By far the majority of cheap Hawaii flights go directly to Honolulu International on the island of Oahu. That means, generally speaking, flying into Oahu will result in the cheapest flights out there since there’s the most flights and greatest chance to find a discount.
Flights into Honolulu are most common since the only other incoming island from either the mainland US or other countries will be Maui. All other island flights will have to go through Maui or Oahu first.
Since the travel distances between islands aren’t all that far the prices for “island hopping” are reasonable and you should be able to pick up a flight from say Oahu to Kauaii for under $100 if you plan correctly.
Most people that I’ve talked to about flights will fly directly into Honolulu either from the mainland US or from another country, then spend a day or two on Oahu exploring waikiki beach or the other areas of Oahu. They’ll then continue on to the rest of their journey to another island.
Flying is pretty much your only option
Since Hawaii is one of the most isolated landmasses in the world you’re probably going to get here by plane. You could try to swim, but it might take you the length of your vacation to get here.
The only other option would be by boat, but the last time I checked there aren’t any ferries to Hawaii. You’d have to take a cruise to Hawaii.
As a result, if you’re going to vacation in Hawaii your best bet is to try to find a cheap flight to Hawaii.
Can You Get Cheap Hawaii Flights?
Before we talk about pricing just let me say this. Flying thousands of miles to an isolated landmass and highly sought after tourist destination is never going to be cheap. It can be relatively cheap, but never the true definition of cheap.
If you’re wondering a rough estimate of how much your flight will run I’d recommend starting over at a cheap flights search engine such as kayak.com. You can find cheap flights from over 100 sites by browsing their open flights. Then you can sort by lowest price.
The last time I flew to Hawaii from Wisconsin in 2009 I paid approximately $500 for a one way ticket, and this was on the cheap end with long layovers.
What makes some flights cheaper than others?
The reason some flights will be cheaper than others will be convenience, seating, and class of seats.
If you’ve got open dates you might want to consider taking longer layovers and doing a redeye flight. You’re going to take a crappier flight, but you’ll also have more money for mai tais and surfing lessons when you get to the beach.
Timing and Seasons
The busy seasons for Hawaii are summer and Christmas.
May through August you’re going to have to get super lucky to find cheap flights. Same with December and early January. Those are the periods of time where you will not find the cheapest Hawaii flights. Period.
The slowest times of year include mid fall when the kids are getting back to school and mid spring before the summer rush.
If I were to book my vacation based on cheap flights I would try to book for October to November or February to March.
If you want to find cheap flights you’re going to have to be one of two groups of people.
1. The group that books super early and plans way ahead of time. I’m talking at least six months out.
2. The group that jumps on a plane within 24 hours or plans within a week of the flight. Many people aren’t lucky enough to do this since they have to take vacation from their jobs so they don’t have this flexibility. However, if you’re buying a one way ticket to be a beach bum (like I did), you’ll be able to have some flexibility.
A tip regarding airlines.
Just because the travel agent you’re working with can’t find flights for you on your desired airline don’t assume there aren’t any flights. The best way to find flights from an airline is to contact them directly!ring the airlines directly!
The airlines don’t necessarily allow all seats open to all agents who are selling their flights… Call them and see what they can do for you. You may be pleasantly surprised.
You can use Kayak.com to compare prices for different airlines, and find cheap flights from 100+ sites with one click.
Cheap Hawaii Flights – Booking
The first question that comes to most Hawaii dreaming vacationers is “should I book through a travel agent or online.”
The answer: it depends.
It depends on several things including:
-Is this your first major flight?
-Is this your first time coming to Hawaii?
-Are you from the US, or coming from another country?
Surprisingly, the majority of flights coming to Hawaii are still booked with an agent rather than online. Personally, I book my tickets online since I’m comfortable using sites like kayak.com to book my tickets within minutes. However, if this is your first time planning a major trip thousands of miles away from home you may want to consider an agent.
Likewise many tourists would be better off to choose a package that includes a hotel, rental car, and flight in an all inclusive package.
If you are coming over here for only a few weeks, are restricted in arrival and departure dates, and don’t know Australia at all, then you are probably better off getting help from an experienced Hawaii travel agent.
However, if you’re planning on coming over for a few months to a year and are either a student, potential beach bum, or someone changing careers, you won’t need a package, just a flight to get you on the island. That means your best best is going to simply book a cheap Hawaii flight online.
As you’re looking for flights flexibility is key. Just by changing dates from one week to another you can save several hundreds of dollars, so if you’re looking online put in an array of dates and leave your departure and arrival times open to see what they search engine offers.
Best of luck with finding your cheap Hawaii flight!