Putting Hawaii travel costs in perspective. From the Honolulu Clipper take off to today’s landing.
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192 thoughts on “Prices Went From $5,500 To $99 As Air Travel Reshaped Hawaii”
Putting Hawaii travel costs in perspective. From the Honolulu Clipper take off to today’s landing.
Get Breaking Hawaii Travel News
Our first flight to Hawaii was more recent, in May 2022.
We flew on Alaska Air from ORD to HNL. It was part of a package that included airfare, 7 nights at the Waikiki Resort Hotel & a rental car, & the total price was about $2700.00 with taxes & fees. I think the airfare part of that was about $1100.00 for the 2 of us.
We had wanted to visit Hawaii for some time but it seemed cost-prohibitive. Then I found a travel site affiliated with AAFES, & on a lark searched some vacation packages. Finding this we decided to go for it, & the trip was wonderful!
August 1980. United Airlines. My ticket was about $300.
1st time over was in ’54 on the S.S. Lurline. What a Great trip for a 7 year old boy. The 2nd was 2 years later on a NWA DC-6 after Dad was out of the Army. The pilots invited me into the cockpit for about an hour. Right then, I decided that’s what I wanted to do for the rest of my life. So between my years flying in the USN, two airlines and being HNL based for years, I’ve made literally 100’s of trips in/out of “Paradise”.
In the ’50s, Grandpa played checkers with his local buddies at Kuhio Beach, swapping sea stories and lies with them. Mom met Duke Kahanamoku and got a few “surfing lessons” from his “Waikiki Beach Boys”.
Great times. I still miss the “old Waikiki” of the ’50s and ’60s …
Thank you for your service!
On my wall I have two very nice black and white pictures of the “Hawaii Clipper’s” first flight out of Pearl Harbor. These were taken by Tai Sing Loo who photographed many events at Pearl Harbor and around Hawaii. I got them from my uncle who got them from my grandfather who lived in Aiea Heights.
One is of the plane accelerating on the water, the other is of the plane moored to the dock and draped with leis. A young girl also covered in leis is sitting on the nose with “Hawaii Clipper” clearly visible below her.
The newspaper article taped to the back of the picture states that the flight left San Francisco on it’s way to Honolulu on November 22, 1935. It arrived in Hawaii the next day, November 23, 1935.
Dec 1975 and I had just turned 18. I came over by myself and received the flight and stay in kauai at coco palms as a Xmas gift from the firm I worked for. What a sweet gift! I instantly fell in love with the islands and have been coming back at least once a year, and sometimes 3x/year to all the different islands for the past 49 years!
My first trip to Honolulu was not for pleasure. I was in the Navy and flew on a chartered flight from Travis AFB in California. The flight had its first stop in Honolulu. This was in January 1970 and we were dressed in winter wool uniforms. While the stop was brief, I thought this was a special place and was determined to come back some day. The flight left Honolulu and next landed on Wake Island and then on to my stop in Yokota AFB in Japan. I have been fortunate to have been able to return to the islands twelve times since. Aloha.
Departed pdx in 1969 on a Pan Am DC-8. Went to Oahu and stayed at the Royal Hawaiian Village. Trails with live parrots and little break louge spots on the way to the lagoon. Fresh leis on your pillows every morning you came back to the hotel. Real puka necklaces sold outside the hotel by real native Hawaiians that made them by hand in front of you. Displays of black carved lava statues with gem eyeballs for only 2.75 cents. Homemade french crepes sold with fresh strawberries or pineapple and a ton of whip creme for about 5 bucks in the ala moana shopping center upper floor. My question is really where did that kind of culture dissappear to. Sorry it’s gone.
So eh eh . In other words don’t act hawaiian when your really not.
My Dad, Charles Barnard, was a Captain for United, retiring in 1981. He was on a layover in Honolulu when I was born in 1951. He met my Mom on her first flight as a stewardess on a DC-3. He flew everything between a DC-3 & a 747. Interestingly, his son retired as a Captain for Delta in 2018 & his grandson now flies for United Express.
My first trip to Hawaii was on a Pan Am 747 and a total blast. It was like a party from the moment we got up to altitude. The stews were glamorous and very, very friendly. Most everyone who could drink, was smashed by the time we landed. We deplaned using a large stairway and a few folks stumbled down. At the end of the stairway we were met by beautiful hula dancers and we all got leid. We stayed at the Hilton Kuilima (now Turtle Bay) and they were filming a game show at the hotel where you basically grabbed money and it was hosted by Bob Eubanks. I have returned several times since, but it was a magical time which I will always remember.
My first flight to Hawaii was in 1973 with my parents and younger sister. I’ll never forget being greeted at the airport with fresh leis placed around our necks and the sweet scent of plumeria blossoms in the air. I was so enthralled by the islands that my sister and I moved there during the summer of 1978 with $1,000 in our pockets and a week’s reservations at the Lahainaluna motel. We both found jobs and a place to live within that first week. I ended up staying for almost 8 years before moving back to the mainland. My sister stayed for only 6 months because she wanted to get her degree from the University of Texas. Living on Maui changed my life and my outook on life in a positive way forever.
My first trip to Hawaii was paid for by Queen’s Hospital to work there as a medical student. I returned a year later to be an intern at the hospital. I can’t remember the exact fare but it was less than $500 from Newark to Honolulu via SF. I would like to steer your attention to inter-island travel over the next 5 years that we lived in Hawaii: inter-island air travel. No-one seems to recall Royal Hawaiian Airlines it seems. There will never be another like it. They landed at small airfields throughout the islands. We’d fly at levels that allowed us to see waterfalls and other beautiful views. They had their own airfield just beyond Lahaina. It was truly NO KA OI
Hi Allen.
We’ve published a number of articles that include Royal Hawaiian if you care to use our website search.
Aloha.
My first flight was from Travis AFB to Hickham AFB in 1984 as part of a C-130B crew. Soooo much better flying direct from DFW to OGG on a 787 .
I was a flight attendant for Pan Am and later for United. Loved my island flying!!!! Spent my last ten years flying trips to Kona. Will be going to Maui next year! Miss my islands!!
My husband graduated from UH in 1973 and always loved the islands. It was only natural that when we married in 1999 he took me to all the islands on two separate trips. He then asked me which island was my favorite. I chose Kauai, so we bought a condo on the north shore. We loved it for many years before having to sell due to unforeseen circumstances. Traveling from Florida became difficult as we were visiting twice a year. We still travel to the islands every year but mostly to Kauai. Occasionally we’ll stop in Honolulu so he can walk around the UH campus. It’s so beautiful there, but my love for Kauai will never wane.
BOH, I found like I found a friend that I can Finally share my deep deep love of the islands! This is such a wonderful site. I just loved reading the experiences below! So very nice to share. My first trip was in 1973!. I studied Hawaiian history for 10 years before borrowing a backpack and hiking all the islands. What a wonderful experience. I can’t say that I was a hippy, but I just wanted to really know the land and meet such wonderful locals. I do remember having my backpack taken from a beach on Kauai so flew onto Maui, where the AAA owner/manager helped me replace travel checks, then took 3 of us for a tour to show us safe places to camp. There was only One hotel on West Maui then. All Wonderful Islands! Great Memories!
Our first of several trips from Atlanta to Hawaii was our 1978 Honeymoon trip. We paid for it with a Gulf Oil credit card. A lot has changed since then, both for us and Hawaii. Aloha.
I first went to Hawaii in 1998 and have been going back every year some times twice a year will be flying over on 17th November from Australia I just fell in love with Aloha and its beauty still takes my breath away my favourite island is Kauai and my favourite town was Lahaina I still can’t believe all these shops and building have gone
My first trip to Hawaii was a belated honeymoon in 1964. When it was time to leave Oahu I said to my husband “I want to live here.”….he said “Are you crazy, we don’t know anyone here.” I said “Something inside of me feels like this is where I belong.” We went back to Detroit and immediately put in a transfer with his company United Airlines and 6 weeks later we were living in Hawaii. Later, we adopted two local babies and although my husband left us after 12 years, I raised my daughters alone and spent 45 years living in paradise before moving to the mainland to care for my elderly parents. Hawaii will always be Home! I still read Beat of Hawaii in my email.
The best way at this point and time to get travelers back to Maui is simple.Lower airfare and Lower accommodations. It’s far to expensive in this economy.Its the perfect strategy. San Diego vacation cost less then half then Hawaii.We went Sept 4th family of 6.Enjoyed emmensely yet all agree it was to expensive.
My first trip was with my family in 1968 to Oahu from Alaska. My dad had been stationed in Hawaii from 1961 to 1964 and my mom always wanted to see it. I was young, but I can remember the smell of tropical flowers filled the air when we deplaned. It was magic.
Fast forward to present day and both my mom and I have lived on Maui, she in Kula and I in Lahaina, for the last 13 years. Every day here is a blessing.
1976
My first flight to Hawaii (Oahu) occured in October 1976. Fresh out of US Army boot camp, I was travelling to my duty station at Schofield Barracks. It was a U ited Airlines DC-10 wide body with two aisles. Not sure of the cost as Uncle Sam was footing the bill. My three year posting in Hawaii led to my ‘affliction’ for the islands. I now return to Maui quarterly each year. It’s all good.
My dad made a career move to work as an attorney for Dole right after I was born, so we flew as a family of five to Oahu from CA in 1964, after a road trip from NY to California. I’m just now understanding what a bold move was made by my parents. This includes the cost of the plane tickets, the acceptance of a whole new culture at school for my brothers, and living beyond a continent away from anyone we knew, including our grandparents.
We really enjoy the Beat of Hawaii. Thank you. Our first flight to Hawaii was in June, 1974 on a Northwest Orient Airlines Boeing 747. We were thrilled to be on such an enormous airplane. The round trip tickets for the two of us cost $487.80. After 20+ flights to Hawaii I don’t pay much attention to the airplane but way back when it was such an adventure.
Hi Danelle.
Thanks. It fascinating for us to read so many comments representing a plethora of experiences in the islands over many years.
Aloha.
My family moved by ship to Hawaii in 1954. I remember sometimes going to the airport to watch the planes land and take off in late 50s.
All that separated boarding passengers and planes was 3′ chain link fence. Walk across runway. Almost like in Bogart film Casablanca.
Remember real meals free on plane. Pilot would give Kids wings. From 1956 to 2005 flew periodically, went from prop to jet, interisland and mainland saw major changes.
My first flight to Hawaii was in 1966….when my mom, three siblings and I flew on Braniff from SFO. We had to spend a night in Hawaii before continuing our flight to Guam and then the Philippine. My dad’s submarine was moved from San Diego to Subic Bay. That B-707 looked so huge to my six-year old eyes! Thirteen years later I returned to Hawaii for a wedding…on a Western Airlines Boeing 707.
Mahalo for writing and sharing this well-informed and entertaining article with us. I love your historical articles about Hawaii and aviation. Glad to hear that you are both doing well.
Aloha
Hi Debi.
Thank you! We appreciate you being a part of this for more than five years.
Aloha.
First flight to Hawaii was in August 1969, Pan Am 707, LAX to HNL, one way $75. Flight to Maui was prop Hawaiian Airlines, cost about $10.
I remember the free pineapple juice dispenser at HNL. Had to walk pretty far through the parking lots to Hawaiian inter island terminal.
Are you Margo’s husband?
I wasn’t very clear in my question….If so I know you guys from the Hansen/OP days! 🙂 Aloha!
Aloha and mahalo for the brief history. Would you have any idea how that plane was brought to Hawaii in 1910 that was the first flight ever in the Islands. Thank you for all your info.
Hi Mike.
We don’t know the answer but perhaps fellow aviation buffs here will lend a hand.
Aloha.
My first flight to Hawaii was with the Air Force in 1968. I worked in a KC-135 tanker unit that ferried fighter jets to Southeast Asia during the Vietnam war. Fellow officers had told me about the deadly Mai Tai’s in Hawaii, so after we landed at Hickam AFB, checked into the BOQ, changed out of our flight suits into “civvies”, we headed to the O’Club for cocktails and dinner. Being a brash Lieutenant at the time, I bellied up to the bar and proudly ordered a Mai Tai. “Pretty tasty”, I thought as I downed the drink like it was a can of soda. When we were called for dinner, I got off the barstool and…. almost fell on my ass! Lesson learned. I flew to Hawaii so many times during the war I should qualify for Kamaaina fares.
Mike here’s two site for ya should have the info you want.
Bob B
airandspace.si.edu/exhibitions/hawaii-by-air/online/early-flights/crossing-the-pacific.cfm#:~:text=The%20Navy%27s%20Ordeal%20at%20Sea%20The%20Navy%20decided,31%2C%201925%20from%20the%20waters%20near%20San%20Francisco.
aviation.hawaii.gov/aviation-photos/1910-1919/
I wish I could click on that first link (covered by an ad; once I got rid of the ad, it still wouldn’t click/copy) — I just saw what I swear was one of the Pan-Am Hawaiian Clippers on display at the Udvar-Hazy Smithsonian annex in DC.
So far this is all I found will have more time to research tomorrow.
airandspace.si.edu/collection-objects/sikorsky-jrs-1/nasm_A19610112000
There is a company in Carson City NV that restores the military twin engine Albatross amphibians.
I remember when they used to fly up to Lake Tahoe, land out in the middle of the Lake, party awhile, then fly back to Carson City.
Most likely brought to HI as deck cargo on a freighter or broken down then reassembled in HI
Bob B.
On Dec 19, 1910, Whipple Hall, an agent for Curtiss Aircraft arrived in Honolulu aboard the S.S.Manchuria (Pacific Mail Steamship Company out of SFO). He announced that within a week two airplanes and men to fly them would arrive by ship.
On Dec 27, 1910, J. C. “Bud” Mars, a company demo pilot, arrived on the S.S. Wilhelmina (Matson Line). The strange looking metal birds were taken to Samuel Damon’s Moanalua polo field for assembly. Each was a pusher craft with propeller and engine behind the pilot.
Soon after 2 pm, Dec 31, 1910, the group finished preparations and Mars climbed aboard the Curtiss B-18 biplane. It took Mars nine seconds to get airborne. Thousands of people burst into shouts of approval … guess they liked it.
My first flight to Hawaii was from San Francisco to Honolulu in 1983, when I was 5 years old. I don’t recall much about the flight other than it was on United Airlines and took a long time (probably on a 747). I do recall that we took a United DC-8 the following year nonstop to Kahului, which was not common at the time. I liked the little packs of Mauna Loa macadamia nuts United handed out as snacks in those days (which you can still find at stores like Foodland).
Mauna Loa macadamia nuts thought they were “unique” I bought 4 cans while on Maui in 2000. Took to UPS to ship back to the mainland, no room in luggage. So cost $45 to ship them back to the mainland. When we landed back in San Francisco, I saw the same cans of nuts at half the price we paid on Maui already on the mainland, lesson learned!
My brief comments two months ago on my first trip to Hawaii weren’t entirely accurate. Having read some of the unforgettable stories the past few days, I want to fill in the details on that trip.
In the summer of 1962 when we were sixteen, my best friend, Gary, and took our first plane trip, the “Pink Cloud Flight”, on a four-engine prop plane out of Los Angeles to Honolulu. The plan was for us to stay with my uncle in Kailua and work at his building materials business. That changed the second day when my uncle told us he already had enough “yard men” and, instead, we were going to paint his house. Plus, we weren’t going to stay at his house and he had arranged other living quarters for us with a friend. That friend happened to be Don Lord, owner of Lord’s at Lanikai.
Behind the steakhouse/bar was a shack attached to a rental room which was already occupied. We got the shack for 50 cents a day. Don was an unforgettable, somewhat notorious character. We got steak dinners for hauling his trash to the dump. His clientele mostly consisted of USMC pilots from the Kaneohe Air Station, and their dates. They wanted us to play our guitars and sing, but we were too intimated – a real missed opportunity.
There are other stories, but all in all, it was a dream trip. During the week, my uncle let us use his second car, a 1957 Chevy Nomad wagon with a 3-speed shift on the column – perfect for hauling surfboards and checking out Honolulu.
Gary and I talked about not going back to California, but just couldn’t come up with a viable plan. His dad would have come after us and that wouldn’t have been pretty.
We stayed most of the summer. My uncle got what he paid for in house-painting. In 1969 when my naval ship stopped in Pearl on the way to pick up Apollo 10, Uncle Bob toured the ship, then took me over the Pali Highway for a night at his house. I noticed it had a very professional paint job with no signs of our hard work!
Thanks for the opportunity to share this.
My parents took me to Honolulu on a plane in about 1955 when I was 10 years old. I remember there was a lounge at the back – circular Naugahyde covered bench seating with a table in the center. I remember my parents were served mixed cocktails. We heard a rattling noise above us and were really scared. The stewardess told us not to worry, but we did. VERY exciting for me to be in a plane for the first time. We took the “Lurline” ship back from Honolulu to San Francisco.- also a HUGE thrill and great fun for me.
My husband and I, newly married the year before (with a very tight budget) took an “incentive” trip to Hawaii in 1992 because I joined a health club in Toronto area. We were sure it was a scam and didn’t actually believe we would get there until we got on the plane for the second leg of the journey from Chicago and the pilot announced our expected arrival time in Honolulu.
We had to pay for the hotel for a few days to extend the trip but overall it was a steal. We walked everywhere or took the city bus around Oahu – 60 cents a ride (too young and too frugal to rent a car back then). There was no internet or trip planning back then but fortunately we didn’t have to funds to pay for the “hard sell” tours the incentive company was offering so we didn’t get sucked in. With a copy of Fodors and a lot of wandering we had a magical time.
We fell in love with the Aloha spirit and marvelled how helpful and friendly the locals were. We took the kids in 2012 and hope to go again this December.
First flight to Hawaii, around 1964 on a Pan Am 707 US government charter from Japan. I was around 4 years old. Parents bought a house on the beach in Haleiwa around 1959 and was moving the family so that dad could work at Pearl Harbor.
Hi Alfred.
It’s nice to get to know more about our regulars like you. Thanks for sharing.
Aloha.
TWA, 1975, SFO-HNL, B707-131
Aloha! My first trip to Hawaii was in 1963. My dad was on a game show called 7 Keys and won the grand prize for a trip around the world for two. Yours truly suffered from fever convulsions, so my parents conveyed their concerns in leaving us kids behind. So, they actually offered my dad a trip for 5 to Hawaii instead. We flew on Pan Am, and, in those days, you actually got greeted with free leis upon entering the terminal. Back then, you had to leave your cameras behind to boat over the Arizona. We loved it so much that in 1964 we took my grandparents. My dad took us there every summer for vacation and we continue the tradition. The changes I’ve seen over the years!
When I was 11 years old, December, 1973, my Parent’s and I took a bus from Vancouver British Columbia to Seattle and flew a DC 10 “AirClub International” direct to Honolulu.
During the flight, midway,the plane dropped port sideways, 10,000 feet over the Pacific Ocean. Crystal clear blue sky day, I was in the Port side window seat and remember seeing a Ship on the Ocean through the window.
The Stewardess and her tray of beverages ended up thrown about the cabin as she attempted to get to her seat and belt herself in. Many black eyes and bruises.
The plane righted itself at its lowest point and the passengers kept totally quiet for the last hour of the flight until we landed at Honolulu to which then there was a roar of exhilaration that we made it!
Everyone received a Lei upon disembarking.
It was my very first time on an airplane.
We stayed at the Reef Hotel on Waikiki Beach for 2 weeks.
I did not want to fly back. Neither did my parents.
After a most memorable holiday in “Old Waikiki ” our family gained the courage to fly back to the Mainland just before Christmas.
Since then, I flew Ward Air in 1980 with 15 other high school graduates and spent 2 weeks in Waikiki Beach.
I have taken my wife and children since as well.
Many different experiences on my travels to Oahu and Kauai as well.
I miss the “Old” Hawaii, when things were much less crowded.
Mahalo to Beat of Hawaii, you are a great representation of current and past events of the beautiful Hawaiian Islands.
Mahalo Nui Loa from my Ohana in Powell River, British Columbia, Canada.
Hi Glenn.
Thanks so much. We appreciate you sharing those stories!
Aloha.
My first flight to Hawaii was actually a layover on our way to Tokyo. It was the summer of 1971 and I was 17 years old. What was supposed to be a quick stop for refueling turned into an overnight stay because of bad weather. My mom sisters and I were more than happy to have a stay on Oahu. The airline put us up in the Princess Kaiulani (I think was the name). Wonderful stop over and it made me want to go back. So in 1975 I when I was 21 a friend and I went to visit two islands Oahu and Maui. I fell in love with the island and I’ve been back to Hawaii many times since then. Last time being March 2020. In 2018 I took my 12 year old grandson he too fell in love with the island vibe and I believe he’ll also be visiting Hawaii many more times in his lifetime as well.
Aloha Jeff & Rob!
Great memories!
My first trip to Hawaii/ Kauai was in 1979 on a 747 (I don’t remember the airline).
We landed in Honolulu where I boarded a small commuter plane which landed at Princeville airport.
Stepping off the plane, a lei was placed around my neck by the welcoming airline staff.
I clearly remember feeling the trade winds, & how fragrant the air was. It was absolutely magical.
We stayed at the Kauai Surf Hotel & ate at Club Jetty near Nawiliwili bay (I still have one of their key chains somewhere).
Subsequent trips I stayed in Princeville, & flew in & out of Princeville airport for many years until it shut down to commercial traffic.
Wow, it was so much different then—less crowded, less commercial.
But I still have a love affair with Kauai & have a trip planned for April/May.—can’t wait!
Hi Dayna.
Thanks for sharing your own Kauai experiences. They made us smile.
Aloha.
First trip to Hawaii was u January of 1970. I was working as a Trip Director for the E.F. MacDonald Incentive Travel Company, handling an award trip for agents of the Combined Insurance Company. A few nights at the Hilton Hawaiian Village and a few more at Kauai Surf. That part included some Kauai sightseeing and a lunch stop at Coco Palms. A year and a half later I went to work for Island Holidays Tours and Resorts and had an amazing 15 years of frequent trips to the Islands and many great friends including Lyke and Grace Guslander, and John Defries.
Really appreciate all you do in keeping us up to date regarding Hawaii travel!
Mahalo and Aloha!
Hi Skip.
Thanks for sharing some of your Hawaii stories with us. The post provided a nice way for people on the site to get to know each other better. And thankfully without regard to Covid issues. LOL. We’ve enjoyed it thoroughly. Thanks for your dozens of comments over the past few years.
Aloha.
How long did you work at E.F. MacDonald? I worked as an Account Coordinator there, beginning in 1978. At the moment (sooo many moments later🤣), I don’t remember a T.D. named Skip, so maybe I was after your time. Oh…I’m assuming you were in the S.F. office?
Aloha! Our first trip to Hawai’i was in 2004. Our two tickets cost a total of $500, & we flew with Aloha Airlines. Since then we’ve visited about 10 times, & visited 3 islands. Our last trip, early this year, cost a total for two of us $558 on Alaska Airlines. We love Hawai’i. Aloha!
My Mother and I flew the Pan Am Yankee Clipper in 1960 to visit my grandparents who lived in Waikiki. I know my Grandparent’s sent my mother money for the flight but I don’t know the cost.
They were still using the Clipper Sea planes in 1960 or prop job Electra and “Clipper” in name only?
Wow, thought they were all gone by then. All the original various “Clippers” were seaplanes, stopping at HI, Midway, Wake maybe Guam before getting to the PI then to China or Japan. Back in the day.
My English teacher in HS (1966) was Hawaiian, her dad managed a pineapple plantation, I don’t remember which Island. She invite myself and 4 other upperclassmen to come for a week and live on the plantation during the summer of 1967. The other guys went, I had to stay home and shovel cow poop and milk cows. Have Always regretted not making that trip!
I think there was a typo. The “Yankee Clipper” crashed off the coast of Portugal in 1943. The last of the Pan Am flying boats was scrapped in 1951 and none have survived to this day sadly.