How to Book Flights to Hawaiʻi (and When to Buy)

Book 40 to 50 days before departure for the lowest fares on flights to Hawaiʻi. That window holds across most routes, though the sweet spot can stretch from three weeks to three months out depending on season. Mid-April through May and September through October are the cheapest months to fly.

From the West Coast, direct flights to Kona (KOA) run about five hours from Los Angeles or San Francisco; Hilo (ITO) has no mainland nonstops until Southwest’s Las Vegas route starts in August 2026. East Coast travelers connect through a West Coast hub or Honolulu, which adds three to five hours depending on layover. We have tracked enough Big Island booking cycles to confirm the 40-to-50-day window holds: waiting inside three weeks almost always pushes fares up.

How Long Is the Flight to Hawaii?

A direct flight from Los Angeles or San Francisco to Kona (KOA) takes about 5 hours. That’s the shortest path to the Big Island from the mainland. Add a connection and you are looking at 8 to 12 hours total, depending on your layover.

Secondly, most flights from the mainland to Hawaii arrive at Honolulu (HNL) on the island of Oʻahu, from where you will have to board an interisland flight to the Big Island. This last step often adds a few hours to the total flight time, and it can be worth your while to search for flights going directly to the Big Island.

The Big Island is the closest Hawaiian island to the west coast, and Kona (KOA) has more mainland nonstops than most people expect: Los Angeles (LAX), San Francisco (SFO), Seattle (SEA), Portland (PDX), Denver (DEN), and Phoenix (PHX) year-round, plus seasonal winter service from Dallas (DFW) and Salt Lake City (SLC). Hilo (ITO) is a different story. Its last mainland nonstop disappeared in 2023, and the first one back, a Southwest flight from Las Vegas three times a week, starts on August 6, 2026. Until then, reaching Hilo by air means connecting through Honolulu or Kona.

How much does a ticket to Hawaii cost?

Flight price depends primarily on your departure city, how far in advance you book, and when you travel. The round-trip ranges below were last updated in June 2026. Treat them as rough order-of-magnitude estimates, not current fares.

• Continental USA to Hawaii: from $300 to $400 on West Coast sale fares (Alaska and Southwest compete hard for the West Coast market, with United close behind) up to $1,000+ from the East Coast or in peak summer. Most people pay somewhere between $500 and $800 round trip.
• Europe to Hawaii: between $800 and $1,500, always with a stopover on the US West Coast. The low end is for off-season travel (February, May, September), the high end for July, August, and the holidays.
• Asia to Hawaii: between $600 and $900, with sale fares from Japan occasionally dropping below $500.
• Australia to Hawaii: between $600 and $1,200, with an average around $900 from Sydney.

The above prices represent our best estimate at the time of the last update (June 2026) and are indicative only.

When is the best time to buy a ticket to Hawaii?

Two factors drive the price of a Hawaii flight: when you travel and how far out you book. High season and major holidays push fares up across all airlines. Get both variables right and you can meaningfully lower what you pay.

When to Buy: The 40-to-50-Day Sweet Spot

Ticket prices for Hawaii flights fluctuate daily, but the large fare studies land on the same booking window. CheapAir’s annual study of 917 million airfares puts the single best buying day at 42 days before departure, Google Flights data says 43 days, and 2026 guides from Going and KAYAK back the same pattern for domestic routes.

On average, the best time to buy your ticket to Hawaii is between three weeks and three months before departure, with the period between 40 and 50 days as the golden rule.

The figures mentioned above are valid for domestic flights within the USA. For tickets bought from Europe, Asia, and Australia you need to book further in advance: CheapAir puts the international window at three to six months out, depending on the region. The same goes for peak-season trips (summer, Thanksgiving, Christmas) from anywhere: book those as early as you can.

Two more levers are worth pulling. Departing midweek (Monday through Wednesday) runs about 13 percent cheaper than weekend departures per Google Flights data, and a price alert in Google Flights does the fare watching for you: set one on your route as soon as your dates firm up, then book when a drop lands inside the 40-to-50-day window.

Cheapest Months to Fly to Hawaii

Skipping peak season cuts ticket prices more reliably than any other variable. Avoid the weeks around Thanksgiving and Christmas, which carry the highest fares across all airlines. If you have flexibility on travel dates, the window below is where most travelers find the biggest savings.

Read more about the high season and the low season on Hawaii on our website.

If raw airfare is your only concern, fare trackers consistently show non-holiday January and February as the cheapest months to fly to Hawaii. Hotels are in winter high season then, so your total trip cost usually ends up higher than it would in the shoulder months.

In our opinion, the best time to avoid the crowds and find the cheapest tickets to the Big Island is between mid-April and May and in September and October.

Airlines That Fly to Hawaii

For most travelers, the cheapest fare wins. The lineup changed in 2024, though: Alaska Airlines bought Hawaiian Airlines, so two of the three familiar names on Hawaii routes are now one company. Here is how the field looks in 2026.

1: Hawaiian Airlines and Alaska Airlines (now one company)

Hawaiian and Alaska merged in September 2024 and have flown under a single FAA operating certificate since October 2025; as of April 2026 all flights carry the AS flight code. Both keep their own branding and websites, and you can still book either one. Two practical consequences: comparing fares between them is no longer comparison shopping, and miles from both brands now pool in a single loyalty program, Atmos Rewards. Find fares at the Hawaiian Airlines website and the Alaska Airlines website.

2: Southwest Airlines

Southwest Airlines flies to Hawaii from several California airports and is frequently the lowest-cost option for West Coast travelers. One change to factor in: Southwest started charging for checked bags in 2025, so add that to the fare before comparing. Check the Southwest Airlines website for current routes and schedules, including the new Las Vegas to Hilo nonstop starting August 6, 2026.

3: United Airlines

United flies nonstop to Kona from San Francisco, Denver, and Los Angeles. If you are starting east of the Rockies, a United connection through San Francisco or Denver is often the fastest way onto the Big Island without passing through Honolulu. Compare fares at the United website.

Inter-island flights (between the Hawaiian Islands)

If you plan to visit more than one Hawaiian island, interisland flights are how you get between them. These are short (~ 1 hour) flights between the different Hawaiian Islands. Note, island hopping is not for everyone!

The trick with booking interisland flights is to find the balance between ‘lost time’ in the form of a couple of hours and the opportunity to see another part of the Hawaiian Islands. To learn more about how to book the best interisland flights, have a look at our interisland flight guide for Hawaii:

International Airports on the Big Island

There are two international airports on the Big Island. Kona (KOA) handles all of the island’s mainland flights and is the main hub, whereas Hilo (ITO) currently receives interisland flights only. That changes in August 2026, when Southwest’s Las Vegas nonstop gives Hilo its first mainland route in three years.

Disclaimer: the advice given on this page is a combination of our personal experiences and information gathered online, which is referenced where possible. By its nature it describes an ‘average best strategy’, and we cannot guarantee that following the advice given on this page will give you the absolute lowest price. Please use your own best judgment when trying to find your perfect flight to Hawaii.