Some exciting changes have been going on with the airline offerings to Hawaii! First and foremost, Southwest Airlines has begun offering flights to Hawaii as of March 17th. Their inaugural flight began with nonstop service from California to Honolulu. If you have ever scoped out flights to Hawaii, you may understand why this is big news. It means that Hawaiian Airlines will have some competition, which in turn means cheaper flights to Hawaii (win!) Southwest is even offering flights to the Big Island! One of their new airport stops is in Kailua-Kona, just a skip across the island from us. Check out their interactive flight map here.
Don’t get us wrong, we love Hawaiian Airlines. They’ve consistently offered the most options domestically to fly to Hawaii for a long time. They show wonderful aloha via their flight attendants and pilots, and can usually be counted on for good, reliable service.
With that being said, one of the reasons it can be hard to vacation in Hawaii is that the cost of flights to and from the mainland United States (not to mention internationally) can be prohibitive. The average cost from the continental U.S., Japan, and Australia has remained between $400 and $2,000, depending on airline and time of year.
That’s why everyone is loving the addition of Southwest Airlines to the mix. Southwest will bring some much-anticipated cost relief to domestic flights to and from Hawaii. At the time of writing this, Southwest is even offering an interisland flight deal for $49 on their home page. That’s not just a win for visitors, but for locals as well who are looking for flights between the islands. If you’re planning on using Southwest for a flight to Hawaii, we recommend booking in advance. As an example, a round trip flight from Portland, OR to Honolulu this month averages about $630, but if you book that same flight now for December, you could score a cost of $238.
Southwest and Hawaiian Airlines aren’t your only options for flights to Hawaii. If you live in the continental U.S., you can also find flights with Alaska Airlines and United Airlines as well. American Airlines and Delta have a few options, depending on your location, and there are others with inter-airline connections that could get you here.
If you’re looking for international flights to Hawaii, check out Japan Airlines, Air New Zealand, Air China, Korean Air, Qantas, Philippine Airlines, jetBlue, China Eastern, Fiji Airways, and Singapore Airlines. Of course, our own Hawaiian Airlines offers some international flights as well, including direct flights to Brisbane, Sydney, Auckland, Pago Pago, Papeete, Sappon, Tokyo, and Seoul.
Some healthy competition between airlines can really benefit the customers. Everyone deserves a chance to see the paradise that is Hawaii, and we are looking forward to seeing what Southwest Airlines will bring.
Author: S. Garcia
