In the spring of 2019, Southwest Airlines began flying to Hawaii, which many consumers were excited about. The airline is known for its great fares, no change fees, and free checked bags, and travelers were happy to see that kind of a business model finally come to Hawaii.
Well, Southwest has now announced a major expansion of flying to the state, bringing nonstop options to passengers in more markets.
Southwest Airlines’ Hawaii expansion
As of June 2021, Southwest Airlines will add flights to Hawaii out of Las Vegas, Los Angeles, Phoenix and San Diego. Southwest Airlines will operate these flights with a combination of 737-800s and 737 MAX 8s. The airline is even offering introductory fares of $129-159 one-way.
This will represent Southwest’s first service to Hawaii out of Las Vegas, Los Angeles, and Phoenix, while we’re seeing significantly expanded service out of San Diego. Southwest’s current Hawaii service is operated out of Long Beach, Oakland, Sacramento, San Diego, and San Jose.
Let’s go over the details of the new service.
Southwest’s Las Vegas (LAS) to Hawaii flights
Southwest will fly from Las Vegas to four Hawaiian islands. The airline will fly from Las Vegas to:
- Honolulu, Oahu (HNL), as of June 6, 2021, up to 2x daily
- Kahului, Maui (OGG), as of June 27, 2021, up to 2x daily
- Kona, Hawaii (KOA), as of September 7, 2021, up to 1x daily
- Lihue, Kauai (LIH), as of September 8, 2021, up to 1x daily
Southwest’s Los Angeles (LAX) to Hawaii flights
Southwest will fly from Los Angeles to four Hawaiian islands. The airline will fly from Los Angeles to:
- Honolulu, Oahu (HNL), as of June 6, 2021, up to 2x daily
- Kahului, Maui (OGG), as of June 6, 2021, up to 3x daily
- Kona, Hawaii (KOA), as of June 27, 2021, up to 1x daily
- Lihue, Kauai (LIH), as of June 27, 2021, up to 1x daily
Southwest’s Phoenix (PHX) to Hawaii flights
Southwest will fly from Phoenix to four Hawaiian islands. The airline will fly from Phoenix to:
- Honolulu, Oahu (HNL), as of June 27, 2021, up to 2x daily
- Kahului, Maui (OGG), as of June 27, 2021, up to 1x daily
- Kona, Hawaii (KOA), as of September 7, 2021, up to 1x daily
- Lihue, Kauai (LIH), as of September 7, 2021, up to 1x daily
Southwest’s San Diego (SAN) to Hawaii flights
Southwest will fly from San Diego to four Hawaiian islands, which represents a significant increase over the previous service. The airline will fly from San Diego to:
- Honolulu, Oahu (HNL), as of June 6, 2021, up to 2x daily
- Kahului, Maui (OGG), as of June 27, 2021, up to 2x daily
- Kona, Hawaii (KOA), as of June 27, 2021, up to 1x daily
- Lihue, Kauai (LIH), as of June 29, 2021, up to 1x daily
Bottom line
It’s so awesome to see Southwest expand even further to Hawaii. In fairness, Hawaii is about as popular as it has ever been right now, given international travel restrictions and the widespread desire to travel.
Nonetheless, Southwest is now becoming a force to be reckoned with in the Hawaii market, and that’s great to see. Airlines sure face a lot of competition between the mainland and Hawaii, and I imagine we’ll see fares go even lower.
What do you make of Southwest Airlines’ Hawaii expansion?
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