Deal alert: US mainland to Hawaii from $296 round-trip
Update: Some offers mentioned below are no longer available. View the current offers here.
Hawaii reopened to U.S. travelers earlier this month. You no longer need to quarantine upon arrival, but you need to be tested for COVID-19 and receive a negative result before entering the state. And once you're there, you'll need to navigate a different set of rules for each island.
For more TPG news and deals delivered each morning to your inbox, sign up for our daily newsletter here.
Nevertheless, in a move that likely will lure more visitors to the islands, airlines are offering discounted fares from all across the U.S. mainland, with several of them being nonstop options.
If you want to book a trip to take advantage of the great prices but don't have all the details worked out, you can book worry-free as airlines have enacted customer-friendly travel policies this year, like waiving change fees for good. However, you’ll want to keep track of the airline cancellation policies and any coronavirus-related updates.
The cheapest flights originate on the West Coast at hubs like Los Angeles (LAX) and Phoenix (PHX). Tickets originating further east in cities like Chicago (ORD), Dallas (DFW) and New York-JFK are more expensive, but still reasonable, considering the length of the journey.
Related: Not sure how to maximize Google Flights? Our experts break it down for you.
To search, head to Google Flights and enter your origin and destination cities. Scroll through the calendar function to find dates and prices that work for you. Finally, click through to book directly with the airline or through an OTA like Priceline or Expedia.
We first heard about these flights through Secret Flying.
Airlines: Alaska, American
Routes: LAX/PHX/DFW/ORD/JFK to HNL/KOA/OGG
Cost: From $296 round-trip in economy
Travel Dates: December 2020 - February 2021
Pay With: The Platinum Card® from American Express (5x on flights booked directly with airlines or American Express Travel; on up to $500,000 on these purchases per calendar year, starting Jan. 1, 2021), Citi Prestige® Card (5x on airfare), Citi Premier® Card (3x on airfare), Chase Sapphire Reserve (3x on travel), American Express® Gold Card (3x on airfare booked directly with the airline or amextravel.com) or the Chase Sapphire Preferred Card (2x on travel)
The information for the Citi Prestige has been collected independently by The Points Guy. The card details on this page have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer.
Here’s an example of what you can book:
Phoenix (PHX) to Kona (KOA) for $296 round-trip nonstop on American Airlines:
Los Angeles (LAX) to Maui (OGG) for $296 round-trip nonstop on American Airlines:
Chicago (ORD) to Honolulu (HNL) for $389 round-trip on American Airlines:
Dallas-Ft. Worth (DFW) to Honolulu (HNL) for $401 round-trip on American Airlines:
New York-JFK (JFK) to Maui (OGG) for $453 round-trip on Alaska Airlines:
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), Citi Prestige® Card (5x on airfare), Chase Sapphire Reserve, American Express® Gold Card, Citi Premier® Card (3x on airfare) or the Chase Sapphire Preferred Card (2x on all travel purchases). Check out this post for more on maximizing airfare purchases.