Holiday Travel To Hawaii Is Booming. Can You Still Afford It.

Hawaii at Christmas and New Year’s has always been one of the world’s ultimate getaways. Palm trees instead of pine trees, fireworks over Waikiki, and families reuniting across the islands are part of long-held holiday traditions. Airlines and hotels are aware of this, and they adjust their prices accordingly. If you want Hawaii at Christmas and New Year’s, you are stepping into one of the most competitive and costly travel windows anywhere in the world.

This season, the cost of holiday air travel to Hawaii is shattering records. Economy fares from the West Coast are reaching levels we have never seen before. On some routes, seats are already sold out months in advance. If you thought softer visitor numbers this year meant easier holiday prices, think again. Holiday demand for Hawaii is booming, and travelers are paying the price.

We checked Los Angeles to Kauai for December 27 through January 3 (see above). The cheapest “basic economy” roundtrip was about $1,000. A standard economy fare with seat selection surged to as high as $1,700. That is hundreds more than last year and the highest in memory. For anyone planning to visit Hawaii during the holidays, this is the new normal.

What travelers can do now.

If Hawaii is in your holiday plans, there are still a few ways to avoid paying the very top of the curve. Google Flights just released its 2025 holiday airfare recommendations, and the findings can help.

For Thanksgiving, the lowest fares typically appear around 35 days before departure. For Christmas and New Year’s, the lowest fares usually appear about 51 days before departure. That’s right after the first of November for the end-of-year holidays and late September for Thanksgiving trips.

Flying on Monday through Wednesday averages about 13 percent less than weekend travel, according to Google. Flights with one or more layovers can save approximately 22 percent compared to nonstop flights. Setting alerts can help you catch rare dips when and if they happen.

These tactics will not make Hawaii cheaper, but they could help you avoid paying thousands more than necessary. Waiting until November could mean no seats left at all and, for some dates, that is true already.

Demand is not slowing.

We have noted the slowing arrivals this year compared to prior years and the post-pandemic surge. Hotels have seen softer occupancy in some months, and airfare outside peak periods has been volatile. However, the holidays are different and have always been so.

Flights from San Francisco to Maui for December 20 through 27 are already showing no economy seats available. That is three and a half months ahead of the travel date. It shows that whatever the story for shoulder seasons, the holiday rush remains bulletproof.

The market has not gone quiet, and people are willing and able to spend the money. It has concentrated into the exact windows that matter most, and the pressure is not limited to any one airport. For the same dates, the cheapest basic economy fare from Seattle to Maui was $1,123, with some standard economy fares ranging up to $2,023 nonstop. These numbers make it clear that demand across the West Coast is heating up in tandem.

Why Hawaii holiday travel costs so much.

Hawaii sits in a unique position for U.S. travelers. When school breaks line up with family vacation time, the islands become the obvious perennial choice. Returning residents, military families, celebrities, and high-end travelers all converge in roughly the same two weeks.

Airlines add flights, but it is never enough. Hotels tack on surcharges. Car rentals sell out. The result is predictable. The holiday period is not just busier. It is an entirely different market, and the prices continue to reflect it.

The contradiction of 2025 Hawaii travel.

For much of this year, Hawaii tourism has been described as softer and fluctuating. Some visitor counts are down, and there is ongoing talk of an upcoming correction. And yet this upcoming holiday season travel tells a very different story.

Fares of $1,700 or more in economy, and entire routes sold out months in advance, prove that Hawaii holiday demand is as strong or stronger than ever. This contradiction, softer averages but surging peaks, underscores Hawaii’s unique position in a very different economy. The allure of spending the holidays in the islands remains as strong as it has ever been, even if the rest of the year is wobbling.

The bottom line for Hawaii holiday vacations.

Hawaii holiday travel costs a fortune, and in 2025, it is more expensive than ever. Los Angeles, Bay Area, and Pacific Northwest to all islands on some weekend dates, pushing past $2,000, are just a few examples.

Google’s booking data suggests that if you move quickly, you can still shave off a bit. Quick tip review is to book 35 days before Thanksgiving, 51 days before Christmas, fly midweek, and consider layovers. These tactics will not make Hawaii cheap, but they might help you beat the very worst of high holiday airfare.

Hawaii holiday travel costs more than ever, and that is unlikely to change. For those who dream of spending Christmas in the islands, the challenge is finding a way to book without paying the very top of the market.

What about you? Would you ever pay $2,000 RT for an economy seat to Hawaii at Christmas, or do you skip the islands in December altogether?