I would like to transfer my Starwood points for airline miles for travel from CA to Hawaii. I don't fly very often and don't belong to any programs. The awards information seems to be well hidden on most airline websites so I thought someone here might be of help. Which airline(s) has/have the best programs for getting free flights to Hawaii?

Thanks!

Aloha, susan8231, and welcome to FlyerTalk! From which airport will you be departing? This information may assist other FlyerTalkers in making airline suggestions! We fly Hawaiian Airlines, almost exclusively, to/from the west coast, and love their ff program for same.

Enjoy FlyerTalk!

Welcome to FT!

You may want to check out www.webflyer.com and read the rich info on promo for different airlines. Also try their Mileage Converter (http://www.webflyer.com/programs/mileage_converter/), which will give you ideas of possible ways to transfer miles/points between programs.

Also visit our beloved FTer's, pgary, website, http://www.freefrequentflyermiles.com/index.htm. He put together the strategies to accumulate points/miles with least cost.

Here at our FT community, you have to open your eyes/mind to learning in order to benifit yourself. Eventually you will have to decide which program will fit you best to achieve your goal, award tix to Hawaii. Keep in mind, though, Hawaii is one of the most popular destination and award tix (economy or not) is usually hard to get even with well-advanced planning (like 330 days ahead).

This recent thread on award tix to Hawaii from UA forum may give you some "insight" strategies for both elite and non-elite flyers to book award tix. (Of course you will have to accumulate enough miles to start with. )
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/showthread.php?t=647645

Some considerations:

American Airlines miles allow you to fly on American Airlines or Hawaiian Airlines metal, or a combination of both. This is important. Last time I flew to Hawaii, neither airline could give me an award ticket on their metal only, but American could put me on a Hawaiian/American combination. (Hawaiian was by far the better airline - they actually served me a hot meal!).

I am not sure if Hawaiian will put you on American or a combination. But if you have leftover miles, the American ones will be more generally useful. They can be used to get you to most anywhere in the world. American also seems to have the most availabiliby of award seats over any other airline, with the possible exception of Alaska Airlines.

United airlines nonstop flights to islands other that Oahu cost 10,000 miles less than both United and other airlines charge for flights to the same place, stopping in Honolulu. But United award tickets to Hawaii are much more difficult to obtain.

Aw, gee...

What??? You lost me

I can't give you a comparison since I only fly UA but I've gotten two saver award tickets BOI>SFO>various Hawaiian Island for seven consecutive years with very little problems. This has been in Dec or Jan.

Aloha,
Phil

PS Thanks pgary for an awesome resource.

Thanks for the suggestion. We prefer SFO but can also do LAX.

Generally speaking, using miles to fly CA - HA is not a particularly good use of miles (particularly in light of the fact that you are converting from SPG points).

I think Gary was referring the cases that include Aloha Airlines' interisland flights. Those interisland flights used be 5K miles RT but 10K miles now.

Naw, I just never have been able to get on United's non stop from San Francisco to Kona on the Big Island. I have tried many times, but admit that my experience is still limited.

Last time I tried this, that flight would have cost me 35,000 miles. But, as you point out, flying to Ohau and then transferring to another airline to get to another island costs 45,000 miles round trip, regardless of the airline used to Ohau.