Dreaming of a trip to Hawaii? If so, the recently relaunched Hawaiian Airlines World Elite Mastercard might be right for you. The card offers one to three miles per dollar spent as well as a 50,000-mile sign-up bonus, among other perks.
Hawaiian serves all major islands in Hawaii, as well as the following mainland U.S. cities: Las Vegas, Long Beach, Los Angeles, New York City, Oakland, Phoenix, Portland, Sacramento, San Diego, San Francisco, San Jose, and Seattle. You can connect via Hawaii to various Asian and South Pacific destinations such as Tokyo, Sydney, Beijing, and Tahiti.
Hawaiian Airlines World Elite Mastercard Rewards
The Hawaiian Airlines World Elite Mastercard card features a 3-2-1 structure. Cardholders earn three HawaiianMiles for every $1 spent on eligible direct purchases from Hawaiian Airlines (excluding duty-free purchases in flight); two miles for every dollar spent on gas, dining, and grocery store purchases (excluding Walmart and Target); and one mile for every dollar spent on all other purchases.
You can earn bonus miles for purchases made with Hawaiian Airlines' partners, which include hotels, restaurants, and retailers. There's no limit to how many miles you can earn.
Spend $3,000 on purchases in the first 90 days, and you can earn 50,000 bonus HawaiianMiles—enough to book a round-trip flight between mainland North America and Hawaii in coach, or to upgrade an existing mainland-Hawaii coach ticket to first or business class. (You can see Hawaiian's award chart here.)
If you're a Hilton Honors member, you can convert HawaiianMiles to Hilton Honors Points and vice versa, at a rate of one mile to 1.5 points. Learn more at HawaiianAirlines.com.
Hawaiian Airlines World Elite Mastercard Bonuses and Perks
You can save 50 percent on a one-time companion ticket for round-trip coach travel between mainland North America and Hawaii. There's also an annual $100 companion discount after each credit card account anniversary, good for round-trip coach flights between Hawaii and the mainland.
The primary cardholder can check one bag for free—a savings of $25 per flight—when purchasing tickets directly from Hawaiian Airlines. Cardholders can access discount award flights and share miles with friends and family through the airline's website without a fee.
All World Elite Mastercard benefits apply to this Hawaiian Airlines World Elite Mastercard as well, including trip cancellation insurance, 24/7 personal concierge service, and a 10 percent discount on high-end vacation rentals through Onefinestay.
Hawaiian Airlines World Elite Mastercard Fees and APR
Annual Fee: $99.
Other Fees: There is no charge for foreign transactions. A balance transfer fee of $5 or 3 percent (whichever is greater) applies per transfer. Cash advances cost $10 or 5 percent, whichever is greater. Late and returned payments incur a fee of up to $37, depending on the state you live in.
APR: The annual percentage rate for purchases is 17.74, 21.74, or 26.74 percent, depending on your credit. A 26.99 percent APR applies to cash advances. A 0 percent introductory APR is available for the first 15 billing cycles for each balance transfer within 45 days of opening your account. Your APR may change based on the current prime rate.
The Bottom Line
This Hawaiian Airlines credit card makes the most sense for travelers who live in Hawaii or who travel there frequently from one of the mainland cities—mostly on the West Coast—served by Hawaiian. It's also a good bet if you're planning a one-time Hawaiian vacation; the sign-up bonus alone will take care of your airfare.
Note: There's also a business version of this card, which you can learn about at HawaiianAirlines.com.
To find the right card for you, use Airfarewatchdog's credit card comparison tool.
Sarah Schlichter traveled to Hawaii as a guest of Hawaiian Airlines and Barclays. Follow her on Twitter @TravelEditor for more travel tips and inspiration.
Above image by Eric Broder Van Dyke via Shutterstock
