Hawaiian Airlines, connecting Hawaii with the US mainland, Asia, and the South Pacific, offers the HawaiianMiles loyalty program. If you're wondering whether your miles expire, there's great news!
Hawaiian Airlines HawaiianMiles Expiration Policy Update
In a significant enhancement to its loyalty program, Hawaiian Airlines announced that HawaiianMiles no longer expire.
Previously, miles were subject to expiration after 18 months of inactivity. However, Hawaiian Airlines eliminated mileage expiration, providing members with lifetime flexibility to earn, save, and redeem their miles without worrying about inactivity. This change was implemented to better serve guests, especially following the travel disruptions experienced in recent years.
This makes HawaiianMiles one of the most member-friendly programs regarding mileage validity. As long as your account remains open and in good standing, your miles are safe.
How This Benefits You
- No Pressure: You don't need to make small transactions just to keep your miles active.
- Long-Term Savings: Accumulate miles for bigger redemptions over time without fear of losing them.
- Simplicity: Easier account management without tracking activity deadlines.
Official Announcement
This policy change was officially announced by the airline. You can find more details in their news release:
- Hawaiian Airlines Newsroom: Got HawaiianMiles? Now They Don’t Expire
- While miles don't expire, it's always good practice to be familiar with the general HawaiianMiles Terms and Conditions for other program rules.
How to Earn HawaiianMiles
HawaiianMiles do not expire, which means you can focus on building your balance without worrying about losing miles over time. Members have multiple ways to accumulate HawaiianMiles, whether by flying, spending on credit cards, or earning through partner programs.
Ways to Earn HawaiianMiles
- Fly Hawaiian Airlines: Earn miles on every flight.
- Fly with partner airlines: Partners include Japan Airlines, JetBlue, Korean Air, and China Airlines.
- Transfer miles: Move rewards between Alaska Mileage Plan and HawaiianMiles.
- Stay with hotel partners: Earn miles at Marriott Bonvoy, The Twin Fin, Boyd Rewards, and other hotel brands.
- Car rentals: Collect miles with Avis, Budget, and Payless.
- Co-branded credit cards: Spend with the Hawaiian Airlines® World Elite Mastercard® or the Hawaiian Airlines® World Elite Business Mastercard®.
- Alaska Airlines credit cards: Use the Alaska Airlines Visa Signature® or Alaska Airlines Visa® Business card and then transfer Alaska miles into HawaiianMiles.
- Purchase miles: Buy up to 30,000 miles per transaction, up to three times per week.
- Everyday spending partners: Earn miles with Teleflora, select mortgage and art services, shopping and dining partners, and participating supermarket brands in Hawaii.
Boosting Your HawaiianMiles Balance
Even with multiple earning methods, you might still find yourself short of the miles needed for your next award. HawaiianMiles can be topped up through transfer partners, either directly or via Alaska Mileage Plan.
Transfer Partners
| From Program | To Program | Transfer Ratio | Minimum Transfer | Average Time |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Amex (US) Membership Rewards | HawaiianMiles | No longer a partner after June 30, 2025 | – | Immediate |
| Marriott Bonvoy | Alaska Airlines (Atmos Rewards) | 3:1 | 3,000 | ~1 day |
| Marriott Bonvoy | HawaiianMiles | 3:1 | 3,000 | 1–2 days |
| Alaska Airlines (Atmos Rewards) | HawaiianMiles | 50:50 (enabled Sep 26, 2024) | – | Unknown |
| Best Western Rewards | Alaska Airlines (Atmos Rewards) | 5,000:1,000 | – | Unknown |
| Bilt Rewards | Alaska Airlines (Atmos Rewards) | 1,000:1,000 (added Mar 2024) | 2,000 | ~9 hours |
| Bilt Rewards | HawaiianMiles | Transfers removed as of May 31, 2024 | – | – |
| Choice Hotels (Choice Privileges) | Alaska Airlines (Atmos Rewards) | 1,000:200 | 5,000 | ~17 hours |
| HawaiianMiles | Alaska Airlines (Atmos Rewards) | 50:50 (enabled Sep 26, 2024) | – | Immediate |
| Hyatt (World of Hyatt) | HawaiianMiles | 1,250:500 | 5,000 | Unknown |
| IHG One Rewards | Alaska Airlines (Atmos Rewards) | 10,000:2,000 | – | Unknown |
HawaiianMiles Pualani Elite Status
Frequent travelers with Hawaiian Airlines can unlock additional perks and bonuses through the Pualani Elite program, which offers two status tiers: Pualani Gold and Pualani Platinum.
Elite status activates about 48 hours after qualifying miles post to your account and remains valid through the rest of that calendar year plus the entire following year. For example, if you earn status in September 2024, it will last through December 2025.
Because many benefits are specific to Hawaii—such as access to Premier Club lounges across the islands and smoother travel on Neighbor Island flights—Pualani status is most valuable for those based in Hawaii.
Pualani Elite Benefits
Each tier offers increasing perks, but both come with valuable advantages:
| Benefit | Pualani Platinum | Pualani Gold |
|---|---|---|
| Free checked bags | 3 | 2 |
| Frequent flyer bonus | 100% | 50% |
| Priority security (select airports) | Yes | Yes |
| Priority boarding | Zone 1 | Zone 2 |
| Complimentary upgrades | Yes | Yes |
| Premier Club access (HNL, ITO, KOA, OGG, LIH) | Yes | Yes |
| 500 bonus HawaiianMiles on Neighbor Island flights | Yes | Yes |
How to Earn Pualani Elite Status
Status can be earned in two ways during a calendar year:
- Pualani Gold
- 20,000 elite-qualifying miles or 30 segments
- Pualani Platinum
- 40,000 elite-qualifying miles or 60 segments
What Counts as Elite-Qualifying Miles?
- Included: Miles earned from flying on Hawaiian Airlines.
- Excluded: Purchased miles, credit card miles, and bonus miles from status or fare class promotions.
Key Takeaway
HawaiianMiles offer flexibility by never expiring, and members have a wide variety of ways to keep earning. Flights with Hawaiian Airlines and partners, hotel stays, car rentals, co-branded credit cards, and retail partnerships all help grow your balance.
For those who need an extra boost, transfers from partner programs like Marriott Bonvoy or Alaska Mileage Plan provide additional options. Although some transfer partnerships have recently ended — such as Amex Membership Rewards and Bilt Rewards direct transfers — the program still offers multiple ways to ensure you have enough miles for your next redemption.
Disclaimer: Program terms and conditions can change, although this policy of non-expiring miles is a stated long-term enhancement. This guide is for informational purposes only.