Sitting on 80k Amex points. Best usefor a family of 4 going to Hawaii?”
38% Miles for Family
62% Other
If you want to stretch 80 k Amex points into a Hawaii trip for a family of four, the highest‑value play is to turn those points into airline miles and book award flights, then use a cheap companion ticket to cover the second adult.
Transfer Amex points to airline miles
- Move the points to HawaiianMiles (the Amex transfer partner) – the transfer is 1:1 and the miles can then be moved to Alaska’s Mileage Plan at a 1:1 ratio Boarding Area .
- Once in Alaska Mileage Plan you can search for award seats to Honolulu, Maui, Kona or Kauai. Alaska’s award chart often offers reasonable rates for Hawaii, and the miles you receive from the 80 k Amex points can cover at least one round‑trip ticket for two adults.
Leverage an Alaska Airlines companion ticket
- If you have the Alaska Airlines Visa (a $75‑annual‑fee card) you get a $99‑plus‑tax companion ticket that works on any fare and any seat View from the Wing .
- After booking the first adult’s award ticket, you can add the second adult for just $99 + tax, saving a large chunk of the mileage cost for the family.
- The remaining two children can be booked on separate award tickets or on the same reservation using the miles you still have left.
Fill the gap for the kids
- The family request you’re working from mentions needing three award tickets for a family of four Miles for Family .
- With the first adult’s award ticket and the companion ticket covering the second adult, you’ll still need two child tickets. Those can be booked with the remaining Alaska miles (or with United, Delta, etc., if you have other balances) or by using a small amount of cash if award space is limited.
Optional hotel side‑step (if you have extra points)
- While the sources focus on flights, the same Amex points can be transferred to other hotel programs (e.g., Hyatt) for free stays, but the most direct value for a short‑term Hawaii trip is usually the flight redemption described above.
Bottom line: Transfer your 80 k Amex points to HawaiianMiles → Alaska Mileage Plan, book one adult’s award flight, apply the Alaska companion ticket for the second adult, and use the remaining miles for the two children’s tickets. This strategy maximizes the value of your points and keeps the whole family’s travel costs low.
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