American Express Membership Rewards transfers to Hawaiian Airlines HawaiianMiles receive a 25% bonus through December 21.

The bonus is hardcoded, no registation required, every transfer you make during the promotion period will receive the bonus.

Now that you can no longer use American AAdvantage miles to fly between the mainland and Hawaii and indeed flying from the mainland to Hawaii and then beyond on Hawaiian Airlines is charged as two separate awards by American, using the HawaiianMiles program for Hawaii and South Pacific travel can be strategically useful.

Hawaiian Airlines has:

• a useful intra-Hawaii route network

  

• a useful mainland-Hawaii route network
  
  • Las Vegas
    
  • Las Angeles
    
  • New York JFK
    
  • Oakland
    
  • Phoenix
    
  • Portland
    
  • Sacramento
    
  • San Diego
    
  • San Francisco
    
  • San Jose
    
  • Seattle

• a useful network for flying beyond Hawaii
  
  • Japan: Sendai, Tokyo Haneda, Osaka, Sapporo
    
  • South Korea: Seoul
    
  • China: Beijing
    
  • Australia: Brisbane, Sydney
    
  • New Zealand: Auckland
    
  • American Samoa: Pago Pago
    
  • French Polynesia: Papeete

Saver awards between the mainland US and Hawaii are 20,000 miles each way in economy and 40,000 in first class (co-brand cardholders get a 2500 mile discount). That doesn’t qualify as one of the Top 5 Deals to Hawaii with Miles or Money.

Partner awards aren’t generally a great use of HawaiianMiles, their awards are expensive. Until three years ago HawaiianMiles redemptions on Virgin Atlantic used to be an amazing value. Now East Coast – London roundtrips are about as good via HawaiianMiles as via Delta SkyMiles.

I’m not transferring any points with this bonus, but some will find it valuable.