Airfore to Honululu HI

[irazabul]

We are thinking of trying out Aulani this summer - 5 people.

Does airfare to HI go on sale at any particular time or any advice out there - should I book now or wait a couple of months to see if there is a sale?

 

[ExPirateShopGirl]

We are thinking of trying out Aulani this summer - 5 people.

Does airfare to HI go on sale at any particular time or any advice out there - should I book now or wait a couple of months to see if there is a sale?

Right now fares seem to be on the low side. Two weeks after Easter the slow period begins and lasts about 6 weeks or so before summer begins. Fares will be higher over the summer.

 

[aclov]

I'm going in June and was wondering the same thing, it's over $1000 so seems high but don't want to risk it to go higher.

 

[alohamom]

It depends on where you are flying from and obviously timing. Many people go to Hawaii for Honeymoons so the traditional high season for honeymoons is obviously late spring/early summer. There is a time period in August, approx last 10 days when the fares start to drop off but the BEST prices are sept/oct. You may want to think of signing up for Hawaiian Airlines emails. Alaska airlines is another carrier that sometimes has amazing deals but it usually just based on demand. We sometimes fly one carrier (like Southwest or Jet Blue) out to the west coast and then connect with Hawaiian or in the old days, Aloha airlines. A great west coast based travel agency is Pleasant Holidays however, I will admit I have never booked with them, only used them to get a feel for prices and then book myself to get my best prices

 

[wendypooh]

We are going the end of May - first part of June - I just bought our tickets a few days ago.......... I've been watching every day and I was able to get them around $720 r/t - which was the LOWEST I've seen since back in Oct. (I booked through expedia)

 

[irazabul]

we are thinking of going in early-mid July and that appears to he the high season as far as airfares go. I was just wondering if booking now would be better than waiting, say 2 months. I know when I book car rentals, the rate fluctuates so much as often times you get better rates one month out than 6 months out (the good thing about car rentals is that you can book 6 months out and still be able to cancel when you find a better rate).

I didnt know if airfare worked the same way.

 

[Debbie Jean]

I'm going next month, so mid-Feb., and bought my tickets at the beginning of December. Newark to Honolulu direct for under $450... yes, that's round trip! Not looking forward to the 10 hour flight but sure can't argue with the price

 

[sallysue66]

I'm going next month, so mid-Feb., and bought my tickets at the beginning of December. Newark to Honolulu direct for under $450... yes, that's round trip! Not looking forward to the 10 hour flight but sure can't argue with the price

wow! what airline?

 

[Debbie Jean]

wow! what airline?

United

 

[DisneyEater]

I saw that $450 deal (actually $400 when I looked) and wish I could have booked it. Just didn't have the money to do it then.

 

[Green Tea]

Go to beatofhawaii.com and look for their deals. They post incredible air fare finds, that you would never find on your own. So if something looks great, buy quickly.

In my experience buying tickets, the price never goes down the closer to the Hawaiian trip.

 

[crisi]

It also depends on where you travel from - you can get amazing deals out of the West Coast and good deals from the East Coast, but its seldom that people in the Midwest find a deal.

For that reason, its sometimes a good idea to fly into a West Coast city, and then book additional air from there.

 

[tlenzendorf]

I saw an article today I believe on CNN about booking your own segments instead of booking trips that have stops. A little more work since you have to get your luggage at your layover if you check any bags and then check back in, but if you have a long layover anyhow why not save some money? We are looking at flying out of and back home into different airports in September to save about $400/2 people. I will give someone $50 for the 2 hour round trip drive to come get us. Heck, I would give them $100! Check out the one way flights thru different airline companies, too. Play around with buying 1 ticket at a time instead of buying your entire families tickets all at once. There is much money to be saved if you don't book everything for everyone all at once.

 

[mrsklamc]

The only problem with booking your own segments is that if your first segment is late, the airline probably won't be very accommodating if you miss the second.

I really did think about getting the SW credit card, using it to book to the west coast, and then booking Hawaiian air for the rest.

Airfarewatchdog is a good site too...in December there were $400 R/T tix available out of Chicago.

 

[mrsklamc]

On Pleasant Holidays website I only see three day packages...I'd love to know what it costs to add days, but I don't want to call them. I already have a couple travel agencies that I contacted years ago about trips we might have taken and they call back relentlessly.

 

[Earstou]

On Pleasant Holidays website I only see three day packages...I'd love to know what it costs to add days, but I don't want to call them. I already have a couple travel agencies that I contacted years ago about trips we might have taken and they call back relentlessly.

I've used Pleasant Holidays twice, and I have never had trouble with them hounding me afterwards.
Both times I was only finding expensive airfare (from the midwest), and it was definitely cheaper to go with a package from Pleasant Holidays than to buy my own airfare, hotel and car.
I always run the numbers and work hard to get my vacations as cheap as possible. Usually I can get things cheaper on my own, but with airfare so expensive, sometimes it's cheaper to do a package. We've been to Hawaii 4 times, I booked everything on my own twice and I've booked with PH twice.

It looks like their website isn't as user-friendly as it used to be, but you can build your own PH package here:
http://www.pleasantholidays.com/PleasantHolidaysWeb/PackageSelectionAction.do

 

[beansmom]

thanks, pp, for posting about beatofhawaii. I am planning a 2 week trip to Maui next winter. I plan to use my ff miles for airfare butif i get a great deal on air, i'd pay cash and use my miles to go elsewhere.

 

[crisi]

The only problem with booking your own segments is that if your first segment is late, the airline probably won't be very accommodating if you miss the second.

I really did think about getting the SW credit card, using it to book to the west coast, and then booking Hawaiian air for the rest.

Airfarewatchdog is a good site too...in December there were $400 R/T tix available out of Chicago.

Yep, you want to give the whole thing plenty of time if you book your own segments - like flying into San Franscico in the morning, spending the night and catching a flight out the next day,.

The hotel might eat up the savings, but an evening in Seattle or San Francisco isn't a horrible way to start or end a vacation.

 

[beansmom]

Yep, you want to give the whole thing plenty of time if you book your own segments - like flying into San Franscico in the morning, spending the night and catching a flight out the next day,.

The hotel might eat up the savings, but an evening in Seattle or San Francisco isn't a horrible way to start or end a vacation.

that would be a good opportunity to see something along the way. I would LOVE to stay on the Queen Mary again on my way to Maui.

 

[woodkins]

Not sure where you are flying out of but Hawaiian Air has been insanely cheap out of JFK (I don't know their fares out of anywhere else). We paid $1600 per person round trip for our Nov. trip & now the same flights are like $500 round trip!