The Hawaiian Airlines Business card is worthwhile if you're planning a Hawaiian trip soon and need a business card option or are at your personal card limit. After the first year, consider canceling as the personal version offers better ongoing value.
If you're planning a trip to Hawaii in the next 13 months, qualify for a business card, and/or have reached your Chase 5/24 limit for personal cards, the Hawaiian Airlines Business card makes financial sense. The $99 annual fee is justified in the first year thanks to the 50,000-point sign-up bonus and 50%-off companion discount. However, after the first year, the benefits don't outweigh the fee. For those who visit Hawaii annually or have room for another personal card, consider the Hawaiian Airlines World Elite personal card instead, which offers the same annual fee but with a higher sign-up bonus and additional perks.
The Hawaiian Airlines Business Credit Card offers several compelling benefits for travelers planning a Hawaiian vacation within the next year:
This companion discount represents the card's most valuable feature, especially if you're planning to travel to Hawaii with someone else within the next year. While there is a $99 annual fee, the combination of the sign-up bonus and companion discount easily outweighs this cost in the first year.
The card also offers a tiered earning structure for ongoing spending:
For high spenders, the card provides anniversary bonuses — 20,000 miles after spending $50,000 annually or 40,000 miles after spending $100,000 annually. However, given these substantial spending requirements, most cardholders would likely earn greater value by focusing their spending on new sign-up bonuses from different cards rather than pursuing these threshold bonuses.
Due to the limited ongoing benefits beyond the first year, this card is primarily recommended as a short-term strategy to earn the sign-up
This card might not be right for you because:
The Hawaiian Airlines Business Credit Card occupies a specific niche in the travel rewards landscape. Here's what you need to know about its position relative to other cards:
The Alaska-Hawaiian merger creates valuable new opportunities for miles utilization. You can now transfer Hawaiian miles to Alaska at a 1:1 ratio, which is significant because Alaska miles are otherwise difficult to accumulate through transferable points programs. Only Bilt and Marriott Bonvoy currently transfer to Alaska, while major programs like Chase, American Express, Capital One, and Citi do not offer this option.
This creates an interesting workaround: American Express Membership Rewards can be transferred to Hawaiian Airlines and then to Alaska Airlines, providing a new pathway to access Alaska's valuable partner redemptions through the oneworld alliance.
Given the recent merger, both airlines' loyalty programs will likely undergo significant changes in the coming years. If either card aligns with your travel plans to Hawaii, applying sooner rather than later may be wise to lock in current benefits before potential program adjustments.
| Bonus Points | Minimum Spend | Point Value | Annual Value | Annual Fee |
1st Year Value
|
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 50,000 | $4,000 | 0.7 ¢ | $0 | $99 |
$279
|
| Best Value | Differentiating Perks | Rules |
|---|---|---|
| Hawaiian Airlines Flights | 50% off companion discount | No CR , No 5/24 , Barclay 0/6 |
3X points
2.1¢ Per Dollar Spent
1X points
0.7¢ Per Dollar Spent
2X points
1.4¢ Per Dollar Spent
2X points
1.4¢ Per Dollar Spent
2X points
1.4¢ Per Dollar Spent
This business card will not show on your personal credit report, so it won't count against your 5/24 status
Card approval not subject to 5-personal-cards-in-24-months rule
You're more likely to be declined on a Barclay application if you currently have a Barclay card that has not been used in the past 6 months
- Limited Time offer with Barclays Lufthansa Miles & More World Elite Mastercard, 80,000 miles after spending $3000 in 3 months with an $89 annual fee.
- Limited Time offer with Barclays Hawaiian Airlines World Elite Mastercard, 90,000 miles after spending $10,000 in the first year ($2000 in the first 3 months / $8000 rest of the year) with a $99 annual fee.
- Limited Time offer with Barclays JetBlue Business Card, 80,000 miles after spending $2000 in 3 months with a $99 annual fee.
