A point of great contention is whether adding a massive number of flights and new visitors, courtesy of Southwest, has been a good thing or bad for Hawaii. The responses we’ve seen here have varied considerably. From tremendous interest and anticipation before and during their arrival to a great deal of push-back in times since that 2019 launch. Here are some thoughts to get started. We’re excited to hear your input too.
On the positive side of Southwest Hawaii.
Prices from competitive destinations where Southwest Hawaii flights originate are among the cheapest anywhere and lower than we’ve seen in Hawaii in decades. That benefits us residents as much as it does visitors. It opened up new routes that had never existed for Hawaii visitors and brought others down to a very reasonable cost, sometimes less than $100 each way.
Honestly, residents, including us, had long ago given up on the idea of reasonably priced day trips to visit friends and family, go to appointments, or go shopping on other islands. Or visiting the mainland without high airfare costs. These flights had gotten to the point where they were just too expensive for many of us here. Since Southwest arrived, however, we are doing that traveling once again. If it hadn’t been for Southwest, interisland flights would cost multiple times more than they do now. There’s no doubt about that.
Not only that, but as we shared when we first tried and reviewed it, Southwest offers a high-quality Hawaii economy product that is arguably as good as or better than its competitors.
On the not-so-positive side of Southwest Hawaii.
Many more visitors are arriving, partly due to the presence of Southwest and the unending post-Covid Hawaii travel resurgence. Primarily as a result of their entry into Hawaii, the number of domestic airline seats has risen 20% compared to pre-Covid. Wow! That is according to the state Department of Business, Economic Development & Tourism (DBEDT). It has brought Hawaii to the brink of inability to manage visitors, given the lack of proper infrastructure in Hawaii. From traffic and beaches to restaurants and more, coping with the sheer numbers is challenging.
Is any of this a reason to point fingers at Southwest? We’d say not. If Southwest had gotten to Hawaii sooner, which they would certainly have liked to have done, they’d have been part of the mix before it became so contentious. It seems mainly coincidental to us, their delayed timing, Covid, Hawaii over tourism, and revenge travel.
Southwest does things differently.
Southwest does things differently. They always have, and they always will. It starts with buying tickets, which can only be seen on the Southwest website. For example, other airlines list their airfares on Expedia, Booking, and Google Flights. Then too, you do not get assigned seats. That’s different and something that took some getting used to for us newbies. That aspect continues when you check in 24 hours in advance and receive a boarding position. And at the airport, when you line up by that position and march onto the plane in order with others in your same boarding group. It continues with an undifferentiated one-class economy, its own take on “snacks,” unique flight attendants, and more.
Also, while we have seen no data to support this, you’ve said in countless comments that Southwest is bringing different visitors to Hawaii than the legacy airlines flying here. Many more may be first-time Hawaii visitors, and they could also be ultra-economy paradigm visitors, which Hawaii infamously now shuns. Again, that is simply a hypothesis.
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WE Love Southwest because they offer us day flights back to the mainland. We hate night flights!!! There’s a Lot of us baby boomers that prefer day flights! We’re no longer loyal to Delta!
disagree with your assessment of flight attendants being lackluster on Hawaiian. I flew Hawaiian a few years ago and it could not have been better. We flew economy. We are discussing going back to a different island and wont even call Southwest ( not that I have anything against them) I just know Hawaiian was a good experience and I feel it would be the same.
Aloha. I think saying southwest brings a “different type of visitor” is a bit unfair. I am a SWA stockholder, 28 year loyal customer, and proud parent of a SWA employee. Southwest’s entire culture is like Hawaii’s. Courtesy and respect are values drilled into every SWA employee. SWA cant nessecarily pick their customers, but they have no tolerance for snotty, unruly, or belligerent people. If you look at the incidents of rotten customers aboard airlines, no airlines are immune to the growing trend of entitled customers acting out on planes. It is reasonable to assume that good passengers make good visitors, and I believe Southwest provides both. Southwest treats all customers equally.(respectfully) Kamaaiana reciprocating??
DanJ,
You got it right.SWA is a great airline. A few bumps this holiday, but I think it was a wake-up call. A call that that will result in astonishing improvements that will shock their competitors.
Absolutely, I couldn’t have said it better.
SWA has a lot of good attributes and a history of taking good care of employees and passengers alike. But they are not the airline Herb created. They demonstrated a lot of arrogance with their predatory approach to the market…they came here throwing stones and not showing respect, so they certainly haven’t earned it. A ticket bought on Hawaiian supports the local economy, not so with SWA. That revenue leaves the state. Their inter island operation is also dispatched, maintained and crewed from the mainland. That creates all kinds of issues and not just when weather on the mainland disrupts their schedule. The list goes on, buy local fly local.
Just to be clear, I’m retired from the airline industry after a 40 year career and well connected here in Hawaii. When SWA started flying to Hawaii a well circulated photo of a large ceramic shark painted in SWA colors trying to devour two small fish painted in Alaska and HA colors adorned their office wall in OAK. Just because they smile, tell jokes and pat each other on the back doesn’t negate their true colors of predatory and arrogant behavior. Their marketing has been one of cultural appropriation and disrespect. DanJ, that’s typical SWA mentality asking if the people of Hawaii are being properly respectful of SWA. Auwe!
Your self-proclaimed qualifications seem to preclude any opinion.
Why bother?
Best of luck.
One of the joys of being retired is you get to cherry pick what’s interesting to you. I still enjoy staying connecting to the industry without the burden of employment!
Southwest made me visit my family in the Big Island more often. The low fares were really helpful when I had to go back and forth Honolulu and Hilo when my dad fell ill and was traveling 2x a week for about a month and with 2 free check in bags I was able to bring in boxes of frozen fish for the parents
Aloha. A fair treatment of Southwest. Thank you for objectivity in journalism!
Hi Dan.
Thanks for that.
Aloha.
I sure wouldn’t take Southwest to Hawaii. Hawaiian Airlines dores the job perfectly for me. No desire to change.
Southwest has been nothing but a nuisance to the state and major contributor to unsustainable tourism (SWA Effect). Looking forward to the day they will give up on Hawaii, just as they did with Newark. Southwest planes are planes are empty nowadays anyways in comparison to HAL interisland.
Why should they stop serving their customers?
Reminder: Hawaii is one of the 50 states and SWA and HA get to serve Americans wherever they are authorized to operate.
Try to not be a jingoist.
My husband and I flew SW from Nashville to Lihue. All flights were on time and the experience was as awesome as flying previously with other airlines. No complaints from us and the price was right!
I am typing this on a SWA flight from Vegas to Lihue. Was on-time departure. Flight is nearly 100% full. Very few face masks (this was a topic of a recent BoH post). Whether this planeload of people is “good or bad for Hawaii” … well, I suppose that depends on whether another plane load of people is good or bad. Personally, I’m planning to make the Bistro Happy hour later this afternoon, after a quick pit stop at Costco for gas. So, it’s good for David B.
We’ve been using SW for a while now, mainly because of their routing. What I have noticed is there are many more native Polynesian people on their flights than other airlines. A few days ago I was looking at SW into the Caribbean, they have maybe ten destinations there all out of Dallas. All of their flights into the Caribbean are very hit and miss. I called SW services and asked why their flights into Hawaii are better scheduling than the Caribbean. He said that they (SW) had put a lot of time and effort into setting up their Hawaii program (years).
It’s better to have southwest for the lower airline fare it offers and more cash to spend while in Hawaii
Mahalo Southwest for entering the Hawaiian market, may you prosper
Aloha!!
Hawaiian has offshore maintenance in a foreign country. That is very iffy for critical things on an airplane.
No oversight!
Hawaiian has been having some major mechanical issues lately.
Not sure if you are mixing up the issue SWA has with it’s Mechanic’s Union over SWA outsourcing it’s maint. to San Salvador (google it), but your post has little basis in any reality. Fact is HA has the leading 717 maint facility in the world based in Hawaii and SWA operates their inter island fleet with no where near that level of support.
“Last year, Hawaiian Airlines signed an expanded airframe maintenance agreement with Singapore-based SIAEC. The company is doing heavy maintenance checks and painting for the company’s A330 widebody fleet. Hawaiian flies the planes some 13 hours to Singapore to be able to have the work done there rather than in the U.S.Oct 8, 2022” Source – Google Search
Many US airlines do heavy maintenance outside the US
Nearly ALL U.S. airlines do this … and while I do NOT agree with the policy — and believe me, I don’t as I’m a former commercial airline pilot, based in HNL for years, and experienced some of the slip-shod maintenance results that came about as a result of using foreign/overseas maintenance facilities — but remember — it’s all about the $$$$$$$
And one constant — even in the airlines: you get what you pay for … no matter what the airline.
And that’s why I choose to not fly airlines such as SWA … even turned down job offers with two of them a long time ago. And it was basically because I do not like the “cattle car” concept of airline flying. Again, you get what you pay for …
Southwest has had a positive influence on Hawaii. We can travel at a reasonable price. Go to other islands for medical reasons.
Hawaiian was charging outrageous prices to travel for medical issues.
No more Monopoly!
Yes sir at lease the locals can now afford to take there and grandkids to family functions and family reunions on other islands and most of all,2 bags or coolers free!!!!! Thank you SWA for saving us the Hawaiians and local families.Mahalo ! Mahalo…..
I remember when aloha ended service 2008.
United had a program where $3000 buys 10 round trips. That ended too. Then prices increased 3x on all other carriers.
If Hawaii wants business, SWA is good for Hawaii
Lately I’ve been seeing a bunch of new Hawaiian Air commercials on television and the web. Aren’t they contributing to over tourism as well with their marketing of visiting Hawai’i on their airlines too?
Of course not. They are ‘local’ and can do no wrong.
When we fly to Hawaii from the mainland I NEVER check to see what their home state is. Never We usually fly Hawaiian because they have the only nonstop flight from Ontario. However, it’s a narrow body with sky high fares.
Like I say Rod, Hawaii is more special to some then others and some people feel more supportive of that then others.
It’s not about “local can do no wrong”, it’s about respect for what Hawaii is and appreciating that.
Overtourism is because of cheap and direct flights to the various islands that SW and other low cost carriers provides. This has been detrimental in so many ways. Hawaiian is a local airline providing jobs and supporting local businesses (food, beverage, etc). Their profits stay in Hawaii. They pay Hawaii taxes that support our schools and other infrastructures. They provide Hawaii residents with good paying jobs so that they can afford to live in Hawaii. SW profits leave the islands. Hawaiian supports the community. Yes their ticket price may be slightly more but if we want our beaches and hiking trails to be less crowded we need to have some kind of deterrent to lower the number of tourist. It is very sad what’s happen to our aina.
Just pointing out that SW hires local people to work at the Hawaiian airports. Gate agents, customer service, baggage handlers, ramp workers…all employed by SW and provided with great benefits including medical, dental, competitive wage and flight benefits. SW pays local hotels a guaranteed rate to house flight crews 365 days a year and pay limo companies to get those flight crews back and forth many times a day. SW presence has created a significant number of jobs for local people. That’s a good thing in a tough economy!
I’m no fan of SWA however I agree the competition is good. HA without inter island competition charged as much as SWA does on the mainland were they lack competition.
(price a ticket from Islip to BWI)
I think HA’s losses are actually more from the slow return of the Japan market, they loose a lot more money flying an A330 empty back and forth to Japan then they do filling up a 717 with cheap tickets. CEO was on TV addressing this. HA has a 22 point higher load factor inter island and has a much higher yield from the tickets than SWA does.
Lot’s of operational problems surrounding SWA Inter Island but the competition is good.
Bottom line though is SWA has been predatory and aggressive and takes money from the Hawaii economy while HA supports Hawaii and the people that live here. Enjoy the fare war and support Hawaii by flying Hawaiian is my take.
SWA could disappear tomorrow and another airline would see gold and move in. That’s the nature of capitalism.
And HA is no angel. First like others, they will exploit a market/route where there is no competition or weak competition. With high prices or poor service. Even with competition, look at their first class product from Ontario and other mainland places.
Also ask what role they had in the demise of Aloha, a minority owned airline.
Rod, you’ve done a good job of highlighting the different perspectives on this issue. Some think Hawaiian local institutions and the people that live here are important, others think it is of little importance. Not right or wrong, just different perspectives. SWA has treated Hawaii like it’s just another Orlando or Las Vegas. They have a very different perspective on Hawaii then many of the people that live here do.
SWA wants to conduct business where there is a demand. Another las vegas or olando? Is it necessary to say that?
Absolutely. They entered the market as they did in those places. They flood it with a lot of flights and cheap fares to stimulate demand. It’s called the “SWA Effect”. Hawaii does not need or want that. Maui has been crushed by it.
Enjoy the low fares while they last. Hawaiian is the only american airline that’s still in the red financially and doesn’t have a real plan to get out. Hawaiian could stop flying interisland and maybe get back to profitable. Southwest will bleed them out and then raise interisland fares like any other monopoly. We probably have less than 24 months to enjoy it. Sustainable competition is great. Squeezing out all competition only benefits Southwest.
Southwest is Great for Hawaii keeps Hawaiian airlines
From over charging for a 45 mins island hop.
I agree that Hawaii tourism is unmanageable. For both residents/businesses and the tourists themselves. I’m not sure it’s legal but maybe a limit on daily visitors to Hawaii rather than the unlimited amount only limited by number of seats and flights. This would benefit the tourist in that they wouldn’t have to be fighting others for seats at a restaurant or seats on a boat or having to make reservations a year in advance. Then perhaps the locals would not have such negative feelings toward tourists because they’ve been overrun by them.
Yah just like disneyland. They limit the number of visiters they have a capcity.
I have been to Hawaii many times, & yes it was expensive, but now it is super expensive. But the grocery prices are out of control. I am spending 32 days here, I don’t think I’ll be back. There are other places where my money will go further. Sorry, but you have priced regular people out of this market.
Southwest Airlines has two incredible things going for it! The first one is that you can cancel at the last minute and with Covid and all the other stuff going on that’s important for my family. Secondly, you get two free bags which we can load up with souvenirs bought with all that money we’ve saved! Thank you BOH for all of the information you provided all of us!
To heck with Hawaiian Air, I’ll fly Southwest over Hawaiian all day long. Hawaiian has used inter-island fees to pad their other flights and have ripped off the state residence for a long time.
My trick to flying on SWA to Hawaii is to have one person book all those going. We have a family of six so by doing that we all fly on one confirmation number. When confirming 24hrs before departure we get assigned our six positions together. IE: A 16 thru 22. It has worked for the last eight times leaving out of Vegas.
My wife and I are older and have no interest in unassigned seating
so we will never fly SW. We are long time loyal HA customers.
Competitive capitalism is a mixed bag both good and bad.
Right now there are short term benefits which may later become long term negatives.
A decade or more ago, my wife wanted to go to Kauai. We looked at all of the options and schedules, but we would have had to change planes at HNL. Hawaiian wanted as much to go from HNL to Kauai as they did to go to HNL from the west coast.
I Love Hawaiian. Great service. However, they brought this on themselves. I don’t feel sorry for them. Now, they need to adjust how they do business to keep up with the competition. This keeps things fresh for the consumer. Offer a better product at a competitive price and the consumer will choose you. Southwest offers free checked bags, while Hawaiian, Alaska, all the others, have their hand out. I’m retired. Pinching pennies is my new job. I don’t think I’m alone in that.
Competition and lower prices are good.
I will never again fly SW Airlines. They cancel flights with zero warning, nor rhyme nor reason (threatened pilot strike… Not stated… My K.C. to PHX planned trip 2021), lately the Mauna Loa eruption which affected nothing in Hilo’s airspace and other airlines continued on… Most recently their Christmas 2022 fiasco). SWA is a cattle-car / folks fighting for every seat. I want to choose my own seat in advance, Thanks.
Now SWA seems to want to drive others (HAL) into bankruptcy, like Mesa airlines (aka Go Airlines) did to Aloha Airlines… making HAL lose $100 Million last year.
Aloha! This is our first flight, out of about 10 visits, that we’ll use Southwest. They offered the better flight price at the time I purchased. I think the highest we’ve paid, one time, was about $198 each way. I usually pay closer to $135 each way, & that’s when we’ve used Delta, Hawaiian, Alaska, American, & the first flight on Aloha @ $125 each way. In all we’ve only has one terribly long flight, on Hawaiian when we had to fly around a storm. I’m a thrifty flyer so we can enjoy what the island offers. Aloha!
I talked with Amanda Hawaiian Airlines employee about Southwest coming to the islands. They were unconcerned because Hawaiian didn’t need to compete with southwest. We were paying $300-$500 to fly to Oahu from Sacraments. We counted down the day till Southwest came to Oahu. Hawaiian made the mistake of thinking they didn’t need to be competitive. It’s the same old store p. Do Hawaiian executes know how much a gallon of milk costs or a dozen eggs? I don’t know—just my opinion.
As a regular, decades long annual visitor, I was happy to see SWA offer strong competition to the always overpriced Hawaiian Airlines.
Totally agree. If Southwest wasn’t here, the locals would be screwed. Hawaiian would be overcharging us right now. Look, they drove Island Air out of business, then shafted the people of Molokai and Lanai. What’s all the crying about? Southwest is here, and Southwest is good for the people of Hawaii period!
$39 fares are not sustainable. The airlines know this. SW has large pockets and has the ability to wait out and watch HA go bankrupt.
At that point, SW would rid the island of non-sustainable $39 fares.
SW does not offer a product that interests me. One class flying blows IMHO. I like what HA offers. Their frequent flyer program allows me to get free upgrades and make offers for upgraded travel.
SW will never offer the flying experience that I like.
Competition is good in a free market economy, but predatory competition is not good for anyone.
Thank you, Gentlemen
Nice to have a choice.. What is HA without SW.. a monopoly. Never good.
They need to upgrade their computer systems when they add new routes.
Are you suggesting that SWA does not keep Hawaii on linbe routes current? Not my experience.
I believe a more significant way to look at the lower fair, visitor, is by spending less on travel, we can put those dollars into the Hawaiian economy, during our stay. We can enjoy more of the beautiful sights Hawaii has to offer! It is our favorite destination!
Capitalism and competition at its finest. Only Hawaii would find a negative in $39 inter island flights.
Bottom line: Southwest permits travel without being overcharged for inter island fares. Hawaiian Air cheated us for years without inter island competition. SWA did not bring more people. People come because they choose to. Overall, real estate interests in the islands consistently expand and build. Citizens of Hawaii have control over expansion or the lack thereof. Blaming SWA for more travelers is obtuse thinking. The airlines do not create the travel demand but merely react to the opportunities.
If it wasn’t for Southwest, my family would rarely get to any of the Hawaiian islands. We love spending our money in Hawaii and love the people there and with competitive pricing, we can visit more often.
Why is someone creating a controversy about normal economics, capitalism at its best. Who ever put forth this is ignoring the other players in the game american, delta and alaska. Granted they don’t do inter island but didn’t Hawaiian drive out Aloha Airlines? If you really need to worry about a true monopoly look at HECO as they have most of the islands.
SW is a budget airline without budget prices. Their mainland flights are just as expensive as any other airline but you get poor to nothing service. They’re out of their league being it’s the longest route they fly and it shows. Always dirty bathrooms, that they don’t require the flight attendants to upkeep. (I know becuase I asked SW directly) A nightmare of an experience boarding even if you purchase their business class. SW needs to reimagine thier future in Hawaii. And the people of Hawaii need to realize SW will just choke out the decent airlines and we’ll be stuck paying more for less! Loose money on SW!!Alaska, United, American and Hawaiian offer more value than SW will ever have as a ‘budget’ airline. Please spend your money wisely
GO! did predatory pricing and drive out Aloha, not Hawaiian. Hawaiian actually won $50 million from Mesa airlines, GO!’s parent company.