Dreaming of a Hawaiian getaway but don’t want to break the bank? Hawaii was our dream destination, but we knew how expensive a trip to Hawaii could be. So I took a deep-dive into the credit card point world, and ended up traveling for FREE! Flights, five-star hotels, and more. In this guide, I’m going to teach you EXACTLY how to maximize your Chase credit card points to book free flights and luxury stays in Hawaii.
Following our strategy, you can use Chase credit card points to book flights, hotels, and even activities in Hawaii for free! Chase’s Ultimate Rewards program is one of the most valuable travel rewards systems, offering flexible redemption options and top-tier transfer partners.
Contents
- 1 Why Chase Ultimate Rewards Are Great for Hawaii Travel
- 2 Booking Free Flights to Hawaii with Chase Credit Card Points
- 3 How to Book Free Hotels in Hawaii with Chase Credit Card Points
- 4 Hyatt’s Hana-Maui Resort
- 5 Hyatt’s Regency Maui Resort and Spa
- 6 Tips for Maximizing Chase Points for Hawaii Travel
- 7 Is Using Chase Credit Card Points to Travel to Hawaii Worth It?
Why Chase Ultimate Rewards Are Great for Hawaii Travel
Chase Ultimate Rewards (UR) points are some of the most flexible and valuable travel points available. When I started looking at all the different credit card points, I naturally began with Chase, because it was the bank we use for our personal and business cards. And with transfer partners like United Airlines, American Airlines, and Hyatt, you can redeem points for flights and luxury accommodations at a fraction of the cost.
Best Chase Credit Cards for Earning Points
To start, you’ll need the right Chase credit card to accumulate Chase Ultimate Rewards points quickly. This is important, because when we started out, we were using basic Chase cards. And while we were still earning points on these cards, we quickly found out that we couldn’t use them to TRANSFER our points out of the Chase portal. (This is a key element in the credit card game.)
So here are the best options in order to transfer your points to Chase partners. The most popular are the Chase Sapphire Preferred for personal accounts and Chase Ink Business Preferred for business accounts. We use the Ink Business Preferred to transfer our points, but as soon as we get our 3 month bonus points, we will open a personal Sapphire Preferred card too.
Chase Sapphire Preferred
The Chase Sapphire Preferred card earns 2x points on travel and dining, with a low annual fee ($95). You also earn 60,000 bonus points after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening. This is the most popular personal Chase card for maximizing Chase Credit Card Points.
Chase Sapphire Reserve
The Chase Sapphire Reserve card earns a whopping 3x points on travel and dining, includes airport lounge access, and provides higher redemption value (1.5 cents per point). But it comes with a high annual fee ($550), which turns people off. You also earn 60,000 bonus points after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening.
Chase Freedom Unlimited
The Chase Freedom Unlimited is one of Chase’s most popular cards because it doesn’t have an annual fee. You will earns 1.5x points on all purchases and 3x on dining and drugstores with no annual fee. The downside of this card is that you don’t earn extra bonus points on this card, but you do earn a $250 bonus after you spend $500 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening.
Chase Ink Business Preferred
The Chase Ink Business Preferred card is the BEST card for business owners (and the card we use for our business accounts). It offers 3x points on travel and select business categories with low annual fee ($95). You also receive 90,000 bonus points after you spend $8,000 on purchases in the first 3 months after account opening.
Earn 90,000 bonus points with the Ink Business Preferred® card or up to $1,000 bonus cash back with the Ink Business Premier℠ card, Ink Business Unlimited® card or Ink Business Cash® card by opening up a new card on our secure link. I can also be rewarded if you apply here and are approved for the card.
PRO TIP: You can combine points from multiple Chase cards into a Sapphire Preferred, Sapphire Reserve, or Ink Businesses Preferred account to maximize value. This is what we did after opening our Chase Ink Business Preferred Card.
Booking Free Flights to Hawaii with Chase Credit Card Points
One of the best ways to travel to Hawaii free using your Chase points is by transferring them to airline tickets. There are several different airlines who partner with Chase or you can book directly through the Chase travel portal.
Best Airlines for Redeeming Chase Credit Card Points
One of the best ways to get to Hawaii for free is by transferring Chase Ultimate Rewards points to an airline partner. Here are the best airlines to consider:
- United Airlines (transfers 1:1 from Chase) – Book economy flights to Hawaii for 22,500 points one way.
- Southwest Airlines (transfers 1:1) – Great for flexibility and includes two free checked bags.
- British Airways (partnered with American Airlines) – Flights from the West Coast to Hawaii for 26,000 Avios round-trip.
- Singapore Airlines (partnered with Alaska Airlines) – Use KrisFlyer miles to book Alaska Airlines flights to Hawaii.
PRO TIP: Once you find the airline you want to use for your trip, open a frequent flyer account with that airline. This will allow you to transfer your points AND accumulate points with that airline as well.
PRO TIP #2: Point.me is a great resource for monitoring flights and flight points with searching in just one spot.
How Many Chase Credit Card Points Do You Need for a Free Flight?
A round-trip economy flight to Hawaii typically costs between 25,000 and 45,000 points per person, depending on the airline and departure city. If you prefer first class, expect to redeem 80,000–100,000 points. For example:
- Fly from Los Angeles (LAX) to Honolulu (HNL) with United MileagePlus: 45,000 Chase points round-trip.
- Fly from Seattle (SEA) to Maui (OGG) with British Airways Avios (American Airlines): 26,000 points round-trip.
PRO TIP: Because Phoenix (our home airport) was more expensive and used more points, we drove to LA and flew out of LAX because the flights were cheaper and used less points. When searching for airline tickets, check nearby airports to compare prices and points.
How to Book Free Hotels in Hawaii with Chase Credit Card Points
Here comes the FUN part – using your points to book luxury hotels and resorts. I actually LOVE browsing for the hotels we want to stay at, and it gives me lots of ideas for future trips.
Step 1: The first thing I did was sign up for the rewards programs for each of these:
Ultimately, we went with two different Hyatt Resorts on our trip to Maui, but Chase also partners with Marriott and Hilton (via Virgin Atlantic) as well. I just found that our points went further with Hyatt on this particular trip.
Step 2: Because World of Hyatt is a 1:1 transfer partner of Chase, you can use Ultimate Rewards points to book luxury Hyatt hotels in Hawaii. You need to already have a Hyatt account in order to transfer your Chase Points. Log into your Chase Rewards portal and click the Rewards Tab. Then select the card you want to transfer your points from. Then click the Travel tab on the top of the page and select Transfer points to partner. You’ll now see all the Chase partners, including airlines and hotels. Choose World of Hyatt. (if this is the first time transferring points to Hyatt, you’ll need to connect your Hyatt account. But once you do it, it will be saved for future transfers.) Then click, Transfer Points.
Best Hyatt Resorts in Maui, Hawaii to Book with Chase Credit Card Points
Step 3: You want to make sure you know how many points you want to transfer in advance, so I pre-calculated our stays before transferring the points. Our Maui vacation was a total of 175,000 points, so I transferred that amount over to Hyatt. You’ll then need to confirm the detail – just to make sure you are certain, and press Submit. It says it can take up to 24 hours to transfer, but ours went immediately, and I was able to book the hotels in the World of Hyatt portal right then.
1. Hyatt Regency Maui Resort and Spa
- Category 7 (35,000 points per night)
- Oceanfront property with a stunning pool and direct beach access.
2. Hyatt Vacation Club at Ka’anapali Beach
- Category 7 (35,000 points per night)
- A part of the Vacation Club, it’s connected to the Regency Maui Resort
2. Andaz Maui at Wailea Resort
- Category 8 (45,000 points per night)
- A premium beachfront resort with world-class dining and pools.
- Category 7 (35,000 points per night)
- A luxury boutique hotel in the tropical Hana.
How Many Points Do You Need for a Free Vacation in Maui, Hawaii?
Step 4: Log into your World of Hyatt account and start booking your hotels. You should see your points under your account name, and you’ll want to book with points, not with dollars.
A week at a Hyatt hotel in Maui can cost anywhere from 84,000 to 280,000 points, depending on the property and category. The great thing about using points to pay for your hotel is resort fees and taxes are included, so you don’t pay any extra fees like you would if you paid cash for them.
For our trip to Maui, we stayed one night at the Hana-Maui Resort (35,000 points) and 4 nights at the Hyatt Regency Maui Resort and Spa (140,000 points). So we used a total of 175,000 points for our 6-day (5 nights) in Maui. And because we were World of Hyatt members, we got FREE upgrades at each hotel, along with access to the Hyatt Vacation Club.
Hyatt’s Hana-Maui Resort
If you plan on doing the Road to Hana on your Maui trip, I highly recommend actually staying in Hana for a night or two. Most people who drive the Road to Hana as a day trip miss out on so much more in Hana. And the Hana-Maui Resort is a gem of a getaway.
Located right on the coast on Hana, this secluded boutique resort is the perfect escape from the hustle and bustle of life. It is THE definition of peaceful escape.
We stayed one night at the Hana-Maui after driving the Road to Hana. It was such a relaxing night after the drive. We then explored Maui’s national park, Haleakalā National Park, the next morning before driving back to Lahaina later that afternoon.
TIP: If you’re looking for a resort with kid-friendly activities, this might not be the best fit. It is more for those looking for a relaxing peaceful stay. There are no TVs or kid activities. But there were still kids there (ours included), with lawn games and a gorgeous infinity pool.
Hyatt’s Regency Maui Resort and Spa
We spent the majority of our Maui vacation at the Regency Maui Resort and Spa – 4 nights. It is located in Lahaina, along the stretch of beach we call Resort Row. It’s also located next to the Hyatt Vacation Club, which has a fantastic pool and restaurants available as well.
This resort is extremely kid-friendly, with an entire pool dedicated just for kids. Our daughter LOVED all the pools, including the waterslides and water tunnels. They also have daily events, such as hula lessons, bracelet and leia making, penguin and a wildlife tour. Yes, they have penguins on site, mermaid lessons, and more. Needless to say, it’s FANTASTIC for families!
It’s also walking distance from Whalers Village with awesome restaurants and shops, gorgeous beaches, snorkeling, whale watching tours, and so much more.
TIP: This is a great family resort with so many kid-friendly activities. And it’s centrally located so it’s close to a lot of activities in the area.
Tips for Maximizing Chase Points for Hawaii Travel
- Sign Up for Welcome Bonuses – Earning a Chase Sapphire Preferred bonus (60,000 points) or Chase Ink Business Preferred bonus (90,000 points) can cover flights and hotel stays.
- Use Chase Transfer Partners – Transferring to Hyatt and United Airlines often provides better value than redeeming points through the Chase travel portal.
- Book Early – Award availability for flights and hotels in Hawaii is limited, so plan months in advance. We experienced this first-hand when there was no availability at the Andaz Maui Resort.
- Take Advantage of Chase Travel Portal – If you have the Sapphire Reserve, you can redeem points at 1.5 cents per point for flights, hotels, and car rentals.
Is Using Chase Credit Card Points to Travel to Hawaii Worth It?
Using Chase Credit Card Points, you can book a dream vacation to Hawaii without spending a dime on flights or hotels, like we did. 100% WORTH IT! By using Chase Ultimate Rewards points strategically, transferring them to Hyatt and airline partners, and maximizing welcome bonuses, you can stay at luxurious resorts and fly to paradise for free. Open up your Chase cards now and make Hawaii your next budget-friendly adventure!
Got any questions about Credit Card Point travel? Leave me a comment below and I’ll be happy to help!
