Flying to Hawaii?
There are some general rules that apply to almost all flights, but there are some specific rules when it comes to flying to Hawaii – rules that will make your Hawaii airfare cheaper from the very beginning.
1) First and foremost, the further out you can plan your Hawaii trip, particularly your air travel to Hawaii, the cheaper they will be. Try to book your flight to Honolulu at least 21 days out – 30 days if you’re continuing to Maui. Extra tip… “red eye” trips will save you lots of money on your return to the mainland.
2) Very important – stay over a Saturday night!! If your trip to Hawaii is for 5 days, plan your flight to arrive Wednesday morning to early afternoon, then return to the mainland on Sunday to get a better fare. Extra tip… try mid-week flights for arrival and departure for the BEST airfare.
3) Don’t ever buy airline tickets for Friday evening or Monday morning. These are obviously the busiest times for the airlines and the airfare will reflect that.
4) Avoid holiday travel to Hawaii if you can. If you must travel to Hawaii for a holiday, book your flight for the actual Holiday (fly in ON Christmas Day rather than Christmas Eve, for example).
5) With the exception of Thanksgiving, airfare to Hawaii is cheapest between November 1st and December 15th.
6) Pretty obvious, but fly from a major city – preferably a major international hub. If you live an hour outside Chicago for example, choose Chicago Ohare anyway. Take the bus or some other form of public transportation if necessary but fly from the international hubs.
7) Flights to Honolulu on Tuesday, Wednesday and Saturday will usually offer the lowest prices. The heaviest travel days TO Honolulu are Monday, Friday and Sunday, so the prices can be higher.
8) Solid gold tip!! If you are willing to be bumped from an overbooked flight, you could be given a very large discount for a future trip or possibly een a free roundtrp. If you are not in a hurry and the airline announces your flight is overbooked, ask the gate counter representative what they are offering for a volunteer “bump”.
9) Use your status as a senior citizen or a college student to get discounts – sometimes as much as 25% off! If you are at least 55 years of age or you can show a student ID, this is definitely an avenue you need to explore.
10) If you call the airlines directly, ask them for their most inexpensive flight. Believe it or not, It is not always coach. Your airline may be having a special on business travel that you qualify for. Always ask!
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