5 Reasons to Cancel your Hawaiian Airlines Credit Card.
5 Reasons to Cancel your Hawaiian Airlines Credit Card.
If you’re a frequent traveler or a loyal customer of Hawaiian Airlines, you might have opted for their co-branded credit card at some point. Their marketing is prevalent everywhere across Hawaii from magazines, commercials, social media and the enticing extra bonus when you sign mid-flight
While these cards often come with enticing benefits and rewards, there are times when it might make sense to reassess your credit card lineup. Here are five compelling reasons why you might consider canceling your Hawaiian Airlines credit card.
It doesn’t earn a lot of miles through spending
While Hawaiian Airlines credit cards offer generous rewards for purchases made with the airline, they often lack versatility when it comes to earning rewards on other spending categories. If you find yourself spending more on other airlines, hotels, or everyday purchases, you might benefit more from a general travel rewards card that offers flexible redemption options.
You can only redeem your miles with Hawaiian Airlines.
Your travel needs and preferences may evolve over time. If you find yourself flying with Hawaiian Airlines less frequently or if your travel patterns shift to destinations not serviced by the airline, the benefits of holding a Hawaiian Airlines credit card may diminish. In such cases, you might find greater value in a credit card with more flexible redemption options or broader airline partnerships.
Not worth the annual fee.
Many airline credit cards, including those offered by Hawaiian Airlines, come with annual fees. If you’re not fully utilizing the card’s benefits to offset the annual fee, it might not be worth keeping. Assess whether the value you receive from the card's perks, such as free checked bags or companion fares, outweighs the cost of the annual fee.
Lack of Additional Benefits.
While Hawaiian Airlines credit cards offer perks such as priority boarding, discounted in-flight purchases, and anniversary bonuses, these benefits may not be compelling enough for some cardholders. If you find that you’re not taking advantage of these additional benefits or if you can access similar perks through other credit cards or loyalty programs, it might be time to reconsider holding onto your Hawaiian Airlines credit card.
Eligibility for Better Offers.
Credit card issuers frequently update their card offerings and launch new products with enhanced benefits and sign-up bonuses. By canceling your Hawaiian Airlines credit card, you free up space to apply for new credit cards that better align with your current spending habits and travel goals. Keep an eye out for promotions and offers from other issuers that might provide greater value and rewards.
Here are 3 Better Credit Card Programs that can Book Hawaiian Airlines Flights.
American Express Cards
The BILT Card
Chase Cards (If you transfer to partners with Hawaiian Airlines like )
FINAL THOUGHTS:
While Hawaiian Airlines credit cards can be valuable for loyal customers and frequent travelers to Hawaii, there are instances where canceling the card might be a prudent financial decision. By evaluating your spending habits, travel patterns, and the overall value you receive from the card, you can make an informed choice about whether to keep or cancel your Hawaiian Airlines credit card.
The Hawaiian Airlines Miles & Rewards economy isn’t highly valued, and Hawaiian Miles are the easiest miles to earn. If you want to learn more about how we are able to earn points & miles faster, check out our accelerated credit card strategy here.
3 Best Ways to Redeem Points in Hawaii
3 Easy Ways to Redeem Points in Hawaii
I was recently interviewed by Julia Menez from Geobreeze Travel to discuss credit and travel hacks to Hawaii. Click here to listen to the Podcast.
My Credit & Travel Hacking Journey
I was born and raised here in Hawaii and grew up around the travel business. My grandfather & father were in the travel business, both owning a travel booking service and tour bus company.
I started to travel and credit hack in early 2016 because I was eager to find a cheaper & more efficient way to travel, while still saving up for financial investments. So I got my first credit card, the Barclay Arrival+ card. The 80,000 points sign-up bonus is what attracted me to the card, but I later realized that after redeeming the points earned from the sign-up bonus, points were hard to earn afterward and that Barclay’s points weren’t valuable, each point only worth 1 cent.
Following this discovery, a friend turned me onto the Chase Trifecta, which is the trio of these 3 Chase credit cards the CHASE SAPPHIRE PREFERRED, CHASE FREEDOM UNLIMITED, & the CHASE FREEDOM FLEX. With these three cards, I built a more sustainable model to earn points and my points are worth more when redeeming them through the Chase travel portal at 1.25-1.5 cents per point.
After mastering the Chase trifecta, I then opened a dozen more credit cards, using my own strategies as well as tips from other travel hackers, while still maintaining a credit score over 800. This is only a short summary of my journey, but I did want to share some deals with you all as a credit hacker and resident of Hawaii.
Look for these Deals when traveling to Hawaii
1.WEST COAST TO HAWAII UNDER $60 or 10,000 points on Southwest Airlines.
In March 2019, Southwest Airlines announced it would begin routes from the west coast to Hawaii. Prior to their arrival, Hawaiian airlines held the majority of the interisland travel and west coast travel, but Southwest Airlines has come in and taken the majority of those routes. Their cheap prices, customer service & unique boarding style have made it the preferred choice of travel to and from the islands.
On low travel seasons, direct flights can be purchased at under 10,000 southwest points. Not enough Southwest points? Apply for the Southwest Rapid Rewards® Plus Credit Card for an extra 40,000 southwest points or transfer your points directly from your Chase account at a 1 to 1 transfer ratio.
2. INTER-ISLAND TRAVEL UNDER $30 or 2,000 Points on Southwest Airlines.
Along with the cheap west coast flights, Southwest started routes in between the islands of Hawaii. Those routes include flights between the Big Island (Hawaii), Maui, Kauai, & Oahu. Prices average between $39-59 (2500 - 5000 points) one way, but on occasion, prices have dropped below $29 (2,000 points ) during off-seasons. Do your research and look for these deals on inter-island flights.
3. LUXURY STAY at the Andaz Maui at Wailea Resort at 30,000 points a night.
Hyatt is regarded as the best hotel transfer with Chase, with The Points Guy valuing one Hyatt point at 1.7 cents (April 2021). This is an incredible redemption rate, but the Andaz Maui at Wailea Resort is part of the Hyatt Collection boasts an even higher value for your points at over 3 cents per Hyatt point. At the time of this article, booking a standard room costs $1097.00 per night. Hyatt’s category point system allows this Category 7 resort to be priced no more than 30,000 Hyatt points a night! If you do the math, that’s 3.65 cents per Hyatt point. To top this amazing deal off, Chase transfers points to Hyatt at a 1:1 ratio. Chase also has a co-branded Hyatt Visa credit card that you can get for a 60,000 point sign-up bonus, a free anniversary night, and other travel benefits.
Updated Nov 2023: As a Category 8 Hyatt, the Andaz Maui at Wailea will cost you 35,000-45,000 World of Hyatt points per night.
There are many other travel deals when traveling to Hawaii, but these 3 will bring the most value to your points. If you would like to get started with your credit/travel journey, you can support our channel by applying for your cards HERE.