Hawaii is one of the top travel goals for our Travel Freely members, and for good reason! With great weather all year round, and the tropical island setting that doesn’t require international travel, it’s no wonder we find ourselves dreaming of our next trip to Hawaii.
But, dreaming of a trip to Hawaii is just the start. Eventually, you have to figure out how you’re going to pay for all of the expenses. This is where your credit card points and miles come in.
Using credit card points and miles to pay for your trip is a no-brainer…if you have the right cards. Several of our Travel Freely members have traveled to Hawaii for free, just by using the points they earned following our strategy.
Keep reading to see which cards you should open for your next trip to Hawaii!
We are currently updating our content on Member Success Stories to Hawaii. In the meantime, click here to get inspired by some of our more memorable Travel Freely success stories to Hawaii.
Zac and Virginia traveled to Hawaii for their honeymoon with credit card points and miles!
Transferable Credit Cards
These are some of the most sought-after credit cards in the world of travel rewards. After all, the points earned on these cards are ultra-flexible—allowing you to transfer the points earned from these cards to a number of different “transfer partners” at a 1:1 ratio.
And, the best part is that they’ll help you get to Hawaii!
Here are our recommendations for the best transferable cards for your next trip to Hawaii.
Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card
This is our #1 ranked card for any type of travel, and planning a trip to Hawaii is no exception. You can use your Ultimate Rewards points and book travel to Hawaii a number of different ways.
Some of our favorite airline transfer partners of Chase are United and Southwest—both of which will get you to Hawaii (and on United, maybe even in first class).
By transferring your Chase points to United, you could book a roundtrip economy flight from Los Angeles to Honolulu for only 20,000 points per person!
Not to mention, you can also use the points earned on this card to pay for your hotel stay at a Hyatt or Marriott property! Here at Travel Freely, we love to transfer our Ultimate Rewards points to Hyatt or Marriott for a super sweet redemption, like the Andaz Maui at Wailea Resort.
For a full list of Chase’s transfer partners, click here.
Glenn and his wife Janet used points earned on their Chase Sapphire Preferred for their trip to Hawaii.
Our #1 personal card we recommend most often. Hands down the single best "starter card" for beginners and the MVP card for free travel.
Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card
Another top contender for your trip to Hawaii is this premium card from Capital One. If the signup bonus isn’t enough, the 2 points per dollar spent make this card great for your everyday spend.
You can use your Capital One Miles to book directly with one of their many transfer partners. For a full list of Capital One’s transfer partners, click here.
Or, you can use your miles to reimburse yourself for travel expenses.
- As a cardholder, you’ll receive a $300 annual travel credit (renews on your card anniversary) for travel purchases made via the Capital One Travel Portal.
- You can also redeem Capital One miles as a statement credit for travel expenses, essentially reimbursing yourself for those purchases. This is a really great if you prefer booking your accommodations via Airbnb or VRBO.
Great "ultra-premium" card. Despite the big annual fee, the overall first year value is worth it for most people. This is due to the large signup bonus, extra benefits like Priority Pass, up to $300 annual travel credit and Global Entry/TSA PreCheck credit.
Citi Strata Premier℠ Card
This is another great example of a transferable card that will help you get to Hawaii for free. While the Transfer Partners are a little more obscure than Chase and Capital One, they have some of the best redemption rates for travel.
One of the best ways to use your Citi ThankYou® Points for a trip to Hawaii is by transferring your points to your Avianca LifeMiles account (a Star Alliance Partner) and booking 1-way award tickets to Hawaii on United Airlines for as low as 29,000 miles/person.
If you’re looking for an even better redemption, you can book a United Airlines flight via Turkish Airways for only 7,500 each way, although it is very hard to do. This used to be a great way to use your Citi ThankYou points, but has recently become one of the most challenging award redemptions out there. Update 2/7/24: Turkish awards may increase in the future to 10K points for one-way economy flights, which is still a great deal.
If you’re up for the challenge, our good friends at Frequent Miler break down the exact steps to booking a domestic United flight with Turkish Miles&Smiles.
For a full list of Citi’s transfer partners, click here.
Formerly the Citi Premier® Card, this is a new excellent rewards credit card with a solid signup bonus and 3x spending categories. This card is comparable to the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card, but with different transfer partners. Read the application rule carefully regarding "48 months."
Co-branded Credit Cards
You’re probably pretty familiar with these credit cards—they’re associated with your favorite airline or hotel. And while these aren’t as flexible as the transferable cards mentioned above, if you know exactly which airline and hotel you’d like to use for your trip to Hawaii, these are great cards for making sure you have enough points to travel for free!
Let’s take a look at our favorite Co-branded cards.
Southwest Credit Cards
It’s hard to talk about co-branded credit cards and not bring up the lineup of Southwest cards that you could get for your trip to Hawaii.
On top of earning enough Southwest Rapid Reward points through a single signup bonus for a trip to Hawaii, Southwest is home to one of the best deals in free travel: the Southwest Companion Pass.
The short story? The Companion Pass will earn you 2-for-1 travel for you and a companion for the entire year in which you earn it, as well as the following year, for only the cost of taxes and fees. For more information, check out this article.
Travel Freely member Tim Henderson used his Southwest Companion Pass to fly to Hawaii (and island-hop) with his wife for only $33.60!
Tim and his wife traveled to Hawaii for only $33.60!
Highest bonus amongst the Southwest business cards. You are eligible even if you have the Southwest Premier Business card. Great to combine with personal card to earn the Southwest Companion Pass.
Great Southwest business credit card with a low annual fee. Card offers two free Early Bird Check-Ins each year and the points earned from the signup bonus count towards the Companion Pass.
For a limited time - now with an updated offer valued at $950! Offer ends 12/16/24. This has the lowest annual fee of all Southwest personal cards, and comes with two EarlyBird passes per year.
For a limited time - now with an updated offer valued at $950! Offer ends 12/16/24. This is Southwest's highest personal card annual fee card with a lot of perks for people who fly often on Southwest.
Now with an updated offer valued at $950! The link for this specific card's offer ends 12/9/24. This card has an annual fee at $99 and comes with two Early Bird Check-In credits each year.
United Credit Cards
If you’re a fan of United Airlines, there are two Chase United cards that should be on your shortlist of credit cards to open. The Chase United Explorer and the Chase United Business Card both offer lucrative sign-up bonuses and ongoing perks to make the annual fee totally worth it.
And the best part is that they’ll help you travel to Hawaii for free. As mentioned above, you could book a roundtrip economy flight on United from Los Angeles to Honolulu for only 20,000 points per person!
Limited Time Offer! A great choice for United fans. You'll also get access to United saver level economy awards, free first checked bag and priority boarding.
For business owners with high monthly spend, this is worth a strong look with a nice signup bonus and ongoing benefits.
Hyatt Credit Cards
One of our favorite hotel programs is Hyatt, and lucky for us—Hawaii is loaded with different Hyatt hotels that are redeemable with points.
Hyatt points are easy to earn (whether through a Hyatt co-branded card or a transferable card like the Chase Sapphire Preferred), and their generous award chart means that you can get huge value from your points!
The World of Hyatt Credit Card and the World of Hyatt Business Credit Card both offer incredible value and a number of points that are sure to help you book your Hawaii hotel stay with points.
For instance, you could book the Grand Hyatt Kauai Resort & Spa for only 30,000 points per night.
Travel Freely member Jeff stayed at the Grand Hyatt while in Hawaii and used points to book his stay!
This is a two-tiered signup bonus with the first bonus being 30,000 points earned after spending $3,000 on the card within the first 3 months. The second bonus offer is dependent on how much you spend, where you'll earn 2x points per dollar spent in the first 6 months (on purchases that normally earn 1x point), on up to $15,000 spent.
For the small business owner who loves Hyatt, this is an intriguing offer. If you have high monthly spending, this card will also help you earn Globalist status.
Marriott Credit Cards
Marriott is another hotel rewards program that we love, and there are a wide variety of co-branded credit cards that will help you earn enough points to book your hotel stay in Hawaii. When booking a points stay with Marriott, it is worth mentioning that the 5th night is free, making your points stretch even further.
The Chase Marriott Bonvoy Boundless card and the Chase Marriott Bonvoy Bold are great cards that offer a sizeable sign-up bonus and elite status. The Chase Marriott Bonvoy Boundless offers a free night each account anniversary.
One of Zac’s favorite Marriott hotels in Hawaii is the Sheraton Kauai Resort, which can be booked for only 63,000 points per night.
This is a solid card from Marriott, plus there are many benefits, such as the annual free night certificate you receive on each account anniversary and 15 Elite nights toward status per calendar year.
Good offer on this no-fee card for Marriott enthusiasts. This card comes with 5 Elite Night Credits per calendar year.
Hilton Credit Cards
The last of the hotel cards, but certainly not least! American Express has a huge lineup of Hilton credit cards that offer large sign-up bonuses. If you stay at Hilton properties, we definitely recommend grabbing one (or two) of these cards when planning for your trip to Hawaii. When booking a points stay with Hilton, the 5th night is free, making your points stretch even further.
The American Express Hilton Honors Aspire and The Hilton Honors American Express Business card are some of our favorite Hilton cards, both for their signuup bonus and ongoing perks.
And, with these cards, you could easily apply points to your hotel reservation in Hawaii. When searching for available hotels, it looks like Hilton properties require a few more points than the Hyatt and Marriott examples. It’ll cost you a pretty penny, but you could book the Hilton Hawaiian Village Waikiki Beach Resort for 70,000 points per night (on the low end).
Limited Time Offer ends 01/08/2025. If you stay at Hilton properties throughout the year, you should really consider this high-end card. Lots of great benefits with a total value that exceeds the higher annual fee. Annual Free Night Reward upon signup and every year upon renewal. Terms apply.
Limited Time Offer ends 01/08/2025. This is a great business card for those who love Hilton. Terms apply.
Summary
Staying at an incredible hotel in Hawaii isn’t a far-fetched dream. In fact, with the right credit cards, you just might find yourself soaking in the island sun at a luxury hotel of your choice.
Keep in mind that credit card signups are always changing, and it’s best to grab one of these cards when the offer is at its highest (once or twice a year).
Travel Freely members receive weekly emails that keep them informed of the best offers. If you’re not yet a Travel Freely member, make sure to stay in the know by becoming a member today. It’s free!
