Qantas frequent flyers can now use their points on Hawaiian Airlines

Qantas members can now say Aloha to a tropical holiday while using their Qantas points to book reward seats with Hawaiian Airlines. Available since June 5, it marks the start of the strategic partnerships the two carriers announced in January.

As part of the agreement, Qantas Frequent Flyers can book flights across Hawaiian Airlines’ global network, which includes all four major Hawaiian Islands, 15 cities in the United States and 10 international destinations.

With Alaskan Airlines finalising its acquisition of Hawaiian Airlines last year, Aussies can fly the airline well beyond Hawaii. Hawaiian Airlines now offers non-stop services from Honolulu to Sydney and Auckland, as well as same-day, one-stop connections to popular North American cities including Los Angeles, Las Vegas, San Francisco and Salt Lake City.

According to Qantas Loyalty CEO, Andrew Glance, Hawaii is one of the most sought-after destinations for Qantas members. “Our members will be able to use their points to connect to one or all four major Hawaiian Islands or look to build Honolulu into their itinerary as a convenient stopover en route to North America. The number of Classic Reward seats booked with partner airlines has doubled in the last five years, so we know how important it is that we continue to invest in growing our network and provide members with more opportunities to use their points."

Hawaiian Airlines isn't just about the islands.

How to book

Login into your Qantas account and to make it easier to search, use this hack to find flights. Choose the airline’s multi-city booking page and select “book with rewards”. Enter your travel dates and destination, and click “search flights” to see the whole month. Find your preferred flight and book.

Hawaiian Airlines offers two cabin classes on all flights. Economy and business on international flights, and economy and what it calls “First Class” on domestic flights which is more like a business seat on Emirates or Singapore Airlines.

Redemptions with Hawaiian Airlines sit on Qantas’ standard Partner Classic Flight Reward table. Based on the current rates, you can expect to pay 37,800 points plus taxes for a one way flight from Sydney to Honolulu or 90,000 for the same flight in business.

Another great option is domestic flights within Hawaii. At the moment in November of this year, for 19,900 points and $20 you can go business class one way from Honolulu to Kona. If you want to pay cash for this ticket it will cost you $323, so it’s a great way to save cash. 

Waikiki beach in Honolulu is always a magnet for Aussies.

It’s worth noting the amount of points needed to book flights will go up in August as part of Qantas’ loyalty program changes. 

If you are points rich and looking for a way to use points before these changes, a holiday to Hawaii is a great option. You can book up to 353 days in advance. Qantas members will also earn Qantas Points and Status Credits on Hawaiian Airlines operated flights (with a QF flight number) for travel within Hawaii and to mainland US. 

Originally published as Qantas frequent flyers can now use their points on Hawaiian Airlines