Southwest Can Officially Fly to Hawaii; Tickets Will Be Announced in 'Coming Days'
Southwest Airlines received official certification from the Federal Aviation Administration on Wednesday to operate its much-anticipated flights to Hawaii.
The budget carrier has been working with the FAA for the last few months to receive its Extended Range Twin-engine Operational Performance Standards (ETOPS) verification, which all airlines flying twin-engine planes -- like Southwest's Boeing 737s -- over oceans need. The certification process included test flights and other exercises with aviation officials to prove the airline could meet the standards to operate flights on such a long stretch, from the West Coast to Hawaii, without airports to divert to.
"Today, the FAA officially granted ETOPS authorization to Southwest Airlines," the airline said in a statement to TPG. "Now that we have the authorization, Southwest Teams will finalize our plans for offering service to Hawaii, and we'll publicly announce our timing for selling tickets and inaugurating flights to the Hawaiian Islands in the coming days."
Now that Southwest officially has its ETOPS credentials, the airline could be announcing ticket prices and schedules and begin selling fares to the Aloha State any day now. Southwest says flyers interested in the its "service intentions" for Hawaii can go to Southwest.com/Hawaii.
Southwest has said it will launch flights from Oakland (OAK), San Diego (SAN), San Jose (SJC), and Sacramento (SMF) to Honolulu (Oahu), Kahului (Maui), Kona (Island of Hawaii), and Lihue (Kauai). The carrier says it will also offer inter-island service.
RELATED VIDEO:
Which Southwest Credit Card Should I Get?
TPG featured card
at Capital One's secure site
Terms & restrictions apply. See rates & fees.
| 5X miles | Earn 5X miles on hotels, vacation rentals and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel |
| 2X miles | Earn unlimited 2X miles on every purchase, every day |
Pros
- Stellar welcome offer of 75,000 miles after spending $4,000 on purchases in the first three months from account opening. Plus, a $250 Capital One Travel credit to use in your first cardholder year upon account opening.
- You'll earn 2 miles per dollar on every purchase, which means you won't have to worry about memorizing bonus categories
- Rewards are versatile and can be redeemed for a statement credit or transferred to Capital One’s transfer partners
Cons
- Highest bonus-earning categories only on travel booked via Capital One Travel
- LIMITED-TIME OFFER: Enjoy $250 to use on Capital One Travel in your first cardholder year, plus earn 75,000 bonus miles once you spend $4,000 on purchases within the first 3 months from account opening - that’s equal to $1,000 in travel
- Earn unlimited 2X miles on every purchase, every day
- Earn 5X miles on hotels, vacation rentals and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel
- Miles won't expire for the life of the account and there's no limit to how many you can earn
- Receive up to a $120 credit for Global Entry or TSA PreCheck®
- Use your miles to get reimbursed for any travel purchase—or redeem by booking a trip through Capital One Travel
- Enjoy a $50 experience credit and other premium benefits with every hotel and vacation rental booked from the Lifestyle Collection
- Transfer your miles to your choice of 15+ travel loyalty programs
- Top rated mobile app