Now that Southwest has officially started flights to Hawaii, if you’re planning a Hawaiian vacation on the airline anytime soon, there are some things you should know.
We’ve compiled a list of top things to know about Southwest Hawaii flights, including the latest news from Southwest about the addition of San Diego, Sacramento, Lihue and Hilo airports coming soon!
11 Things You Need to Know About Southwest Hawaii Flights
Credit Southwest Airlines
1. Southwest Flies to 3 Hawaiian Airports (4th and 5th coming soon)
You can currently fly to three Hawaiian destinations on Southwest:
- Oahu (HNL)
- Maui (OGG)
- Island of Hawaii (KOA)
Lihue (LIH, Kauai) is coming soon, along with Hilo (ITO), also on the Big Island of Hawaii. Southwest CEO Gary Kelly said on July 25, 2019 that these two could be coming online as early as August 2019.
2. Fly Nonstop From 2 West Coast Airports
Credit Oakland International Airport
Currently, you can fly nonstop from both Oakland and San Jose Airports in California.
On July 25, 2019, Southwest announced the following two airports will be added soon:
- San Diego (we’re excited about this one!)
- Sacramento
3. Nonstop Flights Are About 5 1/2 Hours Long
To fly to Hawaii from the West Coast, you’re looking at about 5 hours and 40 minutes, according to the Southwest website.
4. Fly to Hawaii From Most Other Cities Stopping on the West Coast
Credit Southwest Airlines
You can also book flights from most of Southwest’s other destinations, but you’ll be stopping in California on the way there. It looks like they are slowly adding these flights for booking.
There’s also a bit of a hiccup if you’re flying to/from the East coast. You may need to separately book your flights to the California city and then from the California city on to Hawaii.
5. Fares Started at $49 or 1,950 Points Per Way
Amazingly, fares originally started from the West Coast as low as $49 per way — to Hawaii!! CRAZY!! The cheapest you are likely to find currently are around $180 per way.
6. Use Your Southwest Companion Pass and Bring Someone FREE
Bring someone with you FREE by earning the Southwest Companion Pass!
If you are blessed to hold the Southwest Companion Pass, you can bring someone to Hawaii with you FREE. You’ll only pay the mandatory security fees. Oh, and you can bring them ANYWHERE you fly for however long you hold the pass, not just on this one trip…
Can you imagine paying less than $100 roundtrip for 2 people to fly to Hawaii or better yet, only 3,900 points? I could sneeze and earn 3,900 Southwest points!!
Find out 10 things you MUST know in order to earn your Companion Pass by downloading my freebie below:
Download Your FREE Guide & Start Flying FREE on Southwest!
7. Fly Interisland on Southwest Starting at $29 Per Way
Southwest now flies between Honolulu and Kahului (Maui) and between Honolulu and Kona. Fares start at $29 per way, but are usually closer to $49 per way, especially during Southwest sales.
8. Get a Bigger Snack on Your Hawaii Flight
Credit Southwest Airlines
The airline serves flyers Hawaiian Islands-inspired drinks and snacks on Southwest Hawaii flights, including “a snackbag full of tasty goodies.”
Sip on a free Minute Maid Pineapple Orange Juice Blend, or you can choose from alcoholic drinks like:
- Kona Longboard Island Lager
- Blue Chair Bay Coconut Spiced Rum
Did you know there are ways to get free Southwest drink coupons for alcoholic drinks? Here’s how!
9. You’ll Fly a 737-800 With 32 Inches Legroom
This is what your plane will look like as you fly to Hawaii; Credit Southwest Airlines
Southwest says they are an industry leader with 32 inches of legroom. So far, you’ll be flying the 737-800 on Southwest to Hawaii.
Currently, the Boeing MAX 8 (Southwest’s newest aircraft) is grounded with an unknown date for it to return to service.
10. Sorry, But Your Dog (or Cat!) Can’t Fly to Hawaii With You
Credit: Southwest Airlines
Southwest says that they will not transport pets to and from Hawaii, but “only service dogs assisting Customers with disabilities and emotional support dogs and cats are permitted.”
11. It’ll Cost You $75 to Bring Your Surfboard, But Bring Scuba Gear FREE
Unfortunately, surfboards are not included in the two free checked items you can bring to Hawaii (or any flight) on Southwest. You’ll need to pay $75 per way, as well as remove the keels and fins.
But be sure to bring your snorkel gear and just pack it, and they will accept scuba gear with empty air tanks as one of your two free checked items per person. Here are the full details.
Get complete details about Southwest Hawaii Flights at Southwest.com/Hawaii.
Aloha!!
Download Your FREE Guide & Start Flying FREE on Southwest!
drlisas says
May 5, 2019 at 8:34 amAccording to a Southwest Representative this morning (May 5, 2019), the new schedule release date for Nov-Jan will be June 13, 2019. Reservations can be made starting at 5:00 Central time zone, not Eastern, as stated in your article. SWA is based in Texas, in the Central time zone.
Lyn Mettler says
May 5, 2019 at 4:45 pmThe next flight release is still listed on their website as May 29. See here:
https://www.southwest.com/air/flight-schedules/index.html?clk=GSUBNAV-AIR-SCHEDULES
But, we’ll keep our eyes peeled in case they just haven’t updated it on the website yet! And you are correct 5am CT – my mistake!
Holly Ann Ottesen says
July 21, 2019 at 4:15 pmAny more info on when Southwest will begin flying from HNL to LIH or LIH to KOA?