The Barclays Hawaiian Airlines® World Elite Mastercard® offers exclusive benefits and rewards to frequent travelers of Hawaiian Airlines.
With this card, you can earn bonus miles, two free checked bags, and a one-time 50%-off companion discount on roundtrip coach travel between Hawaii and North America.
This article will cover everything you need to know about this card to determine if you should add this card or a different card to your wallet. Let’s dive right in.
Welcome Bonus
The Hawaiian Airlines Mastercard® currently offers the following welcome bonus:
Earn 60,000 Bonus HawaiianMiles for $2,000 in Purchases in the First 90 Days.
The card also offers a one-time 50%-off companion discount for roundtrip travel between Hawaii and North America on Hawaiian Airlines.
Earning Miles
The Hawaiian Airlines Mastercard® earns HawaiianMiles at the following rate:
- 3 miles per dollar on Hawaiian Airlines purchases;
- 2 miles per dollar on dining;
- 2 miles per dollar at grocery stores;
- 2 miles per dollar at gas stations; and
- 1 mile per dollar on all other purchases.
Annual Fee
The Hawaiian Airlines Mastercard® has a $99 annual fee, which you can offset with two free checked bag, a companion discount, and more.
Card Benefits and Perks
Below are the benefits and perks of the Hawaiian Airlines Mastercard®:
Two Free Checked Bags
The primary cardholder gets two free checked bags on Hawaiian Airlines flights, which is a value of $140 for a round-trip flight.
This benefit does not extend to travel companions like many other airline credit cards.
$100 Anniversary Companion Discount
To help justify the annual fee, cardmembers will receive a $100 companion discount on each account anniversary for travel between Hawaii and North America.
The discount is not valid for intra-Hawaii flights and must be used within 12 months from the account anniversary.
Discounted Award Flights
Another benefit of this card is access to discounts when redeeming your miles on Hawaiian Airlines.
Transfer HawaiianMiles With No Transaction Fee
Cardmembers can transfer HawaiianMiles to friends and family without a fee by holding the card.
Mastercard World Elite Benefits
This card is a World Elite Mastercard, which gets you access to these special benefits and discounts:
- DoorDash: Automatically get $5 off your first DoorDash order each month.
- Lyft: Take 3 rides in one calendar month and pay with your World Elite Mastercard to earn a $5 Lyft credit.
- Fandango: Spend $20 at Fandango or on Fandango’s streaming service and get a $5 Fandango Reward.
- ShopRunner: ShopRunner is an online membership that unlocks free 2-day shipping and free returns at dozens of top stores, including Under Armour, Cole Hann, Bloomingdale’s, and more.
No Foreign Transaction Fees
This card has no foreign transaction fees on purchases outside the U.S., which is helpful if you travel internationally to help you avoid paying a 3% fee on those international purchases.
Pros and Cons
Here’s a quick overview of this card’s advantages and disadvantages:
Pros:
- Two free checked bags.
- Annual companion certificate.
Cons:
- $99 Annual Fee
- Lack of travel and purchase protections.
- Very limited options on redeeming points outside of Hawaiian Airlines.
Alternatives to the Hawaiian Airlines Mastercard
Now that you know about this credit card’s various benefits and pros and cons, it’s time to see its alternatives.
Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card
Better for Travel and Purchase Protections
- bonus_miles_full
- 5x Points on Travel Booked Via Chase
- 3x Points on Dining and Eligible Delivery Services
- 2x Points on All Other Travel Purchases
- 10% Anniversary Points Boost
- Trip Delay and Trip Cancellation Insurance
- Primary Rental Car Insurance
- $95 Annual Fee
The Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card (review) is one of the best rewards cards for travelers who want solid earning rates for travel and dining expenses.
For only $95 per year, this card earns 5x Chase Ultimate Rewards points on travel booked through the Chase Ultimate Rewards portal, 3x points on dining, online groceries, and streaming services, and 2x on all other travel purchases.
Cardholders will also get a 10% anniversary points bonus, a 12-month DoorDash DashPass subscription when activated by December 31, 2024, and a $50 anniversary hotel statement credit.
Plus, it provides extensive travel protections, including trip delay, primary rental car, baggage, and purchase protection plans.
Citi Premier® Card
Better for Earning Points
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- 3x Points at Restaurants, Supermarkets, Gas Stations, Air Travel, and Other Hotels.
- $100 Off a Single $500 Hotel Stay Per Year
- Extended Warranty and Purchase Protections
- $95 Annual Fee
The Citi Premier® Card is the best card for earning points because it offers 3x points at:
The Premier card also comes with no foreign transaction fees, purchase protection, and an extended warranty for items purchased, adding an additional 24 months to the manufacturer’s warranty.
Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card
Better for Airport Lounge Access
The Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card (review) is a premium travel rewards card that’s perfect for travelers who want outstanding travel perks like annual travel credits, worldwide airport lounge access, and travel and purchase protections.
The Venture X earns 2x miles on all purchases helping you maximize every dollar of your spending. Plus, you can earn 10x miles on hotels and rental cars, and 5x miles on flights booked through Capital One.
The card has a $395 annual fee, completely offset by a $300 annual credit for bookings through Capital One Travel, and 10,000 points (worth at least $100) for each account anniversary.
Plus, you get airport lounge access via Priority Pass, Capital One, and Plaza Premium Lounges, Hertz President’s Circle elite status, Global Entry or TSA PreCheck credit, rental car insurance, trip and luggage insurance, cell phone insurance, and purchase protection.
Is the Hawaiian Airlines Mastercard Worth It?
The Hawaiian Airlines Mastercard® is a pretty good choice for frequent Hawaiian Airlines travelers.
However, if you don’t fly Hawaiian at least a few times per year, you are better off getting a general travel card like the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card (review) or the Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card (review) for better benefits and added flexibility.
