Act quickly: Fly to Hawaii for less than $200
Quick summary
Update: Some offers mentioned below are no longer available. View the current offers here.
If you've considered the possibility of a late, last-minute spring trip, Alaska Airlines has a sale going on right now that includes some great deals on trips to Hawaii.
The deals are limited to some very specific dates and routes. But since it's been less than a month since the state relaxed the vast majority of its COVID-19 restrictions, this could be a great chance to go enjoy beautiful weather, beach resorts and stunning nature in Hawaii for less than $200 round trip.
Alaska Airlines announced the deals this week as part of a series of discounted fares on certain routes in and out of some of its biggest west coast hubs. There are a number of flights within the U.S., for instance, for $69 one way.
It was the $99 one-way tickets to Hawaii that stood out to us, though.
The deals are being offered most prominently through the end of the month, with limited options in May. In order to tap into the best deals, you're going to need to be flexible in booking on the days the carrier is offering the best fares.
It's also important to note that these particular deals are only on flights departing from a couple of West Coast airports, but if they work with your travel plans, this could mean great savings on your trip compared to other times of the year.
Deal basics
Airlines: Alaska, with some options on United.
Routes: SFO to OGG; SAN to KOA.
How to book: Directly through the airline.
Travel dates: Throughout April and May 2022.
Book by: There's no official end date to the deal, but we suggest booking as soon as possible to take advantage of this pricing.
Related: I had sworn off Hawaii during the pandemic. Here's why I went back
Sample Flights
I found a number of options for flights out of San Francisco International Airport (SFO) to Maui's Kahului Airport (OGG) on Alaska Airlines for under $200 round trip. These itineraries are direct flights, which is an added bonus to the fare prices.
Flying on Alaska, it's a five and a half hour direct flight to OGG, with the return trip a hair under five hours. The round-trip ticket I found was priced at $197.
There were also some similar options on United. The search I ran had direct, round-trip flights priced at $197 for May 5–12 between SFO and OGG. This could be a great opportunity for frequent United flyers looking to book some flights in cash to accumulate miles as opposed to spending them.
You can also take advantage of this deal by flying Alaska Airlines from San Diego International Airport (SAN) to Kailua-Kona Airport (KOA) on the Big Island of Hawaii.
Just like the SFO–OGG routes, the price is $197 for direct, round-trip flights. The outbound flight from San Diego is about six hours, with a little under five and a half hours on the return trip.
Related: Hawaii travel gets a lot easier
Maximize your purchase
To fully maximize this deal, be sure to book with a card that earns rewards on your flight purchase, such as The Platinum Card® from American Express (5 points per dollar on airfare booked directly with the airline or through American Express Travel, on up to $500,000 on these purchases per calendar year), Citi Prestige® Card (5 points per dollar on airfare), Citi Premier® Card (see rates and fees), Chase Sapphire Reserve (3 points per dollar on airfare), American Express® Gold Card (3 points per dollar on airfare when booked directly with the airline or through Amex Travel) or the Chase Sapphire Preferred Card (2 points per dollar on travel). You can also use an Alaska Airlines credit card or a United credit card when booking direct to earn even more miles with those respective airlines on your purchase.
Check out this post for more on maximizing airfare purchases.
The information for the Citi Prestige Card has been collected independently by The Points Guy. The card details on this page have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer.
Bottom line
This is a great deal for West Coast travelers who have the flexibility to book quickly and take their trip in the next month. Taking a positioning flight to either airport might also make sense for those who live in other major U.S. cities and want to take advantage of this deal.
If it fits your schedule, this is a great bargain on a trip to one of the U.S. states most frequently atop travelers' bucket lists.