Hawaii is probably my favorite place in the entire world. In fact, I hope to live there someday! However getting there isn’t always easy, since few airlines service the Hawaiian islands. For this reason I decided to look into the Hawaiian Airlines credit card. Here’s what you need to know about it.

There are actually two different cards from Hawaiian Airlines:

• For Hawaii Residents: Bank of Hawaii Hawaiian Airlines card
• For Non-Hawaii Residents: Bank of America Hawaiian Airlines card

The rewards and benefits are actually identical… the difference being that Hawaiian residents will have a credit card issued and managed by Bank of Hawaii.

Annual Fee
The Hawaiian Airlines Visa Signature card carries a $75 annual fee and the Platinum version has a $50 annual fee. These fees are pretty reasonable for being an airline miles credit card.

Rewards
Both the Platinum and Visa Signature give rewards as follows:

• 1 mile per dollar on regular spending
• 2 miles per dollar on tickets purchased directly from Hawaiian Airlines
• 2 to 5 miles per dollar at Hawaiian Airlines XtraMiles partners (participating businesses in Hawaii)

With the Platinum version a max of 100,000 miles can be earned per year but the Visa Signature has no rewards cap.

I looked over the list of XtraMiles partners and there were dozens of tour companies, hotels, stores, restaurants, and other Hawaiian businesses that participated. Many of them only gave 2x miles (not 5x) but that’s still a good deal nonetheless.

However what I wasn’t thrilled to see was the Hawaiian Airlines credit card miles given for regular spending (only 1 mile per dollar) and for ticket purchases (only 2 miles per dollar). Those are a bit on the low side in my opinion.

Signup Promotions
The Platinum and Visa Signature Hawaiian Airlines cards typically give a bonus between 10k to 30k miles. At the time of this review there was also a one-time 25% discount given to new Visa Signature cardholder and companion on full coach round-trip fares (or $25 off each ticket for Platinum). A small annual bonus is given for renewing the card, 1k miles for the Platinum and 2k miles for the Signature.

Verdict?
Without a doubt Hawaiian Airlines is the best for servicing the Hawaiian islands. Not only is it frequently rated the best, but it’s also the oldest US carrier to never have had a fatal accident.

Both of the Hawaiian Airlines credit cards are good choices, but the AmEx Gold Premier Rewards card is an even better choice. Yes, this site does have an advertising relationship with American Express, but that’s not why I’m making this recommendation. Here’s why…

• 3 points per dollar on airlines
• 2 points per dollar at grocery stores
• 2 points per dollar at gas stations
• 1 point per dollar on all other purchases

But these aren’t just any credit card points… they are AmEx Membership Reward Points. That means they can be converted to the Hawaiian Airlines miles program on a 1 for 1 basis (as well as many other airlines). So basically, you have the potential to earn a lot more miles using this card! Plus it comes with a boatload of other benefits that the Hawaiian Airlines credit cards don’t have. Check out the review to find out more and get your annual fee waived for the first year…

American Express Gold Card Review & Signup Bonus