Southwest Airlines does a switcheroo on Hawaii's Big Island
Southwest Airlines is making an interesting change to service on Hawaii's Big Island.
The Dallas-based carrier recently filed plans to slash service from Ellison Onizuka Kona International Airport at Keahole (KOA) to San Francisco Bay Oakland International Airport (OAK), as first seen in Cirium schedules and later confirmed by a carrier spokesperson.
The airline's Kona-to-Oakland route will end March 5, 2025. It was first added back in January 2020 as part of one of Southwest's initial tranches of Hawaii routes. (The airline's Hawaii service started in March 2019.)
While the airline is cutting service to Oakland, the airline is adding service from Sacramento International Airport (SMF) to KOA on March 6, 2025. Southwest last flew from Sacramento to Kona in the summer of 2022, when it operated a once-weekly service.
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The airline didn't have much to share about this switcheroo, explaining in a milquetoast statement that "we’re meeting Customer demand and maturing our Hawaii service as we surpass five years of proudly serving the Hawaiian Islands with interisland and Mainland connectivity."
For Southwest's network, this is an interesting change. Though the airline doesn't operate hubs in the traditional sense, it does have a slew of operating bases nationwide that act similarly to hubs for the major network carriers.
One of those big bases is Oakland, from where Southwest flies to more than 30 destinations. While Sacramento isn't as sizable an operating base as Oakland, the airline does operate flights from Sacramento to 28 destinations, according to Cirium data, so there still will be quite a few connecting itineraries available to travelers with this switch.
Seemingly, Southwest didn't see enough nonstop demand to warrant serving Oakland to Kona, and that route will now become unserved unless another carrier steps in to fill Southwest's gap. Note that Southwest will maintain daily service between Oakland and Honolulu, Maui and Lihue on Kauai.
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Department of Transportation data shows that Southwest saw an average of about 60 daily nonstop passengers on flights between Oakland and Kona in 2023.
In other Hawaii network news, Southwest will start red-eye flights from the Aloha State in the first quarter of next year. Also, earlier this year, Southwest canceled its route from Los Angeles to Maui.
The airline is mulling further tweaks to its Hawaii network — especially its interisland flying, which hasn't performed up to its initial targets — as well. Asked recently about the load factors on interisland flights, Andrew Watterson, Southwest's chief operating officer, told The Airline Observer that "I think they're low."
Speaking on the company's recent third-quarter earnings call, Watterson said, "We have cross-functional teams that are organized to focus and drive this [change in our Hawaii network], and we're seeing the results of those efforts, and those continue and will continue until we reach our business case."
Related reading:
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- How to change or cancel a Southwest Airlines flight
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There’s a lot to love about the Amex Gold. It’s a fan favorite thanks to its fantastic bonus-earning rates at restaurants worldwide and at U.S. supermarkets. If you’re hitting the skies soon, you’ll also earn bonus Membership Rewards points on travel. Paired with up to $120 in Uber Cash annually (for U.S. Uber rides or Uber Eats orders, card must be added to Uber app and you can redeem with any Amex card), up to $120 in annual dining statement credits to be used with eligible partners, an up to $84 Dunkin’ credit each year at U.S. Dunkin Donuts and an up to $100 Resy credit annually, there’s no reason that foodies shouldn’t add the Amex Gold to their wallet. These benefits alone are worth more than $400, which offsets the $325 annual fee on the Amex Gold card. Enrollment is required for select benefits. (Partner offer)Pros
- 4 points per dollar spent on dining at restaurants worldwide and U.S. supermarkets (on the first $50,000 in purchases per calendar year; then 1 point per dollar spent thereafter and $25,000 in purchases per calendar year; then 1 point per dollar spent thereafter, respectively)
- 3 points per dollar spent on flights booked directly with the airline or with amextravel.com
- Packed with credits foodies will enjoy
- Solid welcome bonus
Cons
- Not as useful for those living outside the U.S.
- Some may have trouble using Uber and other dining credits
- You may be eligible for as high as 100,000 Membership Rewards® Points after you spend $6,000 in eligible purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership. Welcome offers vary and you may not be eligible for an offer. Apply to know if you’re approved and find out your exact welcome offer amount – all with no credit score impact. If you’re approved and choose to accept the Card, your score may be impacted.
- Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on purchases at restaurants worldwide, on up to $50,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
- Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent at US supermarkets, on up to $25,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
- Earn 3X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on flights booked directly with airlines or on AmexTravel.com.
- Earn 2X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on prepaid hotels and other eligible purchases booked on AmexTravel.com.
- Earn 1X Membership Rewards® point per dollar spent on all other eligible purchases.
- $120 Uber Cash on Gold: Add your Gold Card to your Uber account and get $10 in Uber Cash each month to use on orders and rides in the U.S. when you select an American Express Card for your transaction. That’s up to $120 Uber Cash annually. Plus, after using your Uber Cash, use your Card to earn 4X Membership Rewards® points for Uber Eats purchases made with restaurants or U.S. supermarkets. Point caps and terms apply.
- $84 Dunkin' Credit: With the $84 Dunkin' Credit, you can earn up to $7 in monthly statement credits after you enroll and pay with the American Express® Gold Card at U.S. Dunkin' locations. Enrollment is required to receive this benefit.
- $100 Resy Credit: Get up to $100 in statement credits each calendar year after you pay with the American Express® Gold Card to dine at U.S. Resy restaurants or make other eligible Resy purchases. That's up to $50 in statement credits semi-annually. Enrollment required.
- $120 Dining Credit: Satisfy your cravings, sweet or savory, with the $120 Dining Credit. Earn up to $10 in statement credits monthly when you pay with the American Express® Gold Card at Grubhub, The Cheesecake Factory, Goldbelly, Wine.com, and Five Guys. Enrollment required.
- Explore over 1,000 upscale hotels worldwide with The Hotel Collection and receive a $100 credit towards eligible charges* with every booking of two nights or more through AmexTravel.com. *Eligible charges vary by property.
- No Foreign Transaction Fees.
- Annual Fee is $325.
- Terms Apply.