Hawaiian Airlines World Elite Business Mastercard review: Earn bonus Hawaiian Airlines miles
Editor's Note
Hawaiian Airlines Business Mastercard overview
The Hawaiian Airlines® World Elite Business Mastercard® is a business travel rewards card issued by Barclays. The card has some yearly perks based on spending, but beyond that, it offers little incentive to keep it in your wallet long-term. Card rating*: ⭐⭐½
*Card rating is based on the opinion of TPG's editors and is not influenced by the card issuer.
Hawaiian Airlines isn't part of any of the "Big Three" airline alliances, and it operates a limited network of flights, which further hinders the value you can get from Hawaiian Airlines' loyalty program. However, that's not to say Hawaiian Airlines HawaiianMiles are worthless.
TPG's January 2025 valuations place them at a value of 1.2 cents each, and if you can snag a solid welcome bonus on one of the carrier's credit cards, you may be able to get some decent value from the program.
One such card is the Hawaiian Airlines Business Mastercard, which has a $99 annual fee and a recommended credit score of 670. I'll analyze the card's details to see how it compares to other top airline credit cards and whether it deserves a spot in your credit card arsenal.
Before we continue, it's important to note that Hawaiian Airlines merged with Alaska Airlines in 2024. While each airline will maintain its respective brand, it was announced the two would eventually operate under a shared loyalty program. Because of this, further changes to the Hawaiian Airlines loyalty program may occur in the future.
The information for the Hawaiian Airlines World Elite Business Mastercard has been collected independently by The Points Guy. The card details on this page have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer.
Hawaiian Airlines Business Mastercard pros and cons
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
|
|
Hawaiian Airlines Business Mastercard welcome offer
Currently, new Hawaiian Airlines Business applicants can earn 50,000 bonus miles after spending $4,000 in purchases within the first 90 days of card membership.
Per TPG's January 2025 valuation of HawaiianMiles at 1.2 cents each, this welcome offer is worth $600.
As part of the card's welcome bonus, you'll also get a one-time 50% discount on a coach companion fare between Hawaii and North America. The discount companion fare is valid for 13 months from opening the account, and the discount does not apply to taxes or fees.
Related: The best time to apply for these popular travel cards based on offer history
Hawaiian Airlines Business Mastercard benefits
The Hawaiian Airlines Business card is woefully low on useful benefits. It doesn't even come with basic perks, like free checked bags or priority boarding.
That being said, you can earn up to 40,000 bonus miles every year you keep the card if you hit the following spending thresholds:
- Earn 20,000 bonus miles with $50,000-$99,999 in annual purchases
- Earn 40,000 bonus miles (in total) with $100,000 or more in annual purchases
That higher bonus tier is worth up to $480 (according to TPG's January 2025 valuations), but it requires such a huge amount of spending that it doesn't make sense to earn. As you'll see, there are much more rewarding options for your business spending.
The other ongoing benefits include the ability to share miles between Hawaiian Airlines accounts without a fee. You also won't pay foreign transaction fees on purchases made outside the U.S.
With the exception of the up to 40,000 annual bonus miles, you can get all of the same ongoing perks with the consumer Hawaiian Airlines® World Elite Mastercard® (plus free checked bags).
The information for the Hawaiian Airlines World Elite Mastercard has been collected independently by The Points Guy. The card details on this page have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer.
Related: Hawaiian Airlines card vs. Hawaiian Airlines Business card: Which is right for you?
Earning miles on the Hawaiian Airlines Business Mastercard
Aside from the welcome offer and the annual bonus miles (if you meet the spending requirements), you'll earn:
- 3 miles per dollar on eligible Hawaiian Airlines purchases
- 2 per dollar miles on gas, dining and office supply store purchases
- 1 mile per dollar on everything else
This equates to 3.6%, 2.4% and 1.2% return on sending, respectively, based on TPG's January 2025 valuations.
If you're fiercely loyal to Hawaiian Airlines, this could offer a decent return, but again, other cards out there are better suited for these particular bonus categories.
Related: The best rewards credit cards for each bonus category
Redeeming miles on the Hawaiian Airlines Business Mastercard
Hawaiian Airlines prices awards dynamically but publishes an award chart that provides the price ranges into which awards will fall. Given Hawaiian's incoming joint loyalty program with Alaska Airlines, changes to how you redeem HawaiianMiles may continue as the merger goes on.
For now, you can easily convert miles at a 1:1 ratio between HawaiianMiles and Alaska Mileage Plan. Furthermore, you can redeem HawaiianMiles for JetBlue, Japan Airlines, Virgin Australia and Korean Air flights.
Each partner has a separate award chart, and you can view them all here.
You can also convert your HawaiianMiles to Marriott Bonvoy points at a 2:1 ratio. TPG's January 2025 valuations place Marriott points at 0.85 cents each, so you'll get far less value from this option than from redeeming your points for flights on Hawaiian Airlines or its partners.
Related: Best ways to redeem points on Hawaiian Airlines
Which cards compete with the Hawaiian Airlines Business Mastercard?
Several cards can provide more value than the Hawaiian Airlines Business:
- If you want more Hawaiian Airlines perks: The personal Hawaiian Airlines World Elite Mastercard comes with similar earning rates to the Hawaiian Airlines Business Mastercard, plus the added benefit of two free checked bags. To learn more, read our full review of the Hawaiian Airlines card.
- If you want to receive more perks: A better bet for your company is The Business Platinum Card® from American Express. When you book airfare and prepaid hotels through AmexTravel.com, you'll earn 5 Membership Rewards points per dollar. These points can be transferred to any of Amex's transfer partners, including Hawaiian Airlines. To learn more, read our full review of the Amex Business Platinum.
- If you want no annual fee: The Blue Business® Plus Credit Card from American Express is the perfect business credit card with no annual fee (see rates and fees). It earns 2 Membership Rewards points per dollar on the first $50,000 in purchases each calendar year (then 1 point per dollar). To learn more, read our full review of the Blue Business Plus.
For additional options, check out our full list of the best business cards.
Related: Is the Amex Business Platinum worth the annual fee?
Is the Hawaiian Airlines Business Mastercard worth it?
The Hawaiian Airlines Business card has a welcome offer worth considering, but it lacks the ongoing benefits to make it a smart card to hold onto long term. And even if you love earning Hawaiian Airlines miles, other cards are more rewarding.
Bottom line
The Hawaiian Airlines Business card has mediocre earning rates and too few benefits to justify the card's annual fee. Business owners will do better with a card like the Amex Business Platinum or the Amex Blue Business Plus, both of which earn Membership Rewards points that you can transfer to Hawaiian Airlines at a 1:1 ratio.
Related: A gamble on Alaska miles — why I applied for 2 Hawaiian Airlines cards on the same day
For rates and fees of the Blue Business Plus Card, click here.