Hawaiian Airlines is on a tear today with its largest and most significant route expansion ever announced that includes Texas and Florida. The company has just unveiled flights starting next year between Hawaii and Austin, Orlando, and Ontario (California). Kudos to them for being forward-thinking and doing so at such a challenging time. The airline just said that in addition, it will add another California route, with daily flights from Long Beach to Maui.
Peter Ingram, Hawaiian CEO said “We are delighted to bring our superior value proposition to travelers visiting Hawaii from Austin, Ontario and Orlando, while adding service to Maui from Long Beach.”
Read on for route details including start dates, aircraft types and more.
New routes begin next year, starting as follows.
Long Beach to Maui starts March 16, 2021, and will operate five times weekly.
Service will be on narrow-body, 189-seat, A321 aircraft. This is a significant expansion for Hawaiian at Long Beach, which previously only had service to Honolulu. BOH: This appears to be an excellent Southwest pre-emptive, strategic move in all-important Southern California. Maui is becoming arguably the most important of Hawaii’s destination airports on its own, with good connectivity state-wide.Â
Ontario to Honolulu starts March 16, 2021, and will operate five times weekly.
Service will be on narrow-body, 189-seat, A321 aircraft. This is the return of a prior route and once that has been asked for repeatedly. BOH: This and Long Beach both help fill some significant gaps before another airlines positions itself. We’ve previously used the Ontario route ourselves and found it very helpful traveling to Orange County and to the Inland Empire.
Orlando to Honolulu starts March 11, 2021 , and will operate twice weekly.
Service will be on wide-body, 278-seat, A330 aircraft. The Hawaii bellwether sees Orlando as one of the largest domestic travel markets without nonstop Hawaii service. It will also be a popular destination for those of us in Hawaii. This is the third Hawaiian east coast route, following New York and Boston. BOH: This is another interesting move. Orlando is a market that will need to be developed in much the same way the airline previously did with New York and is continuing to do with Boston.
Austin to Honolulu starts on April 21, and will operate twice weekly.Â
Service will be on wide-body, 278-seat, A330 aircraft. This route is Hawaiian’s first foray into the middle part of the USA. BOH: Since Austin is one of the fastest-growing metropolises in the country, this is a good bet, although it too will need work. It also avoids competitor-rich Dallas and Houston. We don’t expect it to be the airline’s last mid-continent opportunity.
Which route interests you the most? For us, it’s Florida because both of your editors have family there. We also like Ontario for our second choice.
Beat of Hawaii photo at Diamond Head Oahu.
Howdy from Austin! Mahalo Hawaiian Air-can’t wait to fly on an airline that feels like Aloha for 8hrs non-stop!!
Aloha from Austin!
I am so excited about the Ontario route. We would always have to leave so early to catch a flight from SAN or LAX. That added an additional 2-2 1/2 hour travel time to the already long trip. Ontario us just a short 35 minute commute (if the Cajon pass is clear). Parking is so easy at Ontario. Hopefully they will consider routes to Maui as well.
I’m loving the Austin corridor.
We have lots of Ohana in the Round Rock, Lago Vista Texas area!
Very wise strategy on Hawai’ian Airline’s part.
Mega Mahalo to you guys for ALWAYS giving others a huge serving of hope and a side of smiles 🌺
Much Aloha
Hi Pam.
Glad that Austin will be useful for you. Thanks, as always, for your kind words.
Aloha.
If normalcy ever returns then the Ontario route is a game changer for us!! I see it’s only a one way offering now and only to Hnl but hopefully it becomes a regular all Hawaii destinations Time will tell. But still the daily changing rules of the govt have killed our desire to fly there
Mahalo
All these Maui routes are illusionary at best. I have twice booked direct flights from Las Vegas to Maui only to see them vanish from the schedule as my travel date approached and HA change my flight to go through Oahu which is totally unacceptable. I don’t trust Hawaiian Airlines to follow through with these March schedules at all. I know they have the Covid 19 excuse but I think they should wait until they can be sure that they can fill their regular routes before adding more.
The Orlando route is interesting. That will be interesting on how SWA will deal with the competition. You can fly out from MCO to Hawaii but when you return you have an overnight stay. This will probably not happen with HA. Any indication that a flight to Maui is in the future from MCO?
Merci beaucoup
Hi Richard.
Any further expansion from Orlando is highly unlikely.
Aloha.
We would love to see direct flights from Seattle to Lihue or Everett to Lihue on Hawaiian!
Austin? Losing out on the Dallas market.
I’ll keep Southwest and free bags out of Dallas, as will most others.
Would have loved more competition here.
Enjoy the connecting flight and hour + layover on SWA. Those in Austin will enjoy a direct flight with better service.
Great news for Hawaiian Airlines! We’re keeping fingers crossed for Denver!
I walk in the mornings by Lihue Airport,,have for decades-now,as in after Hurricane Iniki,9-11.the many hurricane warnings that left Kauai residents with little air transportation,I feel very emotional and grateful towards Hawaiian Airlines ,when I see their flights either land or depart, for their committed services;and am happy to see these new routes,; bringing new visitors to Hawaii -thank you
Hi Jeanne.
Thanks. We get it. It is an eerie silence not hearing more planes taking off and landing.
Aloha.
Jeanne,
I live on Maui and even I have to admit that the sky, while I was driving from Kihei to Kahului during the 7 month hiatus, seemed empty. I never appreciated those 2 or 3 planes that flew over me on their way to land. And if my errands took me next to airport fields-ho!- I never knew so many, many rental
Cars on this island!