It suddenly got a lot cheaper to get around the Hawaiian Islands, and it’s about to get easier as well.
Southwest Airlines announced it will offer $39 fares for any flight between islands through the end of the year. That’s about half the price of other airlines offering similar trips.
“We’re seeing a great response to this promotional price on interisland flights, and that’s meeting our goal of having folks give us a try,” Southwest spokesperson Brad Hawkins said in a statement to USA Today.
Hawkins said travelers are well aware of Southwest as a major carrier, but not as many know it flies to five different locations in Hawaii.
“(It) has put us more top of mind as an option, even for last-minute trips tied to plans that change — business trips, journeys for medical care, and also tourism,” Hawkins said.
Flights between the islands are so brief that there’s barely time to settle in after takeoff before planes are making their descent into the ultimate destination. Flights can be anywhere from 20 to 45 minutes.
“We’ve served Hawaii for more than three years, but we still think a lot of people know about Southwest, that we move people among five airports in the Aloha State, but that they don’t yet know us — and so we’re inviting them to give us a try,” Hawkins said.
Southwest is about to make its presence in the state a lot more known. The airline currently has 38 daily interisland flights, but that number will nearly double to 60 starting in mid-September.
The low fares and the frequency of flights could lead some tourists to take day trips to other islands — a jaunt to Maui for some golf at Kapalua, or a trip to Kauai for some snorkeling.
Southwest officials note that even for the interisland hops, policies of two bags fly free and no change fees still apply. So, if you’re planning that day trip and the weather isn’t cooperating, Southwest allows you to change your flight at no cost.
