Hawaii Flight Fees That Travelers Don’t Have To Pay, Yet

You finally book your Hawaii flight, decide to skip checking a bag, and figure you’ve avoided one more airline fee. Then another airline that used to fly to Hawaii just announced it’s going to charge passengers just to use the overhead bin.

That’s what happened this week when Jetstar, Qantas’ low-cost brand, said it will begin charging for overhead-bin access starting February 2, 2027. Every fare will still include one small personal item that fits under the seat, but travelers wanting to bring a standard carry-on into the overhead bin will need to purchase the airline’s new Priority Carry-on option.

Depending on the route, that fee will range from A$25 to A$52, or about US$18 to US$37, and will also include priority boarding. It’s yet another fascinating way that airlines are finding to charge for what used to be included.

The airline is also replacing its long-standing carry-on weight limit with a new size-based system based on bag dimensions instead of weight. We’ve flown on Jetstar between Honolulu and Sydney, so have personal experience with some of their quirks.

Jetstar no longer flies to the islands, since Qantas decided to upguage its Hawaii service, so this change will not affect flights here. Even so, coming from Qantas, it absolutely raises a question worth asking because airline fees have a way of spreading once one company steps forward. Could something similar eventually reach Hawaii flights, or are travelers to the islands still largely insulated from this trend?

For today only, the answer is reassuring. If you’re flying to Hawaii on one of the airlines visitors use, a full-size carry-on is still included, but not completely, across the board.

Hawaii travelers have largely avoided this fee.

We’ve written before about how baggage fees became one of the biggest permanent changes in flying to Hawaii. What started years ago as a response to rising fuel costs evolved into a reliable source of airline revenue, and there is little indication those charges will ever disappear again.

That history reflects how airlines have steadily separated parts of the travel experience that once came with the ticket. Checked bags became one product. Preferred seats became another. Priority boarding followed suit. Jetstar’s announcement suggests that overhead-bin space is now joining the list of items to be sold, at least for some airlines or fare classes.

Five of the six major Hawaii airlines still include a carry-on.

If you’re flying Alaska or Hawaiian, every published fare, including the lowest-priced Saver fare, includes one full-size carry-on and one personal item. Saver passengers board later than other travelers, so overhead-bin space can become limited on full flights, which can have its own impact, but bringing the bag itself remains an inclusive part of the ticket.

Southwest also continues to include one carry-on and one personal item on every fare, including Basic. Earlier this year, rumors circulated that Southwest might eventually remove overhead-bin access from its lowest fares. The airline publicly denied those reports, and its current policy remains unchanged.

Delta likewise includes a standard carry-on and personal item on every fare, including Main Basic. American does the same on its Basic Economy tickets, although those passengers generally board later and may occasionally find overhead-bin space unavailable by the time they reach the aircraft.

For travelers booking flights to Hawaii, that means most airlines carrying visitors to the islands still treat a full-size carry-on as part of the basic fare agreement rather than a separate purchase.

United remains the Hawaii exception.

United stands apart from the other major Hawaii airlines because its domestic Basic Economy fares generally include only a personal item that fits beneath the seat. Travelers who bring a standard carry-on to the gate on those tickets may have the bag checked and/or pay an additional fee.

United allows overhead-bin access on many international Basic Economy itineraries, and Premier members, Star Alliance Gold members, and eligible United credit card holders can also get carry-on privileges. Even so, among the airlines most commonly used to reach Hawaii, United remains the only one where many passengers on the lowest fare cannot simply place a carry-on in the overhead bin.

The Hawaii airlines industry’s direction is becoming clearer.

Outside the Hawaii market, charging separately for overhead-bin access is no longer unusual. A significant number of domestic and international airlines already charge many passengers for bringing a standard carry-on aboard. None currently serves Hawaii, but together they demonstrate that much of the industry has already moved to selling more individual parts of the travel experience rather than including them with the ticket.

What Hawaii travelers should watch.

For now, travelers flying to Hawaii remain in a better position than many domestic flyers elsewhere. On Alaska, Hawaiian, Southwest, Delta, and American, packing a standard carry-on is still included even on the lowest fares. United is the notable outlier, and its Basic Economy restrictions are worth paying attention to before booking.

Moreover, airline fees rarely move in only one direction, and features that once seemed inseparable from the ticket have increasingly become products sold on their own industry-wide. That does not mean that the other airlines flying to Hawaii are about to adopt Jetstar’s approach, however.

Hawaii travelers can still board most flights with a carry-on and a personal item without paying anything extra. Given where the airline industry has been heading for years, however, that is becoming more important to watch than many travelers probably realize.

Would you pay a little more for your Hawaii ticket if it guaranteed a free carry-on, or do you prefer today’s lower fares with more optional fees?

By Rob and Jeff, Beat of Hawaii.

Some of the most meaningful parts of Hawaii are the ones visitors walk right past without knowing they are there. We’ve spent nearly 20 years finding them firsthand for BOH as full-time Hawaii residents reporting on travel, culture, and island life, and telling you what they mean for your trip. Join us →