The Best Way to Fly to Hawaii: How I do it for $11 Round-trip

I get asked over and over: What is the best way to fly to Hawaii? Luckily, Hawaii is my all time favorite place to visit in the world and I have the answer. I know a little secret and I think it is by far the best way to fly to Hawaii. Next time you’re searching for flights to Hawaii, how would you like to find flights for $11? You won’t find this price on Google Flights or Expedia, but they do exist. I’ll show you how to find them and how it’s possible to book them. My wife and I fly to Hawaii at least once a year and we typically pay only $11 each.

The Best Way to Fly to Hawaii is using Points

Want to travel to Hawaii, but think it’s too expensive? Do you have good credit? Check. Do you live on the west coast? Check. Excellent! You are in perfect condition to have close to free flights to Hawaii as often as you’d like. This will be done using the best way to fly to Hawaii that I referred to earlier. I’m sure you’re asking yourself how this could be true? British Airways of course! “Wait, what”? How is British Airways going to get you to Hawaii when they don’t even fly that route? The answer is by using their partnership with Alaska Airlines.

Something most people don’t know is that almost all major airlines have partner airlines. You can book flights on these airline partners, using frequent flyer miles. We’re in luck because British Airways has a partnership with Alaska Airlines. They have flights from the continental US to Hawaii. This partnership allows you to fly to Hawaii using very few miles. The miles needed for British Airways partner flights are distance based, and Hawaii is conveniently located approximately 2,600 miles from any of the airports on the west coast.

British Airways Economy Partner Award Chart

According to the British Airways award chart, the distance from the west coast to Hawaii is in their Zone 4. A round trip flight to Hawaii costs 25,000 (12,500 each way) and approximately five dollars in taxes, fees and carrier charges total. YES, you heard that right… TOTAL! When compared to other carriers’ award prices it’s an amazing deal.  The next cheapest award flight to Hawaii is through American Airlines and it takes 35,000 miles round trip. Also, that is only for their “low season” (Good luck finding a flight with award seats available). Most other airlines charge around 40,000 miles round trip for flights to Hawaii.

Departing Cities for the Best Way to Fly to Hawaii using British Airways (Plus Arriving Islands)

• Anchorage, Alaska: (Oahu, Maui, Big Island)

• Bellingham, Washington: (Oahu, Maui)

• Seattle, Washington: (Oahu, Maui, Kauai)

• Portland, Oregon: (Oahu, Maui, Big Island, Kauai)

• Oakland, California: (Oahu, Maui, Big Island, Kauai)

• San Jose, California: (Oahu, Maui, Big Island, Kauai)

• San Diego, California: (Oahu, Maui, Kauai)

Flying to Hawaii with British Airways Points Takes Some Effort

Bare with me, but to take advantage of the best way to fly to Hawaii, you will have to put in a little effort. I hope that’s OK… I promise it’s pretty simple once you learn how the process works. Currently, you can only book these Alaska Airlines flights by calling British Airways. As a bonus, you get to talk to someone with a cool British accent.

First, you can check the availability through American Airlines award booking. Enter the travel dates you are looking for, your airports, and check “Redeem miles”. Any date that shows up as available in the light green “Economy MilesAAver” section should be available to book through British Airways. But, you will also need to make sure that the date you have selected has an available non-stop flight.

Don’t mind how many miles it says it will cost as those numbers are irrelevant to this deal. Because British Airways flights charge points per segment, you pay only 12,500 miles each way for direct flights of this distance. In the picture above, both of the top flights will cost 12,500 British Airways miles. In my experience, if you are just a little bit flexible, availability is great!

Calling British Airways to Book Your Hawaiian Flight

After you find your available dates, the last step of booking your flight is to call British Airways. To call the office, the phone number is 1-800-452-1201, then press 2 when prompted, and 1 again to book a flight. If you have the flight information you got from American Airlines, it makes the process very easy. You will tell the phone rep where you want to fly and on which dates. They will book the trip for you. Any booking fees should be waived because your flight was not bookable online. Mention this if, for some reason, they try to charge a fee.

Now that you are all booked, any future contact about your tickets or flight will be with Alaska Airlines. They will be able to look up your itinerary by name or Alaska Airlines confirmation code if you have it (British Airways should give you this on the phone). You may want to call Alaska Airlines just to make sure everything is set up with them correctly and to select your seats. On the day of your flight, you will check in either at the Alaska Airlines counter or at one of their automated ticketing kiosks.

How to Get British Airways Miles

Now that you know the process of using British Airways miles to book round-trip flights using the best way to fly to Hawaii, using only 25,000 miles, here are a few ways to accrue British Airways miles. If you already have them you’re all set. But if you don’t, there are many ways to get them. Here is where having good credit comes into play. You can sign up for certain credit cards which will give you large amounts of points as an introductory bonus, which can then be transferred to British Airways.

List of Points that Transfer to British Airways & How to Get Them:

British Airways Miles:

British Airways Credit Card [earnist_link ref="british-airways-visa-signature-apply" id="9202"] [/earnist_link]
INTRODUCTORY OFFER You'll earn 75,000 miles after spending $5,000 in 3 months. Plus 25,000 more miles after spending $20,000 in the first 12 months.
REWARDS Earn a "Travel Together" companion ticket after spending $30,000 in a calendar year. After year 1, earn 3X points on British Airways purchases.
BENEFITS No foreign transaction fees.
FEES $95
TRAVEL FREEDOM THOUGHTS If you plan on spending $30,000 on this card in the first calendar year, it's very valuable. You'll earn 120,000 points and a companion ticket. Otherwise, it's an overrated credit card with the current introductory offer.
[earnist_link ref="british-airways-visa-signature-apply" id="9202"]LEARN HOW TO APPLY NOW >>[/earnist_link]

American Express Membership Rewards:

Amex Platinum Card
INTRODUCTORY OFFER You’ll earn 80,000 Membership Rewards points after you spend $6,000 in the first 6 months.
REWARDS You’ll earn 5X points on flights booked directly with airlines or through American Express Travel. You’ll earn 5X points on prepaid hotels booked on amextravel.com.
BENEFITS Enjoy Uber VIP status and free rides in the U.S. up to $15 each month (bonus $20 in December). Enjoy access to the exclusive Global Airport Lounge Collection. $200 Airline Fee Credit, up to $200 every calendar year with one qualifying airline. Get up to $100 in statement credits annually for purchases at Saks Fifth Avenue on your card. Enrollment required. Fine Hotels & Resorts Access. Hilton & Marriott Gold Status. Discounts on First/Business/Premium Economy tickets.
FEES $550 annual fee. No foreign transaction fees. Terms Apply
TRAVEL FREEDOM THOUGHTS With a large introductory offer, statement credits, and airport lounge access, this is an excellent premium travel credit card.
[earnist_link ref="the-platinum-card-from-american-express" id="6500"]LEARN HOW TO APPLY NOW >>[/earnist_link]

Amex Gold Card
INTRODUCTORY OFFER You’ll earn 60,000 Membership Rewards points after you spend $4,000 in the first 6 months.
REWARDS You’ll earn 4X points at restaurants globally, and US supermarkets. (up to $25k in purchases per year) You'll also earn 3X on AmexTravel.com
BENEFITS Get $10 in statement credits per month for purchases at Grubhub, Seamless, The Cheesecake Factory, Shake Shack, and Ruth's Chris Steak House. $100 airline fee credit on selected airline. No foreign transaction fees.
FEES $250 annual fee. Terms Apply
TRAVEL FREEDOM THOUGHTS If you spend a lot of money on food and travel, this card will be worth the annual fee. If not, it probably isn't worth paying $250 per year.
[earnist_link ref="american-express-gold-card" id="9203"]LEARN HOW TO APPLY NOW >>[/earnist_link]

Chase Ultimate Rewards:

Chase Sapphire Preferred [earnist_link ref="chase-sapphire-preferred-card" id="6313"] [/earnist_link]
INTRODUCTORY OFFER You'll earn 60,000 points after spending $4000 in the first 3 months.
REWARDS You'll earn 2X points on travel and 3X on dining.
BENEFITS Points are worth 25% more when used in the Chase travel portal. No foreign transaction fees. 1:1 point transfer partner hotels and airlines.
FEES $95 No foreign transaction fees.
TRAVEL FREEDOM THOUGHTS This is the best first travel credit card to get. It has a valuable signup bonus with easy to redeem points. You also get a boost to your points value in the Chase travel portal.
[earnist_link ref="chase-sapphire-preferred-card" id="6313"]LEARN HOW TO APPLY NOW >>[/earnist_link]

Chase Sapphire Reserve [earnist_link ref="chase-sapphire-reserve-card" id="6311"] [/earnist_link]
INTRODUCTORY OFFER You'll earn 60,000 points after spending $4000 in the first 3 months.
REWARDS You'll earn 3X points on travel and dining. Also Earn a total of 10X points on Lyft rides.
BENEFITS $300 annual travel credit. Priority Pass Select airport lounge access. TSA PreCheck or Global Entry. Points are worth 50% more when used in the Chase travel portal. No foreign transaction fees. 1:1 point transfers to partner hotels and airlines. 1 year of Lyft Pink.
FEES $550 No foreign transaction fees.
TRAVEL FREEDOM THOUGHTS This is one of the best premium travel credit cards if you want some luxury. It has a valuable signup bonus with easy to redeem points. You also get a boost to your points value in the Chase travel portal. The biggest key to this card is the airport lounge access. If you travel a lot, it's extremely valuable.
[earnist_link ref="chase-sapphire-reserve-card" id="6311"]LEARN HOW TO APPLY NOW >>[/earnist_link]

Ink Business Preferred [earnist_link ref="ink-business-preferred-credit-card" id="6240"] [/earnist_link]
INTRODUCTORY OFFER You'll earn 100,000 points after spending $15000 in the first 3 months.
REWARDS You'll earn 3X points on travel and select business expenses (including online social media ads). *Limited to first $150k per year.
BENEFITS Points are worth 25% more when used in the Chase travel portal. No foreign transaction fees. Employee cards at no additional cost.
FEES $95 No foreign transaction fees.
TRAVEL FREEDOM THOUGHTS The signup bonus alone for this card is amazing. Pair that with some great rewards earning for your business and this card is great. If you have a business, we find the Ink Preferred to be the best offer available.
[earnist_link ref="ink-business-preferred-credit-card" id="6240"]LEARN HOW TO APPLY NOW >>[/earnist_link]

Use the Best Way to Fly to Hawaii on Your Next Vacation

These are just a few of the options of credit cards that can earn British Airways miles to help get your flights to Hawaii. Introductory offers are always changing so be sure to compare [earnist_link ref=”travel-rewards-category-table” id=”6245″]Travel Credit Cards[/earnist_link] before applying. This is how my wife and I have traveled to Hawaii on a yearly basis using points. There are numerous credit cards that have introductory bonuses large enough for multiple round-trip flights using the best way to fly to Hawaii. Now that you have enough points and know how to use them to travel to Hawaii for next to nothing, all that’s left to do is relax on the beach with the sand between your toes.

See you in Hawaii. Aloha!