New to Miles and Not Able to Redeem Mine... What?!
Apr 8, 2017, 3:39 pm
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Apr 2017
Location: California, USA
Posts: 67
New to Miles and Not Able to Redeem Mine... What?!
Hello,
New to FlyerTalk, although I have often read here. I need help figuring this one out. Maybe I just don't understand something, or maybe I'm being given the runaround. HELP!
So, last winter, I was coaxed into signing up for a Hawaiian Airlines Credit Card while purchasing a flight to Maui. It had a great sign-up bonus, with 50,000 miles awarded once I had spent 1K in 90 days. No problem and done. I have spent 6K more on it because the miles look GREAT from here: I am in the SFO area.
Um, but PROBLEMS.
The website says they have no blackout dates. Maybe I am misunderstanding blackout dates since apparently, all they have are blackout dates? I've never used my own miles before, just from family members. But I have 60,000+ miles now, which is, according to their site, enough for a trip to Japan. Great! I am trying to take a trip to Japan! Just perfect, right?! I have an entire month of flex-time to do this, no less, in June.
I called an agent because I couldn't figure out how to get the website to show me where I could redeem my miles. She said they didn't have any for June. Or July. I asked here when they would have available miles. She told me to "Just keep looking."
What does that even MEAN? I have the miles. I've diligently used the credit card to build up enough to go on a vacation with a lot of flexibility, and I want to redeem them. Otherwise, what's the point of this program?
It cost me 90-odd dollars to sign up, but they cannot seem to give me any information at all about how to redeem the miles that I've accrued from using their credit card to pay off every single expense for months now.
I even asked about next winter. The representative said, "You just keep looking! I don't know how. It just says when we have availability on the website sometimes."
Can someone here kindly explain if this is normal for credit card miles, if I am doing something wrong, if the agent is incompetent, or if this is something specific to Hawaiian Airlines? Like I said, I'm flex. I could fly from SFO to Tokyo or Osaka, or I could fly to LAX first if that would help too. And I have basically anytime in June to do that.
Why can't I redeem my miles?
I am frustrated. Thanks for explaining this for me! :-::-::-::-::-:
New to FlyerTalk, although I have often read here. I need help figuring this one out. Maybe I just don't understand something, or maybe I'm being given the runaround. HELP!
So, last winter, I was coaxed into signing up for a Hawaiian Airlines Credit Card while purchasing a flight to Maui. It had a great sign-up bonus, with 50,000 miles awarded once I had spent 1K in 90 days. No problem and done. I have spent 6K more on it because the miles look GREAT from here: I am in the SFO area.
Um, but PROBLEMS.
The website says they have no blackout dates. Maybe I am misunderstanding blackout dates since apparently, all they have are blackout dates? I've never used my own miles before, just from family members. But I have 60,000+ miles now, which is, according to their site, enough for a trip to Japan. Great! I am trying to take a trip to Japan! Just perfect, right?! I have an entire month of flex-time to do this, no less, in June.
I called an agent because I couldn't figure out how to get the website to show me where I could redeem my miles. She said they didn't have any for June. Or July. I asked here when they would have available miles. She told me to "Just keep looking."
What does that even MEAN? I have the miles. I've diligently used the credit card to build up enough to go on a vacation with a lot of flexibility, and I want to redeem them. Otherwise, what's the point of this program?
It cost me 90-odd dollars to sign up, but they cannot seem to give me any information at all about how to redeem the miles that I've accrued from using their credit card to pay off every single expense for months now.
I even asked about next winter. The representative said, "You just keep looking! I don't know how. It just says when we have availability on the website sometimes."
Can someone here kindly explain if this is normal for credit card miles, if I am doing something wrong, if the agent is incompetent, or if this is something specific to Hawaiian Airlines? Like I said, I'm flex. I could fly from SFO to Tokyo or Osaka, or I could fly to LAX first if that would help too. And I have basically anytime in June to do that.
Why can't I redeem my miles?
I am frustrated. Thanks for explaining this for me! :-::-::-::-::-:
Apr 8, 2017, 4:48 pm
#2
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Apr 2001
Location: MEL CHC
Posts: 20,987
wanderingstar Welcome to FT
Award flights are never guaranteed to be available. The number of award seats is very limited. Just because a seat is available for cash sale does not mean its available for an award.
Awards are available from 355/330 days out to close to departure, depending on the airline. Looking for June awards in April is considered close in. Many people start looking 11-12 months out.
Some ffp's have what is often referred to as "saver" awards. These are at the minimum miles cost, plus taxes & surcharges if applicable.
Some ffp's have what is often referred to as "any time" awards that cost a lot more ff miles.
Unsure if HA has different award types
Is the SFO-Japan flight all on Hawaiian? Or another airline (ff partner)
Look got SFO-HNL separately and then HNL-Japan.
Good luck
Awards are available from 355/330 days out to close to departure, depending on the airline. Looking for June awards in April is considered close in. Many people start looking 11-12 months out.
Some ffp's have what is often referred to as "saver" awards. These are at the minimum miles cost, plus taxes & surcharges if applicable.
Some ffp's have what is often referred to as "any time" awards that cost a lot more ff miles.
Unsure if HA has different award types
Is the SFO-Japan flight all on Hawaiian? Or another airline (ff partner)
Look got SFO-HNL separately and then HNL-Japan.
Good luck
Apr 8, 2017, 6:30 pm
#3
Original Poster
Join Date: Apr 2017
Location: California, USA
Posts: 67
That's very helpful! I thought it might be something I was doing incorrectly. It looks like I am looking too close to my dates; that's a shame. I can use the miles next Christmas, I hope, when I have a free month to travel.
I believe the award is a saver type based on what it says on the site.
I was trying to put the flight all on Hawaiian. I am not picky at all though, but they don't seem to have very many partners, and I am not sure how to look for partner tickets? Maybe if they have a partner, it would be going from SFO or LAX to Honolulu, however, and then I could pay the flight cost from SFO to Japan instead (there's a few absolutely reasonable flights on that route). How can I find out partners that would potentially offer awards for this route, thank you so much!
I know I'm very new to this, sorry, and I tried reading around but did not see much except about black-out dates, which I took to mean "times when you could not flights." I didn't realize these awards were so restricted. Ooops!
I believe the award is a saver type based on what it says on the site.
I was trying to put the flight all on Hawaiian. I am not picky at all though, but they don't seem to have very many partners, and I am not sure how to look for partner tickets? Maybe if they have a partner, it would be going from SFO or LAX to Honolulu, however, and then I could pay the flight cost from SFO to Japan instead (there's a few absolutely reasonable flights on that route). How can I find out partners that would potentially offer awards for this route, thank you so much!
I know I'm very new to this, sorry, and I tried reading around but did not see much except about black-out dates, which I took to mean "times when you could not flights." I didn't realize these awards were so restricted. Ooops!
Apr 8, 2017, 7:27 pm
#5
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Apr 2001
Location: MEL CHC
Posts: 20,987
I was trying to put the flight all on Hawaiian. I am not picky at all though, but they don't seem to have very many partners, and I am not sure how to look for partner tickets? Maybe if they have a partner, it would be going from SFO or LAX to Honolulu, however, and then I could pay the flight cost from SFO to Japan instead (there's a few absolutely reasonable flights on that route). How can I find out partners that would potentially offer awards for this route, thank you so much!
For flights on HA its easier to search flights by flight SFO-HNL and then HNL-Japan and not SFO-Japan. Tends to be more reliable.
Searching for awards on partners airlines may be different.
http://hawaiianair.custhelp.com/app/...etail/a_id/528
But the as HA phone agent said keep looking. Something may show as available even at short notice (a few days).
Good luck
Last edited by Mwenenzi; Apr 8, 2017 at 7:44 pm
Apr 12, 2017, 11:58 am
#6
Join Date: Jun 2015
Location: Washington, DC
Posts: 228
Simply put, you have nowhere near enough points for a round trip to Japan.
Apr 12, 2017, 4:37 pm
#7
Join Date: May 2009
Location: South Park, CO
Programs: Tegridy Elite
Posts: 5,678
Yeah a "blackout date" is a date upon which awards are never made available, period. It doesn't mean that an award seat will always be available on every date, or available at lower/saver levels. Award seats come and go as the airline revenue management folks constantly make adjustments - same as cash fares can vary.
If you think about it, how could an airline promise to always have a lower level award seat (or more than one for people traveling with companions) available...for every day of the year...for every one of the millions of frequent flyer program members who could happen to want one at any given time? It would be impossible. Even for "anytime" level awards (where last-seat availability is open but at a very high mileage level), eventually all seats may be taken.
Anyway, you may be able to find something one-way at the 60K level, if you could find a suitable option for the other one-way. Or you could look to supplement your miles with another source of HA miles. Or you could use those miles on something else (there are other programs with lower mileage rates to Japan from the mainland US...and other credit card bonuses to go along with that).
I'd do some reading in the HA forum and also consider the "What program...?" thread in this forum for some advice on planning FFP strategies for your overall travel goals.
If you think about it, how could an airline promise to always have a lower level award seat (or more than one for people traveling with companions) available...for every day of the year...for every one of the millions of frequent flyer program members who could happen to want one at any given time? It would be impossible. Even for "anytime" level awards (where last-seat availability is open but at a very high mileage level), eventually all seats may be taken.
Anyway, you may be able to find something one-way at the 60K level, if you could find a suitable option for the other one-way. Or you could look to supplement your miles with another source of HA miles. Or you could use those miles on something else (there are other programs with lower mileage rates to Japan from the mainland US...and other credit card bonuses to go along with that).
I'd do some reading in the HA forum and also consider the "What program...?" thread in this forum for some advice on planning FFP strategies for your overall travel goals.
Apr 25, 2017, 1:06 am
#8
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend, Moderator, Information Desk, Ambassador, Alaska Airlines
Join Date: Dec 2006
Location: FAI
Programs: AS MVP Gold100K, AS 1MM, Maika`i Card, AGR, HH Gold, Hertz PC, Marriott Titanium LTG, CO, 7H, BA, 8E
Posts: 42,953
Welcome to Flyertalk wanderingstar.
Sorry about the delay in getting your post rerouted to the appropriate forum. Was delayed by adventures in the Far East myself. We'll move your post to the Hawaiian Airlines forum for greater exposure.
Best of luck.
~beckoa, co-moderator Information Desk
Sorry about the delay in getting your post rerouted to the appropriate forum. Was delayed by adventures in the Far East myself. We'll move your post to the Hawaiian Airlines forum for greater exposure.
Best of luck.
~beckoa, co-moderator Information Desk
