – including travel rewards cards such as the Chase Sapphire Preferred, The American Express Gold Card, or the Orbitz Rewards® Visa®.

Editorial Disclosure – The opinions expressed on BestCards.com's reviews, articles, and all other content on or relating to the website are solely those of the content’s author(s). These opinions do not reflect those of any card issuer or financial institution, and editorial content on our site has not been reviewed or approved by these entities unless noted otherwise. Further, BestCards.com lists credit card offers that are frequently updated with information believed to be accurate to the best of our team's knowledge. However, please review the information provided directly by the credit card issuer or related financial institution for full details.

About: Cory Santos
Cory Santos

Cory is the senior credit card editor at BestCards, specializing in everything credit card-related. He’s worked extensively with credit cards and other personal finance topics, including nearly five years at BestCards. Cory’s extensive knowledge is an essential part of the BestCards experience, helping readers to live their best financial lives with up-to-date insights and comprehensive coverage of all facets of the credit card space, including market trends, rewards guides, credit advice, and comprehensive credit card reviews.

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