June Hawaii Trip
Apr 26, 2011, 11:43 am
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Oct 2009
Location: Nashville, TN
Posts: 492
June Hawaii Trip
I want to go to Hawaii in June for my 30th bday with my girlfriend. Neither of us have ever been. I planned on Kauai. I planned on staying at an SPG property in Kauai like the Westin or the St Regis. I have tons of miles with AA and about 150k Amex MR points and about 400k starpoints. I looked up flights to LIH and it's 180k miles economy or 300k miles first class. Cash restricted economy tickets are about $2k and first are about $7k.
Anyway, I did want to see Pearl Harbor while there, so I figured maybe flying ORD > HNL and then staying a day or so in Honolulu and then flying the next day to LIH. Thoughts? AA has nonstop service to HNL on a 763.
So a few questions....
1) Is first is worth the extra 120k miles for the ~9 hour flight?
2) Are there any other airlines I should check out that require fewer miles?
3) I was planning on a total of 7 days, 6 nights; mostly in Kauai. Is that too many, too few etc?
4) Any recommendations for "must-dos" while there?
Thanks!
Anyway, I did want to see Pearl Harbor while there, so I figured maybe flying ORD > HNL and then staying a day or so in Honolulu and then flying the next day to LIH. Thoughts? AA has nonstop service to HNL on a 763.
So a few questions....
1) Is first is worth the extra 120k miles for the ~9 hour flight?
2) Are there any other airlines I should check out that require fewer miles?
3) I was planning on a total of 7 days, 6 nights; mostly in Kauai. Is that too many, too few etc?
4) Any recommendations for "must-dos" while there?
Thanks!
Apr 26, 2011, 1:35 pm
#2
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Jul 2000
Location: PHX and LIH
Programs: AA: 2 MM
Posts: 85,518
I want to go to Hawaii in June for my 30th bday with my girlfriend. Neither of us have ever been. I planned on Kauai. I planned on staying at an SPG property in Kauai like the Westin or the St Regis. I have tons of miles with AA and about 150k Amex MR points and about 400k starpoints. I looked up flights to LIH and it's 180k miles economy or 300k miles first class. Cash restricted economy tickets are about $2k and first are about $7k.
Anyway, I did want to see Pearl Harbor while there, so I figured maybe flying ORD > HNL and then staying a day or so in Honolulu and then flying the next day to LIH. Thoughts? AA has nonstop service to HNL on a 763.
So a few questions....
1) Is first is worth the extra 120k miles for the ~9 hour flight?
2) Are there any other airlines I should check out that require fewer miles?
3) I was planning on a total of 7 days, 6 nights; mostly in Kauai. Is that too many, too few etc?
4) Any recommendations for "must-dos" while there?
Thanks!
Anyway, I did want to see Pearl Harbor while there, so I figured maybe flying ORD > HNL and then staying a day or so in Honolulu and then flying the next day to LIH. Thoughts? AA has nonstop service to HNL on a 763.
So a few questions....
1) Is first is worth the extra 120k miles for the ~9 hour flight?
2) Are there any other airlines I should check out that require fewer miles?
3) I was planning on a total of 7 days, 6 nights; mostly in Kauai. Is that too many, too few etc?
4) Any recommendations for "must-dos" while there?
Thanks!
IMHO, you can never spend too many days on Kauai. There is a Kauai activities and restaurants thread in this forum (you may want to do a search) and someone just posted a good list of activities and restaurants on the Grand Hyatt Kauai thread in the Hyatt forum - although it concentrates on the south part of the island. Depending upon the kinds of activities you are interested in, you may want to split your time between the St. Regis or Westin (north) and the Sheraton (south). Almost all the good restaurants are south, except for BarAcuda and the Dolphin (amazing tuna) which are both in Hanalei. You also MUST go to Waimea canyon, also south.
Apr 26, 2011, 4:52 pm
#3
Join Date: Aug 2010
Location: Southern California
Programs: AA Plat, Hilton Diamond
Posts: 309
If you are a golfer you will love Kauai. Unlike the Kauai Luv of the highly regarded ILuvParis, I believe you could stay on Oahu for a week and never get bored nor miss Kauai.
The best Pearl Harbor tour (whereby you boat and land at the Monument) is run by the US Parks department. Your hotel can fill you in on details.
The best Pearl Harbor tour (whereby you boat and land at the Monument) is run by the US Parks department. Your hotel can fill you in on details.
Apr 26, 2011, 5:00 pm
#4
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Jul 2000
Location: PHX and LIH
Programs: AA: 2 MM
Posts: 85,518
If you are a golfer you will love Kauai. Unlike the Kauai Luv of the highly regarded ILuvParis, I believe you could stay on Oahu for a week and never get bored nor miss Kauai.
The best Pearl Harbor tour (whereby you boat and land at the Monument) is run by the US Parks department. Your hotel can fill you in on details.
The best Pearl Harbor tour (whereby you boat and land at the Monument) is run by the US Parks department. Your hotel can fill you in on details.
Apr 26, 2011, 9:19 pm
#5
Suspended
Join Date: Jan 2010
Location: Calgary, Alberta
Programs: Hyatt Diamond, Fairmont Platinum, Aeroplan Diamond, HHonors Gold, SPG Gold
Posts: 18,686
Not acquainted with AA.. but *A is currently is 40,000 Miles, and I just booked 4 tickets for 160,000.. When you say 120,000 miles for economy, you mean for just 2 tickets, or do you mean 3 tickets? If 3 tickets, that's about as good as it gets.. the actual lowest posted point requirement for Star Alliance.