Aulani -Airfare and length of stay question.

[Alice Sr.]

Hi There - I have a couple of questions. I'm sure they are redundant but my search technique leaves a lot to be desired lately.

1) How far in advance did you purchase your airfare?
2) Are there certain days that the airfare is typically cheaper? We are planning on going in October or November.
3) Any suggestions, comments or lessons learned on going that time of year?
4) Is a week enough time? Probably a dumb question but I'm asking it anyway.

TYIA

 

[Meemoo]

Hello,

I wont be of much help with your airfare query, as we travel from Australia. But, we did travel to Aulani in November last year and found it to be a nice time to travel. The resort was not crowded at all, always easy to get a spot at the pool, beach and restaurants at short notice. This year we are going end of October because we thought if it was a little warmer it wouldn't hurt, it wasn't cold when we traveled but warmer would have been welcomed

Would a week be enough?? Depends on you! We fell in love with Aulani and could have easily spent 2 weeks, but I realize it may not be the same for others. Next time we are staying 11 nights. Theres plenty to do around Hawaii if you are not up for 24/7 relaxation!

 

[Jkpark]

When I knew I wanted to head to Aulani, I started checking airfare every so often to know how much to budget. We are in Phoenix and we are flying Hawaiian for about $400 each. I was happy with that based on what I had seen. We are going for Spring Break so it will be one week. I figure we can always head back

 

[dizneekrazee]

I booked our airfare on Saturday, February 16, for an April 12 arrival. It was the 1st day I checked flight prices, and was happy with the $323 r/t with Hawaiian Airlines. I went to Oahu in Nov 2011, booked airfare early May at $399 r/t.

We had great weather in November (first week). I'm sure it rained some, but I don't remember it. Ocean temps were a bit cooler than I had anticipated.

This is our first trip to Aulani, we will be staying 5 days, and I know it won't be long enough.

 

[Cinderpamela]

I will answer what I can in green below:

Hi There - I have a couple of questions. I'm sure they are redundant but my search technique leaves a lot to be desired lately.

1) How far in advance did you purchase your airfare?
We waited until our 7 month window opened up to know for sure that we had a reservation. Then I started monitoring airfare. In all honesty I wish I would have pulled the trigger and bought when we first started looking. I kept thinking the price would go down but instead it wound up going up, and instead of paying $500 rt nonstop from Seattle we paid closer to $650 because I waited thinking prices might go down.

2) Are there certain days that the airfare is typically cheaper? We are planning on going in October or November.Usually Tuesdays through Thursdays are less pricey, but most airlines will let you do a date search where you can see which day of the week is the lowest so maybe try that first.

3) Any suggestions, comments or lessons learned on going that time of year?We went in August so I can't help you there.

4) Is a week enough time? Probably a dumb question but I'm asking it anyway.
Probably... I mean like PP above said it's a great place, we stayed for 5 nights and then island hopped to Maui for 3 nights ... that was a perfect length of time to be away. For our next trip I think we are going to spend the first few nights right in Waikiki to get all the sightseeing there out of the way, and then we will be able to spend the last 5 nights at Aulani just hanging out and relaxing.

TYIA

Hope that helps!

 

[Anal Annie]

This will be my 5th trip to Hawaii coming up this August. I have been in late April/early May, July, over Labor Day and mid-late October. The weather was great on each of those trips so I can vouch for October being good. IMHO it is much too far to travel and WAAAY to much money for airfare to not go for at least 10 nights. I also think it's a mistake not to visit at least 1 more island, especially if it's your first time. Each island is different and has its own personality. We always visit 2 or 3 islands. I have never spent more than 3 nights on Oahu as it was always our least fav. before hopping to other islands. So this trip will be entirely different for us. We figured staying at Aulani would be a completely different experience from staying in Waikiki so we're spending a full week there. We're going to plan 2 full days of relaxation at the resort and are going to try surf lessons and visit the North Shore. Things we've never done before. After a week at Aulani (which I think will be plenty) we're going to Maui for a few nights.

Airfare. Wow. It's a lot these days. I booked in January for August (ended up paying $1,074 pp). I had been watching it for awhile so I would know a good deal when I saw it but I didn't want to purchase it until I'd secured our reservations at Aulani. Meanwhile it kept going up and has continued to go up since I booked it. We're starting our trip with 4 nights in CA at DL and the leg that's gone up the most is the one from LAX to HNL. There are still some deals but our first choice of flights (early) has gone up (from $272 to $480 one-way). November may not be as high of a demand as the summer tho. They say it is typically a little cheaper to fly mid-week (Wednesdays). Set up some fare alerts on kayak.com or airfarewatchdog.com or farecompare.com and get familiar with the fares for your anticipated dates.

 

[Alice Sr.]

Thank you all for the excellent information!

 

[dianeschlicht]

This will be my 5th trip to Hawaii coming up this August. I have been in late April/early May, July, over Labor Day and mid-late October. The weather was great on each of those trips so I can vouch for October being good. IMHO it is much too far to travel and WAAAY to much money for airfare to not go for at least 10 nights. I also think it's a mistake not to visit at least 1 more island, especially if it's your first time. Each island is different and has its own personality. We always visit 2 or 3 islands. I have never spent more than 3 nights on Oahu as it was always our least fav. before hopping to other islands. So this trip will be entirely different for us. We figured staying at Aulani would be a completely different experience from staying in Waikiki so we're spending a full week there. We're going to plan 2 full days of relaxation at the resort and are going to try surf lessons and visit the North Shore. Things we've never done before. After a week at Aulani (which I think will be plenty) we're going to Maui for a few nights.

Airfare. Wow. It's a lot these days. I booked in January for August (ended up paying $1,074 pp). I had been watching it for awhile so I would know a good deal when I saw it but I didn't want to purchase it until I'd secured our reservations at Aulani. Meanwhile it kept going up and has continued to go up since I booked it. We're starting our trip with 4 nights in CA at DL and the leg that's gone up the most is the one from LAX to HNL. There are still some deals but our first choice of flights (early) has gone up (from $272 to $480 one-way). November may not be as high of a demand as the summer tho. They say it is typically a little cheaper to fly mid-week (Wednesdays). Set up some fare alerts on kayak.com or airfarewatchdog.com or farecompare.com and get familiar with the fares for your anticipated dates.

I totally agree with Annie! I would never go to Hawaii for less than 10 nights, and I do not think the airfare from the midwest is worth just a week long trip. Heck, the time change alone will be a problem for anything less than 10 nights. With 4 hours different for half the year for those of us in the central time zone and 5 hours difference right now (Hawaii doesn't go on DST), that time change is a major factor. It took us about 5 days to adjust to Hawaii time when we went out, and it has taken a good 2 weeks to adjust since we have been home. Of course, part of that is that we also had the time change to daylight time shortly after getting home.

We have had Hawaii trips as short as 1 week (first trip years ago when we weren't smart about it), and as long as nearly 3 weeks. The first one was way too short, and the 3 week one was a bit long. This last trip was 16 days, and that was a good time frame.

I also recommend at least 2 islands in your itinerary. Aulani is great, and it's a wonderful resort, but if you only go there, you will miss most of what Hawaii really has to offer.

 

[dizneekrazee]

So my previous response was submitted from my phone, and I cannot see any of your info other than your name from DIS app. So now that I am on my laptop, and can see that you would be travelling from Chicago, I agree with the others. Visit more than 1 island, if you can, and stay for at least 10 days.

Like I mentioned before, I went to Oahu in Nov 2011. Depending on time of year, it is only a 2-3 hour time difference. When we arrived, it was a 3 hour difference, and it was more difficult to gain hours, than it was to lose hours, in my opinion. I don't think we adjusted to the time difference until the last day or 2 of the trip. Thankfully, when we returned, the times had changed at home, so it was only a 2 hour difference.

Being from SF, I think, makes Hawaii much easier, in regards to time (travel and time difference), and airfare costs. If I was visiting Hawaii from further East, there is no way I would be visiting just 1 island and only spending 5-7 days.

For the airfare, as you can see in my PP, I got the best rate on a Saturday (for this upcoming trip). I booked on a Friday for my 2011 trip. While that was booked at 6 months out, I did see the airfare drop about $45-50 sometime after booking.

 

[amym2]

We used frequent flyer miles this time (woohoo!) but checking the prices of fares from Indianapolis to Honolulu (through ORD on the way there), they seemed to hover around $900.

Last trip we went in September, but this time we are going mid-late October because that's when the kids have fall break. From what I have read, it is a great time to go.

We're staying at Aulani 5 nights and then flying to Kauai for 5 nights. Last time I think we did 4 nights on Oahu and 3 nights on the Big Island (couldn't go longer because the grandparents were watching the kids). We thought 7 nights was wonderful, but we are definitely looking forward to 10 nights this trip.

 

[dsneygirl]

We came from the east coast and were gone a total of 19 days. 10 days at Aulani and 9 in California. Airfare was about $1000 which is about what we paid for Maui in 2002 and 2004.

We had no problem filling our time at Aulani. But with a baby we had no desire to island hop this time. My DS is a water rat and was content with just the ocean, pool and lazy river.

 

[slowly]

October is a great time to visit, especially the first two weeks if possible. Another good indicator is taking a look at the points during the seasons they usually coincide with off peak travel times. Trust me Disney has mastered this since they know when families travel. We try to go on vacation in Oct because our kids have a week off during that time.

Although I live here, I have family & friends in the East coast and they have never paid more than $750 to get here. In fact I flew my father for less than $600 from NY just in Feb. Hawaiian Air has specials throughout the yr. Good luck!

 

[blondietink]

October is a great time to visit, especially the first two weeks if possible. Another good indicator is taking a look at the points during the seasons they usually coincide with off peak travel times. Trust me Disney has mastered this since they know when families travel. We try to go on vacation in Oct because our kids have a week off during that time.

Although I live here, I have family & friends in the East coast and they have never paid more than $750 to get here. In fact I flew my father for less than $600 from NY just in Feb. Hawaiian Air has specials throughout the yr. Good luck!

This is true if you live in a big city on the east coast, but those of us from the east that don't live near the coast, our airfares are much more. We used frequent flyer miles for our upcoming trip and have to fly out of Cleveland instead of Buffalo to use them. If we were paying cash, the current price for September flying mid-week is around $850.00 with 2 or 3 stops each way. Flying out of NYC would add the airfare from Buffalo to NYC, which would bring the total to around $950.00 RTon Hawaiian.

No bargains from here, for sure .... that's why we are going for 3 weeks splitting between Oahu and Maui.

 

[Anal Annie]

October is a great time to visit, especially the first two weeks if possible. Another good indicator is taking a look at the points during the seasons they usually coincide with off peak travel times. Trust me Disney has mastered this since they know when families travel. We try to go on vacation in Oct because our kids have a week off during that time.

Although I live here, I have family & friends in the East coast and they have never paid more than $750 to get here. In fact I flew my father for less than $600 from NY just in Feb. Hawaiian Air has specials throughout the yr. Good luck!

This is true if you live in a big city on the east coast, but those of us from the east that don't live near the coast, our airfares are much more. We used frequent flyer miles for our upcoming trip and have to fly out of Cleveland instead of Buffalo to use them. If we were paying cash, the current price for September flying mid-week is around $850.00 with 2 or 3 stops each way. Flying out of NYC would add the airfare from Buffalo to NYC, which would bring the total to around $950.00 RTon Hawaiian.

No bargains from here, for sure .... that's why we are going for 3 weeks splitting between Oahu and Maui.

I have "heard of" those $750ish fares but they seem to be only for off peak seasons. Nothing like that for summer that I saw and I think when they ARE offered they wouldn't include stopping anywhere else, it would only be to / from HNL. I was surprised how much more it added to our trip to stop in CA for a few nights. I had thought I could find a better fare between CA & HNL than what I did. Then since we're coming back from Maui rather than HNL that also added a little more onto the price. Seems the cheaper flights all go back through HNL. I was HOPING to get close to or under $1K but no dice. $950 sounds pretty good.

 

[diswish]

We're staying at Aulani 5 nights and then flying to Kauai for 5 nights.

You will love Kauai. I am flying to Oahu today after spending 5 days on Kauai - it is beautiful and peaceful. If you want to get to the best beaches, be ready for some bumpy rides on dirt roads. It is definitely worth the effort!

 

[nemofans]

Our 1st trip to Hawaii was to Maui for 6 days from Chicago! We learned our mistake quick & the jet lag after coming home was hard. We went in early November which was great!

I am planning our Aulani trip for next summer traveling also w/2 kids now & I can't get over how expensive airfare will cost! I am trying to figure out any configuration that will make it cheaper. My hope was to:

fly from Chicago to Big Island & stay there for 3-4 days
island hop to Oahu & stay at Aulani for 5 days
fly Oahu to San Diego & stay for 2 days (mostly to help kids adjust easier to jet lag)
fly back to Chicago

Every combination of airlines & dates I price out is over $7,000 for the 4 of us just for airfare!(including the island transfers) I wish I could find a way to cut that in half w/o flying round trip from Chicago to Big Island & back only.
Any suggestions???

 

[Mrs. Ciz]

I have "heard of" those $750ish fares but they seem to be only for off peak seasons. Nothing like that for summer that I saw and I think when they ARE offered they wouldn't include stopping anywhere else, it would only be to / from HNL. I was surprised how much more it added to our trip to stop in CA for a few nights. I had thought I could find a better fare between CA & HNL than what I did. Then since we're coming back from Maui rather than HNL that also added a little more onto the price. Seems the cheaper flights all go back through HNL. I was HOPING to get close to or under $1K but no dice. $950 sounds pretty good.

I have been able to get pretty good rates on airfare from the East Coast in the past. 2009 - we flew out of Regan National (Wash DC) to Maui in July. We did a Thursday to Thursday trip and paid...wait for it...$400 per person RT with all taxes included. I could not believe how lucky we got! We went again in 2011 - Richmond, Va to Maui, Sunday to Thursday (12 days), and paid $750 per person RT all taxes included. We are going again this summer July 1- 15. We will be spending a few days in Ca for Disneyland, then 7 days on Kauai, 4 days on Oahu. I found tickets mid February for $847 per person RT taxes included out of Norfolk Va and Dulles International. I should have pulled the trigger, but I usually buy my tickets about 3 months before our travel dates. I've found its so much cheaper 3 months out. Prices have jumped back up to around $1100. I hope they drop back down in April like they usually do. For each trip, I checked the kayak.com website almost daily starting 7 months before our trip. Prices are lowest, by $100 or so, Tuesdays thru Thursdays. AND kayak.com has a multi city flight tab. You can put in any combination you need and it will allow you to price compare. I found ORF to LAX (7/1/13), LAX to LIH (7/5/13), LIH to HNL (7/12/13), HNL to ORF (7/15/13) for $847 per person with taxes this way. Hope this helps.

 

[blondietink]

If you use Kayak.com you can also set up a fare alert with the site and they will send you an email if the flights you are looking at go down.

 

[amym2]

Our 1st trip to Hawaii was to Maui for 6 days from Chicago! We learned our mistake quick & the jet lag after coming home was hard. We went in early November which was great!

I am planning our Aulani trip for next summer traveling also w/2 kids now & I can't get over how expensive airfare will cost! I am trying to figure out any configuration that will make it cheaper. My hope was to:

fly from Chicago to Big Island & stay there for 3-4 days
island hop to Oahu & stay at Aulani for 5 days
fly Oahu to San Diego & stay for 2 days (mostly to help kids adjust easier to jet lag)
fly back to Chicago

Every combination of airlines & dates I price out is over $7,000 for the 4 of us just for airfare!(including the island transfers) I wish I could find a way to cut that in half w/o flying round trip from Chicago to Big Island & back only.
Any suggestions???

Adding the stop in San Diego is probably adding hundreds to your fare. Have you checked whether it is less expensive to fly ORD-HNL round-trip with an island hop to the BI? We booked our flights IND-HNL through ORD (would have been $950 if we didn't use miles) and an additional round-trip from HNL to Kauai on Hawaiian Airlines for $140pp including taxes & fees.

 

[Mrs. Ciz]

Adding the stop in San Diego is probably adding hundreds to your fare. Have you checked whether it is less expensive to fly ORD-HNL round-trip with an island hop to the BI? We booked our flights IND-HNL through ORD (would have been $950 if we didn't use miles) and an additional round-trip from HNL to Kauai on Hawaiian Airlines for $140pp including taxes & fees.

Not necessarily. I have priced my Virginia to LAX to Kauai to Oahu to Virginia trip out every which way possible. Believe it or not the price of the ticket with all the stops is almost the same price (give or take a few dollars) as a ticket going straight from Virginia to Hawaii and it was way cheaper than buying seperate tickets for each (or some) leg/s. If you are looking for a ticket with multiple stops check out the Multi-City tab on the kayak.com website.