Ever since Southwest announced their plans in expanding to Hawaii, many have been anticipating when the tickets will go on sale. This is especially true and exciting for those who are planning their strategy which will allow them to use their Southwest Companion Pass. So, what is the latest with Southwest Hawaii?
The latest with Southwest Hawaii
According to one of my old favorite websites dedicated to anything and everything Hawaii, Beat of Hawaii recently shared this latest update. They received a tip :
“that the airline has just submitted in-flight operations and procedures documentation for ETOPs approval. That puts them another notch closer to starting Hawaii flights.”
There are also lots of speculation that the “Los Angeles to Hawaii flights on SWA may come sooner than expected.” It’s not a huge surprise that many of us have seen amazing flight deal from Los Angeles to Hawaii. This also led other West Coast cities such as San Francisco, Portland, Seattle to get in on crazy airfares that we’ve seen as of late. Here are of our latest posts regarding these deals and surging competition from the West Coast:
- 3 US Cities to Hawaii from $261 r/t or 17K Ultimate Rewards
- Deal Alert: Phoenix to Hawaii for as low as $307 R/T or 20K Chase Ultimate Rewards
- Hey West Coast! Say aloha to low airfare of $247 R/T or or 16K Chase Ultimate Rewards
I remember seeing rates close to $1,000 during the height of the summer. I flew my family to Maui in 2016, and to Kauai in 2017 around the 4th of July holiday, and if we paid for those tickets, it would have been close to $6,000 for my party of six. We do see these peaks and valleys when it comes to Hawaii pricing. According to Beat of Hawaii:
The recent drop in prices seems to us to indicate that SWA will enter that market sooner than later. Flights priced at just $142 are a clear way carriers indicate that they will simply not budge, won’t leave and won’t be undersold in the most important of all Hawaii markets.
So, when will tickets go on sale
Many speculations have been going around that this could all happen in early 2019 before we even see any movement. I know many have been eyeing for an announcement. With this latest news from Beat of Hawaii, “Flights still likely to be announced this month (October 2018).” And if such announcements are made, we could begin seeing service to Hawaii just weeks after delivering that news.
Only time will tell when we will hear the official announcements. I have seen many folks count on booking their trip to Hawaii via Southwest, and some even with specific dates. I suggest remaining flexible. Be on the lookout for more competitive deals that come out. The following weeks before Thanksgiving and before Christmas typically give us low airfares to Hawaii. We’ve also seen these low fares after the New Year. Again, be on the lookout, don’t put all your eggs in one basket. When you see a deal that works for you, try and compare how it prices out if you were to buy those tickets using your Chase Ultimate Rewards. Those have been quite sweetest spot lately. We will keep you posted as we hear of more news.
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Dan Miller travels with his wife and 6 (SIX!) children. He loves to help families travel for free / cheap, especially larger families. If you are looking for help, drop him an email at 
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