Lastest news on Southwest schedules and fares. Some routes continue to have great deals for summer. Find out more in today’s post.
Get Breaking Hawaii Travel News
1,796 thoughts on “Southwest Hawaii Stiffens Competition: 11 New Daily Flights Exposed”
Comments are closed.
If Southwest is not going to do redeyes right away, then it leaves two scheduling possibilities:
1. Morning flights out of West Coast cities with afternoon returns (connections on West Coast will be very limited due to early am departures and late pm arrival).
2. Late Afternoon/Evening flights out of West Coast cities with early morning returns (there will be many more connecting possibilities but people generally don’t like to get up at 3am on their last day of vacation to catch a 7am mainland flight).
We are excited to know about southwest plans to fly to Hawaii. We are frequent fliers with Southwest Airlines for several years.
We like the courteous staff of southwestairlines in contrast to some of the rude and arrogant staff of other airlines that frequently fly to Hawaii . In fact it was one of the several reasons we postponed our trip to Hawaii!! Now that it is likely to happpwn we are thrilled .wish they would offer some food too. Wish they would fly from Chicago Anyway we wish southwest Airline nes success in their. Endeavors . Malathi .
Love Southwest Air. Depend on them constantly! Love the flexibility!! Sacramento to Seattle I use monthly, to Visit aging parents. When son got cancer treatment in NY, we used SW. Appointments or his medical demands changed. However, we Need a direct flight Albuquerque to Sacramento!!! Son’s visit flying to Oakland, because of time involved with transfers. I will book 4 round trip as soon as you make them available to Hawaii. Please, tell me first!! Thank you.
The flexibility, friendly staff, and price has made Southwest Air our airline.
Yes a direct flight to ABQ to SAC!!!! We could use the same for medical reasons also. Just returned from OAK to ABQ, would have been easier SAC to ABQ.
Love Southwest( and I’m not much for flying!), we know some of the flight crew from Phoenix.
I may even fly to Hawaii, my best friend is Hawaiian and visiting her family now, but will be moving back there within 2 years.
Hey Michelle…I’m a local living in Mililani. Curious, what’s the availability over the Christmas break? What’s the minimum days we’d have to rent it for? Also, let me know if you need a regular cleaner for your vacation rental I could do it. I’m a top notch cleaner. Please reply at your earliest convenience.
Mahalo!
Hi Michelle I’m planning a trip to Waikiki in May or June. Do you have availability for your rental during that time? No particular dates in mind for me.
Hi! We are looking to go back to Hawaii in the summer of 2019. Either June or July. If you have your place for rent then please let me know. We may be interested.
Thanks!
Tammy
from WI
When will Southwest begin hiring of local employees to service their flights to/from Hawai’i?
I want to apply!!
Please send all information about flying from Jacksonville FL to Hawaii.
1) Do you think SWA will go to assigned seating for long distance flights, such as mainland to Hawaii?
2) Does BOH think there is much of a possibility that SWA will begin flights from the mainland to Hawaii by late June?
3) Is it likely that other airlines such as Hawaiian Airlines will reduce fares this summer with the anticipation of SWA entering the market?
4) Will we see any reduction in Hawaiian Airlines airfare this summer because they have gone to smaller more efficient aircraft?
As always, thank you BOH for your very valuable opinions.
Mahalo!
Hi Terri.
Assigned seating – not as far as we know. Late June – highly unlikely at this point. Fare sales will be based on Hawaiian’s new fleet, not on SWA, as it appears now.
Aloha.
Is there any update to a time frame for flights to Hawaii? We are moving over in June and would much rather spend it money with SW than HA.
Me so horray for sowwest Hawai’i
I’ll never fly SWA, horrible cattle car airline, but welcome the price difference adding a new carrier can have.
Actually they board less people at a time now with the new boarding groups than legacy carriers do. It’s much more calm and no need to rush to line up. Also you can buy early check in for like $15 and get ahead of the others. It’s pretty chill and now they have chill boarding music on the new max aircraft…. its pretty awesome. Give it another try.
‘Horrible cattle car airline?’ Well, maybe a little uncomfortable, but i’ve flown southwest – only – for 35 years. Why? They’ve never lost a passenger plane. N-E-V-E-R.
What’s your life worth?
While it is true that southwest has not ever lost a passenger plane. They have had two hull losses or planes damaged beyond repair that did result in many passengers suffering many injuries. So while they are safe, so are all US based airlines thanks to maintenance schedules and FAA oversight. There are very few passenger planes lost in recent times as compared to “35 years” ago.
NEVER!!!
Thanks to the Pilots and Mechanics that care for these planes.
I never did understand the “cattle car” comment pertaining to Southwest. ALL airlines board people, whether it be group A, B, C or group 1, 2, 3, or platinum, diamond, gold, silver, deluxe, super deluxe…Everyone always seems to bunch up by the door during all boarding calls. (cattle?) So why is Southwest so different, and called out for it? Skip, care to comment?
Pedro, et al… Sshhh!!! Let Skip fly other airlines – more seats for us. Francine
So now that it has been confirmed… are there any estimates for when these flights will start and how many SW points/how much $ it will take to fly from SMF to HNL roundtrip?
This is great news!
SWA made an announcement today: https://www.swamedia.com/releases/release-63b909593afd887b4d8033b5080849df-southwest-airlines-announces-intention-to-serve-hawaii
It’s official as of tonight Oct 11,2017 Our CEO just announced Southwest service to The Hawaiian Islands will start in June 2018. Mahalo to Beat Of Hawaii for all of your Support for brining our LUV wings to the Beautiful Hawaiian Islands
It’s official as of 19 minutes ago Southwest is going to Hawaii in 2018 via their press release @ Universal Studios!!
We’re SWA Companion pass holders and excited about flights to Hawaii!!
if we don’t hear any southwest news by say christmas /new years time to forget it?
I doubt anything will happen until they resolve their
Contract dispute with the mechanics.
I am so glad to hear that Southwest Airlines will be flying to Hawaii soon. This is great news for the state of Hawaii, It is always a good thing to see more people come to this beautiful state. Visitors to Hawaii are always welcome. The additional hotel room taxes that these visitors will have to pay will help the city of Honolulu finish this great rail system that we building in Honolulu. We as residents of Hawaii should be very grateful to our tourist, after all, they are helping us pay for this great rail system and contribute to state of Hawaii economy.
Great news about Southwest. Look forward to lower
pricing.
As for my wife and I we would prefer to stay with the Hawaiian
Airlines product.
We usually fly out of Oakland to HNL and Maui.
IWe prefer the assigned seats for longer flights plus
Hawaiian still serves meals.
Generally we book our seating in A and B seats.
When Hawaiian changes to single row
aircraft we’ll just book C and D seats across the aisle from each other.
Support local!
I feel the same way as Erick. If Swa offers assigned seating and meals I may consider them.
ETOPS certification is not needed for flights over the Gulf of Mexico. Just saying. 🤙🏼
It make my dream come true!!! I’m very loyal southwest for a few years!!! I am forward fly to Hawaii in 2019. I hope can fly to Maui! Thanks and keep post update.
My husband and I are hoping to take our bucket list trip to Hawaii in 2018. We are trying to plan for 2 weeks and 2, possibly 3 islands. Your site is so informative and helpful! Would it be better to book our flights or our hotels first? And how far in advance for the best deals? Many thanks for any advice you can give us!
Hi Debbie.
It is safest to book flights first, then accommodations and car soon thereafter. When to purchase for upcoming Southwest flights is probably going to be as soon as they are released. There will be many sales across the carriers however, so do keep that in mind. Again that only applies for those routes that are announced.
Aloha.
Book a condo. If you’re here for a period of time it’s so much better than a hotel. Discounthawaiicarrental.com is my favorite website to book cars. They have beat out all competition every time I’ve been here but once!
Paradise comes at a price, both in transportation and accommodations. Initially WN will offer steep discounts to inaugurate their Hawaii service before airfares and hotel packages align more to the cost of the operation. WN’s seat pitch is some of the tightest in the industry. Unless you’re shorter than 5’5″ one will have to make the decision of being crammed into a miserable , tight seat configuration for up to 6 hours vs more generous seating configurations available on other airlines. Unless you have priority boarding status with WN sure you can look forward to a tight ride across the Pacific. Final decision is up to the consumer of course.
Um, no on the seat pitch. WN is 31-32″ which is consistent with (or better than) the other major US carriers and larger than any other low cost carrier.
How is Southwest’s seating any tighter than Alaska’s? Did you check seatguru? Southwest’s 737-800 seat pitch is one inch more than Alaska’s. Both Alaska and Southwest’s 737-700’s have the same seat pitch and width
Hmmmm… that’s a suspicious post!!!
Researching seat pitch on various carriers shows that is not true.
A ridiculously inaccurate comment. Clearly has never been on a WN flight. Average pitch is 32″, compared to 28″ of “base economy” levels of other airlines.
NO NO NO … DON’T FORGET SEATTLE TO KONA! WE LOVE SWA AND KONA …
Aloha!
We are currently booking our accommodations for a trip in Aug 2018. We are looking to leave out of EWR, NJ. Do you recommend looking for a non-stop flight or trying to get to where Southwest may fly from and use them? Do you think there will be a cost savings? I know it’s high season for travel there. Love your site and any recommendations are welcome!
Mahalo,
Hi Erica.
Booking accommodations before air is risky (unless it can be cancelled). It is a bit too early so say what is going to happen, how these flights might impact other connecting cities. On the other hand, the nonstop from Newark or New York, is sure nice, and saves you a lot of precious vacation time. We’d target $950 for that.
Aloha.
Hi, when are we going to get flights at a great price from the State of Florida? Thanks
Hi Daisy.
There is no market for flights between Florida and Hawaii so getting a good price will remain challenging. Perhaps more competition on west coast routes will help those connecting from further afield, but that remains to be seen.
Aloha.
I’m not sure where the excitement for Southwest coming to Hawaii is coming from. Is it about low fares? Long gone are the days when they were a low fare carrier. They have a reputation of being one that comes from their history but the last five years or so they’re as expensive if not more than the legacy carriers. Sure free bags are nice but who chances checking their bag with any carrier?? Not me. I suppose added seats on the market might bring prices down but that happens when ANY carrier adds seats in the market, at least temporarily.
Southwest has a very loyal following among their frequent flyers and Companion Pass holders. I’m interested in their Hawaii routes because we’ll be able to fly using miles and a Companion Pass. We typically fly Hawaiian but will jump at the chance to fly Southwest!
Because I have over 200,000 SW points and zero for any other airline. : )
its a big deal for members of SWAs frequent flyer program…especially those with companion passes….
Hi I am planning a trip to Waikola Big Island for June of 2018 with my family and would love to get some information on the Southwest flights to Hawaii. I am glad to here that Southwest is flying to Hawaii.
We will visit Oahu in March 2018 for a wedding,and I want to know if SWA will fly by then from any CA. city.
I really doubt SWA will start Hawaii Service prior to May of 2018. I would say to book your flight now as March is typically spring break time.
I am Very interested in Southwest travel from Oakland, CA to Hawaii. Please keep me posted. I have been to Maui and hope to visit other Islands like Kauai and The Hawaii. This is very exciting.
Kauai is already seeing a 42% increase in seats in 2018. We can’t support any more!
Oh please keep me posted about Southwest Airlines coming to Hawaii
Keep me posted on SWA flights to Hawaii, preferably from San Jose
Any updates? When do you think, realistically, SWA will be flying to HI?
Looking to be in Oahu in July 2018. We are on east coast, planned to fly into LA to enjoy Disneyland a few days if this makes financial sense when flying. I was holding out on SW being a carrier but read a blurb on here they are NOT doing LA.
Economically speaking -what would a recommendation be for getting from Pittsburgh to Oahu – I can skip the LA trip if that would help the cost to my airfare? When is best time to book a July trip? Kept holding out on SWA…THanks for a great site! (Do you recommend booking hotel and air separately or doing a package?
Hi Melissa.
Not sure SWA will do LA – doubtful. It will probably work out about the same doing a stop or not doing a stop. Also, airlines will try desperately to hold summer prices in check. Not sure if that will work given new competition, and only time will tell.
Package and separate bookings are an individual choice. No you won’t save money, but you may prefer one process more than the other. We definitely prefer being in direct relationship with airlines, accommodations providers and car rental companies.
Aloha.
Aloha!
What about SNA? No other airlines fly out of sna to Hawaii due to regulations and with the 737 MAX, SWA would have the entire airport to itself! And there is a TON (and I mean a TON!) of demand in the OC for direct flights to Hawaii….so it makes too much sense not to offer this.
Please add this to your list of possibilities or provide a reason why it might not happen.
MAHALO!
Before the merge of Continental and United, CO had a seasonal non-stop from SNA-HNL between May and September. It was amazing… so it must be able to be done, yes?
I don’t understand why so many airlines don’t fly out of LAX to KOA, or only offer ‘bad’ flights, with stopovers in Seattle, etc. But I would guess that most of us in in Ventura County and surrounding areas would gladly pay a few $$ more to fly out of Burbank and avoid the headache of LAX.
Southwest is already the #1 airline out of there, so if they would add Hawaii to the schedule they’d get a ton of business. I do hope Kona is one of the stops, though.
Hello, we are flying to Ohau in late July of 2018 and I was wondering if you knew if SW Airlines received their ETOPS classification to fly to Hawaii yet? I have heard that they did not get it and they will not be flying to Hawaii. Please let me know if you have any updates.
Hi Becky.
The SWA issues are unrelated to ETOPS certification. The new MAX planes they’re getting together with that crew will certainly be getting ETOPS rated.
If and when they are ready to fly, you can be sure that they’ll be here.
Aloha.
Do you even have a range of cost for the islands I would be coming from Chicago Midway
Am so excited!
Would like Honolulu and Maui cost. thanks know that is a reach but approx
Hi Laura,
Pricing is seasonally and competition dependent. You’re looking at $700’s to $1200’s which is a big range. https://beatofhawaii.com/the-cheapest-time-to-fly-to-hawaii/
Aloha/
Will SWA be servicing Hilo?
Can you tell me if they know what islands they will fly to? Just Oahu? Or will they fly to Kauai and Maui too?
Just booked condo reservations for July and August 2018. When is the best time to book airline tickets from lax to kona to Maui back to lax. Also with the anticipation of SWA entering the picture is it best to wait to see what happens with airfare prices.
Hi Patrick.
SWA and other industry changes could cut either way. SWA they won’t fly out of LA, that’s for sure. Oakland, San Diego. Next year is up for grabs, so if you’re a betting person, suggest waiting. Otherwise, generally for July and early August you want to book out a full 330 days in advance for the best situation.
Aloha.
You did mention LA
Will SWA be on there own as an individual airline or would they be contracted like the rest of the other airlines that is contract ed thru Hawaiian airlines..
Looking for fares to Hawaii
Need Quotes on better airfares to Honolulu Hawaii from the Continental United States to Honolulu only
We are flying from San Diego to Maui January 2-11. Do you think prices will drop in the fall? Or should we buy them now?
Am looking forward to a strong price competition betw SWA and Haw’n Air. I’m very partial to Haw’n inspite of high fares primarily becuz of their great personalized and hot food service!!! Can SWA top these??? Not to forget Haw’ns extra comfort seats… So I just wish SWA’s entry will help in fare drop.