Secrets to Paying for a Hawaiian Vacation with Rewards

The newly refreshed Hawaiian Airlines Bank of Hawaii World Elite MasterCard just released a new earning structure that makes it easier to rack up miles. With the new program, you'll earn 3x points on purchases made with the airline, 2x points for gas, dining, and grocery purchases, and 1x points on everything else.

Not only will you get the new 3-2-1 earning structure with your Hawaiian Airlines credit card, but you can also earn 50,000 miles just for signing up for the card and spending $3,000 on purchases in the first 90 days.

Hawaiian Airlines First Class product comes with a roomy, lie-flat seat, a personal entertainment device, leg room for days, and exquisite food and drink, including their signature Mai Tais. More importantly, you can book a First Class Saver award for 80,000 miles round-trip.

If you don't mind flying economy or just want to conserve your miles, you can book a SuperSaver economy flight for just 40,000 miles round-trip, a Coach Saver fare for just 60,000 miles round-trip, or a Coach Flex fare for 80,000 miles round-trip.

Hawaii is the kind of destination where it makes sense to get a rental car and do some exploring on your own. A card that offers flexible travel credit such as the Capital One Venture Card makes paying for rental cars with rewards a piece of cake.

The Hilton Honors rewards program offers one of the widest selections of hotels within the islands that make up Hawaii. From Waikiki to Maui and Kauai, there are numerous options-some of which start at just 50,000 points per night.

If you want elite status automatically before you jet to Hawaii, consider a card that offers this perk from the get-go. The Hilton Aspire Credit Card offers a signup bonus of 100,000 points, a $250 annual airline credit, a $250 resort credit each year, and automatic Hilton Diamond status.

If you're bringing the kids along to Hawaii, you have to consider the Hilton Hawaiian Village Waikiki Beach Resort. While it starts at just 60,000 points per night, it features an expansive beach, a shallow lagoon perfect for little kids, huge rooms, and amazing views.

If you want to extend your Hawaiian vacation and get those extra nights paid for with rewards, consider a program that lets you pool points with other people. The Hilton Honors program began letting consumers pool points when they rebranded last year.

The new World of Hyatt Credit Card offers 60,000 points after you spend just $6,000 on your card within six months of account opening. You also get automatic World of Hyatt Discoverist status, a free Category 1-4 night every year on your cardmember anniversary, and a progressive earning structure that lets you rack up points in a hurry.

The Grand Hyatt Kauai offers a lucrative way to cash in your World of Hyatt points. This premier luxury property features a stunning white sand beach, a dreamy lagoon-style pool, and expertly curated grounds with tropical plants galore-and all for just 25,000 World of Hyatt points per night for a standard room.

Don't forget that some hotel programs like World of Hyatt let you use cash and points for your stay. With the World of Hyatt program, for example, you could book a stay at the Grand Hyatt Kauai for 12,500 points plus $125 per night.

Marriott Rewards is another hotel program with ample options across several islands within Hawaii. In Waikiki, for example, you could cash in just 35,000 points per night to stay at the Courtyard Waikiki Beach. The Waikiki Beach Marriott Resort & Spa, on the other hand, is just 40,000 points per night.

Several hotel loyalty programs let you score a fifth night free if you book at least four consecutive nights in a row using points. This includes Hilton, Marriott, and Starwood Preferred Guest, along with IHG Rewards if you have the new IHG Rewards Club Premier Credit Card.

Credit card signup bonuses offer one of the easiest way to earn a ton of points or miles in a hurry. However, many people don't know that both spouses or partners can earn the signup bonus on the same cards - even if they live at the same address!

Flexible rewards programs make it easy to use your points in more than one way, which is ideal for a Hawaii trip. For example, Chase Ultimate Rewards lets you redeem points for airfare, hotels, rental cars, and excursions. You can also transfer points 1:1 to hotel and airline transfer partners.

In addition to travel rewards points, it's important to note how lucrative earning cash-back can be. With a cash-back credit card, you could earn rewards you could redeem for food and fun during your Hawaiian getaway. Some cash-back cards offer 2% back or more.

Also remember that some cash-back credit cards let you redeem points for gift cards you can use for a Hawaii trip. Common options include dining gift cards for restaurants with a location in Hawaii, gift cards for national hotel brands, and even gift cards you can use for a Hawaiian cruise.

While Hawaiian Airlines is the premier airline of Hawaii, there are other airlines that let you fly there with miles as well. A few with the best options include the American AAdvantage program, Delta Sky Miles, and Air France/Flying Blue.

If you're feeling overwhelmed trying to earn enough miles to pay for round-trip flights so you can save on airfare, don't forget that you can split your flight in half. Consider flying one-way with Hawaiian Airlines and the other with another program. This will make it easier to rack up the miles you need with signup bonuses.

Flying is one of the biggest costs you'll encounter as you plan a Hawaiian vacation, and that's true whether you pay in cash or miles. By sticking to just one or two islands, on the other hand, you can avoid paying for additional flights and keep your costs lower.

If you're traveling with a few kids and don't want to cram everyone into a hotel room, getting a rental condo in Hawaii can make a ton of sense. Fortunately, flexible rewards cards like the Capital One Venture and Barclays Premier making covering condos with rewards easy.

Renting a condo can make your Hawaiian vacation considerably more comfortable, and that's especially true if you have kids. However, having a condo with a kitchen can help you save big if you're willing to make some of your meals at home.

Traveling during peak travel season and school breaks means paying a lot more for airfare or struggling to find award availability if you're paying with miles. By traveling off-peak, on the other hand, you'll find lower prices and more award seats on every flight.

A trip to Hawaii wouldn't be complete without a day spent snorkeling, surfing, or seeing all the local sites. Fortunately, it's easier than ever to book excursions of all kinds with Chase Ultimate Rewards. You can book all kinds of activities entirely with points, making them 100% free.