The Mainland Trip Every Island Family Takes
Whether you're visiting family on the West Coast, going on vacation, or flying for work, the Honolulu → mainland route is one most Hawaiʻi families take multiple times a year. Cash prices can run $400–$900+ round trip per person — but with the right points strategy, you can fly this route for a fraction of that, or often free (minus taxes).
This guide shows you the exact programs and point costs for the six most popular West Coast destinations from HNL, and how to earn the right currencies to book them.
Six West Coast Airports — Covered
How Many Points Per Route — All Programs
This table replaces the spreadsheet from the original page — showing approximate one-way economy point requirements from HNL to each destination. All values are approximate minimums based on saver/standard award availability as of April 2026. Actual pricing varies by date, availability, and season.
| Program | LAX | SFO | LAS | SEA | PDX | PHX |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Atmos Rewards
(Alaska + Hawaiian)
|
20,000 | 20,000 | 20,000 | 20,000 Hub |
20,000 | 20,000 |
|
United MileagePlus
Chase · Bilt · Cap One
|
15,000 Best |
15,000 Hub |
20,000 | 20,000 | 20,000 | 20,000 |
|
American AAdvantage
Bilt · Citi · Marriott
|
15,000 | 20,000 | 20,000 | 20,000 | 20,000 | 15,000 Hub |
|
Delta SkyMiles
Amex MR · Marriott
|
20k–40k+ Dynamic |
20k–40k+ Dynamic |
20k–40k+ | 20k–40k+ | 20k–40k+ | 20k–40k+ |
|
Southwest Rapid Rewards
Chase · Marriott
|
10k–20k Dynamic |
10k–20k | 10k–15k | 12k–18k | 12k–18k | 12k–18k |
Every Program — What You Need to Know
Atmos Rewards is the unified loyalty program of Alaska Airlines and Hawaiian Airlines, launched October 2025. It offers the most direct West Coast routes from Honolulu, including Hawaiian's nonstops to LAX, SFO, SEA, PDX, LAS, and PHX — and Alaska's vast mainland network. At 20,000 points for most West Coast routes, it's the most predictable and widely available option for island families.
HawaiianMiles was fully merged into Atmos Rewards on October 1, 2025. If you had HawaiianMiles, they transferred at 1:1 into Atmos. The program is now called Atmos Rewards — search and book at alaskaair.com. Amex no longer transfers to Hawaiian/Atmos (that ended June 30, 2025).
United MileagePlus has direct flights from HNL to LAX, SFO, and other West Coast hubs, plus connections everywhere. The real power: it's a transfer partner of Chase, Bilt, AND Capital One — the three most popular flexible currencies — meaning almost anyone can earn United miles quickly. Saver awards to LAX and SFO start as low as 15,000 miles one way.
American Airlines has direct Hawaii service from LAX and PHX (Phoenix is a major AA hub), making AAdvantage a strong option for those routes. Starting at 15,000 miles one way for shorter-distance West Coast flights, it's especially powerful paired with a Bilt card — Bilt transfers to AAdvantage at 1:1. American has a fixed-rate award chart for most routes, making it more predictable than Delta.
Southwest is often overlooked but can be one of the cheapest options for Hawaii → West Coast travel, especially to Las Vegas. Southwest operates direct HNL service to LAX, SFO, LAS, SEA, PDX, PHX, and more. Its dynamic pricing means points costs track cash prices — when you see a cheap fare, it's often cheap in points too. Starting around 10,000–15,000 points for LAS on sale. Southwest's new West Coast expansion (2026) means more options from Hawaii too.
If you earn 135,000 Rapid Rewards points in a calendar year, Southwest gives you the Companion Pass — meaning one designated person flies free with you (just pays taxes) on every flight for the rest of that year plus all of the next. For Hawaii families flying to the mainland, this is one of the best deals in travel.
Delta has solid Hawaii coverage including direct flights to LAX, SFO, SEA, and Portland. However, Delta uses fully dynamic award pricing — meaning the number of miles required fluctuates with the cash price. On a cheap date, Delta can be a great deal. On a peak date, it can cost 50,000+ miles for economy. Always compare Delta's points cost against cash before booking.
The Right Cards for West Coast Flights
The fastest way to build points for West Coast travel is to earn flexible currencies that transfer to multiple programs — so you're not locked into one airline. Here's what transfers where:
- Chase Ultimate Rewards → United MileagePlus (1:1), Southwest Rapid Rewards (1:1) — best all-around for West Coast
- Bilt Rewards → United (1:1), Atmos Rewards (1:1), American Airlines (1:1) — only card that earns points on rent
- Capital One Miles → United (1:1), Atmos Rewards (2:1.5) — 2x on all purchases makes it fast to earn
- Amex Membership Rewards → Delta (1:1) — best if you fly Delta most frequently to the mainland
- Citi ThankYou → American Airlines (1:1) — good option if you hold a Citi card
Maximize Your West Coast Bookings
Want a Personalized Strategy for Your Family?
The free ʻOhana Program helps you figure out exactly which card and which program fits your travel goals — including your next West Coast trip.
The mainland trip shouldn't cost you cash.
For most Hawaiʻi families, West Coast flights are the most frequent travel expense — whether it's visiting family, a graduation trip, or a Vegas weekend. These are exactly the kinds of trips that points and miles were made for.
My recommendation for most families: build Chase or Bilt points first. Chase transfers to United and Southwest — covering the two most flexible programs for West Coast routes. Bilt transfers to United and Atmos — which covers Hawaiian and Alaska nonstops directly from HNL. With either of those, you'll have solid options for every city on this list.
And remember — you don't always need to book the whole trip on points. One leg on points, one leg on a cheap cash fare, is still a big win. Build the habit, track your balances, and your next mainland trip will be almost free.