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1,796 thoughts on “Southwest Hawaii Stiffens Competition: 11 New Daily Flights Exposed”
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I was making plane reservations with SWA yesterday and mentioned to the gal helping me that the only time I hadn’t flown SWA in recent years is when I went to Hawaii. She suddenly asked who I had flown with, when I had gone, was the trip personal or business, do I fly the route often… Sounded a lot like routine marketing questions. I told her I had heard rumors that SWA was going to be flying there soon since they had acquired over water certified planes. She blurted out, “We can’t wait much more either! We got a lot when we acquired Air Tran”. Then she back pedaled to a more passive tight lipped company line. Sounds like the reservation operators have gotten a few service plan hints too. Interesting…
I’ll be so happy when Southwest offers flights to Hawaii. I’m planning a trip to Hawaii in September 2015, my 10 year anniversary with my wife and I really want to fly southwest with my 86,000+ points. Can’t wait. Come on Southwest. Please get it done before September 2015. Anywhere in Hawaii is fine with me.
Well, I currently live in Houston and will probably be moving to Dallas after college. However, as for being here in Houston, I love going to Hawaii (Maui in particularly) when my family and I go. However, United Airlines is based here in Houston, it’d be awesome and more convenient for me to be able to fly Southwest to Hawaii, I don’t care where the connection would be, it’d be sure to give United a run. I have one question though beat. If the service between LA/Oakland and Honolulu goes well, do you think it might be possible if they start flying to Kahului? Thank you
Hi Rusty,
Unfortunately Southwest seems sidelined at the moment with matters of higher urgency to them than Hawaii. Certainly Kahului would be a possibility for Southwest.
Aloha.
Yes Keith or until we buy another airline…….
Trust me Beat of Hawaii I want this just as much as everyone else does. I flew the 737-800 to Hawaii for ATA Airlines and it’s just not a great aircraft for the job. I wish we had 900ERs but I’m guessing we will wait for us to be the launch customer for the MAX. I think it will com but in due time.
Hi Brian,
Yes we understand that 738 is very limited compared to the MAX or even 757. Anyone with an interest in Hawaii travel, resident or visitor, is pretty desperate for any kind of relief such as the competition that we hope SWA might bring.
Aloha.
Whoever wrote this article did not do their research. For the 737-800 to fly to Hawaii in the Southwest current seat configuration they would have to leave at least 2 rows empty because of fuel and weight restrictions for that distance over water….
If Southwest is going to enter the Hawaii market it wont be until after delivery of its new 737 max’s with first delivery expected sometime in 2017
Hi Keith,
That may well be the case and SWA could went until the new planes to come to Hawaii. It appears that they intended to fly to Hawaii with the 737-800 so some plan must have been in place for using that aircraft.
Aloha.
Beat of Hawaii you are incorrect again. Aloha was the first carrier to do ETOPS in the 737 and that was in 1986 and only from Honolulu to Christmas Islands which is just over 3 hours. Prior to that date they operated longer flights but in a DC 10 to which ETOPS was not applicable because it had 3 engines. It wasn’t until 2000 that they operated to the mainland with 180 minute approval.
Josh that is possible however at that time we will be the launch customer for the 737-700 MAX. Completely new ballgame. Or if we hit our 15% ROIC there very well could be another airline acquired.
Hi Brian,
Thanks for the correction.
Aloha.
Brian your response was perfect, you might hear an announcement next year but realistically it will be closer to 2017 before the first flight to the island. Until then I will dream and keep my fingers crossed. Aloha
Well that’s only correct if you are flying an aircraft like the B757 or larger where there are 5 or even 6 separate sources of electrical power, 3 separate hydraulic power and 2 independent fuel crossed valves. There are a few more items but I won’t bring those up. In the case of the B737 where there are only 3 sources of electric power including having to run the APU the entire flight, only 2 sources of hydraulic power and only a singly fuel crossed valve it usually takes at least double the amount of input data to the FAA to escalate your program from 120 minutes to 180 minutes ETOPS.
Yes the prices are high but the yields are extremely low so whenever fuel spikes you’re operating at a loss. In the case of the B 737-800 where you usually cannot fill the entire aircraft due to weight restrictions it just doesn’t make good business sense.
As much as I would lover to operate back to the Islands I don’t see it in the bear future at all.
Recalling that Aloha Airlines went directly to ETOPS 180 using 737.
Aloha.
I’m sorry Beat of Hawaii but you are speculating just a little too much. Just because an airline acquired ETOPS certification does not mean they can fly to Hawaii. Yes we (SWA) did receive our ETOPS certification however we do not have 180 minute ETOPS that Hawaii would require. 180 minute ETOPS means that if an engine fails there is a suitable airport for an alternative that we could fly to. Currently we are only certified for 120 minutes and that is a gigantic difference. The FAA will require that we prove maintenance reliability for quite awhile before they will bump that up so it’s just Mexico and the Caribbean for now.
For those if you wishing for PHX good luck on a 737-800 for the simple fact that you’ll run out of gas. You can’t do that run legally. Allegiant utilized 757-200 which has a much longer range. Ditto then goes for MSP. For those asking ONT it’s not going to happen. Not enough pax out of there. SNA? Sorry but with a 5700 foot runway I would be surprised if we could carry a half full plane with passengers.
Management is telling us now that Hawaii has been moved to the very far back burner and we will be concentrating on the Caribbean, Mexico and South America. Maybe someday but since there’s hardly any money in Hawaii I don’t foresee it for quite some time.
Hi Brian.
Achieving 180 etops quickly is not an issue for swa. Timing of course is and this doesn’t appear to be the window of opportunity swa had anticipated. On the other hand Hawaii air prices are so high that it may attract other players.
Aloha.
Aloha.
They should fly out of SNA, the airport is far less congested than LAX, which translates to fewer delays, and it recently underwent a renovation.
Hi Karen,
There are other issue at SNA and that isn’t a likely target.
Aloha.
I hate to disappoint, but I just did training today and met with leadership. We are focused on Latin America right now, Hawaii has dropped way down the list on priorities. Trust me, I WISH it weren’t true! Being OAK-based and not wanting to deal with the international nonsense to get to a tropical city. Unfortunately, SWA management feels that Hawaii is over-saturated and we can reap the benefits by swooping in on certain cities that can be huge for our growth versus squeezing into Hawaii for some marginal growth. :/
If and when Southwest does start service to our lovely state they should seriously consider interisland service within Hawaii. With the recent departure of Mesa (Go! Airlines) that leaves only one airline with jet planes servicing the islands. Granted there are smaller commuter airlines having the option of 2 airlines with jet service will greatly be appreciated here in Hawaii
What about SWA flying between SMF and the islands? Its not much further than OAK and would service a large population.
Southwest needs to get their act together before they make the jump to Hawaii. They have been had an increase in flight delays (not all because of weather) and appear to be suffering from serious growing pains. Free bags or not, if they do not improve their customer relations and on-time departures, going to Hawaii should not be in the cards.
I have been anxiously waiting for Southwest to help with a cheaper flight to Hawaii; but, after my experience with them this weekend, wow. They need the extra year to implement these routes properly. Thanks for the update!
Well said Angela.
They realize that as well, which is a part of why Hawaii has been delayed. Their recent on-time performance has been unusually bad.
ALoha.
I can’t wait!
Would be great for Msp to Hawaii, please keep us in mind even if connecting flights available through Phoenix ! Love flying SW!
Sharon- AGREED! I’m in MN and would love to use SW to get to Hawaii from MSP! Good thoughts!
Hi Jennifer and Sharon.
Southwest will use Oakland and perhaps Los Angeles. Not Phoenix, which cannot work with their aircraft just for starters. Connections are certainly possible however.
Aloha.
Would be nice if SWA would consider flying non-stop Phoenix to Hawaii! Currently we use USAirways but prefer flying SWA. Please consider this…
Being a Southwest employee based in Phoenix over the water certification wasnt put in place because we may fly to Hawaii is was due to the fact when SWA started service to Puerto Rico, I’m sure Hawaii will come into play. Non revenue will be difficult I will buy a ticket
I know for a fact that Southwest has considered Hawaii as their next destination, but I also know that they have look at the costs and profits, and according to them, HI has an expensive landing fee, and airport fees, and would not be as profitable.
All the over seas training is for their Caribbean destinations and I also heard they will fly to more Latin America destinations since that’s where the money is.
If SWA decides to fly to Hawaii, I can almost guarantee you it will be a twice a week flight schedule.
Here’s the distance in miles from HNL to:
OAK 2,402
LAX 2,548
RNO 2,564
ONT 2,595
PDX 2,599
SAN 2,607
SEA 2,677
LAS 2,754
PHX 2,908
SLC 2,986
Would be great if SWA flew from Ontario CA to Hawaii. My son is stationed in Hawaii and I LOVE SWA. Can’t wait!
I think Las Vegas to Hawaii would be great
Will they be flying PDX to Hawaii by any chance?
Hi Stephanie.
No they will not.
Aloha.
Interestingly, just this morning on a Southwest flight from Las Vegas to Phoenix during the pre take off information the crew was announcing, they said to look for Southwest to start flying to Hawai’i in a year.
Any chance they will fly San Jose to Lihue, Kauai? We have a nice new terminal and need the business! The competing Alaska Air flights right now are pretty fully booked.
Hi Suzy,
No I don’t think so. SJC hasn’t worked out all that well for the airlines flying to Hawaii. Oakland is the obvious choice since it is already SWA’s hub.
Aloha.
Been looking foward to this for years from SWA . from Oakland to Hawaii would go over great. We have always flown southwest, now to think I can go 5 miles get on a plane and go is beyond belief . Hope they work it out soon
I think most logical, would be nonstop service between Phoenix and Hawaii. Afterall, Phoenix is the main hub for Southwest and could connect Hawaii with all of America. It is only one hour inland from LA, so not an issue on distance, certainly no further than flying north to Oakland.
Oakland is CLOSER to HI than LA. It’s more north but it is also much more west. Remember LA is east of Reno.
Actually, Dallas is headquarters for Southwest Airlines. Phoenix is one of its 10 bases.
The ‘what we know’ section is mostly things Southwest has done to prepare for their Carribean flights…might be getting a little too excited, until something definitive is announced this is just a lot of speculation.
If Southwest is smart, they’ll begin servicing Hawaii before sea turtle season opens in 2014, when demand for flights to the islands increase dramatically.
How will the station be staffed? Will SWA employees be offered the opportunity to open the station or will they hire newbies from Hawaii?
This might be off topic but what about Guam to Hawaii flights with Southwest or other airlines? United is the only airline currently offering direct flights to this warmer-than-Hawaii winter destination paradise. It seems like a real shame
Hi Chris,
United is currently servicing the route with daily 777 service, which would seem to indicate adequate demand for some competition.
Aloha.
I do hope SWA will continue to offer free baggage & schedule changes. I also hope they will allow seat selection at time of booking.
How do you know this training and the fleet isn’t related to them flying to Puerto Rico?
We have friends on the Big Island that are SW flight crew. He a captain, she a cabin crew supervisor, both are incident first responders, so well into the heart of the airline. Both have recently undergone overwater certification. Yes the official line is for PR, and yes, Hawaii is eminent, with no firm date stated, even to the air crews. But mos’def coming.
Please use Beat of Hawaii influence to encourage Southwest to install “economy +” seating! Also, sure hope scheduling will permit same day connections from cities (including Albuquerque) to the east of Oakland…at least on flights heading to Hawaii.
Really appreciate BoH’s attention to this subject.
Oakland to Hilo…Please!!!!!
Hope they are going to flhy into the Big Island!!! Can’t wait!!!
What about San Diego,
CA
What about San Diego, CA….getting to LA from here is a pain….
Hi Joan and Greg,
No one knows definitively, other than SWA, but it doesn’t appear that San Diego would be part of their Hawaii plans at least initially.
Aloha.
do you think you will go from phla to kauai hawaii ?????????????????? please say yes
Hi Vincent,
Thanks for asking. Without getting into a long piece on the industry, the simple answer is yes. SWA has what it takes to successfully compete with legacies on LA to neighbor island routes.
Aloha.