Deal Alert: West Coast to Hawaii From $304 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.
The great fares we saw a few weeks ago to Hawaii are back, but now in some cases they're even lower! United is the major carrier to offer these flights this time around, and you can get to all four of the major airports in Hawaiian Islands — Honolulu (HNL), Lihue (LIH), Maui (OGG) and Kailua-Kona (KOA) — from multiple Pacific coast cities for as low as $304 round-trip.
You'll find many of these airfares from November through the end of the schedule in September 2018, with the exception of June/July and the December holiday season. You don't need any tricks to get these prices, so just use Google Flights to pick the dates you want, then book on Orbitz, Expedia or directly with United itself. It also appears that none of these options are in Basic Economy, so you can book your trip knowing that you won't have to worry about bringing a bag into the cabin or getting an advance seat assignment.
Most itinerary options are either nonstop or have just one short connection in either San Francisco (SFO) or Los Angeles (LAX) and there's no minimum stay requirement, so you can either stay just a few days or make it a multi-week trip of eating your fill of poke and shave ice.
Airline: United Airlines
Routes: SFO/SEA/PDX/SMF/SAN/LAS to HNL/OGG/KOA/LIH
Cost: $304+ round-trip in economy
Dates: November 2017-September 2018 (except the December holidays and June-July)
Booking Link: Orbitz, Expedia or with the airline directly
Pay With: The Platinum Card from American Express (5x on airfare), Chase Sapphire Reserve, Citi Prestige (5x on airfare) or Chase Sapphire Preferred Card (2x on travel)
Here are a few examples of what you can book:
San Francisco (SFO) to Honolulu, Oahu (HNL) for $304 round-trip via Orbitz:

San Francisco (SFO) to Kahului, Maui (OGG) for $304 round-trip via Orbitz:

San Diego (SAN) to Kailua-Kona, Hawaii (KOA) for $362 round-trip via Orbitz:

Seattle (SEA) to Lihue, Kauai (LIH) for $362 round-trip via Orbitz:

Portland (PDX) to Kahului, Maui (OGG) for $362 round-trip via Orbitz:

Sacramento (SMF) to Kahului, Maui (OGG) for $362 round-trip via Orbitz:

Las Vegas (LAS) to Honolulu, Oahu (HNL) for $412 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 (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: The Flight Deal
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Rewards Rate
| 2X miles | 2 miles per dollar on every purchase |
| 5X miles | 5 miles per dollar on flights and vacation rentals booked through Capital One Business Travel |
| 10X miles | 10 miles per dollar on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Business Travel |
Intro Offer
Earn 200K miles when you spend $30K in the first 3 months, and an additional 200K miles when you spend $150K in the first 6 monthsLIMITED-TIME OFFER: Earn up to 400K bonus milesAnnual Fee
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Why We Chose It
The Capital One Venture X Business Card has all the Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card has to offer and more. It offers an incredible welcome bonus and requires an equally impressive spend to qualify. In addition, the card comes with premium travel perks like annual travel credit. (Partner offer)Pros
- The Capital One Venture X business card has a very lucrative welcome offer.
- In addition, the card comes with many premium travel perks such as an annual $300 credit for bookings through Capital One Business Travel.
- Business owners are also able to add employee cards for free.
Cons
- The card requires significant spending to earn the welcome offer.
- Another drawback is that the annual travel credit can only be used on bookings made through Capital One Business Travel.
- LIMITED-TIME OFFER: Earn up to 400K bonus miles: 200K miles when you spend $30K in the first 3 months, and an additional 200k miles when you spend $150k in the first 6 months
- Earn unlimited 2X miles on every purchase, everywhere—with no limits or category restrictions
- Earn 10X miles on hotels and rental cars and 5X miles on flights and vacation rentals booked through Capital One Business Travel
- With no preset spending limit, enjoy big purchasing power that adapts so you can spend more and earn more rewards
- Empower your teams to make business purchases while earning rewards on their transactions, with free employee and virtual cards. Plus, automatically sync your transaction data with your accounting software and pay your vendors with ease
- Redeem your miles on flights, hotels and more. Plus, transfer your miles to any of the 15+ travel loyalty programs
- Every year, you'll get 10,000 bonus miles after your account anniversary date. Plus, receive an annual $300 credit for bookings made through Capital One Business Travel
- Receive up to a $120 credit for Global Entry or TSA PreCheck®. Enjoy access to 1,300+ airport lounges worldwide, including Capital One Lounge locations and Priority Pass™ lounges, after enrollment
- Enjoy a $100 experience credit and other premium benefits with every hotel and vacation rental booked from the Premier Collection
- This is a pay-in-full card, so your balance is due in full every month

