You can transfer Hawaiian Airlines HawaiianMiles to Alaska Airlines Mileage Plan, but the exchange rate is not one-to-one and the process takes time.
Hawaiian Airlines and Alaska Airlines are partners in a points-transfer program. When you move HawaiianMiles from your Hawaiian account to an Alaska Mileage Plan account, you receive 1 Alaska mile for every 1.25 Hawaiian miles you transfer. That means if you have 12,500 HawaiianMiles, you will receive 10,000 Alaska miles.
The transfer itself is permanent and cannot be reversed. Once the miles land in your Alaska account, they belong to Alaska and follow Alaska's rules. The process typically takes 24 to 48 hours after you submit the request through Hawaiian's website.
You should only make this transfer if you have a specific Alaska Airlines redemption in mind, because the exchange rate means you lose value in the conversion. However, if you have HawaiianMiles sitting unused and a clear way to spend Alaska miles, the transfer can unlock a ticket or upgrade you could not otherwise book.
Key Takeaways
- Hawaiian Airlines converts miles to Alaska miles at a rate of 1.25 Hawaiian miles per 1 Alaska mile, so you lose roughly 20 percent of your balance in the transfer.
- You must have active accounts with both Hawaiian Airlines and Alaska Airlines before you can initiate a transfer.
- Transfers are one-way only and take 24 to 48 hours to complete; once the miles reach Alaska, they cannot be sent back.
- Alaska Airlines miles can be redeemed for flights on Alaska, its partners, and select other carriers, giving you more redemption options than Hawaiian alone may offer.
How to Set Up the Transfer
Log into your Hawaiian Airlines account on hawaiianairlines.com. Navigate to the "Manage Miles" or "My Account" section and look for an option labeled "Transfer Miles" or "Send Miles." Hawaiian's site layout changes periodically, so if you cannot find it when ready, use the search function or call Hawaiian customer service at 1-800-367-5250.
You will need your Alaska Airlines Mileage Plan account number before you start. If you do not have an Alaska account yet, you must create one first at alaskaair.com. The account takes a few minutes to set up and requires only a name, email, and date of birth.
Enter the number of HawaiianMiles you want to transfer. Hawaiian will show you the exact number of Alaska miles you will receive after the conversion. Review the exchange rate carefully — it is straightforward to miss that you are not getting a one-to-one trade. Confirm the transfer, and Hawaiian will send the miles to Alaska within 24 to 48 hours.
When the Transfer Makes Sense
A transfer is worth considering if you have found an Alaska Airlines flight or upgrade you want to book and you do not have enough Alaska miles to cover it. For example, if you need 25,000 Alaska miles for a one-way domestic ticket and you have 20,000, you could transfer 6,250 HawaiianMiles to reach the threshold. The cost is 1,250 HawaiianMiles lost to the exchange rate, but you get the flight you want.
Transfers also make sense if your HawaiianMiles are about to expire. Hawaiian's expiration policy requires account activity (a flight, a purchase, or a transfer) every 24 months to keep miles active. If your miles are close to expiring and you have no near-term Hawaiian flights planned, transferring them to Alaska preserves their value rather than losing them entirely.
Do not transfer straightforward because you have a large balance. Sitting on HawaiianMiles costs you nothing, and Hawaiian's award chart may improve or new redemption options may appear. A transfer locks in the unfavorable 1.25-to-1 rate permanently.
Alaska Airlines Redemption Options After Transfer
Once your miles land in Alaska's system, you can use them for one-way or round-trip flights on Alaska Airlines itself. Alaska also partners with airlines including American, Delta, United, and others, so your miles can book flights on partner carriers as well. Partner awards often require more miles than Alaska-operated flights, but they give you routing options you might not have on Hawaiian alone.
You can also redeem Alaska miles for seat upgrades on Alaska flights, car rentals, and hotel stays through Alaska's shopping portal. However, the per-mile value of these redemptions is often lower than booking a flight, so flight redemptions are usually the better use of transferred miles.
Alaska's award availability changes daily. Before you transfer, search Alaska's website to confirm that the flight you want is actually available at the mileage rate you expect. If the flight is not showing up now, it may not appear later, and you will have already converted your miles.
Comparing Transfer Value to Other Options
The 1.25-to-1 exchange rate means you lose money on every transfer. If you have 50,000 HawaiianMiles, you will only receive 40,000 Alaska miles — a loss of 10,000 miles. Before you transfer, consider whether those HawaiianMiles might be worth more if you use them directly on Hawaiian Airlines instead.
Hawaiian's award chart prices domestic one-way flights at 15,000 to 25,000 HawaiianMiles depending on distance. If you can book a Hawaiian flight at 20,000 miles, that is a better use of your balance than transferring 25,000 miles to Alaska to book the same route. Check both airlines' award availability for your desired route before deciding.
If neither airline has the flight you want, or if Alaska's partner network offers a routing Hawaiian cannot, then the transfer cost may be justified. The key is to compare the actual redemption value, not just the number of miles.
What Happens to Your Hawaiian Account After Transfer
Transferring miles does not close your Hawaiian Airlines account or affect your HawaiianMiles balance for any other purpose. The miles you transfer are straightforward removed from your account and sent to Alaska. Any remaining HawaiianMiles stay in your Hawaiian account and remain subject to Hawaiian's expiration rules.
Your Hawaiian elite status, if you have it, is not affected by a transfer. Your account activity history and any pending miles from credit card spending or flights continue as normal. You can still earn and use HawaiianMiles on Hawaiian flights and partners after a transfer.
If you later want to transfer more miles to Alaska, you can do so through the same process. There is no limit on the number of transfers you can make, though each one incurs the same 1.25-to-1 exchange rate.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I transfer Alaska miles back to Hawaiian Airlines?
No. Transfers between these two programs are one-way only, from Hawaiian to Alaska. Once miles reach Alaska, they follow Alaska's rules and cannot be returned to Hawaiian. This is why it is important to be certain about your redemption plan before you transfer.
How long does the transfer take?
Hawaiian typically processes transfers within 24 to 48 hours. The miles will appear in your Alaska account once the transfer is complete. During peak travel seasons or holidays, processing may take slightly longer, but 48 hours is the standard window.
Do I lose miles if I transfer a partial balance?
You lose miles only on the amount you transfer, not on your total balance. If you have 50,000 HawaiianMiles and transfer 12,500, you will receive 10,000 Alaska miles, and 37,500 HawaiianMiles will remain in your Hawaiian account. The 1.25-to-1 rate applies only to the miles you move.
What if I do not have an Alaska Airlines account yet?
You must create an Alaska Mileage Plan account before you can transfer miles. Visit alaskaair.com and select "Enroll" or "Join Mileage Plan." The account is free and takes a few minutes. You will receive your account number when ready, which you will need to complete the transfer from Hawaiian.
Can I transfer miles as a gift to someone else?
Hawaiian allows you to transfer miles only to your own Alaska account, not to another person's account. If you want to give miles to someone else, you would need to transfer them to your own Alaska account first, and Alaska has its own separate rules about transferring miles between accounts, which typically require a fee.