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Top 5 Hawaii travel tips | Save Money on Your Hawaii Vacation
Tip 1
Fares are consistently lowest between mid-August and early December. Flying over Thanksgiving, Christmas holidays, spring break, and from mid-June to mid-August, airfares can cost double or more and accommodations are also more costly. When flying off-peak, watch for sales that occur from 30 to 120 days in advance. For peak travel, it is usually best to book either up to 11 months in advance or at the last minute.
Tip 2
First check prices using comparison sites such as Kayak. Also check with each of the primary Hawaii air carriers including Hawaiian Air, Alaska Air and Allegiant Air. In addition, check the legacy carriers (United, American, Delta etc.). If you’ll be flying inter-island, be sure to not wait to get that booked early. Sales are rare and prices can be extraordinary.
Tip 3
Use airline frequent flier mileage awards. Join the crowd that saves up miles specifically for use on their Hawaii vacation. It is best to plan ahead if using miles, up to 330 days in advance when frequent flier inventory first becomes available.
Tip 4
Book your car rental and hotel/vacation rental as soon as you know your air travel dates. These can be very costly if you wait to book and availability can be limited during peak seasons.
Tip 5
Sign up for Beat of Hawaii free emails so we can keep you abreast of all Hawaii travel deals as soon as they happen.
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Do yourself a favor and read up on current events that are happening on the island you are visiting…pick a subject that people are talking about…like the rail system on Oahu, or the “suspicious cane fire(s)” on Maui…Or the Kapolei refinery sale by the Tesoro corp and the job hit this may cause.
Get the Hawaii News Now app for your tablet or phone and sync before you take off and read up on stuff in flight so that you can talk to a working class person about issues that they care about! Those are the ones who will upgrade you! Speak with passion and your love of the islands will show them that you are not a mere tourist!
Thanks very much for the great tips, especially the book your car rental asap…economy or whatever is cheapest and hope for the free upgrade 🙂
Always book the cheapest, smallest car offered. They almost always run out, and you’ll get comped up. Make nice with the desk agent and you may drive out in a convertible. It’s happened tp us more than once.
Indeed. Last year, we visited Maui and chatted up the agent and had a really good discussion (didn’t hurt that I had a vast knowledge of Hawaii…kinda my hobby) and when she looked at the computer for our reservation, our compact car was no longer available…but a Cadilac was! To say I was stunned is an understatement…unfortunately, the same did not happen on the big island…it seems that the idea of hospitality on the big island hasn’t fully sunk in yet! Maybe that’s why I like the big island the most…