HOW we booked a VACATION TO HAWAII ON MILES AND POINTS
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A Hawaiian vacation is a bucket list trip for so many people. And for good reason. Hawaii has endless beaches, lush forests, Aloha spirit - and it’s a trip that is out of reach for many (like us) financially. Flights are long and expensive and lodging averages over $400 a night for a place off the beach.
Thankfully, with the power of points, we are able to offset the largest cost of a Hawaiian vacation: flights and hotels.
We recently spent a week on Maui and I want to break down how we booked our flights and hotels with points earned from credit card bonuses and what alternatives there are so that you can make your dream of visiting Hawaii a reality.
FLIGHTS
We made the decision to go to Hawaii for Spring Break in January - a little late for finding Saver fares on what is considered a peak travel week. I was able to find three economy seats on American Airlines for around 20k miles per person each way. The flight to Maui was a direct flight from DFW on a wide-body jet, but it meant a long 8 hours in an economy seat. The return flight connected through Phoenix on a narrow-body jet.
I went ahead and booked, but spent the next month and half continuing to search for award flights. We have points in almost every program and I really wanted to find a business class seat - at least on the return flight which is a red eye flight.
A couple of things to be mindful of when you’re researching flights is that most flights to Hawaii from the mainland are on a narrow-body jet. So you may see award flights that say First Class - but it will not be a lie-flat seat. Always triple check this on Google Flights or aeroLOPA before booking so you’re not disappointed.
A week before our flight, I found three business class seats on American for 62k miles per person, each way. This flight was a little over 8 hours, we have a ton of AA miles so I had no problem booking it (it was worth it by the way).
AA Business Class for 62k miles - not a bad way to get to Hawaii
Pro Tip: You can earn 70k AA miles for the price of an annual fee and a cup of coffee with this card. You will not find an easier way to earn miles.
HOW YOU CAN DO IT
All major carriers, including Southwest airlines, fly to the islands of Hawaii -so it’s very easy to earn points for these flights.
You can use the website flightconnections to see if there are direct flights from your home airport. I don’t mind connecting on this flight since most flights are on a narrow body jet.
If you live on the West Coast, you’re in luck - award flights can be found for as low as 7k points each way on Southwest, Alaska, and many other airlines. Families may even want to consider earning the Southwest Companion Pass and fly to Hawaii “Two for One”. Even on award flights.
British Airways used to be a sweet spot for the West Coast to Hawaii route, but they have recently increased the amount of points needed. Even with the increase, BA offers award flights on AA for fewer miles than if you booked directly with American. You can transfer points from Chase, Amex and Capital One to British Airways so it’s very easy to earn points for these flights.
This card earns 75k miles which is enough for a roundtrip flight to Hawaii on AA or a one way flight in business class. Book on British Airway, fly on AA.
Love Delta? You can book flights on Flying Blue for as low as 17.5k miles each way on Delta. Flying Blue is a transfer partner of all flexible points programs.
Pro Tip: For the most options, focus on earning flexible points like Chase Ultimate Rewards® points that can be transferred to multiple airlines like United, Southwest, British Airways and Hyatt etc.
WHERE WE STAYED
Before I booked our flights, I booked our hotels. We have quite a few Chase Ultimate Rewards® points from getting two Chase Ink business cards last year so I was primarily looking for Hyatt availability. Hyatt is one of the best transfer partners for Chase UR points because of their low reward redemption rates.
A quick search on maxmypoint showed lots of availability at the Hyatt Regency Maui during our Spring Break dates so I quickly went to Hyatt.com to confirm, then logged into my Chase account to transfer points from Chase to my Hyatt account. It was very easy!
I booked three nights at a rate of 30k points and two nights at a rate of 35k points (different room type). I had to call to combine reservations and crossed our fingers that we wouldn’t have to move rooms.
I also needed to book our last night at the Westin Maui (since there was no availability at the Hyatt Regency). This hotel was just a few doors down and pretty easy to move on the last day.
We earned Chase points by applying for a Chase Ink Business Cash® Credit Card last year and referring each other to the card.
Pro Tip: Although there are four Chase Ink business cards, avoid getting the Ink Business Premier® Credit Card as those points do not transfer to travel partners.
LOCATION
Both the Hyatt Regency Maui and the Westin Maui Resort are located on Ka’anapali Beach west of Lahaina on the western portion of Maui, about 30-45 minutes (27 miles) from Kahului Airport.
Map of Maui (courtesy of Shaka Guide)
GETTING THERE
Rental Car: While there are several options to get from the airport to Ka’anapali, I think renting a car is the best option. Especially if you plan to visit different areas of the island. Keep in mind that the Hyatt Regency (and most resorts) charges nightly parking rates so price this into the cost of your transportation.
By getting a rental car we were able to stop at Walmart (or Costco) right by the airport and pick up drinks, snacks, sunscreen and other supplies that we would need for the week and we were able to venture away from the resort to sight see and have dinner.
After I posted about our trip, a reader told me that they rented a car for just a portion of their trip and were able to pick up/drop off at the Enterprise Rental Car counter right inside the hotel. This is super convenient.
SpeediShuttle: Provides private and shared shuttle services on the island. I did a dummy booking from the airport to the hotel and was quoted $100 each way for a family of four in a shared van.
HYATT REGENCY MAUI
We booked a two queen room for 30k points a night As mentioned above, two nights were booked at 35k points a night because it was a different room type. We had an option of booking a King room with a sofa with a partial ocean view but didn’t want our teen to sleep on a pull out for a week.
While I only have Hyatt Discoverist status that comes from holding the Hyatt credit card, I had a very generous reader donate a Guest of Honor award to me. I was able to apply the award to our reservation which essentially gave me Hyatt Globalist status for my stay.
This meant we got a free room upgrade and access to the Hyatt Regency Lounge for free breakfast and snacks and drinks all day. The best perk was a 4pm check out which was fantastic (especially because most departing flights leave after 7pm).
The view from the ocean front room
Pro tip: Any time you book an award stay with Hyatt the resort and parking fees are waived. This is a fantastic perk in my opinion.
THE WESTIN MAUI RESORT AND SPA
Two queen room with mountain view Westin Maui Resort
We checked into the Westin Maui for our last night since there were no award rooms available at the HR Maui. This was super easy to move. We loaded up the Jeep and drove less than one minute to the resort. And since we got a 4pm late check out at the HR Maui it worked perfectly for checking in after 3pm.
We booked a 2 Queen Room for just 50k Marriott points. We earned Marriott points from the Amex Bonvoy credit card. I did a quick award search while writing this and the lowest redemption I can find for the year is 66k points a night. Considering that cash rates are over $900 a night at this property, even 66k points is a good deal.
Looking for something a little cheaper? Try the Sheraton Maui Resort which is nearby on a great beach. Reward nights start at just 54k points a night.
How to earn Marriott points:
Marriott Bonvoy Boundless® Card - this card often has an offer for 50k FIVE free nights. You are able to top off each FNA with up to 15k points
One of the multiple pools at the Westin Maui Resort
Other hawaiian islands:
There’s quite a few Hyatt properties on different islands that you can redeem your points for. Here are some of the most popular ones:
In Honolulu:
Hyatt Place Waikiki: While this property isn’t beach front, it’s extremely popular because rooms book for as little as 18k points and night and rooms sleep six! I like to use maxmypoint to find room availability. Plan to book this almost a year in advance.
Hyatt Regency Waikiki Beach - reward nights start at just 20k for this beachfront location
Hyatt Centric Waikiki Beach Resort - reward nights start at just 20k points for this property, even in peak summer season
In Kauai:
Grand Hyatt Kauai: Rewards nights start at just 25k points for this gorgeous Hyatt resort on Kauai. Availability is pretty easy to find too!
HOW TO EARN HYATT POINTS
The best way to earn Hyatt points is from Chase cards that earn Ultimate Rewards points. It’s very easy to transfer points to your Hyatt account and transfers are instant.
There are two Hyatt co-branded cards as well that I would recommend.
The World of Hyatt Credit Card - while the welcome bonus isn’t huge, the annual free night award makes this card a keeper
World of Hyatt Business Credit Card
FINAL THOUGHTS:
Redeeming points and miles for a Hawaiian vacation is a fantastic use of your Chase Ultimate Rewards points.
The cash rate for a five night stay at the Hyatt Regency Maui during the week of our stay would have been $4977.90. Flights for three people (on the lowest side of the spectrum, for economy) would have been around $1800-$2000. Just hotel and flights alone would have cost $7,000. That doesn’t include food, activities, rental car, etc.
We were able to offset that cost by redeeming our points for flights (and we flew business class) and hotels. Which meant out of pocket we paid for a rental car, gas, food and two tours/excursions. Can’t be beat!
Happy Travels!
New to credit cards and points travel? Learn the basics in my free Guide for Beginner’s.