Have Hawaii Airfare Sales Begun?

If you’re like me, you expected the Hawaii off-season airfare deals, be they great or mediocre, to start showing up in the past two weeks. Traditionally they are announced after July 1, for travel beginning August 15. So far I’ve seen very little. What gives?

In today’s fare postings, I saw a glimmer of hope from Northwest Airlines:

LAX-HNL $490 RT (all-inclusive), for mid-week, non-holiday departures starting this Fall through early June 2009 (then again for Fall 2009).

While this isn’t by itself what we’d consider to be a great deal, it does undercut the competitors by as much as $200. It could be more significant however, if it marks the beginning of the airlines getting real.

Here’s the bottom line:

• Airlines are hesitant to start the Fall fare sale due to the cost of fuel.
• In this double-edged airline sword, carriers will be forced to either cut prices or cut flights.
• Airlines are reluctant to give up market share in this once and potentially again lucrative island market.

What you should expect:

• There will be Fall airfare sales, and this week may still be the key time for them. If the deals do not materialize, there will be an abundance of unsold seats. Travelers are not willing to pay $600+ to come to Hawaii in the off-season from all important West Coast cities.
• The upcoming sales, if and when they come, will be far more last minute and fleeting than ever before. You’ll need to keep your eyes peeled, as these could come and go in one to two days.

We’ll do our best to alert you as the deals come. Stay tuned.