Deal Alert: West Coast Cities to Hawaii From $362 Round-Trip
Update: Some offers mentioned below are no longer available. View the current offers here.
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Airfare deals are typically only available on limited dates. We recommend you use Google Flights to find dates to fly, then book through an online travel agency, such as Orbitz or Expedia, which allows you to cancel flights without penalty by 11pm Eastern Time within one day of booking. However, if you’re using The Platinum Card® from American Express, you’ll need to book directly with the airline or through Amex Travel portal to get 5x MR points. Remember: Fares may disappear quickly, so book right away and take advantage of Orbitz or Expedia’s courtesy cancellation if you’re unable to get the time away from work or family.
Back in February we saw a great United fare pop up for flights from the Pacific Northwest to Honolulu and Maui. Well, not only is the same deal back, but it includes even more cities on both ends. We're seeing flights from the original cities of Seattle (SEA) and Portland (PDX), and also further south from Sacramento (SMF) and San Diego (SAN) to all four major destinations in the Aloha State — Honolulu (HNL), Maui (OGG), Kauai (LIH) and Kailua-Kona (KOA) — starting from just $362 round-trip.
The space for these airfares opens up around the end of August and then is available pretty much through the end of the schedule, with the only exception being the holidays in December. Departures are available on most weekdays and there doesn't appear to be any minimum stay requirement in most cases, so you can make the trip as short or long as you'd like.
You don't need any tricks to get these prices, so just use Google Flights to find the dates you want, then book on Orbitz, Expedia or directly with United itself. Most of the itinerary options have just one stop in San Francisco (SFO) or Los Angeles (LAX) in each direction.
Airline: United Airlines
Routes: SEA/PDX/SMF/SAN to HNL/OGG/LIH/KOA
Cost: $362+ round-trip in economy
Dates: September 2017-February 2018 (except the December holidays)
Booking Link: Orbitz, Expedia or United
Pay With: The Platinum Card from American Express (5x on airfare), Chase Sapphire Reserve, Citi Prestige Card (5x on airfare) or Chase Sapphire Preferred Card (2x on travel)
Here are a few examples of what you can book:
Portland (PDX) to Honolulu, Oahu (HNL) for $362 round-trip via Orbitz:
Sacramento (SMF) to Kahului, Maui (OGG) for $362 round-trip via Orbitz:
San Diego (SAN) to Kahului, Maui (OGG) for $362 round-trip via Orbitz:
Portland (PDX) to Kailua-Kona, Hawaii (KOA) for $362 round-trip via Orbitz:
Seattle (SEA) to Honolulu, Oahu (HNL) for $362 round-trip via Orbitz:
Maximize Your Purchase
Don’t forget to use a credit card that earns additional points on airfare purchases, such as the American Express Platinum Card (5x on flights booked directly with airlines or American Express Travel), Chase Sapphire Reserve, or Citi Prestige Card (5x on airfare) or the Chase Sapphire Preferred Card (2x on all travel purchases). Check out this post for more on maximizing airfare purchases.
If you’re able to score one of these tickets, please share the good news in the comments below!
H/T: Thrifty Traveler