Surf’s up! Alaska flights to Hawaii as low as $260 round-trip
Update: Some offers mentioned below are no longer available. View the current offers here.
Alaska Airlines is partnering with surf forecasting site Surfline to offer some "swell" deals to and from Hawaii. The airline will discount up to 30% off flights to and from Hawaii based on the height of forecasted waves around the islands. If you don't find yourself near a beach often, I'll make it simpler: The bigger the wave, the bigger the discount.
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The sale is valid from Nov. 4 to 8, for travel through Nov. 20. Alaska will discount fares based on the following max swell heights tracked by Surfline:
- ≤10 foot swells: 10% off
- 11-15 foot swells: 15% off
- 16-20 foot swells: 20% off
- 21+ foot swells: 30% off
The discount will change daily at approximately noon and 5 p.m. PST as Alaska gets the latest forecast information from Surfline.
Note that some of the tickets are "Saver Fares" or Alaska's basic economy. With a Saver Fare, no changes (including same-day changes) and no standing by for earlier or later flights are allowed — regardless of your status level. Elites won't be eligible for complimentary upgrades, but they'll still get early boarding and two free checked bags. Alaska Airlines Visa Signature® credit card holders also get one checked bag for free. It appears the best deals originate from the West Coast.
To book, enter your departure city and your destination. Remember, at least of one these must be Lihue (LIH), Kona (KOA), Maui (OGG), or Honolulu (HNL). Then add departure and return dates between Nov. 4 and Nov. 20, 2019, and select the number of travelers. Finally, make sure that the discount code SURFLINE15 appears in the discount code field, and then click "Find flights."
Airline: Alaska
Routes: Major routes served by Alaska
Cost: $260+ round-trip in economy
Dates: November – December 2019
Pay With: The Platinum Card® from American Express (5x on airfare booked directly with the airline), Citi Prestige® Card (5x on airfare), Citi Premier® Card, Chase Sapphire Reserve (3x on airfare), American Express® Gold Card (3x on airfare when booked directly with the airline) or Chase Sapphire Preferred Card (2x on travel)
Here are a few examples of what you can book:
Los Angeles (LAX) to Maui (OGG) for $260 round-trip nonstop:
Oakland (OAK) to Maui (OGG) for $277 round-trip nonstop:
Oakland (OAK) to Honolulu (HNL) for $277 round-trip nonstop:
Portland (PDX) to Honolulu (HNL) for $332 round-trip nonstop:
Seattle (SEA) to Honolulu (HNL) for $379 round-trip nonstop:
Maximize your purchase
Don't forget to use a credit card that earns additional points on airfare purchases, such as The Platinum Card® from American Express (5x on flights booked directly with airlines or American Express Travel), Chase Sapphire Reserve, American Express® Gold Card, Citi Premier® Card, Citi Prestige Card (5x on airfare) or the Chase Sapphire Preferred Card (2x on all travel purchases). Check out this guide for more on maximizing airfare purchases.
Featured photo by Andre Distel Photography/Getty Images.