Aloha! The nation's longest domestic flight is back, and you can book with miles
The nation's longest domestic route is set to make a comeback.
That will come courtesy of Hawaiian Airlines, which announced on Wednesday Oct 21 that it would resume nonstop service from its Honolulu hub to both Boston and New York-JFK.
Boston flights will begin Dec. 18, with Hawaiian offering two flights a week on an Airbus A330 wide-body jet. With that, Hawaiian will reclaim the title for having the longest domestic flight within the United States. The route covers 5,095 miles and flight time is listed at 11 hours, 35 minutes westbound and 9 hours, 30 minutes on the eastbound leg.
Want more airline-specific news? Sign up for TPG's free new biweekly Aviation newsletter!
To New York, Hawaiian will resume service on Dec. 15. The airline will fly three flights a week, also on an Airbus A330. The Honolulu-JFK nonstop clocks in at 4,983 miles and is scheduled for 11 hours, 20 minutes on the Hawaii-bound leg.
Hawaiian's service will resume just in time for Christmas and the winter travel season, giving pent-up holiday-seekers more options to get to Hawaii just as the winter sets in across the U.S.
The move also comes as Hawaii slowly reopens to tourists. The state introduced a pre-travel testing option as an alternative to a 14-day quarantine beginning on Oct. 15 for incoming travelers.
Will Hawaii let you visit? Hawaii again welcoming visitors; Here's everything you need to know
That's helped Hawaii restart a flow of visitors that is vital to its tourism-heavy economy.
By the time the New York and Boston flights resume, Hawaiian says it will have restarted service to all 13 of its destinations on the U.S. mainland after flights to Long Beach, California, resume Dec. 15.
"We're pleased with increased demand for travel to Hawai'i, and we're excited to once again offer our East Coast guests the convenience of our nonstop flights as we welcome them to the islands with new health and safety measures," Brent Overbeek, Hawaiian's senior vice president of revenue management and network planning, said in a statement.
Travelers looking to book a seat on the resumed routes will have several mileage options.
Flights can booked on Hawaiian Airlines flights via the carrier's own HawaiianMiles program. The program is a transfer partner of American Express Membership Rewards, so it's easy to get miles that way. But, the program uses dynamic pricing, so you can expect to pay 17,500 to 130,000 miles each way in main cabin and 40,000 to 130,000 miles each way in first class. Luckily, you can also redeem miles with several partner airlines to fly Hawaiian Airlines including Korean Air SkyPass, Virgin Atlantic Flying Club and JetBlue TrueBlue.
Currently, there is ample award availability when booking with HawaiianMiles. A Wednesday evening spot-check showed nonstop flights from Boston and New York JFK to Honolulu in January and found lots of availability. For most dates, there were 30,000-point one-way awards to Hawaii in main cabin and 130,000 one-way awards for lie-flat first class.
Related: The best ways to get to Hawaii using points and miles
TPG writer Katie Genter contributed to this story.
TPG featured card
at American Express's secure site
Terms & restrictions apply. See rates & fees.
| 3X | Earn 3X Miles on Delta purchases. |
| 1X | Earn 1X Miles on all other eligible purchases. |
Pros
- Delta SkyClub access when flying Delta
- Annual companion ticket for travel on Delta (upon renewal)
- Ability to earn MQDs through spending
- Various statement credits for eligible purchases
Cons
- Steep annual fee of $650
- Other Delta cobranded cards offer superior earning categories
- Earn 100,000 Bonus Miles after you spend $6,000 or more in purchases with your new Card within the first 6 months of Card Membership and an additional 25,000 bonus miles after you make an additional $3,000 in purchases on the Card within your first 6 months, starting from the date that your account is opened. Offer Ends 04/01/2026.
- Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card Members receive 15 Visits per Medallion® Year to the Delta Sky Club® when flying Delta and can unlock an unlimited number of Visits after spending $75,000 in purchases on your Card in a calendar year. Plus, you’ll receive four One-Time Guest Passes each Medallion Year so you can share the experience with family and friends when traveling Delta together.
- Enjoy complimentary access to The Centurion® Lounge in the U.S. and select international locations (as set forth on the Centurion Lounge Website), Sidecar by The Centurion® Lounge in the U.S. (see the Centurion Lounge Website for more information on Sidecar by The Centurion® Lounge availability), and Escape Lounges when flying on a Delta flight booked with the Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card. § To access Sidecar by The Centurion® Lounge, Card Members must arrive within 90 minutes of their departing flight (including layovers). To access The Centurion® Lounge, Card Members must arrive within 3 hours of their departing flight. Effective July 8, 2026, during a layover, Card Members must arrive within 5 hours of the connecting flight.
- Receive $2,500 Medallion® Qualification Dollars with MQD Headstart each Medallion Qualification Year and earn $1 MQD for each $10 in purchases on your Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card with MQD Boost to get closer to Status next Medallion Year.
- Enjoy a Companion Certificate on a Delta First, Delta Comfort, or Delta Main round-trip flight to select destinations each year after renewal of your Card. The Companion Certificate requires payment of government-imposed taxes and fees of between $22 and $250 (for itineraries with up to four flight segments). Baggage charges and other restrictions apply. Delta Basic experiences are not eligible for this benefit.
- $240 Resy Credit: When you use your Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card for eligible purchases with U.S. Resy restaurants, you can earn up to $20 each month in statement credits. Enrollment required.
- $120 Rideshare Credit: Earn up to $10 back in statement credits each month after you use your Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card to pay for U.S. rideshare purchases with select providers. Enrollment required.
- Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card Members get 15% off when using miles to book Award Travel on Delta flights through delta.com and the Fly Delta app. Discount not applicable to partner-operated flights or to taxes and fees.
- With your Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card, receive upgrade priority over others with the same Medallion tier, product and fare experience purchased, and Million Miler milestone when you fly with Delta.
- Earn 3X Miles on Delta purchases and earn 1X Miles on all other eligible purchases.
- No Foreign Transaction Fees. Enjoy international travel without additional fees on purchases made abroad.
- $650 Annual Fee.
- Apply with confidence. Know if you're approved for a Card with no impact to your credit score. If you're approved and you choose to accept this Card, your credit score may be impacted.
- Terms Apply.
- See Rates & Fees