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Welcome to FT!

If you can depart from OAK or SJC, then acquiring British Airways Avios for redemptions on AS' nonstops to HNL from either of those airports would be your best bet -- assuming that you can find low-tier award seats when you want to travel. A roundtrip for two people would cost just 50,000 BA Avios.

Several credit cards earn points that can be converted to Avios, or that earn Avios directly. I think that there are current, 50,000-mile sign-up bonuses for the Chase/BA Visa card, as well as the Chase Sapphire Preferred Visa. Check the FT Chase and Others Credit Cards forums for details.

You can easily check current, low-tier, award-seat availability on AS' flights between OAK/SJC and HNL at aa.com -- no log-in required. (Ignore the number of AA miles required for redemption; you'll just be using the site to check availability.) Of course, award seats available today might not be available by the time you acquire the Avios you need for redemption.

By the way, AS also flies SMF-OGG, in case you would consider going to Maui instead of Honolulu.