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Airfare deals are typically only available on limited dates. We recommend you use Google Flights to find dates to fly, then book through an online travel agency such as Expedia, which allows you to cancel flights without penalty by 11:00pm Eastern Time within one day of booking. However, if you’re using the American Express Platinum Card, you’ll need to book directly with the airline or through Amex Travel portal to get 5x MR points. Remember: Fares may disappear quickly, so book right away and take advantage of Expedia’s courtesy cancellation if you’re unable to get the time away from work or family.
Yet again, airlines are playing limbo with Hawaii airfare prices. And every time that we think the bar just can’t go lower, a cheaper Hawaii deal pops up. On Thursday, the bar dropped to $334 round-trip; now it’s down to $316 round-trip.
You can find the cheapest fares for travel from August through early December. But, other routes are offering excellent deals all the way through spring. There are no tricks needed to find these fares — just head to Google Flights and plug in your desired departure city. After finding the dates that work best for you, book with the airline directly or with an OTA such as Expedia or the Chase Ultimate Rewards travel portal.
As with the other Hawaii deals we’ve came across, if you’re looking to pay as little out of pocket as possible, you may be best off booking these flights by redeeming Chase Ultimate Rewards points (opposed to converting them into airline miles). As a reminder, Chase Sapphire Reserve cardholders can redeem UR points at 1.5 cents each, meaning that some of these options can be booked from around 21,100 points round-trip. Plus, if you’re flying with American Airlines, you can earn extra award miles and AAdvantge Elite Qualifying Dollars (EQD) by booking Special Fares through the Chase Ultimate Rewards portal.
Airline: American, United, Hawaiian
Routes: PHX/DFW/SEA/ATL to KOA/HNL/LIH/OGG
Cost: $316+ round-trip in economy
Dates: July-December
Booking Link: Orbitz, Expedia, Chase travel portal or directly with the airline.
Pay With: The Platinum Card from American Express (5x on airfare), Chase Sapphire Reserve, Premier Rewards Gold Card from American Express, Citi Prestige (3x on airfare plus excellent trip delay insurance) or Chase Sapphire Preferred (2x on travel)
Here are a few examples of what you can book:
Phoenix (PHX) to Kona (KOA) for $316 round-trip nonstopon American (Sunday, August 19 through Sunday, August 26):
Dallas/Fort Worth (DFW) to Kona (KOA) for $334 round-trip on United (Saturday, September 15 through Sunday, September 23):
Dallas/Fort Worth (DFW) to Honolulu (HNL) for $334 round-trip on United (Saturday, October 27 through Sunday, November 4):
Dallas/Fort Worth (DFW) to Lihue (LIH) for $334 round-trip on United (Saturday, December 1 through Sunday, December 9):
Seattle (SEA) to Kona (KOA) for $353 round-trip on Hawaiian (Wednesday, September 19 through Monday, September 24):
Seattle (SEA) to Kahului, Maui (OGG) for $372 round-trip on United (Saturday, September 8 through Sunday, September 16):
Atlanta (ATL) to Kona (KOA) for $424 round-trip on United (Wednesday, July 18 through Wednesday, July 25):
Maximize Your Purchase
Don’t forget to use a credit card that earns additional points on airfare purchases, such as the American Express Platinum Card (5x on flights booked directly with airlines or American Express Travel), Chase Sapphire Reserve, American Express Premier Rewards Gold or Citi Prestige (3x on airfare) or the Chase Sapphire Preferred Card (2x on all travel purchases). Check out this post for more on maximizing airfare purchases.
Source: thepointsguy.com