Are you still trying to make airline miles and loyalty work for Hawaii travel? You’re not alone—many of us are searching for award availability and coming away empty-handed. For years, miles helped offset the high cost of flights, making award travel or upgrades an attainable goal. But recently, that’s changed, and it is impacting airline loyalty.
This all comes as Hawaii air travel prices skyrocket. As of February 2025, Reuters said that U.S. airfares have experienced their fastest rise in 21 months, contributing to increased profits for major airlines.
We’ve been watching the trends closely and attempting to use miles wherever possible. Award prices are rising dramatically, availability is shrinking, and loyalty programs no longer reward those who don’t spend top dollar. The result? Travelers are giving up on earning and redeeming miles, which is one of the core strategies for saving on Hawaii flights.
When miles no longer work for Hawaii travelers.
A recent attempt to book a flight between Hawaii and New York using miles was eye-opening. Economy seats were priced very high in both miles and cash. It was rare to find any roundtrip fares below $1,000, except for the briefest windows of low-season pricing, which still hovered high…