Hawaii is a bucket-list destination for so many people, and for good reason! Both of our families keep going back, because it’s just THAT good.
A vacation to Hawaii can be very pricey once you add in round-trip flights, a hotel stay or vacation rental, a rental car, food, and activities. So, how do we keep affording to go back with out breaking the bank? The short answer is credit card points and miles. We use points and miles strategically to cover some of the larger costs of our Hawaiian vacations (see this post for a breakdown of exactly how Lauren used points to save on her Maui trip this last spring!).
Let’s break down the best ways we have found to save on these costs!
How To Save On Flights To Hawaii
There are several airlines that can get you to Hawaii from the Midwest. One of the best ways to help cover flight costs is to earn points or miles from a credit card that earns “flexible” points. Flexible points are simply points earned on a travel rewards credit card that can be transferred to a variety of different airlines.
By simply opening one card, you can earn a huge chunk of points with the sign up bonus offered on that card. Our favorite card to earn flexible points is the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card or it’s premium sister card, the Chase Sapphire Reserve® card. These cards can earn points that can be used to transfer to a variety of airlines including: Southwest Airlines Rapid Rewards and United Airlines Mileage Plus. To find out more about why we love these cards, check out this blog post!
Southwest Airlines can be a great way to get to Hawaii, especially if you hold their Companion Pass. To find out more about how to obtain a companion pass, be sure to check out our free guide.
Another rewards program that we are loving for vacations to Hawaii is the Atmos Rewards Program. This is the rewards program for Alaska Airlines and Hawaiian Airlines. There can be some great points redemptions found from the Midwest to Hawaii using these rewards. There are a few travel credit cards for this program that you can find here.
How To Save on Hotels In Hawaii
When it comes to hotels, flexible points are once again the key to saving money on your stay! Our favorite way to save on hotels in Hawaii is through the World of Hyatt program because they have several beautiful options across the Hawaiian Islands (the Hyatt Regency Maui, Hyatt Vacation Club Kaanapali, and the Grand Hyatt Kauai are a few or our favorites!).
You can transfer your Ultimate Rewards® points from Chase to Hyatt and then book many of these hotels for 25K-50K points/night, often saving you $600-$1,000/per night just by using your points!
Another great option for saving on lodging in Hawaii are Capital One Venture Miles. If you’d rather have a little more space in an Airbnb or condo, you can book it with your Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card or Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card. Then, you can use your miles to get a statement credit back on your account offsetting that cost (learn more about how to use your miles this way in this blog post). Venture Miles also transfer to Wyndham, a hotel brand that has some great condos and timeshare options.
How To Save On Rental Cars, Food, and Activities In Hawaii
Other expenses like rental cars, food, and excursions definitely add up in Hawaii but there are a few days to save. Several of our favorite cards have travel credits in their portals we will sometimes book the rental car in the portal so we receive that statement credit from our card (the Venture X card‘s $300 travel credit is one of our favorites to do for this. Here’s another post with more ideas on how to save on rental cars!
When it comes to food and activities, you can always cash out your points to help cover the costs but we try to view expenses like this as “points earning” expenses. If you strategically open a NEW card right before your trip, you can turn those expenses into a big chunk of points you can then use on the next trip!
You can also save quite a bit on food by earning loyalty awards with Hyatt like a Club Access Award or Guest of Honor award that give you access to the resort’s clubs that often have free breakfast and evening snacks or dinner. You can earn these through staying a certain number of nights with Hyatt or spend on your World of Hyatt Credit Card or World of Hyatt business Credit Card.
Hawaii is an expensive trip but using points can save you thousands of dollars and stretch your vacation budget to make it possible for a fraction of the cost!
Want to learn more about how we use points to save on our family trips? Grab our beginners guide with the best first steps for beginners, how to protect your credit, and more!
