It’s official—American Express Membership Rewards will no longer transfer to Hawaiian Airlines as of June 30, 2025. For many casual travelers, this might not seem like a huge deal. But if you’re deep in the points and miles game, you know this is a major blow to one of the best remaining transfer loopholes in the game.

Here’s why this matters—and why you may want to take action now.

Hawaiian Airlines + Alaska Airlines = Sweet Spot Gold

In 2023, Alaska Airlines announced its intention to acquire Hawaiian Airlines. The deal was officially approved in late 2023. Despite that, HawaiianMiles members have already been able to transfer points at a 1:1 ratio to Alaska Airlines Mileage Plan.

Alaska Airlines Mileage Plan is known for offering incredible saver fares, especially for domestic U.S. routes. You can often find flights:

• As low as 4,500 miles one-way in main cabin on American Airlines flights (booked through Alaska)

• Business class redemptions for 9,000 miles on those same short-haul routes

• International partner redemptions with airlines like Qatar Airways, Japan Airlines, and others at competitive award rates

Personally, Chicago is my main hub, and these were my go-to redemptions for most domestic flights. Since Alaska is a member of the Oneworld Alliance, I would often book American Airlines flights to cities like New York, Atlanta (ATL), and even Toronto for just 4,500 miles in economy or 9,000 miles in business.

As an American Airlines Executive Platinum, my elite benefits like free checked bags, complimentary upgrades, and priority boarding would still apply—even though I booked through Alaska’s Mileage Plan.

The biggest hack? These exact same flights would often cost significantly more if booked directly through American Airlines.

But here’s the catch: Alaska Airlines has very limited transfer partners.

As of now, BILT Rewards is the only transferable points program partnered with Alaska Airlines. That means if you don’t have a stash of BILT points—or an Alaska Airlines credit card—you’ve had very few ways to access these sweet spot redemptions.

Another workaround is having a Hawaiian Airlines World Elite Mastercard® issued by Barclays. With this card, not only can you earn HawaiianMiles directly, but you can also pool miles with family members—a unique and valuable feature. This allows you to consolidate balances for easier redemptions and maximize the utility of your earned or transferred points.

Why This Amex Transfer Change Hurts

American Express Membership Rewards are much easier to earn than BILT points or Alaska miles:

• Sign-up bonuses

• Referral bonuses

• Rakuten shopping portal

• Targeted Amex Offers and promotions

Being able to transfer Amex points to Hawaiian Airlines, and then to Alaska Airlines, has been an amazing workaround—especially for those of us who fly domestic routes often or want access to Alaska’s international partners without jumping through hoops.

I personally transferred over 300,000 Amex points to Hawaiian Airlines when they first completed the merger, and I plan to transfer more before the deadline.

One thing to keep in mind: When transferring Membership Rewards to any U.S.-based airline (including Hawaiian Airlines), Amex charges an excise fee of $0.0006 per point, capped at $99. That means:

• You’ll pay $9.90 to transfer 16,500 points

• You’ll pay the full $99 excise fee if you transfer 165,000 points or more

So if you’re planning a larger transfer, do it all at once to avoid paying that fee more than once.

Should You Transfer Now?

While I rarely recommend speculative or “blind” transfers, this one might be worth it—especially if:

• You frequently fly routes served by Alaska Airlines or its partners

• You don’t have a BILT card or Alaska Airlines credit card

• You have a large stash of Amex points and want to diversify

Many in the award travel space are strategically transferring some—or even all—of their Amex points to Hawaiian before June 30. I don’t plan to transfer all of mine, but I’ll be moving a sizable chunk. Once they’re in your HawaiianMiles account, you can convert them to Alaska miles as needed (while that 1:1 transfer remains in place).

Final Thoughts + Your Next Steps

This isn’t just another “meh” devaluation—it’s a significant shift for anyone who maximizes award travel. Losing this indirect pathway to Alaska miles limits one of the best hacks for domestic and international saver awards.

So, what should you do?

1. Review your travel goals—do you have upcoming domestic or international trips where Alaska miles would shine?

2. Consider how many Amex points you can afford to move, especially if you don’t plan on earning Alaska miles another way.

3. Transfer before June 30, 2025—don’t wait until the last minute.

4. If you have a Hawaiian Airlines credit card, consider taking advantage of family pooling features to combine and redeem more strategically.

Even if you don’t plan to transfer a large amount, it may be worth having a small stash sitting in Alaska Airlines just in case.

Are you planning to transfer Amex points to Hawaiian Airlines before the deadline? Have you used Alaska’s saver fares before? Let me know in the comments!

And don’t forget—if you’re looking for more award travel tips and sweet spots, make sure to subscribe and join our private Facebook group!