# Summer flights to Hawaii



## talkamotta (Dec 28, 2013)

Taking grandchildren to Hawaii in June 2015.  Are flights typically alot more money in the summer months.  I have flown to Hawaii before but its always been in the fall or spring.  Typically tickets run under $800 from Salt Lake.  I have one family that is coming from Dallas and the other family from Salt Lake.  What prices should I expect and when should I start looking for flights?


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## DaveNV (Dec 28, 2013)

The earliest you can book a flight is at the 331 day mark, (if I recall correctly), so if you want June 2015, I'd say start looking in July 2014.  After that, it's a matter of when you think you've found the best price. If you can book refundable tickets, you're better off, so you canc ancel and rebook if the prices go down.

Good luck!

Dave


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## rickandcindy23 (Dec 28, 2013)

Each adult can get an Alaska Airlines credit card and take another adult or child almost free.  The companion pass literally does save that much.  The companion just pays like $99 + $15 in taxes. They still allow the companion pass for Hawaii flights. 

We spend the night in Seattle both coming and going.   

You could also use some of the 50,000 points you get from Alaska's card to get a few award reservations:  http://millionmilesecrets.com/credit-cards/airline-credit-cards/

Rick and I both have the card, then we had his stepmom get the card too.  We always book one of us award or companion each trip, and it saves us a lot of money.


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## Stressy (Dec 31, 2013)

In addition to Cindy's great advice, if you swing week 22...it's a great time to go. I imagine that will depend on the Grand's school schedules-but my kids always got out end of May and that tiny little lull between Memorial Day and mid June has always been an easy exchange and gentle on airfare. JMHO..your mileage may vary


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## csalter2 (Jan 1, 2014)

*Unpredictable*



talkamotta said:


> Taking grandchildren to Hawaii in June 2015.  Are flights typically alot more money in the summer months.  I have flown to Hawaii before but its always been in the fall or spring.  Typically tickets run under $800 from Salt Lake.  I have one family that is coming from Dallas and the other family from Salt Lake.  What prices should I expect and when should I start looking for flights?



To answer your question directly, yes, summer months to Hawaii are a lot more money to Hawaii as it's peak season. Your planning early is a very, very smart thing. 

I am taking my family to Hawaii next summer and fares can be unpredictable. Coming from Southern California the best prices in September were at $600 and they have not gone down. I  still check, but prices just creep north. Every now and then you see there is some glitch and/or a price war that may last a few days, but for the most part, the prices inch upwards. I have not seen a price lower than when I booked mine in September. I would say it would be wise to get on the price alert lists like kayak.com to inform you of changes in prices. I get those and would see real cheap flights but they are during low season and are only for the upcoming few weeks. Coming from San Diego and Los Angeles the flights right now are running from almost $700 to $850 in the reasonable range. Salt Lake would probably be a little more and who knows what could happen in the future. There could be a great deal and the prices today could be much less for 2015. Good luck.


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## talkamotta (Jan 1, 2014)

Thanks for the ideas.  Ever since Amex Delta dropped its companion pass Ive been looking at Alaska Air.  It seems they have been increasing flights to SLC or maybe its just the partnering with Delta.  ??????   

The flights for this summer are coming in over $1100, thats pretty steep but when your granddaughters remember that you promised them 2 years ago to take them to Hawaii....well a promise is a promise.  

I will check out week 22,  I havent booked the timeshares yet.  3 of the 4 weeks are weeks that I own, one week will be a trade.


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## zora (Jan 2, 2014)

talkamotta said:


> Thanks for the ideas.  Ever since Amex Delta dropped its companion pass Ive been looking at Alaska Air.  It seems they have been increasing flights to SLC or maybe its just the partnering with Delta.  ??????   .



Have you checked the amex delta platinum?  Theres still an annual companion ticket. .  The annual fee is $150.


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## talkamotta (Jan 2, 2014)

AMEX Delta's companion pass includes only the 48 continuous states....  I usually fly Delta because they have the best availability and flight times or SWA because of the price??? I havent dropped my card because I fly enough that the yearly fee is saved in luggage charges. 

That being said, at least for me,  I have a certain amount of money each year to spend on travel, etc if I can save money on one trip then it gives me more money to play with on another.  So upgrading to the Platinum might be an option.  Thanks


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## Pmuppet (Jan 2, 2014)

talkamotta said:


> AMEX Delta's companion pass includes only the 48 continuous states....  I usually fly Delta because they have the best availability and flight times or SWA because of the price??? I havent dropped my card because I fly enough that the yearly fee is saved in luggage charges.
> 
> That being said, at least for me,  I have a certain amount of money each year to spend on travel, etc if I can save money on one trip then it gives me more money to play with on another.  So upgrading to the Platinum might be an option.  Thanks



Definitely agree the likely best way to get a good price is with the Alaska airline credit card.  Just be sure to use the companion fare certificate AND don't carry a balance.  Cause either one of those situations will eat up any savings you get from your credit card.

I also like Alaska airlines cause they will give you a credit if fares drop.  I know there we websites that send you an email if your particular flight price drops (don't recall the name offhand; but I saw it somewhere on the tug site.)


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## sjsharkie (Jan 2, 2014)

I think routing might be a factor as well for the OP.

Alaska works well for me since there's direct flights from the SF Bay Area to HI.  I'm sure that's not the case from Sandy, UT.  Not sure how close to SLC it is but I know Delta flies direct from SLC.

There's some premium I would pay to not have to make 1 or more stops on the way over.  I also suspect that the AS flight would be on average higher than DL given that SLC is a DL hub, even with the AS/DL partnership.

-ryan


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## Smokatoke (Jan 2, 2014)

Is it cheaper flying into Honolulu than it is Maui? We are going this August but cant buy our tickets until Feb. We currently have a week in Maui booked but wanted to book a 2nd week on another island. If its cheaper to fly into HNL directly then I would book our other week there, otherwise just stick to Maui for the additional week.


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## talkamotta (Jan 2, 2014)

I have compared Delta and Alaska Air flights for other trips and Delta is cheaper so I would only be using Alaska Air for the companion pass flight. It might have to include an overnight stay going to Hawaii in Seatle or Portland which would be an additional expense but if it saves me $800+ Im pretty flexible.  

Sandy is in the southest part of  Salt Lake County, its about a 25 minute drive to the airport.  SLC airport  is one of the easiest airports to get to. 

Im glad others are getting into this thread, as the economy improves and more people travel to Hawaii, flights, etc prices will increase.  The rules and strategy are always changing.   Its a game.


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## Smokatoke (Jan 3, 2014)

I stumbled on this site yapta.com that acts as a fare tracking tool and purchasing portal, but more interesting is they spread the knowledge about how some airlines will issue you a refund in cash or airline credit if a fare drops lower than a specified threshold after you purchase your ticket, and they assist you with this process. I have only signed up for fare tracking to this point so i am not versed in what they do to assist you in refund request, but i personally never knew airlines did this, with the exception of southwest. 700 for a ticket seems high but if i can get a variance refund when they drop, i would be willing to pay that price now...


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## csalter2 (Jan 3, 2014)

*They don't part with money easily.*



Smokatoke said:


> I stumbled on this site yapta.com that acts as a fare tracking tool and purchasing portal, but more interesting is they spread the knowledge about how some airlines will issue you a refund in cash or airline credit if a fare drops lower than a specified threshold after you purchase your ticket, and they assist you with this process. I have only signed up for fare tracking to this point so i am not versed in what they do to assist you in refund request, but i personally never knew airlines did this, with the exception of southwest. 700 for a ticket seems high but if i can get a variance refund when they drop, i would be willing to pay that price now...



Just know that there are a lot of rules and small print that are in place prior to any refund. I found this out when my friend who's coming from Atlanta discovered that Delta was having a price war a month after she bought her ticket. She bought her ticket for $968. However, suddenly the same flight was being sold for $400 during July when she was going. Needless to say her flight which was with US Air via Orbitz had some rule that prevented her from getting the lower fare or refund. She had a guarantee of some sort too.


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## zora (Jan 3, 2014)

Smokatoke said:


> Is it cheaper flying into Honolulu than it is Maui? We are going this August but cant buy our tickets until Feb. We currently have a week in Maui booked but wanted to book a 2nd week on another island. If its cheaper to fly into HNL directly then I would book our other week there, otherwise just stick to Maui for the additional week.



FYI, it's 5,000 ff miles (Ual or aa) one way between the islands (7,500 ff miles on haw'n) or 10,000 RT per person.  It's very easy to book online.


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## radmoo (Jan 3, 2014)

YAPTA DOES work, I have used it. It is best for Jet Blue which has low change fee.  Caveat is that it must be IDENTICAL itinerary.  I have NEVER received refund with Orbitz guaranteed low fare but again, it must be IDENTICAL Itinerary.
Yapta is great for tracking flights.  Just enter all the possibilities and they will email alert any time price dr is detected.  I have saved bundles using this tool.
Good luck.


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## Smokatoke (Jan 3, 2014)

csalter2 said:


> Just know that there are a lot of rules and small print that are in place prior to any refund. I found this out when my friend who's coming from Atlanta discovered that Delta was having a price war a month after she bought her ticket. She bought her ticket for $968. However, suddenly the same flight was being sold for $400 during July when she was going. Needless to say her flight which was with US Air via Orbitz had some rule that prevented her from getting the lower fare or refund. She had a guarantee of some sort too.



According to the rules, you must book directly with the airline and yes it must be the same itinerary. Once you book, you enter the flight info and price into yapta and they will notify you of a fare drop and to initiate a refund request.


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## K2Quick (Jan 3, 2014)

*Good news on Alaska Airlines and SLC*

Apparently Alaska was mad at Delta for encroaching on its turf at SEA, so Alaska has announced plans to massively expand its presence in SLC.  By this summer, they will fly to PDX, SFO, SJC, SAN, LAX, LAS, BOI in addition to SEA.  That could be big news on SLC to Hawaii airfare as there hasn't been much in the way of competion for Delta up until this point and Alaska is one of the low price leaders into Hawaii.  On our trip last month to Kauai, we flew Delta to Oakland and Alaska to LIH and it ended up being quite a bit cheaper than what we could have got be not breaking the fare.

http://www.usatoday.com/story/today...at-delta-adds-3-new-salt-lake-routes/4140643/


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## ailin (Jan 3, 2014)

I agree, Yapta is great.    It found a $30 price drop on our last flight to HNL on Alaska Airlines (4 tickets, so it added up).  That price only lasted a few days, so I probably wouldn't have caught it on my own.  The credit request was online and easy.  Thanks to TUG, I found out that the credits are transferrable, and not passenger-specific like I had assumed.  They expire one year later, but you only have to book not travel by then.


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## radmoo (Jan 3, 2014)

Smokatoke said:


> According to the rules, you must book directly with the airline and yes it must be the same itinerary. Once you book, you enter the flight info and price into yapta and they will notify you of a fare drop and to initiate a refund request.



Yapta also helps track fares PRIOR to booking but you need to enter specific flight information.


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## talkamotta (Jan 3, 2014)

K2Quick said:


> Apparently Alaska was mad at Delta for encroaching on its turf at SEA, so Alaska has announced plans to massively expand its presence in SLC.  By this summer, they will fly to PDX, SFO, SJC, SAN, LAX, LAS, BOI in addition to SEA.  That could be big news on SLC to Hawaii airfare as there hasn't been much in the way of competion for Delta up until this point and Alaska is one of the low price leaders into Hawaii.  On our trip last month to Kauai, we flew Delta to Oakland and Alaska to LIH and it ended up being quite a bit cheaper than what we could have got be not breaking the fare.
> 
> http://www.usatoday.com/story/today...at-delta-adds-3-new-salt-lake-routes/4140643/



  The travel Gods must be smiling on us today.  You made my day.....Thanks

P.S. Thank you Delta for making Alaska mad.  Delta seems to be doing that quite well these days.


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## csalter2 (Jan 4, 2014)

*La to honolulu for $487 in the summer 2014 but...*

I was just looking on kayak.com and saw that Alllegiant Airlines is offering a nonstop flight from Los Angeles to Honolulu for $487 roundtrip. However beware of the additional costs. The roundtrip air fare is all that is included there. There are additional fees for the seat you select which can be anywhere from $21 for a middle seat to $80 to sit in an emergency row seat. In any case you pay for a seat and you pay for it both ways. Next understand that you pay for carry on bags and checked bags. One of each would take you along with your seat selections to over $600. 

Thought I would pass that on.


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## BocaBoy (Jan 4, 2014)

Smokatoke said:


> Is it cheaper flying into Honolulu than it is Maui? We are going this August but cant buy our tickets until Feb. We currently have a week in Maui booked but wanted to book a 2nd week on another island. If its cheaper to fly into HNL directly then I would book our other week there, otherwise just stick to Maui for the additional week.



I have not noticed any significant difference in flying to the various islands.  If HNL is a tad cheaper (it would not be a lot lower) the savings will be more than erased by the extra cost of getting to or from Maui from HNL.  If you are going to be in Maui, your cheapest alternative for lowest airfare would be to fly directly to and from Kahului.


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## talkamotta (Jan 4, 2014)

My tentative plan is to go to the Big Island for 1 week, Maui for 2 weeks and Kauai for the last week.  

For the first two weeks my 3 granddaughters will be coming in from Texas, the next 2 weeks Jeff's daughter and son and their spouses will be flying in from Utah.  That way each group will get to see 2 islands and Jeff and I will only have to do 2 island hops.  

I own Sands of Kahana and have elected to  have this year and next year's usage in 2015.  I also own Ka Eo Kai, one year and one every other year.  If both Jeff's kids come then  I will use both units.  Ka Eo Kai doesn't really do 6 people well unless some of them are children.  

I think my teenage granddaughters will love the Big Island, some things might even be educational for them. Actually, I think they will be thrilled at anything I pick, they are very easy to please.   I just need to get a trade during the summer, that might be problem.  

How does that sound?  Any suggestions I have overlooked?


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## sjsharkie (Jan 5, 2014)

talkamotta said:


> My tentative plan is to go to the Big Island for 1 week, Maui for 2 weeks and Kauai for the last week.



Routing looks good.  I would advise not doing Big Island/Kauai back to back as you would likely have a 1-stop flight (since you mentioned plans are tentative).  I know Hawaiian does not fly direct between Big Island and Kauai -- one of the smaller carriers may do it but why stop if you don't have to.

Also watch interisland fares -- they can get pricey (especially since you are not flying to/from HNL) so I'd advise booking early when you see a price you like.  Especially Maui to Big Island since there are very few direct flights.  LIH to OGG is a bit more popular, but even then, competition has gone down since Aloha went belly up.

Have a great time!

-ryan


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## csalter2 (Jan 5, 2014)

*Like Everything It Depends*

I just looked into prices to the various islands on kayak.com to compare. The prices to the different islands do seem to have a difference depending on where you are going. I used LAX as the starting point. 

LAX to Honolulu                       $774
LAX to Maui (Kona)                  $809
LAX to Big Island (Kona side)    $904
LAX to Kauai                            $879

If you are going to stay on the island for your entire time by all means fly directly there and don't go through Honolulu if you don't have to.  However, I usually go to multiple islands and I want to always end in Honolulu so I always fly Honolulu roundtrip  and then take interisland flights. 

The few bucks may may save may not be worth the hassle of changing planes, so I suggest you consider what  works best for you.


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## Dandc3 (Jan 5, 2014)

*Another tracking site*



Smokatoke said:


> I stumbled on this site yapta.com that acts as a fare tracking tool and purchasing portal, but more interesting is they spread the knowledge about how some airlines will issue you a refund in cash or airline credit if a fare drops lower than a specified threshold after you purchase your ticket, and they assist you with this process. I have only signed up for fare tracking to this point so i am not versed in what they do to assist you in refund request, but i personally never knew airlines did this, with the exception of southwest. 700 for a ticket seems high but if i can get a variance refund when they drop, i would be willing to pay that price now...



Airfarewatchdog is another good one.
http://www.airfarewatchdog.com/

imho, if you may need to make changes, booking directly with the airline is best. They won't go out of their way to help if you booked through a 3rd party.


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## BocaBoy (Jan 6, 2014)

sjsharkie said:


> Also watch interisland fares -- they can get pricey (especially since you are not flying to/from HNL) so I'd advise booking early when you see a price you like.  *Especially Maui to Big Island since there are very few direct flights.  LIH to OGG is a bit more popular, but even then, competition has gone down since Aloha went belly up.*



I think you have these two reversed.  There are LOTS of nonstop flights on Hawaiian Airlines between Maui and the Big Island (it is a very short flight), but only 4 or 5 nonstops a day on the longer route between between Maui and Kauai.


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