Which Airline Should I Fly to Hawaii?

Aug. 02, 2015

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2 min read

Which Airline Should I Fly to Hawaii?

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TPG reader Sarah tweeted me about flying to Hawaii this fall:

"@thepointsguy — I'm trying to find flights to Hawaii from Texas in October. Do you have airline recommendations?"

Hi Sarah, and thanks for your question. Hawaii is one of the top travel destinations, and for good reason — it's pretty much amazing all year round. There are several different islands to visit, and plenty of different airlines that fly to them.

You can still use AAdvantage miles on Hawaiian airlines, but some heavy restrictions will be added in September.

The best choice for you depends on several variables, but let's assume you're flying in economy. American Airlines has MileSAAver Off Peak awards for 17,500 miles each way. However, there are two things to know about these awards:

"Off Peak" means August 22 - December 15, so your October vacation hits the sweet spot.
Effective September 1, 2015, AAdvantage members will no longer be able to book awards between Hawaii and the continental US on Hawaiian Airlines. However, you can still book inter-island flights, so if you plan to use AAdvantage miles, book your ticket before September 1!

You can also book on American Airlines via British Airways, which would cost you 20,000 Avios in economy for a nonstop flight from Dallas (DFW) to either Maui or Honolulu. However, BA charges per segment, so it's not a good option for a flight with stops. United and American regularly charge 22,500 miles no matter where you connect, but you can fly from Houston (IAH) or Dallas (DFW) nonstop.

If you prefer to fly in a premium cabin, there are some wide-body jets (especially flying from Dallas) that will offer a moderately more comfortable experience in business class.

If you don't have the miles on hand, you can always keep an eye out for flight deals like this one from a couple of weeks back (New York, Chicago, or Houston to Hawaii from $541). That being said, my recommendation would be to bulk up on those AAdvantage miles!

If you have any other questions, please tweet me @thepointsguy, message me on Facebook or send me an email at info@thepointsguy.com.
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