Hawaii: fewer flights this fall, but how do fares compare?

Fewer of us mainlanders are planning to hit Hawaii this fall than in past years, according to news reports, with the number of seats on flights from Los Angeles (LAX) forecast to decrease by almost 9.8%.

But filling up one of those remaining seats bound for the paradisiacal Aloha State is still tempting for many, especially since hotel bargains on the islands are ample these days. Yes, well, there is the matter of escalated (and perhaps escalating) airfares. Let’s have a look at those.

Right now, for the fall, I’m seeing flights from LAX to Honolulu (HNL) hovering around the $500 mark. On Priceline, I found a nonstop American Airlines flight for $476 (including taxes), departing on a Monday in mid-September. Checking out options for a few days later, leaving on a Friday, I found a nonstop for $499.98 on Hawaiian Air’s website.

Using the “flexible dates” tool on Orbitz, you’ll see a September full of flights starting at $483, or $515 for some dates that include Saturday departures or arrivals. Prices in late October and early November are similarly priced right now, but with more flights over $500. I haven’t seen many notable deals from LAX.

How does all this compare with last year? Before Labor Day 2007, L.A. Times Travel blogger Sara Benson researched flights in the fall and found a round-trip sale fare to HNL for $277.30 on the now-defunct ATA. August proved a great time to buy for fall travel.

Benson also reported research in September 2007, finding seats priced at $433.80 on another now-defunct airline, Aloha Airlines, but for departures out of John Wayne Airport (SNA) in Orange County. “The next-cheapest airfare that I could find for trips between Honolulu and San Diego, Orange County or LAX cost at least $545 for trips between now and the end of September,” she had reported.

Buying before Labor Day wasn’t a do-or-die rule last year, but advance purchase was certainly key. Last September, you could find flights for early November for as low as $257.30 round trip on ATA, though fares over $350 were more likely.

Back to this year: Yes, advance-purchase fares for fall are not what they were last summer; unfortunately, we can’t predict how fares will fluctuate following this coming Labor Day. Of course, I do foresee fewer deals this fall overall than frequent Hawaii travelers have been accustomed to in the past, especially given the disappearance of former low-price leader ATA.

If you choose to say aloha to the islands anyway, look for good hotel deals and find other ways to keep costs down.

Are you heading to Hawaii this fall, or skipping it? Have you been able to find any good deals on fall flights? Share with us in the comments section.

- Susan Derby, Special to the Los Angeles Times

[Photo: Waikiki Beach; Mark Boster / Los Angeles Times]

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This entry was posted on Saturday, August 23, 2008 at 5:24 pm by Susan Derby and is filed under Airline travel, Fall, Hawaii, Los Angeles, Oahu. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a comment, or trackback from your own site.