Transfer to a resort in Hawaii

[jrose529]

It's been a while since I've been on these boards. I spent a lot of time here before my Disney cruises. Now I'm looking to use my points in Hawaii for my 30th anniversary. We are looking to go in May 2010. (Even though our anniversary is in August - our son is getting married then!) Can anyone recommend a resort or two that we can visit? We have never been to Hawaii and have always wanted to visit.

Thanks for any advice you can give me.

 

[Dean]

First, given your location and the distance, I'd not go for less than 10 days, preferably at least 2 weeks. Assuming you've never been, I'd try to do a few days on Oahu and one other island, preferably Maui. My short list that I feel are reasonable using DVC would be the Hilton's and Wyndham properties for Oahu and the Kaanapali Beach Club for Maui. There are several I'd add for Kauai or the Big Island if you decide to go that route, esp if you have been previously. A search of the current RCI points and RCI weeks inventory does not reveal any of those resorts for May that I listed above. A private exchange or one of the independent exchange companies is likely to be your best bets.

 

[jrose529]

Hi Dean,

Thank you so much for your quick response! Those resorts looked great to me, but I just didn't know if they would be a good choice. Once we decide on the weeks we will visit, I'll check the inventory.

Thanks again!

 

[Nikisha421]

I dont have much to offer but I did make my way to West Maui this summer and I have to say that Kaanapali is nice and quiet and beautiful...oh yeah and the resorts is nice...if you are in Maui and stay at Kaanapali Beach Resort remeber to go over to Napili Shores and have breakfast at the Gazebo...it's supposed to be the best breakfast food in Maui...

 

[jrose529]

Thanks Nikisha, We will probably consider staying at Kaanapali Beach Resort and if we do go, I'll put the Gazebo on my list!

 

[Dean]

Hi Dean,

Thank you so much for your quick response! Those resorts looked great to me, but I just didn't know if they would be a good choice. Once we decide on the weeks we will visit, I'll check the inventory.

Thanks again!

Realize that 1 BR resorts are MUCH easier than 2 BR resorts for HI, esp for the resorts I listed. Also, you're already late for May. I'd put in a request and start looking at air. Once you find the right air fare, lock it in and change your requests accordingly. Make a cancelable reservation for a condo or hotel. Though only do this way if you're prepared to go not using DVC as an exchange.

 

[jrose529]

I know it's late, but I'm not sure we can even go with the cost of my son's wedding. I didn't mention it's in Santa Fe (destination wedding) and we are paying for every guest to attend a rehearsal dinner! I'm trying to convince my husband that we can also go to Hawaii, but he's needs a big push! We have plenty of available points and FF miles for either Hawaii or the wedding. He wants to get an idea of airline costs as well as additional expenses. One day he's agreeable, the next he's not sure! We also need to get final numbers on the cost of the rehearsal dinner.

 

[Dean]

I know it's late, but I'm not sure we can even go with the cost of my son's wedding. I didn't mention it's in Santa Fe (destination wedding) and we are paying for every guest to attend a rehearsal dinner! I'm trying to convince my husband that we can also go to Hawaii, but he's needs a big push! We have plenty of available points and FF miles for either Hawaii or the wedding. He wants to get an idea of airline costs as well as additional expenses. One day he's agreeable, the next he's not sure! We also need to get final numbers on the cost of the rehearsal dinner.

If you can use FF miles AND timeshare exchanges to cover travel and accommodations, 2 people can get out of HI with the trip I mentioned for maybe $100 a day including eating out once a day, rental car, interisland, and 1 Luau. That assumes you don't count your related costs of DVC or the FF miles. Of course one could spend less by eating out less and not doing any shows. The rental car is a must for other islands and parts of Oahu but you can get by without one for Waikiki.

 

[jrose529]

If you can use FF miles AND timeshare exchanges to cover travel and accommodations, 2 people can get out of HI with the trip I mentioned for maybe $100 a day including eating out once a day, rental car, interisland, and 1 Luau. That assumes you don't count your related costs of DVC or the FF miles. Of course one could spend less by eating out less and not doing any shows. The rental car is a must for other islands and parts of Oahu but you can get by without one for Waikiki.

That is much more palatable! The FF cost is much less in May, that's why I chose that month. I have to discuss this with DH. Thank you so much for your wonderful advice!

 

[tomandrobin]

We went to Maui for the first time last October. We stayed at the Westin and got some great advice from Dean.....(Thanks Dean!) We had such a great time, we are going back next July.

There a lot of creative ways to use those FF points. For example, we have a lot of US Air miles that we can get a better deal by using the Star Alliance reservation, then using US Air....Saving 30-50% of the point costs.

You might be able to find a trade using Tug, Redweek or similar exchange board.

 

[jrose529]

We went to Maui for the first time last October. We stayed at the Westin and got some great advice from Dean.....(Thanks Dean!) We had such a great time, we are going back next July.

There a lot of creative ways to use those FF points. For example, we have a lot of US Air miles that we can get a better deal by using the Star Alliance reservation, then using US Air....Saving 30-50% of the point costs.

You might be able to find a trade using Tug, Redweek or similar exchange board.

Thanks tomandrobin! I will look into other airlines using my FF miles. I should have enough on Delta and AA, so I do have some choices. I can also use my miles for going to NM for my son's wedding in August instead. There will be 4 of us traveling then! I can look for a lower cost flight with other airlines.

Did you visit any other islands while in HI?

 

[tomandrobin]

Thanks tomandrobin! I will look into other airlines using my FF miles. I should have enough on Delta and AA, so I do have some choices. I can also use my miles for going to NM for my son's wedding in August instead. There will be 4 of us traveling then! I can look for a lower cost flight with other airlines.

Did you visit any other islands while in HI?

We had only visited Maui, since we there for 7 days. Next year we are going for 9 days. Maui is absolutely stunning. If this is your first visit to Maui and only have one week, I would just stay one island. Our next island we want to visit is Kauai, but with DVC opening in 2011...that could change. If you do go to Maui, I'll give you our tips/hints/experiences if you like. Getting a timeshare exchange/rental is great and gives the extra space and kitchen.

Looking at other ways to use FF miles. Here is our example. If we booked US Airways to Hawaii, traveling first class using our miles, it would be 140,000 miles. But if we used the Star Alliance that US Airways is a member, we could book United, traveling first class, for 70,000 Us Airway miles. Flyer Talk is a great website to learn how to maximize FF programs.

 

[jrose529]

We had only visited Maui, since we there for 7 days. Next year we are going for 9 days. Maui is absolutely stunning. If this is your first visit to Maui and only have one week, I would just stay one island. Our next island we want to visit is Kauai, but with DVC opening in 2011...that could change. If you do go to Maui, I'll give you our tips/hints/experiences if you like. Getting a timeshare exchange/rental is great and gives the extra space and kitchen.

Looking at other ways to use FF miles. Here is our example. If we booked US Airways to Hawaii, traveling first class using our miles, it would be 140,000 miles. But if we used the Star Alliance that US Airways is a member, we could book United, traveling first class, for 70,000 Us Airway miles. Flyer Talk is a great website to learn how to maximize FF programs.

Thanks for the Flyer Talk website! I had never heard of it and will look at it ASAP. I'll let you know if I need your tips/hints/experiences. I certainly hope I will need them!

 

[tomandrobin]

Thanks for the Flyer Talk website! I had never heard of it and will look at it ASAP. I'll let you know if I need your tips/hints/experiences. I certainly hope I will need them!

Flyer talk is not a "socially" friendly site, but is extremely useful in using and maximizing various airline and hotel reward programs. I don't post there, but read often. Last year, I found a deal that was posted on Flyer Talk that allowed me to transfer Starwood Points to Amtrak, from Amtrak to Choice Hotels, from Choice Hotels to Southwest Airlines. The transfer process took 60,000 starwood points and ended up yielding me 100 rapid reward credits. 16 credits = one round trip flight!

 

[jrose529]

Flyer talk is not a "socially" friendly site, but is extremely useful in using and maximizing various airline and hotel reward programs. I don't post there, but read often. Last year, I found a deal that was posted on Flyer Talk that allowed me to transfer Starwood Points to Amtrak, from Amtrak to Choice Hotels, from Choice Hotels to Southwest Airlines. The transfer process took 60,000 starwood points and ended up yielding me 100 rapid reward credits. 16 credits = one round trip flight!

Wow, that is amazing! I also have hotel points that I can use. Thanks for the info.

 

[jrose529]

I'm so excited! DH decided to book HI!!! I'm going to call Member Services tomorrow to check inventory. We only need a 1 Bdrm, so hopefully we'll find something. We decided to go to Maui and Oahu. DH wants to see Pearl Harbor and drive the Road to Hana, so that's what we'll do. We have about 11 days, possibly 12 at the end of May, so we may stay a few days at Grand Wailea in Maui and a week at the Hilton or Wyndam in Oahu. If we borrow points from 2011, we can do the Grand Wailea, which looks wonderful. Do you know anything about it? Is it worth doing a day trip to another island and should we start in Maui or Oahu? I don't know which island is easier to fly into from the NY area. There is actually a nonstop flight on Continental to Honolulu out of Newark, NJ, so that may be an option.

Any additional advice would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks!

 

[jekjones1558]

I would go to Maui first, then Oahu, unless you can fly home directly from Maui. If you have to fly through Oahu and you end your trip in Maui, you will waste a lot of time on your last day just getting back to Oahu. Here in Minnesota all of the flights back from HI are red-eyes. If we fly out of Oahu we can spend most of the last day enjoying the beach or whatever if we are staying on Oahu. If we fly through Oahu and end our stay in Maui, the last day is wasted driving to the Maui airport, getting rid of the car, getting the plane to Oahu, taking the Wiki Wiki to the big airport and then WAITING for the flight home.
The last time we decided to NOT do the non-stop to Oahu. Instead we did a stop in Seattle where we could get a flight directly to Maui. I liked that better than taking the non-stop to Oahu and worrying about flight delays that could mean we would miss the last plane from Oahu to Maui.

 

[jrose529]

I would go to Maui first, then Oahu, unless you can fly home directly from Maui. If you have to fly through Oahu and you end your trip in Maui, you will waste a lot of time on your last day just getting back to Oahu. Here in Minnesota all of the flights back from HI are red-eyes. If we fly out of Oahu we can spend most of the last day enjoying the beach or whatever if we are staying on Oahu. If we fly through Oahu and end our stay in Maui, the last day is wasted driving to the Maui airport, getting rid of the car, getting the plane to Oahu, taking the Wiki Wiki to the big airport and then WAITING for the flight home.
The last time we decided to NOT do the non-stop to Oahu. Instead we did a stop in Seattle where we could get a flight directly to Maui. I liked that better than taking the non-stop to Oahu and worrying about flight delays that could mean we would miss the last plane from Oahu to Maui.

Thanks! That sounds like a great plan.

 

[Dean]

I would go to Maui first, then Oahu, unless you can fly home directly from Maui. If you have to fly through Oahu and you end your trip in Maui, you will waste a lot of time on your last day just getting back to Oahu. Here in Minnesota all of the flights back from HI are red-eyes. If we fly out of Oahu we can spend most of the last day enjoying the beach or whatever if we are staying on Oahu. If we fly through Oahu and end our stay in Maui, the last day is wasted driving to the Maui airport, getting rid of the car, getting the plane to Oahu, taking the Wiki Wiki to the big airport and then WAITING for the flight home.
The last time we decided to NOT do the non-stop to Oahu. Instead we did a stop in Seattle where we could get a flight directly to Maui. I liked that better than taking the non-stop to Oahu and worrying about flight delays that could mean we would miss the last plane from Oahu to Maui.

I would do it the other way. I would fly in and out of Oahu regardless of which part you're doing first. A lot more flights, better times and easier to use FF miles doing so. Certainly look at the other options but Maui has limited direct flights in and out. I would also do Oahu first for those that haven't been.

On a related note and since we're talking flights combined with exchanges, here's a thought. Lets say you're planning to go for 2 weeks and you need to book the air before the exchange comes through which is often the case using FF miles. I'd fly in to Oahu on Friday and out on Sunday. That way you can take any start day (F-S) for the first week you match. It does mean you'll have at least 2 nights OOP but with planning, that can be an asset rather than a liability. I'd then book hotel or condo reservations that are cancelable then cancel if the exchange comes through.

 

[tomandrobin]

This is what we did for our July trip. We booked our flight for Friday arrival, departing Sunday....but don't have the room for Friday yet. Worse cash we'll have to use some points to stay at Sheraton/Westin at Black Rock.

I also would stay Oahu first, then Maui second.