Key Takeaways
• Amex ends HawaiianMiles transfers on June 30, 2025—direct and indirect routes through Alaska Mileage Plan will close.
• No transfer bonus announced; conversions remain one-to-one for Amex points to HawaiianMiles before the deadline.
• A new Alaska-Hawaiian loyalty program is expected in August 2025 with details still pending.
On June 30, 2025, American Express will stop allowing people to transfer their Membership Rewards points to Hawaiian Airlines’ HawaiianMiles program. This important change affects many travelers and people who collect points in the United States 🇺🇸 and around the world. The news was confirmed by American Express on the official Membership Rewards transfer page and discussed in many articles connected to the points-and-miles world.
Let’s break down why this change is taking place, what it means for cardholders, what actions you should consider before the deadline, and the broader picture of travel rewards as airlines combine their loyalty programs.
Why Are American Express Membership Rewards Transfers to Hawaiian Airlines Ending?
The simple reason for this big change comes from airlines joining together. Alaska Airlines announced its plan to buy Hawaiian Airlines. After this, both companies shared they would build a new, bigger loyalty program. As the two airlines plan to become one team, it no longer makes sense to keep their old deals active with other companies like American Express in the same way.
Before, if you had an American Express card, you could move your Membership Rewards points straight into HawaiianMiles. Even more, you could use a special two-step path to turn these points into Alaska Mileage Plan miles. This worked because Hawaiian and Alaska were linking their programs as part of the merger process. You would send your points from Amex to HawaiianMiles, and then turn those into Alaska miles at a one-for-one rate.
But with the airlines working hard to combine, most of Hawaiian’s old airline partnerships, including the American Express Membership Rewards program, are ending. After June 30, 2025, you will not be able to do either kind of transfer anymore.
Key Dates and What’s Changing
It helps to see the important dates and changes all in one place:
- June 30, 2025: This is the last day you can transfer American Express Membership Rewards points to Hawaiian Airlines’ HawaiianMiles program. Transfers will no longer go through after this day.
- After June 30, 2025: You cannot move Amex points to HawaiianMiles anymore. This closes the door forever on using this path, even as an indirect way to get miles with Alaska’s program.
- August 2025 (expected): Alaska Airlines and Hawaiian Airlines hope to launch their new, combined loyalty program. Details about what this program will look like are still being worked out, but it is likely to keep many parts of today’s Alaska Mileage Plan.
If you use your points for flights, upgrades, or rewards with Hawaiian or Alaska, your window to take certain actions is shrinking.
What Should Amex Cardholders Do Before June 30?
If you have an American Express card that lets you earn Membership Rewards points, or if you want to use Hawaiian or Alaska miles for travel, you should pay attention. Here are the main steps to think about:
- Take Action Before the Deadline: The smartest move is to make any needed transfers before June 30, 2025. After this, you lose the chance forever. If you want HawaiianMiles or want to use the two-step system to move your Amex points to Alaska Mileage Plan miles, you need to finish before the door closes.
- Standard Transfer Rates Remain: So far, American Express and Hawaiian Airlines have not announced any special transfer bonus. Transfers will continue at the regular rate. For every Amex Membership Rewards point, you usually get one HawaiianMile.
- Think Carefully About Transfers: Experts usually warn against moving points unless you have a clear plan for using them, because programs often change their rules or reduce what your miles are worth over time. However, if you really value Alaska Mileage Plan (for example, for its good rates on certain partner flights), you might decide it’s worth making the transfer now, even with some risk.
- Watch for More News: As airlines combine, there may be last-minute updates about the loyalty program, but right now, there is nothing to suggest you’ll get a better deal by waiting.
If you transfer, do it because you intend to use the miles soon or have a specific redemption in mind. Unused miles can lose value if the airline changes its fees or award rates.
How to Transfer Points: The Old and New Paths
Until June 30, 2025, the process looks like this:
- Log into your American Express Membership Rewards account.
- Choose Hawaiian Airlines as a transfer partner.
- Input the number of points you want to move (subject to transfer minimums).
- Wait for miles to appear in your HawaiianMiles account, usually pretty quickly.
- (Optional two-step path) If you also have an Alaska Mileage Plan account, you could then turn HawaiianMiles into Alaska miles at a one-to-one ratio, but only for a limited time.
After June 30, you cannot use this process at all. If you need clear instructions and program rules, you can always check the official American Express Membership Rewards transfer page.
Why Does This Matter for Immigrants, Frequent Flyers, and International Travelers?
This news is not just for travel hobbyists. Many immigrants and business travelers in the United States 🇺🇸 rely on credit card points and airline miles to visit family in Hawaii, across the mainland, or even in other countries where Hawaiian Airlines and Alaska Airlines fly. By stopping transfers from American Express Membership Rewards to Hawaiian Airlines, travelers may lose an easy route to affordable flights.
Families planning reunions, workers going back and forth between islands and the mainland, and students going to school far from home will now have fewer miles options from credit card points after June 2025. For businesses who use travel rewards for employee trips, this could also increase costs.
Additionally, the two-step path from Amex to Alaska Mileage Plan (via HawaiianMiles) is often used by advanced points collectors to book Oneworld partner flights. These include trips on British Airways, Japan Airlines, and others. With this option going away, you may need to find new ways to collect Alaska miles or pay higher cash prices for certain flights.
The Merging of Two Loyalty Programs: What’s Next?
Soon after these changes take effect, Alaska Airlines and Hawaiian Airlines plan to create a single, merged frequent flyer program, likely starting around August 2025. The details are still hidden, but here’s what current analysis from VisaVerge.com and industry sources suggest:
- The combined program will probably use many of the same rules, prices, and features of today’s Alaska Mileage Plan.
- It’s expected that even after they merge officially, each airline may still keep its own brand, so passengers could see both airlines’ names and logos.
- Partner relationships with other airlines (like using Alaska miles for flights on British Airways or Cathay Pacific) are likely to stay, though changes could appear over time.
- The way you collect or use miles could change, depending on what the new loyalty program decides.
For those used to working the system to get great value, these kinds of changes often come with new rules that can either help or hurt your plans. Flexibility is important, and now is a good time to review how you earn, save, and spend your points and miles.
What About Transfer Bonuses and Devaluation Risks?
People often hope for a “big bonus” when a partnership like this ends, but so far, there is no sign of one before the June 30 deadline. Sometimes, credit card programs offer special bonuses at the end to encourage more transfers. No such promise has been made by American Express or Hawaiian Airlines this time. Transfers remain at the usual one-to-one rate.
You should also be aware that transferring points is not always “safe.” Award charts (which show how many miles it takes for a flight) can change at any time. If you move points now but wait a long time to use them, the program might raise the price before you redeem, making your miles worth less. This is called devaluation, and it’s a constant risk with points. Only transfer if you have a clear plan to use them soon.
How Do These Changes Affect Different Groups?
Let’s look at how this shift hits different types of people:
- Immigrants in the United States 🇺🇸: Those going back and forth between the U.S. mainland and Hawaii, or traveling internationally from these airlines’ networks, will have fewer ways to stretch their travel budgets using credit card points.
- Frequent Travelers: People who travel a lot for work, fun, or to visit family will need to find new strategies for earning and spending miles after June 30.
- Students: International and local students traveling between home and school may see higher costs if they can no longer turn their Amex points into airline miles efficiently.
- Business Owners and Employers: Companies offering travel rewards to employees will have fewer flexible options, which might force them to spend more or rethink how they support staff trips.
- Points Collectors: Those who are very active in collecting and using points for the best deals (sometimes called “points and miles enthusiasts”) will lose an important pathway to Alaska Mileage Plan, which is well-known for its good award pricing on partner airlines.
No matter which group you are in, the message is the same: Make your transfer decisions thoughtfully, and do not wait too long.
What Should You Do Now?
As these airline programs change, here is a simple checklist:
- Check Your Points Balance: Log into your American Express account and see how many Membership Rewards points you have.
- Know Your Travel Plans: Think about when and where you want to travel in the next year or two. Will you need Hawaiian or Alaska miles?
- Finish Transfers Early: Move your Membership Rewards points to HawaiianMiles well ahead of June 30 if you want this option, as it can sometimes take time for points to show up.
- Don’t Wait for a Bonus: Since there is no transfer bonus announced, do not delay hoping for one.
- Follow Program Updates: Watch for news from both airlines and American Express about the new program set to start in August 2025.
You can keep an eye on updates at the official American Express Membership Rewards transfer page, where any late changes, deadlines, or bonus offers would be posted.
Recap: The Big Picture for Amex and Airline Rewards
To sum it all up, the last day to transfer American Express Membership Rewards points to Hawaiian Airlines’ HawaiianMiles program is June 30, 2025. After this day, both the direct and indirect paths (such as turning points into Alaska miles) are closed forever. This is tied to Alaska Airlines’ planned purchase of Hawaiian Airlines and the creation of a new, larger loyalty program, likely coming in August 2025.
Some might find it disappointing that no big transfer bonuses have been mentioned. Others may worry about possible changes when the two airline programs combine. The safest choice is to only transfer points if you know you’ll use them soon and to keep checking for program updates.
As reported by VisaVerge.com, the end of this transfer partnership changes the rewards landscape for many travelers and families who count on these miles for easy and affordable trips. While change can sometimes lead to better deals, it often means saying goodbye to old, flexible options.
Remember to move quickly if you want to use this option before it disappears, plan your travel carefully, and always read the latest news from airline and credit card programs. This will help you make the most of your points, whatever changes come in the world of travel rewards.
Learn Today
Membership Rewards → American Express loyalty points program allowing cardholders to earn points and transfer them to various airline and hotel partners.
HawaiianMiles → The frequent flyer miles program of Hawaiian Airlines, offering rewards like flights, upgrades, and other travel benefits.
Alaska Mileage Plan → Alaska Airlines’ frequent flyer program, known for partner redemption options, including on Oneworld alliance carriers.
Transfer Bonus → A limited-time promotion offering extra miles or points when moving rewards from one program to another.
Devaluation → A reduction in the value of rewards points or miles, usually when a program increases the redemption cost for flights or rewards.
This Article in a Nutshell
American Express will discontinue Membership Rewards point transfers to Hawaiian Airlines’ HawaiianMiles program after June 30, 2025. Travelers must act before this deadline to transfer or convert points to Alaska miles. This change, part of Alaska’s acquisition of Hawaiian, signals major shifts in travel rewards strategies and airline loyalty programs.
— By VisaVerge.com
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