September 8
It’s days like these when I wish I lived on the West Coast! I know that those who live on the West Coast get round trip fares to Hawaii around the $300 mark with some regularity, but it still strikes me as amazing being able to fly to Hawaii for $299. Here in the middle of the country we can barely get to the other side of the lower 48 for $299, so seeing transcontinental flights, or flights to Hawaii for less than we have to pay to basically get out of the great state of Texas, makes me a bit green with envy. However, don’t let my slight case of jealousy cause you to miss out on a pretty solid Hawaii deal.
Here is an example of some dates in October that are $299 from San Francisco to Maui and back. The $299 fares are good through mid-December with some dates at $331 valid through mid-March. I’m also seeing fares around that price from Portland, San Jose, and San Diego to a variety of Hawaiian islands.
According to this Flyertalk thread, Delta’s prices on some routes are at about the same price. With prices that affordable, it really wouldn’t make sense to use miles unless you were in dire need of a Hawaiian getaway, but didn’t have the cash for the flights. For an economy award ticket using United miles, it would cost 40,000 miles round trip for the flight. With fares at $300, that would mean you were getting less than one cent per mile value, and that is a terrible redemption value. You would do better just redeeming for gift cards or cash back at that rate. Even if you were just using 25,000 Avios from the West Coast to Hawaii or 35,000 KrisFlyer miles to fly on United (transferred from Membership Rewards), you would still be hovering around the 1 cent per mile redemption value.
I can guarantee if I could get from my home airport to Maui and back for $299 I’d be all over it!
Of course, if you are a United flyer, you will be purchasing these fares without being able to see the “Expert Mode” upgrade inventory as it had previously existed until last night. Though, as Frequently Flying points out, there is still a way to see which flights have R availability.
thanks! i’ve been looking for a way to get family here to HI cheaply to see the new baby in October!
If I could go from Flordia to Hawaii for $299, I’d be there right away!
So, redeem some avios to get to West Coast. C’mon MP!
Nice! If you’re a CA resident who just signed up for Alaska Airlines, you could use your $50 off coupon to get a round-trip flight for a bit less, as well.
Remember to remind everyone to check bookit.com for prices with SPG and marriott and the do the best rate to take off 10% or 25% respectively. We just got back from Hawaii last week and stayed at the marriot courtyard for less than $82 a night not 5 star hotel but 5 Stars for the price
[...] Slow week for deals if this thread's being linked to from the blog-o-sphere. [...]
Plus don’t forget you are earning flying miles on the Hawaii deal from the west coast which makes this even better at about 4,500 miles for the round trip.
@DaninSTL, exactly.
This is definitely an excellent deal. IMO, if you have elite status with United (very easy upgrade due to all the lesiute travellers), this deal blows the overhyped Icelandair/Alaska Air deal out of the water, considering you earn miles and eqms on the flight, this deal would have been even better from TX also, since youre purchasing an additional positioning flight anyway, it costs less, and it counts towards elite status….
ETA, wondering how many people are having buyers remourse wrt the alaska/icelandair deal after seeing these fares…
Booked from SEA to LIH a couple of days ago for $340 on Delta. Was very happy with that price in that it’s usually a little more pricey to get to Kauai.
I agree these are really good deals! Just speaking for myself, I have no buyer’s remorse. I don’t normally fly Alaska and am excited to fly them and have a guaranteed F seat to Kauai. I think the two deals are best suited to two different groups of folks. As for me, I want in on both, though hate to position to the West Coast….again.
Ooh, I’m so excited you’re going to Kauai – we’ve been twice with the littles and it is such a great place for kids. Are you staying at the Hyatt? That pool is to die for.
[...] programs. It affords you the ability to do all sorts of creative things when it comes to trips. Mommy Points was kind enough to text me about a fare out of SFO-OGG, that is San Francisco to Maui Hawaii, for [...]
[...] As I posted here, there have been some pretty solid deals to Hawaii from the West Coast available for several days now. While the United fares are of the greatest interest to me personally given my location in a United hub and quest for status, I made sure Delta Points knew about the Delta fares in case they were useful for himself or his Delta readers. He has a post up today about how those in the Mid-West (like himself) can get in on the Delta fares from the West Coast. The post made me smile as I had been thinking the same thing over the weekend about the United fares. [...]