You cannot transfer miles directly between Hawaiian Airlines and Alaska Airlines

Hawaiian Airlines (HawaiianMiles) and Alaska Airlines (Mileage Plan) do not have a partnership that lets you move miles from one program to the other. Each airline keeps its own separate loyalty currency, and there is no official conversion or transfer route between them.

If you have Hawaiian miles you want to use toward Alaska travel, your options are to spend the Hawaiian miles on Hawaiian Airlines flights, or to look for other ways to use them — but moving the balance itself to Alaska is not possible through either airline.

Key Takeaways

  • Hawaiian Airlines and Alaska Airlines do not allow direct mile transfers between their programs.
  • You can use Hawaiian miles only on Hawaiian Airlines flights and partner airlines in their network.
  • Alaska Airlines miles can be used on Alaska flights and their partner airlines, which is a different network.
  • If you want to fly Alaska, you would need to earn Alaska miles separately or find another way to pay for the ticket.
  • Some credit cards earn miles in one program or the other, so choosing the right card matters if you fly both airlines.

What Hawaiian Airlines miles can be used for

Hawaiian miles work within Hawaiian Airlines' own network. You can use them to book Hawaiian Airlines flights between Hawaii and the mainland, between Hawaiian islands, and to some international destinations. You can also use Hawaiian miles on partner airlines that Hawaiian has agreements with — these partners change, so check Hawaiian's website for the current list.

Hawaiian miles can also be transferred to hotel and car rental partners, or used to purchase gift cards and merchandise through Hawaiian's rewards catalog. But again, none of these options involve Alaska Airlines.

What Alaska Airlines miles can be used for

Alaska Airlines miles work in the Mileage Plan program and can be used on Alaska Airlines flights, as well as on partner airlines in Alaska's network. Alaska's partners include airlines like American, Delta, United, and others, plus hotels and car rentals. The partner network is separate from Hawaiian's, so an Alaska mile cannot be used on a Hawaiian flight.

If you want to use miles toward Alaska travel, you need to have Alaska miles in your Mileage Plan account. Having Hawaiian miles does not help you book an Alaska flight.

Why these programs do not connect

Airline loyalty programs are independent businesses. Hawaiian Airlines and Alaska Airlines compete on many routes and do not have a revenue-sharing agreement that would let them exchange miles. Each airline manages its own program, sets its own redemption rates, and decides which partners to work with.

This is true for most airline programs — you cannot transfer United miles to Southwest, or American miles to JetBlue. Each program is closed to its own members. The only way miles move between programs is if an airline buys another airline (which is rare) or if a credit card company negotiates a special deal, which almost never happens.

How to earn Alaska miles if you fly Alaska

If you fly Alaska Airlines regularly, the most direct way to build Alaska miles is to sign up for the Mileage Plan program (which is free) and provide your account number when you book. You earn miles based on the distance flown, not the price paid.

You can also earn Alaska miles through a co-branded credit card. Alaska Airlines has credit cards with several banks, and these cards earn Alaska miles on purchases. If you spend enough on the card to meet a sign-up bonus, you can earn a large chunk of miles quickly. This is often faster than earning miles through flights alone.

Some hotels, car rentals, and shopping partners also let you earn Alaska miles when you use them, though the earning rate is usually lower than credit card spending.

What to do with Hawaiian miles you cannot use

If you have a Hawaiian Airlines account with miles and you do not fly Hawaiian often, you have a few options. You can use the miles on Hawaiian partner airlines if any of them fly routes you need. You can transfer miles to a hotel or car rental partner. You can buy gift cards or merchandise through Hawaiian's catalog. Or you can let the miles sit in your account — Hawaiian does not have an expiration date on miles as long as your account stays active (you need at least one account activity every 24 months).

Some people also choose to downgrade or close a Hawaiian credit card if they have one, since the annual fee may not be worth it if they are not using the miles. But closing the card does not give you the miles — it just stops the fee from being charged.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I convert Hawaiian miles to cash or a statement credit?

Hawaiian Airlines does not offer a cash-out option for miles. You can use miles to book flights, transfer them to hotel and car rental partners, or purchase merchandise and gift cards through their rewards catalog. If you want cash back, you would need to use a different payment method or airline program that offers that feature.

Do Hawaiian and Alaska Airlines share any partners?

Hawaiian and Alaska have some overlapping partners (for example, both may have partnerships with certain hotels), but their airline networks are separate. A mile in one program cannot be used in the other, even if they both work with the same hotel chain. You would need to transfer miles to the hotel partner directly, which is a different process.

If I get an Alaska Airlines credit card, can I move my Hawaiian miles to it?

No. A credit card is just a tool to earn miles in a specific program. Opening an Alaska card lets you earn new Alaska miles going forward, but it does not move or convert your existing Hawaiian miles. You would build your Alaska balance separately from your Hawaiian balance.

What if I have both Hawaiian and Alaska credit cards?

You can have both cards and earn miles in both programs at the same time. The miles stay in separate accounts — Hawaiian miles in your HawaiianMiles account and Alaska miles in your Mileage Plan account. You can use whichever program makes sense for each trip, but you cannot combine or transfer the balances.

Will Hawaiian and Alaska ever let me transfer miles between them?

There is no announced plan for Hawaiian and Alaska to create a transfer partnership. Airline programs change their partnerships over time, but a direct mile transfer between two competing carriers is uncommon. If this changes, both airlines would announce it publicly and explain how the transfer would work.