Hawaiian Airlines World Elite Business Mastercard Review 2024

The Hawaiian Airlines® World Elite Business Mastercard®* often flies under the radar because the card and its loyalty program appeal to a very limited demographic: Hawaiian Airlines flyers. The card offers 60,000 bonus HawaiianMiles® after spending $2,000 on purchases, plus earn an additional 10,000 bonus HawaiianMiles after a purchase is made on an employee card, each within the first 90 days as a welcome bonus. Cardholders also receive a one-time 50% off companion discount for round-trip coach travel between Hawaii and North America on Hawaiian Airlines.

Beyond this one-time bonus, cardholders earn 3 HawaiianMiles per dollar on eligible Hawaiian Airlines purchases, 2 miles per dollar on gas, dining and office supply store purchases and 1 mile per dollar on all other purchases.

These aren’t the most generous category bonuses and their limited use is worth noting. Other credit cards that earn transferable rewards offer more generous category bonuses than this one. Some even carry lower annual fees than the Hawaiian Airlines card’s $99 annual fee.

Beyond these somewhat underwhelming category bonuses, cardholders also earn up to 40,000 miles per year for completing certain spending thresholds:

• Earn 20,000 bonus HawaiianMiles if you spend $50,000 to $99,999 in annual purchases; or
• Earn 40,000 bonus HawaiianMiles if you spend $100,000 or more in annual purchases

Other business cards offer more substantial rewards than 40,000 bonus miles in exchange for $100,000 in spending.

There are also certainly more rewarding cards to maximize gas, dining and office supply store purchases. And with Hawaiian Airlines being a transfer partner of American Express Membership Rewards, there might be better credit cards if you want to earn more rewards on everyday expenses.

Compare Hawaiian Airlines® World Elite Business Mastercard® With Other Cards

JetBlue Business Card

Welcome Bonus

Earn up to 60,000 bonus points

Annual Fee

$99

Credit Score

Good/Excellent

Regular APR

21.24% or 29.99% variable

Credit Score ranges are based on FICO® credit scoring. This is just one scoring method and a credit card issuer may use another method when considering your application. These are provided as guidelines only and approval is not guaranteed.

Earn up to 60,000 bonus points: Earn 50,000 bonus points after spending $4,000 on purchases. Plus, earn an additional 10,000 bonus points when a purchase is made on an employee card, both in the first 90 days.

The Blue Business® Plus Credit Card from American Express

Partner OfferApply Now →

Apply Now

On American Express's Website

Rates & Fees/ Terms Apply

Welcome Bonus

Earn 15,000 points

Annual Fee

No annual fee

Credit Score

Excellent/Good

Regular APR

18.49% - 26.49% Variable

Credit Score ranges are based on FICO® credit scoring. This is just one scoring method and a credit card issuer may use another method when considering your application. These are provided as guidelines only and approval is not guaranteed.

Earn 15,000 Membership Rewards® points after you spend $3,000 in eligible purchases on the Card within your first 3 months of Card Membership.

Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card

Apply Now →

Apply Now

On Chase Bank USA, NA's Website

Welcome Bonus

Earn 100,000 bonus points

Annual Fee

$95

Credit Score

Excellent, Good

Regular APR

21.24%-26.24% Variable

Credit Score ranges are based on FICO® credit scoring. This is just one scoring method and a credit card issuer may use another method when considering your application. These are provided as guidelines only and approval is not guaranteed.

Earn 100,000 bonus points after you spend $8,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening.

• Earn 3 HawaiianMiles per dollar on eligible Hawaiian Airlines purchases, 2 miles per dollar on gas, dining and office supply store purchases and 1 mile per dollar on all other purchases
• $99 annual fee
• Welcome bonus of 60,000 bonus HawaiianMiles® after spending $2,000 on purchases, plus earn an additional 10,000 bonus HawaiianMiles after a purchase is made on an employee card, each within the first 90 days
• One-time 50% off companion discount for round-trip coach travel between Hawaii and North America on Hawaiian Airlines
• Ability to share miles with family and friends without a fee
• No foreign transaction fees

Earning Rewards

The Hawaiian Airlines® World Elite Business Mastercard®* earns 3 HawaiianMiles per dollar on eligible Hawaiian Airlines purchases, 2 miles per dollar on gas, dining and office supply store purchases and 1 mile per dollar on all other purchases.

These category bonuses aren’t the most lucrative unless you spend enough with Hawaiian Airlines to maximize the earning bonus. The card has a $99 annual fee, so you’d have to spend at least $3,300 on Hawaiian Airlines purchases annually to break even, assuming HawaiianMiles are worth around 1 cent each.

In addition to these bonuses, the Hawaiian Airlines® World Elite Business Mastercard®* offers up to 40,000 bonus miles if you complete certain spending thresholds:

• Earn 20,000 bonus HawaiianMiles if you spend $50,000 to $99,999 in annual purchases; or
• Earn 40,000 bonus HawaiianMiles if you spend $100,000 or more in annual purchases

There’s also a first-year welcome bonus of 60,000 bonus HawaiianMiles® after spending $2,000 on purchases, plus earn an additional 10,000 bonus HawaiianMiles after a purchase is made on an employee card, each within the first 90 days.

Redeeming Rewards

Hawaiian Airlines doesn’t have the most generous award chart. However, it does offer a few sweet spot redemptions that will help you put the Hawaiian Airlines Business Card’s welcome bonus to good use. You can redeem just 6,375 miles each way for an intra-Hawaii flight. Flights to Japan from Hawaii start at 65,000 miles one way in business class, which isn’t the cheapest award price, but the welcome bonus from this card is enough to cover it.

Lastly, tickets to Hawaii from the West Coast start at 17,500 miles each way in economy or 40,000 miles for first class. Hawaiian Airlines offers impressive flatbed seats on select routes that far outshine its competitors. If you want to fly to Hawaii in first class, these seats are the way to go. With the welcome bonus from the Hawaiian Airlines® World Elite Business Mastercard®*, you can nearly cover a round-trip ticket.

Rewards Potential

So how much can a small business owner earn with the Hawaiian Airlines® World Elite Business Mastercard®*? That depends largely on spending habits.

Forbes Advisor uses data from various government agencies to determine baseline income and spending averages across various categories. The 70th percentile of wage-earning households brings in $$118,438 annually and has $$39,337 in annual expenses that can be charged to this card. We expect business expenses for a sole proprietorship to be in the same range.

We estimate $3,562 will go toward gas, which earns 2 miles per dollar for a total of 7,124 miles. Dining expenses are estimated at $4,622, earning 9,244 miles, while travel comes to $8,573. Of this amount, we estimate $770 going toward Hawaiian Airlines flights, generating 2,310 miles. Other travel expenses of $7,803 would earn 1 mile per dollar, totaling 7,803 miles.

The remaining $22,580 in non-bonus spending would earn 22,580 miles. In total, the card would earn 49,061 HawaiianMiles.

• Complimentary employee cards. No fees when you request additional cards for employees.
• Zero liability. If your card is compromised, you won’t be responsible for unauthorized charges.
• World Elite Business Mastercard benefits. Get identity theft protection, access to global emergency services and travel and lifestyle benefits with this card.
• Share miles. Send and receive HawaiianMiles to or from family and friends without a fee.

Interest Rates

• Regular APR: 21.24% or 29.99% variable
• Purchase intro APR: N/A
• Balance transfer intro APR: N/A

Fees

• Annual fee: $99
• Balance transfer fee: Either $5 or 3% of the amount of each transfer, whichever is greater.
• Foreign purchase transaction fee: 0% of the U.S. Dollar amount

Hawaiian Airlines® World Elite Business Mastercard®* vs. Hawaiian Airlines® World Elite Mastercard®*

The personal card version, the Hawaiian Airlines® World Elite Mastercard®* offers the same welcome bonus and has several advantages over the business card. For starters, the card’s $99 annual fee is offset by a $100 annual companion credit. That’s on top of the welcome bonus of 60,000 bonus HawaiianMiles after spending $2,000 on purchases within the first 90 days.

Cardholders also qualify for discounted award flights and an annual $100 companion discount valid on round-trip travel between the continental U.S. and Hawaii. This companion discount is in addition to the one-time 50% companion discount (which Hawaiian business cardholders also qualify for). Plus, you get two free checked bags when you pay for Hawaiian Airlines flights with the card.

The category bonuses on the two cards are similar, except instead of earning 2 miles per dollar on office supply store purchases, the personal card offers 2 miles per dollar on gas, dining and grocery spending. Depending on your business’ needs, this might work out more favorably. However, if office supply store purchases are a significant expense for you, this will be a downgrade.

Or, you might prefer to have a business card to keep your expenses separate and request cards for your employees. If you’re a sole proprietor, you could always get the personal version and treat it as a business card for accounting purposes.

Hawaiian Airlines® World Elite Business Mastercard®* vs. The Blue Business® Plus Credit Card from American Express

The Blue Business® Plus Credit Card from American Express (terms apply, see rates & fees) might be an alternative to the Hawaiian Airlines® World Elite Business Mastercard®* if you’re looking for a simple reward structure. The card earns 2 Membership Rewards points per dollar on everyday business purchases such as office supplies or client dinners up to the first $50,000 in purchases per year, then 1 point per dollar on all other purchases. There are no category bonuses to track and you are rewarded equally on all purchases, making it a more valuable option if most of your card spending falls outside of Hawaiian Airlines purchases.

The Blue Business Plus Card earns valuable Membership Rewards points, which you can transfer to HawaiianMiles at a 1:1 ratio. Or you can transfer your rewards to one of Amex’s other nearly two dozen hotel and airline partners. The nice thing about this is if Hawaiian Airlines decides to devalue its program, you’re not stuck with miles that are suddenly worth less. You have other redemption options.

The card has no annual fee and provides access to Amex Offers, which could save you hundreds of dollars every year on both travel and everyday expenses.

Hawaiian Airlines® World Elite Business Mastercard®* vs. Alaska Airlines Visa® Business Credit Card*

If you’re considering a Hawaiian Airlines business card, you probably have plans to travel to Hawaii and want to do so cheaply. The Alaska Airlines Mileage Plan program is an excellent option for that. Not only does Alaska Airlines offer flights to Hawaii, but its partnership with American Airlines opens up even more flight options. Plus, Mileage Plan has a wider partner network, giving you more opportunities to redeem miles at a favorable rate for travel worldwide.

What makes the Alaska Airlines Visa® Business Credit Card* a viable alternative to the Hawaiian Airlines® World Elite Business Mastercard®* is the annual companion fare. Alaska Airlines’ Famous Companion Fare lets you book travel for a companion from $122 ($99 plus taxes and fees). This can be a terrific value on flights to Hawaii, especially during peak travel season.

In terms of rewards, the Alaska Airlines Visa Business falls a bit short. The card earns 3 miles per dollar on Alaska Airlines purchases, 2 miles per dollar on eligible gas, shipping and local transit including rideshare purchases and 1 mile per dollar on all other purchases. That makes it a bit of a dud for those who want to maximize spending outside of these categories. The welcome offer is 50,000 bonus miles and Alaska's Famous Companion Fare after spending $3,000 in purchases within the first 90 days of account opening.

The Hawaiian Airlines® World Elite Business Mastercard®* might be a fit for those who fly on Hawaiian Airlines frequently and will get at least $99 in value out of the card. If your primary objective is to stock up on HawaiianMiles, then the welcome bonus on this card can certainly help you get there. But if you’re looking for a card to maximize spending in the long run, there are definitely better options. The category bonuses aren’t very competitive and depending on your business spending habits, you might be better off with a business credit card that earns flat-rate rewards and has no annual fee.

Forbes Advisor considers a variety of criteria when assigning credit cards a rating. Cards are graded based on numerous factors including:

• Annual fees
• Welcome bonus offers
• Ongoing earning rates
• Value of individual points of miles
• Included travel or merchant credits
• Additional cardholder benefits

Card features we expect cardholders to use the most often are weighted more heavily in our ratings. Altogether, the factors came together to provide a star rating for each individual card.

Read more: How Forbes Advisor Rates Credit Cards

To view rates and fees for The Blue Business® Plus Credit Card from American Express please visit this page.