Wirelessly posted (BlackBerry8530/5.0.0.601 Profile/MIDP-2.1 Configuration/CLDC-1.1 VendorID/417)

nittfan, if US does not permit stopovers on its awards between the continental U.S. and Hawaii, then the issue is going to be how much time you are given to "connect" in PHX before your stop there becomes a "stopover." A prior poster has indicated that on a paid ticket on US Airways, the passenger has 18 hours to connect. If that same rule applies to award tickets, then you should be able to get your lengthy overnight stay in PHX on the outbound with no trouble. As for your return, you may have a problem "throwing away" the PHX-XXX segment if you are checking bags: you'll be in PHX, but your luggage will continue on to your home airport.

My suggestion is to call US Airways and ask about the maximum connection time in PHX on an award ticket to Hawaii. If it is 18 hours, then ask if an "open jaw" award is permitted. That would permit you to ticket the award as XXX-PHX-Hawaii-PHX, with no remaining segment to throw away. I would also ask if US permits stopovers on their awards between the continental U.S. and Hawaii.

If the US Airways award rules do not work for you, then -- if there is award-seat availability at the "low" level on US -- I would think about transferring SPG points to Air Canada's Aeroplan program, and redeeming Aeroplan miles for the trip on US. Aeroplan's redemption rules permit both an en route stopover and an open jaw when you redeem for an award between the continental U.S. and Hawaii, even when redeeming on U.S. Airways flights. But I would make sure that Aeroplan can get the US flights you want before I transferred any SPG points into Aeroplan.

Since you are looking to route through PHX on this trip, AA will not work for you. But just so you know, AA eliminated roundtrip awards a couple of years ago, and with that, the free en-route stopover on domestic awards was lost. All AA awards are now one-ways (except for their distance-based oneworld awards which are a completely different animal). On its one-way awards, AA now permits a free stopover only on awards between North America and another zone, and then only at the North American "gateway" on the award itinerary. So, for example, for as little as 20,000 miles, you can get an AA Coach award from Hawaii to Europe, with a lengthy (weeks or months) stopover in NYC, as long as you are booked on a direct flight from JFK or EWR to Europe. That's a great deal for some folks, but won't do you much good on an award trip between Pennsylvania and Hawaii.