Deal Alert: West Coast 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 American Express Platinum Card, 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.
We've seen this deal pop up a couple times before, but it's back again and a great opportunity to grab an awesome airfare to Hawaii from the West Coast. Right now United is offering flights to three major destinations in the Aloha State — Honolulu (HNL), Maui (OGG) and Kailua-Kona (KOA) — from several cities in the Pacific states, including Seattle (SEA), Portland (PDX), Sacramento (SMF) and San Diego (SAN) starting from just $362 round-trip.
Availability varies depending on the route, but you'll find these airfares starting in September and through pretty much the end of the schedule in May 2018 except for the December holidays. Departures are available on weekdays and in most cases there's no minimum stay requirement, so you can spend as much or as little time on the beach 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/KOA
Cost: $362+ round-trip in economy
Dates: September 2017-May 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 (3x on airfare) or Chase Sapphire Preferred (2x on travel)
Here are a few examples of what you can book:
San Diego (SAN) to Kahului, Maui (OGG) for $362 round-trip via Orbitz:
Portland (PDX) to Honolulu, Oahu (HNL) for $362 round-trip via Orbitz:
Seattle (SEA) to Kailua-Kona, Hawaii (KOA) for $362 round-trip via Orbitz:
Sacramento (SMF) 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 Kahului, Maui (OGG) 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 (3x 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