Flying to Hawaii

Flying from the mainland to Hawaii takes at least 5 hours.  The price of that flight contributes a significant amount to the total costs of your vacation, and knowing how to find the best flight will give you the peace of mind that you made the right choice once you pick one.

In this guide we help you decide when and how to book your ticket to Hawaii guided by the following questions/subjects:

COVID-19 and flying to Hawaii

There are no COVID-19 related entry requirements for domestic travelers. Travelers arriving in Hawai‘i directly from an international airport must still comply with U.S. federal U.S. entry requirements. The CDC no longer requires air passengers traveling from a foreign country to the United States to show a negative COVID-19 viral test or documentation of recovery from COVID-19 before they board their flight.

Read more on possible travel restrictions on our coronavirus update page.

How long do flights to Hawaii and to the Big Island take?

The most important part of the answer to this question is how many stops you need to get to your final destination on Hawaii. Every stop typically adds a few hours of waiting time to your trip. There are precious few direct flights from the east coast (if you live in New York you are lucky!), and most itineraries include a stop at one of the west coast airports.

Secondly, most flights from the mainland to Hawaii arrive at Honolulu (HNL) on the island of O‘ahu, from where you will have to board an interisland flight to the Big Island. This last step often adds a few hours to the total flight time, and it can be worth your while to search for flights going directly to the Big Island.

The Big Island is the closest Hawaiian island to the west coast. Direct flights between several airports on the west coast such as San Diego (SAN), San Francisco (SFO) and Los Angeles (LAX) and the two international airports on the Big Island: Kona (KOA) and Hilo (ITO), take on average about 5 hours.

Summarizing, if your departure airport is one of the big California hubs and you find a direct flight to Kona, you can get to the Big Island in just under 5 hours.

How much does a ticket to Hawaii cost?

The best price you can expect to pay for a ticket to Hawaii depends [a] on the distance flown, [b] on the time of booking and [c] the period of your stay. These topics will be covered in the following sections. First, to give you an idea, we list an estimate of the price range for a return flight to Hawaii per continent. These prices don’t take into account sometimes heavily discounted deals, which can cut the prices below in half!

• Domestic flights between continental USA and Hawaii: from $350 (go Southwest Airlines!) to $1000+
• From Europe to Hawaii: between $900 and $1500
• From Asia to Hawaii: between $500 and $700
• From Australia to Hawaii: between $500 and $1000

Note that the above prices represent our best guess at the time of the last update (2019), and are indicative only.

The best value flights in USD for return trips to the Hawaiian Islands in April 2015. Image adapted from Hopper.com [source]

When is the best time to buy a ticket to Hawaii?

This question has two, complementary, answers. First of all, demand for tickets during high season and holidays tends to raise the average price per ticket. Secondly, there tends to be a ‘sweet spot’ as to how much in advance you buy your flights to Hawaii.

How far in advance should you book your flight to Hawaii to find the lowest airfare?

Everybody that once has tried to find cheap tickets knows that ticket prices can vary on a daily basis. This is also true for Hawaii. Luckily, many people have researched how airline companies tweak their pricing policy (for example here, here, here, and here), and it turns out that there is a “sweet spot” to buy your ticket to Hawaii. Take note, however, that the following numbers are average numbers and don’t represent a golden rule.

On average, the best time to buy your ticket to Hawaii is between 21 and 121 days before departure, with the period between 40 and 50 days often mentioned as a golden rule.

The figures mentioned above are valid for domestic flights within the USA. For tickets bought from Europe, Asia, and Australia you need on average to book a bit further in advance.

What are the cheapest months to visit Hawaii?

The best way to save money on your ticket is to skip high season when tickets to Hawaii are in general more expensive. You should also skip major holidays such as Thanksgiving and Christmas/New Year. If you have the luxury to plan your vacation in those months where demand for tickets is low, you should definitely try to do so.

Read more about the high season and the low season on Hawaii on our website.

In our opinion, the best time to avoid the crowds and find the cheapest tickets to the Big Island is between mid-April and May and in September and October.

Our favorite airlines that fly to Hawaii

There are many airlines that fly to Hawaii, and picking between them can be as easy as finding the cheapest price for your vacation dates on one of the many price comparison apps and websites available.

Having said that, there are a few airlines that we like just a bit more than the other ones. Our main motivations to like these airlines are good customer service and/or consistent low prices. You can read more about them in the following list of our favorite airlines that fly to Hawaii:

1: Hawaiian Airlines

Offers a high level of service and sometimes offers good promotions directly via their website. They are a partner of delta airlines and thus are part of the SkyMiles Frequent Flyer program. Find their best prices for your trip directly at the Hawaiian Airlines official website.

2: Alaska Airlines

Is also known for its low prices and occasional ticket promotions. Have a look at their best prices for your trip at the Alaska Airlines website.

3: Southwest Airlines

Is known for their low prices. Flights to Hawaii started on March 17, 2019 for the OAK (Oakland) – HNL route, and more routes are added in the following weeks and months from the following four California cities: Oakland, San Diego (SAN), San Jose (SJC), and Sacramento (SMF). The five airports on Hawaii eventually served by Southwest will be Honolulu (island of O‘ahu), Kahului (Maui), Lihue (Kauaʻi) and Kona and Hilo (Big Island). More details on the Southwest Airlines website.

Inter-island flights (between the Hawaiian Islands)

If you are vacationing in Hawaii and want to see more than one island (and you should if time permits!), you will probably be taking several interisland flights. These are short (~ 1 hour) flight between the different Hawaiian Islands. Note, island hopping is not for everyone!

The trick with booking interisland flights is to find the balance between “lost time” in the form of a couple of precious hours of your vacation and the opportunity to see yet another fascinating part of the Hawaiian Islands. To learn more about how to book the best interisland flights, have a look at our interisland flight guide for Hawaii:

International Airports on the Big Island

There are two airports on the Big Island that receive flights from the mainland. Kona (KOA) is the main hub on the Big Island, whereas Hilo (ITO) receives far fewer flights.

Disclaimer: the advice given on this page is a combination of our personal experiences and information gathered online, which is referenced where possible. By its nature it describes an ‘average best strategy’, and we cannot guarantee that following the advice given on this page will give you the absolute lowest price. Please use your own best judgment when trying to find your perfect flight to Hawaii.

Disclaimer 2: We are part of the Hawaiian Airlines affiliate program, which means that we receive a small fee for every completed booking made through the Love Big Island website.  This money comes out of their pocket and the price you pay for the flight doesn’t change. This way you help us cover the costs to host and maintain this website *while* you are booking your trip to paradise. Doesn’t that sound like a good deal? Read more here.

Hawaiian airlines:

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