Dreaming of a vacation on Maui? Maybe you think you can’t afford it… but you can! Follow this simple step-by-step guide that explains how to maximize your travel rewards points, and you’ll be chilling on a beach in Hawaii for free with minimal effort very soon!
Travel To Hawaii For Free
Let’s say you are planning for a trip to Hawaii for two people in about a year from now. You will be taking an economy flight to Maui and staying for seven full nights. This vacation will include a rental car and several fun activities!
Quick Steps
- Each adult opens a Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card and earns the sign-up bonus–this will cover airfare
- Each adult opens an Ink Business Unlimited® Credit Card and earns the sign-up bonus–this will cover your hotel
- Each adult opens an Ink Business Cash® Credit Card and earns the sign-up bonuses–this will cover your rental car and several activities
- Combine all your points into one account and book your travel through the Chase Travel Portal for maximum value.
The Basic Rules
- Earn the bonus by putting existing expenses on the new card. Do not spend money you wouldn’t have otherwise spent just to earn the signup bonus!
- Pay off the balances every month. Travel rewards only make sense if you avoid paying interest to the card issuer every month.
Start With The Right Cards
Credit cards earning Chase Ultimate Rewards® (UR) points are tremendously valuable. These are transferrable points, meaning they may be used just like cash to pay for travel from within the Chase Travel Portal OR transferred to a number of travel partners. We recommend focusing on earning URs for their ease of use.
Top Travel Rewards Offers
Top Travel Card
Ready to unlock a world of free travel? Start with the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card.
Details: $95 annual fee | Earn 60,000 bonus points after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening.
Most Flexible Travel Card
The Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card can be used to offset almost any travel expense.
Details: $95 annual fee | Enjoy a one-time bonus of 75,000 Miles once you spend $4,000 on purchases within 3 months from account opening
Best Card for Side Hustlers and Business Owners
Side hustlers! With the Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card
you can earn 100,000 bonus points.
Details: $95
annual fee | Earn 100,000 bonus points after you spend $15,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening.
The Step-By-Step Path For Travel To Hawaii For Free Using Points
The Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card
Step 1: One adult opens a Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card and meets the minimum spending requirement for the signup bonus. The total earned would be 64,000 Chase Ultimate Rewards®: 60,000 sign up bonus + 4,000 points from spending $4,000 to meet the minimum spend. $95 annual fee applies.
Step 2: The second adult opens their own Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card and meets the minimum spending requirement for the signup bonus. Earning another 64,000 Chase Ultimate Rewards®: 60,000 sign up bonus + 4,000 points from spending. $95 annual fee applies
Both adults in a household are eligible to sign up for their own Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card and earn the corresponding sign-up bonus.
New To Travel Rewards? This Card is For You!
If you are ready to unlock a world of free travel, start with the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card. The welcome bonus is worth $750 of travel, more if you transfer them to partners like Southwest Airlines or Hyatt hotels.
Details: $95 annual fee | Earn 60,000 bonus points after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening.
Learn how to apply for the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card here.
The Ink Business Unlimited® Credit Card
Step 3: One adult opens an Ink Business Unlimited® Credit Card and spends $6,000 in the first three months to meet the minimum spend required for the $750 signup bonus (75,000 Ultimate Rewards).
Step 4: The second adult opens their own Ink Business Unlimited® Credit Card and meets the minimum spending requirement for the signup bonus. Earning another 75,000 points.
Note: Though it is promoted as a cash back card, the Ink Business Unlimited® Credit Card actually earns Chase Ultimate Rewards® points. You can redeem these points for cash back at 1 cent each, or redeem them for travel.
We suggest using them for travel since their value gets a boost when combined with a premium Ultimate Rewards earning card as detailed in Step 7.
Learn how to apply for the Ink Business Unlimited® Credit Card here.
The Ink Business Cash® Credit Card
Step 5: One adult opens an Ink Business Cash® Credit Card and meets the minimum spending requirement by spending $6,000 in the first three months to earn the $750 (75,000 UR) signup bonus.
Step 6: The second adult opens their own Ink Business Cash® Credit Card and meets the minimum spending requirement for the signup bonus. Earning another 75,000 URs
Note: Just like the Ink Business Unlimited® Credit Card, this card earns Chase Ultimate Rewards® that can be redeemed for either cash or travel.
Step 7: Combine points for greater value. Points earned with Ink cards are worth more when paired with a premium Ultimate Rewards earning card like the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card. When cash back rewards points earned with the Ink cards are combined with the Chase Sapphire Preferred points, their value increases by 25% when redeemed through the Chase Ultimate Rewards® travel portal. Each point is then worth 1.25 cents each.
However, combining points requires that all accounts use the same online log-in. If yours are set up differently, call Chase Customer Service to have the accounts merged.
Congratulations!
Learn how to apply for the Ink Business Cash® Credit Card here.
Chase Travel Portal
Now to book those flights and travel to Hawaii for free!
Helpful Tip: For easier booking within the Chase Travel Portal, Chase Ultimate Rewards® points may be combined between members of the same household.
Step 8: Log in to the Chase Travel Portal to book airfare to Hawaii. Fares are listed in both dollars and points. When booking through the portal, the ENTIRE fare may be paid with points making it 100% free. No separate taxes or TSA fees, and you get 25% extra value by using the URs in your Chase Sapphire Preferred account.
Good to Know: Fantastic value can be had when transferring UR points to Hyatt since redemption rates with Hyatt are the best compared to other hotel loyalty programs.
Related: Travel Rewards Credit Cards FAQs
Chase Ultimate Rewards® Dashboard
Step 9: Nightly rates at the Hyatt Lahaina Shores Beach Resort start at 15,000 Hyatt points per night. From within your Chase Ultimate Rewards® dashboard, transfer 105,000 UR points to your World of Hyatt account. Transfers are instantaneous! Log in to book your stay using Hyatt points.
Step 10: Want the freedom to roam the island? Rent a car using your URs! The Chase Travel Portal allows you to select your preferred size and rental company.
The big-ticket items, airfare, hotel, and car are now covered, and you still have points left!
Step 11: Plan to leave the resort and go have some fun. Book activities directly from the Chase Travel Portal using your leftover URs. A couple on Maui can fill their week with:
- Drums of the Pacific Luau for 20,800 URs
- Underwater Submarine Adventure for 19,547 URs
- Sunset Dinner Cruise for 15,826 URs
- Northshore 7-Line Zipline Adventure for 19,834 URs
- Guided Walking Fruit Tasting Tour at Maui Dragon Fruit Farm for 4,000 URs
Total Things to Do Cost = 80,007 Ultimate Rewards Points
Points Used:
- Airfare 82,080 UR for two $513 tickets ($1,026 value)
- Hotel 105,000 URs transferred to Hyatt for the Hyatt Lahaina Shores Beach Resort ($2307 value)
- Rental Car 30,720 URs for a mid-sized car rental for the duration of the trip ($384 value)
- Drums of the Pacific Luau 20,800 URs for two ($260 value)
- Underwater Submarine Adventure 19,547 URs for two ($244 value)
- Sunset Dinner Cruise 5,826 URs for two ($198 value)
- Northshore 7-Line Zipline Adventure 19,834 URs for two ($248 value)
- Guided Walking Fruit Tasting Tour at Maui Dragon Fruit Farm 4,000 URs for two ($50 value)
Total Cash Price-$4,717.21
Total Chase Ultimate Rewards® Points Cost-297,807
Travel To Hawaii For Free
Stop dreaming about travel and thinking you can’t afford it. Travel rewards like Chase Ultimate Rewards® bring your bucket list trips within easy reach. You can travel to Hawaii for free including airfare, hotel, rental car, and activities!
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