The Cheapest Ways to Get to Hawaii on Points and Miles

The British Airways Visa Signature® Card is currently offering up to 100,000 Avios after you spend $5,000 on purchases within the first 3 months from account opening.

3. Southwest Airlines

Southwest Airlines operates flights to Honolulu, Maui, and Kona out of Oakland (OAK) and San Jose International Airport (SJC). Redemption rates depend on the cost of paid fares, but you can book a Wanna Get Away Fare between Oakland and Maui for as little as 80,967 points one-way. Check out the Southwest personal credit cards:

• Southwest Rapid Rewards® Plus Credit Card — $69 annual fee
• Southwest Rapid Rewards® Premier Credit Card — $99 annual fee
• Southwest Rapid Rewards® Priority Credit Card — $149 annual fee

Southwest is an especially great option for Hawaii flights if you have the Southwest Companion Pass. You can book yourself a flight on points and your companion will fly for free, minus taxes and fees. I know couples who each earn the Companion Pass and then designate their children as their companions. As a result, they save 50% on airfare when traveling as a family.

Hotel credit cards that cover hotels for four

Hyatt, Hilton and Wyndham are the best options when it comes to booking free family hotel stays in Hawaii. Their redemption rates, paired with credit card welcome bonuses, make them attractive options.

Hyatt

The The World Of Hyatt Credit Card
currently offers 25,000 bonus points after you spend $3,000 in the first three months, plus another 25,000 points after you spend $6,000 total within the first six months. That’s enough for up to four nights at a Hyatt Hawaii hotel.

• Hyatt Residence Club Maui, Ka’anapali Beach — 30,000 points per night
• Andaz Maui Wailea — 30,000 points per night
• Hyatt Regency Maui — 25,000 points per night
• Grand Hyatt Kauai — 25,000 points per night
• HR Waikiki Beach — 20,000 points per night
• Hyatt Centric Waikiki — 15,000 points per night
• Hyatt Place Waikiki — 12,000 points per night

If you’re looking for a bigger bonus, the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card is currently offering 60,000 bonus points after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening. With this bonus, you can book two nights at a high-end Hyatt hotel or up to five nights at the Hyatt Place Waikiki. The great thing about Hyatt Place hotels is that they tend to have spacious rooms with sofa beds and free breakfast for everyone — a great value for families looking to maximize points and save on meals.

Hilton

For the highest Hilton credit card welcome bonus, look no further than the Hilton Honors American Express Aspire Card
. It pays out 150,000 points after you spend at least $4,000 in your first 3 months of account opening. That’s enough for two to three nights at one of Hilton’s many Hawaiian resorts:

• Hilton Garden Inn Kauai Wailua Bay — 50,000 points per night
• Hilton Waikoloa Village — 60,000 points per night
• Hilton Waikiki Beach — 60,000 points per night
• Hilton Garden Inn Waikiki Beach — 50,000 points per night
• Hilton Hawaiian Village Waikiki Beach Resort — 60,000 points per night

The Surpass Card does come with free Hilton Honors Gold elite status, so you’ll qualify for free breakfast. If you manage to spend $40,000 on eligible purchases on the card in a year, you’ll get upgraded to Diamond elite status.

Wyndham Rewards

Wyndham Rewards is probably the best rewards program for families. Free nights range from just 7,500 to 15,000 for standard award nights. Best of all, most of their resorts are actually condos. That’s ideal for families looking for amenities like an extra bedroom, full kitchen, and washer/dryer.

Unfortunately, the Wyndham Rewards Visa currently only offers 15,000 points after first purchase or balance transfer. However, a couple could apply for one card each and cover two nights at the following resorts where each room sleeps up to four people:

• Kona Coast Resort
• Holua Resort at Mauna Loa Village
• Wyndham Kona Hawaiian Resort

How to redeem points for activities in Hawaii

Hawaii can be a pricey destination, and activities on the islands are no exception. Whether you’re looking to go on a family diving excursion or parasail outside your resort, it can get expensive for families. There are many ways to off-set these expenses using credit cards. My favorite? The Chase Ultimate Rewards travel portal, which offers some really great deals on activities.

You can also utilize miles from the Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card to cover the cost of activities. Points can be redeemed for 1 cent each as a statement credit.

One final tip for activities: If you’re traveling to Maui, I highly recommend getting the Shaka Gold Card. Membership costs just $30 and covers up to four people. In turn, you’ll receive discounts of up to 50% on activities like jet skiing, snorkeling tours and everything in between.

Credit cards that help you cover incidentals, meals, and resort fees

Airfare, hotels, and activities may be the biggest expenses for most people, but once you step foot in the hotel, there are other costs that can add up. There are daily resort fees to contend with, not to mention meals and incidentals. Luckily, there are ways to offset these expenses with the right credit cards.

My favorite option? Pay these rewards with your Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card and redeem miles toward statement credits. If you have the Hilton Honors Aspire Card, you won’t even have to worry about many of these charges to begin with. For starters, the card offers up to a $250 annual Hilton resort fee credit that you can use toward dining, spa purchases, and more. Additionally, if you’re paying for a 2-night minimum stay at HiltonHonors.com/aspirecard, you’ll receive up to $100 in credits at participating Waldorf Astoria and Conrad Hotels. It has a $450 annual fee (See Review).

The Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant™ American Express® Card offers up to $300 in annual statement credits that can be used to cover extra charges at Marriott resorts. The $300 annual travel credit from the Chase Sapphire Reserve® is probably the best option, since it can be applied toward any travel purchase. Whether it’s resort fees at a Hilton hotel, car rental charges, or a SNUBA diving adventures — if it’s coded as a travel purchase, the credit will be automatically applied.