Hawaii - Jeff Campbell [484]
Lana’i airport (LNY; 565-6757; Lana’i)
Lihu’e airport (LIH; 246-1448; Kaua’i)
Moloka’i airport (MKK; 567-6361; Moloka’i)
Airlines flying to/from Honolulu
Air Canada (AC; 888-247-2262; www.aircanada.com)
Air New Zealand (NZ; 800-262-1234; www.airnewzealand.com)
Air Pacific (Fj; 800-227-4446; www.airpacific.com)
Alaska Airlines (AS; 800-252-7522; www.alaskaair.com)
American Airlines (AA; 800-433-7300; www.aa.com)
China Airlines (CI; 800-227-5118; www.china-airlines.com)
Continental (CO; 800-523-3273; www.continental.com)
Delta (DL; 800-221-1212; www.delta.com)
Hawaiian Airlines (HA; 800-367-5320; www.hawaiianair.com)
Japan Airlines (JL; 800-525-3663; www.ar.jal.com)
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THINGS CHANGE…
The information in this chapter is particularly vulnerable to change. Check directly with the airline or a travel agent to make sure you understand how a fare (and ticket you may buy) works and be aware of the security requirements for international travel. Shop carefully. The details given in this chapter should be regarded as pointers and are not a substitute for your own careful, up-to-date research.
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Korean Airlines (KE; 800-438-5000; www.koreanair.com)
Northwest (NW; 800-225-2525; www.nwa.com)
Philippine Airlines (PR; 800-435-9725; www.philippineairlines.com)
Qantas Airways (QF; 800-227-4500; www.qantas.com.au)
United Airlines (UA; 800-864-8331; www.united.com)
US Airways (US; 800-428-4322; www.usairways.com/awa)
For information on most airlines, visit Seat Guru (www.seatguru.com). For more information on flights to individual islands, see the Getting There & Away sections near the front of each island chapter. Flights to Lana’i and Moloka’i originate only from Honolulu or Maui.
Tickets
Naturally, the internet is the first place to look for low airfares. But in Hawaii, one travel agency specializing in discount tickets and packages is Panda Travel (738-3898, 800-303-6702; www.pandaonline.com; 1017 Kapahulu Ave, Honolulu).
Round-the-world (RTW) tickets allow you to fly around the world using an alliance of airlines; Circle Pacific tickets are similar, but itineraries focus on the Pacific region. Only consider them if you want to visit other parts of the world in addition to Hawaii. The two main alliances are One World (www.oneworld.com) and the Star Alliance (www.staralliance.com).
For a primer in online booking agencies, see Airinfo (www.airinfo.aero). The big three agency websites are Travelocity (www.travelocity.com), Expedia (www.expedia.com), and Orbitz (www.orbitz.com). Similar and worth trying is Cheap Tickets (www.cheapticket.com).
Meta sites compare prices across many sources (but don’t provide direct booking): try Kayak (www.kayak.com), Mobissimo (www.mobissimo.com) and Sidestep (www.sidestep.com). Farecast (http://farecast.live.com) helps predict when fares will be lowest.
Gamblers can bid for travel at Priceline (www.priceline.com) and Hotwire (www.hotwire.com), but it’s worth getting advice first at BiddingForTravel.com (http://biddingfortravel.yuku.com).
Hook up with advance promotions and deals through Travelzoo (www.travelzoo.com).
US Mainland
Competition is high among airlines flying to Honolulu from major mainland cities, and the ‘lowest fare’ fluctuates constantly. In general, return fares from the US mainland to Hawaii cost $300 (in low season from the West Coast) to $1000-plus (in high season from the East Coast). Ongoing upheaval in the air industry makes price prediction increasingly difficult.
Most mainland flights fly to Honolulu, but there are direct flights to Maui, Kaua’i and the Big Island from San Francisco, Los Angeles, Seattle and Las Vegas. The greatest number of carriers, flights and nonstop options originate from West Coast cities. Some nonstops to Honolulu originate from the East Coast, but most often you will have to add one or even two stops (certainly if you want the cheapest fare).
For those with limited time, package tours can sometimes be the cheapest option. Basic ones cover airfare and accommodations, while deluxe packages include