Starting Thursday, Qantas Frequent Flyers can book Hawaiian Airlines Classic Rewards around four months ahead of schedule, and before the points cost of flight redemptions rise by up to 20 percent from 5 August.
This creates a limited window of around eight weeks to lock in seats at current pricing before Classic Flight Reward points increases kick in. With Hawaiian also set to join oneworld in early 2026, availability could tighten again once redemptions open up to other frequent flyer programs.
Expanded access into North America
The Qantas and Hawaiian partnership is expected to increase options for travellers heading to North America, especially those looking to break up the journey with a Hawaii stopover. While access to Hawaiian inventory won’t create a new pathway into Europe, it will also make inter-island travel across Hawaii more achievable using points.
How much inventory can we expect to see?
Premium reward seats to Hawaii have long been hard to find through Qantas, especially in lie flat business class. Hawaiian’s entry is expected to help, but Qantas hasn’t confirmed how many seats will be released or how they’ll be split across cabins. We’ll be monitoring availability closely once bookings open.
Inventory may also become harder to find once Hawaiian officially joins oneworld in 2026. At that point, redemptions will open up to members of more frequent flyer programs, further tightening access over time.
Check the total cost before redeeming
Hawaiian Airlines redemptions add fresh options for Qantas Frequent Flyers, but it’s important to look at the full cost. Carrier charges and taxes can vary widely between partners. Emirates, for instance, is notorious for fees that can eat into the value of a points booking. We don’t yet know where Hawaiian will sit, but it’s worth pulling up the full fare breakdown before hitting book, especially in business class.
How to search and book
Bookings will be available via the Qantas website. If you’re looking to fly beyond Honolulu, try using the multi-city search tool. It can help uncover multi leg itineraries or surface availability to secondary US destinations that may not show on a simple one-way search.
How Qantas members benefit from the Hawaiian partnership
From Thursday, members will be able to earn Qantas Points and Status Credits on Hawaiian-operated flights booked under a QF flight number. Full alliance benefits, such as reciprocal lounge access and baggage entitlements, will begin once Hawaiian becomes an official oneworld member in 2026.
Final thoughts
Qantas continues to rely heavily on partner airlines to improve reward seat access, particularly in premium cabins. Hawaiian joins a growing list of partner carriers helping to plug redemption pain points for Qantas Frequent Flyer members.
Virgin Australia and Hawaiian Airlines will formally end their partnership on 30 June. Combined with the upcoming points increases in August, this opens a short window for Qantas Frequent Flyers to secure redemptions at current rates.
If you’re eyeing a trip to Hawaii or heading onwards to the mainland US, it’s worth planning now. Reward seats will be available to book from Thursday and demand is expected to be strong.
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