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The Points Guy believes that credit cards can transform lives, helping you leverage everyday spending for cash back or travel experiences that might otherwise be out of reach. That's why we publish a variety of editorial content and card comparisons: to help you find a great card to turn your goals into reality.
Our site may earn compensation when a customer clicks on a link, when an application is approved, or when an account is opened with our partners, and this may impact how or where these products appear. While we don't cover all available credit cards, our editorial team creates and maintains all of the analysis of these cards, and our content is not influenced nor subject to review by any credit card company, bank or partner prior to (or after) publication. Please view our advertising policy and product review methodology for more information.
Guides
Sweet Spot Sunday: How to fly to Hawaii for just 35,000 miles round-trip
Katie Genter is a digital nomad who has traveled full time since June 2017. She writes and edits stories about points and miles, and loyalty programs, often letting her personal experiences color these stories.
July 25, 2021 • 8 min read
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Quick summary
Flying Blue miles can be used to book Delta-operated flights between the mainland U.S. and Hawaii for 35,000 miles round-trip plus minimal taxes and fees.
Award availability is not limited to west-coast departures, allowing travelers from across the mainland U.S. to access Hawaii using this method.
Flying Blue is a transfer partner of several major transferrable points programs, making it accessible for many travelers.
While not always the lowest-cost option, this approach can offer strong value, especially for those seeking Delta-operated flights from central or eastern U.S. cities.
What to consider
Award space can be limited and booking through the KLM or Air France sites may be challenging due to website glitches.
There is no advantage to booking round-trip versus one-way; open-jaw itineraries are possible for those visiting multiple islands.
Before transferring points, compare cash fares, as discounted tickets may offer better value in some cases.
What you'll miss from the article
Step-by-step instructions for searching and booking these awards, plus tips for troubleshooting common booking issues.
Generated by AI with support from our editorial team.
Update: Some offers mentioned below are no longer available. View the current offers here.
TPG senior news editor Clint Henderson recently described his third pandemic-era trip to Hawaii as "easy, breezy, beautiful." If you've also got Hawaii on your mind -- and just about any transferrable currency in your pocket -- you can use today's domestic award sweet spot to fly to Hawaii on Delta-operated flights.
But, if you want to fly a longer Delta non-stop flight or Delta-operated connecting flights to Hawaii, you should consider the Air France/KLM Flying Blue program. After all, if you can find award space, you can frequently book Delta-operated awards from mainland U.S. to Hawaii with the Flying Blue program for far less than with Delta Skymiles. And unlike many of the Hawaii award flight sweet spots, you're not limited to west-coast gateways. Instead, assuming you can find award availability, you can fly from anywhere in the mainland U.S. that's served by Delta.
You can book Flying Blue awards via Air France or KLM. Both sites can be frustrating to use, but let's walk through how to book this award on the KLM site.
Start here and click on "Book via KLM." Once you do so, you'll need to log in to your Flying Blue account. So, create an account if you don't already have one.
(Screenshot courtesy of klm.nl)
After logging in, you can enter your desired flight details. I recommend searching for a one-way award for one passenger unless you must travel in a larger group.
(Screenshot courtesy of klm.nl)
After clicking the "Search flights" button, you may get a message stating, "Sorry, there are no fares available for this date. Please try again." If you get this message, you may need to go back to the start to search for availability on a different date since this page often acts buggy. But, if you happened to search for a route and date with availability, you'll see some award options on the next page.
(Screenshot courtesy of klm.nl)
If you found an award option that works for your trip, click the green box that shows the rate. Doing so will take you to a page where you can see the details of your award ticket.
(Screenshot courtesy of klm.nl)
If these details are acceptable, click on "Select" and then on "Continue to trip summary." Doing so will show a final trip summary.
(Screenshot courtesy of klm.nl)
If this summary is correct and you want to continue with your booking, click "Continue to passenger details." If you have enough miles in your account, you can enter the passenger details for your award and complete the booking. But, if you don't have enough miles in your account, you'll see the following error: "Unfortunately, you do not have enough Miles for this booking. Please select a different flight." I don't have enough miles in my account, so this is as far as I can guide you through the booking process.
Don't worry if you don't have enough miles in your Flying Blue account to book your award. One of the highlights of Flying Blue is that it's a transfer partner of multiple transferrable currencies, including:
If you have transferrable points and miles, it's easy to get enough miles to redeem for Flying Blue awards. However, if you want to replenish your stash of transferrable points and miles, consider adding one of the following travel rewards cards to your wallet and spending to earn its bonus:
The Platinum Card® from American Express: Earn 80,000 Membership Rewards Points after you spend $6,000 on purchases within the first six months of card membership.
Chase Sapphire Preferred Card: Earn 60,000 bonus points after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first three months from account opening.
Citi Premier® Card: Earn 60,000 ThankYou points after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first three months of account opening (see rates and fees).
American Express® Gold Card: Earn 60,000 Membership Rewards points after you spend $4,000 on purchases on your new card in your first six months of card membership.
The Business Platinum Card® from American Express: Earn 120,000 Membership Rewards points after you spend $15,000 on eligible purchases with your card in the first three months of card membership.
Alternatively, you could add the Air France KLM World Elite Mastercard® to your wallet. This $89 annual fee card currently offers a sign-up bonus of a $100 statement credit and 50,000 bonus miles after you make $2,000 or more in purchases within the first 90 days of your account opening. Plus, you'll earn 3x miles on purchases with SkyTeam member airlines and 1.5x miles on all other purchases.
The information for the Air France KLM 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.
By commenting, you agree to our Community Guidelines to help create a positive space for conversation. The responses below are not provided or commissioned by the bank advertiser, our partners, or The Points Guy (“TPG”). They have not been reviewed, approved, or otherwise endorsed by any of these parties. All responses are submitted by individual contributors, and neither the bank advertiser, our partners, nor TPG are responsible for ensuring that all posts and/or questions are answered.
