Originally Posted by inlanikai

Let me be one of the first to welcome you to FlyerTalk MikeFaherty.

I don't know if you are on the East Coast but let me suggest you don't use any miles and buy a first class tix if you can aford it. They cost about $1,350 each fom the East Coast and are available on AA and just about all the other aitrlines that travel from here to Hawaii. They go by various fare desinators but AA calls them Y26UP fares. The are technically a coach fare that is booked directly into first class at the time of booking so there is no waitlisting or hoping for an upgrade. You get a confirmed seat in FC. There is limited availability but they are usually available if you book a few months in advance.

The advantage is you save the miles you otherwise would have cashed in and GET miles and class of service bonus for the trip. If you use 2 cents a mile as the rule of thumb value for a mile you will see that YUP fares are a pretty good deal on a long trip to Hawaii.

Aloha!