Hawaiian Airlines card vs. Hawaiian Airlines Business card: Which is right for you?
Although it has a strong route network along the West Coast and flies not one but two of the longest domestic flights in the world (and serves some great mai tais), Hawaiian Airlines still gets short-changed in discussions of U.S. airlines. However, this is likely to change with its merger with Alaska Airlines.
For travelers based in Hawaii, the airline's cobranded credit cards are well worth considering. But even if you only take a vacation there once every year or two, you can still get a lot of value from carrying either the Hawaiian Airlines® World Elite Mastercard® or the Hawaiian Airlines® Business Mastercard®. Both offer some great bonus spending categories and anniversary benefits, not to mention one-time companion deals and discounted awards.
Let's take a closer look at both cards so you can decide which one might be better for you.
The information for the Hawaiian Airlines Mastercard and Hawaiian Airlines 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 vs. Hawaiian Airlines Business comparison
| Card | Hawaiian Airlines World Elite Mastercard | Hawaiian Airlines Business Mastercard |
|---|---|---|
Annual fee | $99 | $99 |
Welcome offer | 70,000 miles after spending $2,000 on the card in the first 90 days of account opening | 50,000 miles after spending $4,000 in the first 90 days of account opening |
Earning categories | 3 miles per dollar on Hawaiian Airlines purchases
2 miles per dollar on gas, dining and eligible grocery stores 1 mile per dollar on everything else | 3 miles per dollar on Hawaiian Airlines purchases
2 miles per dollar on gas, dining and office supply stores 1 mile per dollar on everything else |
Benefits | $100 annual companion discount
Two free checked bags One-time 50% companion discount No foreign exchange fees | Earn 20,000 bonus miles with $50,000-$99,999 in annual purchases
or Earn 40,000 bonus miles (in total) with $100,000 or more in annual purchases One-time 50% off companion discount No foreign exchange fees |
Hawaiian Airlines vs. Hawaiian Airlines Business welcome offer
Right now, the Hawaiian Airlines World Elite Mastercard is offering a welcome bonus of 70,000 HawaiianMiles after spending $2,000 on the card in the first 90 days of account opening.
The Hawaiian Airlines Business, meanwhile, offers 50,000 HawaiianMiles after spending $4,000 in the first 90 days of account opening. Based on TPG's October 2024 valuations, these welcome bonuses are worth $840 and $600 respectively.
These are both pretty standard offers for the cards' respective histories and can easily be taken advantage of with a relatively low spending requirement.
Winner: The Hawaiian Airlines personal card. It offers 20,000 more HawaiianMiles with the half the required minimum spend.
Related: This month's best welcome offers
Hawaiian Airlines vs. Hawaiian Airlines Business benefits
You'll get these perks with either card:
- A one-time 50%-off companion discount
- No foreign transaction fees
- The "Share Miles" feature, which allows the primary cardholder to send and share HawaiianMiles without a fee, up to 10 times per calendar year
Beyond these perks, the Hawaiian Airlines personal card comes with two valuable benefits:
- An annual $100 companion discount for a travel companion on round-trip travel between Hawaii and the mainland after each account anniversary
- Two free checked bags for the primary cardholder on Hawaiian Airlines flights between North America and Hawaii and between neighboring islands
The Hawaiian Airlines Business, meanwhile, allows you to earn 20,000 bonus miles with $50,000-$99,999 in annual purchases, plus an additional 20,000 bonus miles (for 40,000 in total) with $100,000 or more in annual purchases.
Winner: The Hawaiian Airlines personal card. It comes with more benefits at the same cost to cardholders.
Related: Get free checked bags with these credit cards
Earning miles with the Hawaiian Airlines vs. Hawaiian Airlines Business
Both of these cards accrue 3 miles per dollar on Hawaiian Airlines purchases, which puts them ahead of many other cobranded airline credit cards.
Both also earn 2 miles per dollar on gas and dining purchases. However, the business card earns 2 miles per dollar at office supply stores, while the personal version earns 2 miles per dollar at grocery stores instead. Both earn 1 mile per dollar everywhere else.
Both cards have broad bonus categories that will appeal to many consumers.
The business card is definitely geared more for business use thanks to that office-supply category, while the personal version rounds out its earning potential with a third major category, supermarkets. These cards have not one but four bonus spending areas, making them exceptional potential earners.
Winner: Tie. The earning rates you prefer will come down to whether you spend more at office stores or grocery stores each year.
Related: The best credit cards for each bonus spending category
Redeeming miles with the Hawaiian Airlines vs. Hawaiian Airlines Business
Hawaiian Airlines has a dynamic pricing system, but it also publishes an award chart that lists the price ranges into which awards will fall. You can also redeem your Hawaiian Airlines miles for JetBlue, Japan Airlines, Virgin Australia and Virgin Atlantic flights.
Each partner has a separate award chart, which can be viewed here. Former TPG writer Ryan Wilcox recommends round-trip Korean Air awards within Asia for 30,000 miles in economy or 60,000 miles in business class and round-trip business-class flights with Virgin Atlantic between the U.K. and the east coast of North America for 125,000 miles.
Lastly, your Hawaiian Airlines miles can be transferred to Marriott Bonvoy at a 2:1 ratio. TPG's October 2024 valuations peg Bonvoy points at .85 cents each, so you'll get far less value from this option, but it's still viable if you prefer Marriott.
Additionally, with the merger of Alaska and Hawaiian Airlines, you can convert HawaiianMiles to Alaska MileagePlan miles at a 1:1 ratio with no fee. You can then use those miles to book Alaska or Alaska partner award flights.
Winner: Tie. The cards have identical redemption options.
Related: The best ways to redeem points and miles on Hawaiian Airlines
Should I get the Hawaiian Airlines or Hawaiian Airlines Business?
Most consumers will get more value from the personal Hawaiian Airlines card since it has a $100 annual companion discount, two free checked bags and a higher welcome bonus. However, if you want to earn more Hawaiian miles on office supplies over grocery stores, then you might want to opt for the business version.
Bottom line
Both the Hawaiian Airlines World Elite Mastercard and the Hawaiian Airlines Business Mastercard are viable card options that offer substantial value for those who fly a lot with the airline and want to start racking up value. It might even make sense for you to get both cards.
For more details, please see our full reviews of the Hawaiian Airlines World Elite Mastercard and the Hawaiian Airlines Business Mastercard.
The information for the Hawaiian Airlines Mastercard and Hawaiian Airlines 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.
TPG featured card
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| 4X | Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on purchases at restaurants worldwide, on up to $50,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year. |
| 4X | Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent at US supermarkets, on up to $25,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year. |
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| 1X | Earn 1X Membership Rewards® point per dollar spent on all other eligible purchases. |
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Cons
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- You may be eligible for as high as 100,000 Membership Rewards® Points after you spend $8,000 in eligible purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership. Welcome offers vary and you may not be eligible for an offer. Apply to know if you’re approved and find out your exact welcome offer amount – all with no credit score impact. If you’re approved and choose to accept the Card, your score may be impacted.
- Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on purchases at restaurants worldwide, on up to $50,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
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