Travel + Leisure recently placed the Hawaiian islands of Maui and Kauai in the top 10 of The World’s Best Islands. They’re ranked just one spot below the exotic and beautiful island of Moorea in French Polynesia. Hawaii’s much easier to get to, even with miles, so it might be time to plan a trip to Maui or Kauai.
Most travelers who are heading to Maui or Kauai from the Continental United States first fly to Honolulu, but that’s not the only option. Even though Kauai and Maui only have small regional airports, it’s possible to fly there directly with miles from any of the three major U.S. airlines: United, Delta or American.
Kahului Airport on Maui
Kahului Airport is located near the town of Kahului, which is close to Haleakalā National Park. The park named after the Haleakalā volcano, and it offers miles and miles of trekking in a stunning landscape. You can fly directly to this airport from the mainland U.S. using MileagePlus miles, AAdvantage miles or SkyMiles.
AAdvantage Miles
You can use AAdvantage miles to fly to Kahului Airport in Maui on the following carriers:
- American Airlines via Dallas, Los Angeles and Phoenix
- Hawaiian Airlines via Honolulu, Los Angeles, Oakland, San Francisco, San Jose and Seattle
- Alaska Airlines via Oakland, Portland, Sacramento, San Diego, San Jose and Seattle, and seasonally from Anchorage and Bellingham
Hawaiian Airlines and Alaska Airlines are not oneworld alliance members, but they are partners with American.
Round-trip tickets to Maui purchased with AAdvantage miles cost:
- 45,000 in economy
- 75,000 in business
- 95,000 in first
You can buy economy tickets for the off-peak rate of 35,000 miles if you fly between January 12 and March 13 or between August 22 and December 15.
MileagePlus Miles and the Star Alliance
The following Star Alliance members fly to Maui:
- United Airlines via Denver, Los Angeles and San Francisco, and seasonally from Chicago
- Air Canada seasonally from Calgary
- Air Canada Rouge via Vancouver
Round-trip tickets to Maui purchased with MileagePlus miles cost:
- 57,000 miles in economy
- 80,000 in business
United and Air Canada do not offer first class on flights to Maui.
SkyMiles and the SkyTeam
Delta is the only SkyTeam member that flies to Maui. Its flights are routed through Los Angeles and Seattle.
Round-trip tickets to Maui purchased with SkyMiles cost:
- 45,000 miles in economy
- 80,000 in business
First class tickets can’t be purchased with SkyMiles.
Lihue Airport on Kauai
Lihue Airport is located on the southeast coast of Kauai. Flights to Kauai cost the same as flights to Maui.
AAdvantage Miles
You can purchase award tickets to Kauai with AAdvantage miles on the following airlines:
- American Airlines via Los Angeles and Phoenix
- Hawaiian Airlines via Honolulu and seasonally Los Angeles and Oakland
- Alaska Airlines via Oakland, San Diego, San Jose (CA), Seattle, and, seasonally, Portland.
MileagePlus Miles and the Star Alliance
United Airlines is the only Star Alliance member that flies to Kauai. Its flights are routed through Los Angeles and San Francisco. It also offers seasonal service from Denver.
SkyMiles and the SkyTeam
Delta is the only SkyTeam member that flies to Kauai. Its flights depart from Los Angeles.
If you want to visit both of these fantastic islands in one trip, you can fly between Kauai and Maui on Hawaiian Airlines for 10,000 AAdvantage miles roundtrip.
AAdvantage offers the best value for flights to Maui and Kauai in all classes, and it usually has the best award seat availability among the three.