Save Money on Hawaii Christmas Airfares

If you’re dreaming of a barefoot Christmas in the islands, here’s my airfare primer to make it happen. It will cost some bucks traveling high season but I’ve researched the lowest priced dates by city.

The most interesting fact is that the distance you travel has little to do with the cost. Flying from New York to Hawaii for the holidays can cost the same as traveling from the West Coast.

Act quickly, it’s an unusual year with last minute price reductions unlikely.

If there are any Hawaii airfare deals they will be minor. The holidays are compressed this year with Christmas and New Years falling on Saturdays. With fewer holiday travel days, this will tend to make air travel to Hawaii somewhat higher priced than normal.

Compare nearby airports for savings.

I’ve looked at neighboring airports, such as those in the San Francisco Bay area and in Southern California, as drives between these airports can result in savings of as much as $300 per person.

Prices vary considerably by date.

If you have some flexibility on your holiday travel dates, you can save a huge amount of money. In many cases the best holiday travel departure dates are the last several leading up to and including Christmas. Alternatively, December 29 is a good choice.

Available fares departing key cities between December 23 and 29.

To give you an idea of what to expect, and how much fares can vary, I checked departure dates for trips of five to six days duration.

Seattle

• Honolulu $702-$858 (best price on December 23, 24).
• Maui $680-$1080 (best price on December 23).
• Other Islands $789-$1112 (best price on December 29).

Portland

• Honolulu $691-$853 (best price on December 23, 24).
• Maui $747-$988 (best price on December 23).
• Other Islands $820- $1012 (best price on December 23).

San Francisco

• Honolulu $779-$1047 (best price on December 23).
• Maui $897-$1130 (best price on December 25).
• Other Islands $897-$1171 (best price on December 25).

Oakland

• Honolulu $559-$999 (best price on December 25).
• Maui $730-$884 (best price on December 24).
• Other Islands $899-$1099 (best price on December 29).

San Jose

• Honolulu $653-$862 (best price on December 29).
• Maui $681-$987 (best price on December 23).
• Other Islands $779-$1109 (best price on December 29).

Sacramento

• Honolulu $732-$975 (best price on December 24).
• Maui $581-$1062 (best price on December 24).
• Other Islands $797-$1179 (best price on December 24).

Los Angeles

• Honolulu $722-$953 (best price on December 25).
• Maui $810-$1021 (best price on December 23).
• Other Islands $877-$1160 (best price on December 29).

Orange County

• Honolulu $739-1038 (best price on December 29).
• Maui $576-987 (best price on December 23).
• Other Islands $828-$1102 (best price on December 29).

San Diego

• Honolulu $746-$1039 (best price on December 24).
• Maui $574-$894 (best price on December 23).
• Other Islands $821-$1072 (best price on December 24, 29).

New York

• Honolulu $836-$1068 (best price on December 24).
• Maui $786-$1085 (best price on December 23).
• Other Islands $1027-$1192 (best price on December 23).

Final Tip: There is less capacity on inter-island flights than in previous years, so either avoid them or book early. Holiday dates are already running $83 or more, one-way plus tax, for most dates and times, and those will likely soon increase to unprecedented levels.

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