Pacific islands: booking flights online
Flights to Hawaii. Book plane tickets to Hawaii islands online.

Pacific islands are open to international tourism

Most countries in the Pacific Islands region (Melanesia, Micronesia, Polynesia) are open to general tourism. The governments resumed the issuance of tourist visas, and airlines reopened their international routes to such popular destinations as Bora Bora, Hawaii, Tahiti, FijiNew Zealand, Papua New Guinea, and Samoa.

Cook Islands, New Caledonia, Niue, and Vanuatu have lifted all travel restrictions for arrivals. There is no mandatory quarantine or health testing for all visitors – regardless of their vaccination status. French Polynesia, Guam, Marshall Islands, Micronesia, Palau, Solomon Islands, and Tonga may still require proof of vaccination and/or a negative Covid test result to be presented on arrival.

However, the regulations may change at short notice, depending on the situation – always check the official websites before booking a flight to Pacific Islands.

Arriving in Honolulu

  • If you are flying to Honolulu from abroad, you will most likely land at one of its biggest international airportsits main international airportDaniel K. Inouye International Airport HNL, (formerly known as Honolulu International Airport) — located 3 km (5 miles) northwest of Honolulus central business district. It is the largest airport in the state of Hawaii, and the only one on the island of Oahu.

    The airport consists of one centralized building with two levels and three airport terminals: Terminal 1, Terminal 2, and Terminal 3. There is a shuttle bus service available for passengers that provide transport between terminals.

    You'll find a variety of transportation options from the airport: shuttle bus, taxis, ride-sharing services like Uber and Lyft, car rental and TheBus, which is Oahu's public transportation system
    .

    These are also the best (and the cheapest) airports to fly into Honolulu. As they are used by many airlines serving the same routes, the competition for passengers is fierce – with decreased airfare as a result.
  • Once in Honolulu, take advantage of frequent intercity flights operated by domestic airlines such as Hawaiian Airlines, Asia Pacific Airlines, Mokulele Airlines, Transair. Those in-country carriers typically offer lower fares, operate from smaller airports located closer to city centers (you save on ground transportation), and provide flexible schedules – with a wide range of departure times.
  • Planning to explore the region? Popular destinations near Honolulu can be easily reached with regional low-cost carriers (LCCs) by the likes of Jetstar Airways, Avianca, JetBlue Airways, Sun Country, WestJet, and ZIPAIR. If you have a layover in Honolulu and plan to fly only a short distance to one of its neighboring countries, these budget airlines are an excellent way to save money. However, the “no-frills” carrier may not provide free checked baggage allowance, complimentary food, in-flight entertainment systems, and fast customer support. You may not even get to choose your seats, unless you pay extra.

Airports of Honolulu

Best airports to fly into Honolulu: Honolulu International Airport (HNL)
Honolulu has one international airport – Daniel K. Inouye International Airport HNL, formerly known as Honolulu International Airport, located 3 km (5 miles) northwest of Honolulus central business district. It is the largest airport in the state of Hawaii, and the only one on the island of Oahu.
Things to know before flying to Honolulu
Airlines flying to HonoluluAir Lingus, Aeromexico, Air Canada, Air France, Air New Zealand, Air Tahiti Nui, Alaska Airlines, Air Seychelles, ANA, American Airlines, Avianca, British Airways, China Airlines, China Southern Airlines, Copa Airlines, Delta Air Lines, El Al Israel Airlines, Ethiopian Airlines, Fiji Airways, Finnair, GOL, Hawaiian Airlines, Iberia, ITA Airways, Japan Airlines, JetBlue Airways, Jetstar Airways, KLM, Korean Air, LATAM, Lufthansa, Malaysia Airlines, Philippine Airlines, Qantas, Qatar Airways, Singapore Airlines, Southern Airways Express, Southwest Airlines, Sun Country, SWISS, Thai Airways, Turkish Airlines, United Airlines, Vietnam Airlines, Virgin Atlantic, WestJet, Xojet, Zipair Tokyo
Airlines based in HawaiiHawaiian Airlines, Asia Pacific Airlines, Mokulele Airlines, Transair, Lanai Air
Airports in HonoluluDaniel K. Inouye International Airport (Honolulu International Airport), HNL — Honolulu, Oahu island
Regular price (roundtrip)✈ €1100 – €1500 (from Europe)
✈ $200 – $500 (from USA)
Flight hacks 40% — 80% off regular fare
Airline discountsDiscounted airline tickets to Honolulu (student/family/seniors/military)

Low-cost flights from Honolulu

Stay ahead of the game. Fly to popular destinations at a fraction of the regular fare.

The cheapest time to fly to Honolulu

The shoulder seasons of April to May and September to October tend to be the cheapest times to visit Honolulu – the weather is mild, there are fewer tourists, and hotels and airlines may offer lower prices. For surfers, even early November can be a great time for a Honolulu trip, as the island is still not crowded and it’s a good time to go surfing. When the high season starts in the first weeks of December, be ready for tourist crowds and sky-high prices for flights and hotels.

If you don’t mind the rainy season, late spring Mid-April to early June represents the off-peak season in Honolulu, and during these months many airlines run promotions and sales to fill the empty seats on their planes. Additionally, midweek travel is usually cheaper than weekend travel.

Summertime and the week of Christmas are peak seasons for Hawaii and Honolulu. Also, avoid the last week of April, which is the “Golden Week” in Japan – Honolulu will be flooded with Japanese tourists.

Fly to Honolulu half-price with Companion Fare

It’s one of the best ways to save money on your trip if you travel from the Midwestern US to Honolulu.

Alaska Airlines offers a Companion Fare program that allows eligible customers to purchase one full-priced ticket and bring a companion for a flat rate of just $120 ($99 basic airfare plus taxes and fees).

To take advantage of this program, you must have an Alaska Airlines Visa Signature® credit card. Each year, on your account anniversary, you will receive a Companion Fare code which can be used to book a discounted companion fare when purchasing a qualifying fare.

The Companion Fare works for any destination that Alaska Airlines flies to, including Honolulu (the airline has many nonstop flights to Daniel K. Inouye International Airport on Oahu island). Being primarily a West Coast carrier, it operates nonstop flights to Honolulu from cities close to the Pacific coast, such as Anchorage, Los Angeles, Portland, San Diego, San Francisco, San Jose and Seattle.

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Flights to Honolulu from United States and Canada

  • There are no direct flights from the US or Canada to Honolulu. However, most major hubs in Asia have non-stop flights to Honolulu, as do some larger airports in the Middle East – your journey will have at least one stop. The most common and convenient way to fly to Honolulu is by taking a direct flight from major cities in the US. Several large airlines, such as Alaska Airlines, Hawaiian Airlines, American Airlines, Delta, United Airlines, JetBlue, Fiji Airways, and Japan Airlines offer non-stop flights to Honolulu from cities such as Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Denver, Houston, New York, Las Vegas, Los Angeles, Portland, San Francisco, Phoenix, Seattle, and Washington. These airlines (with addition of Canadian flag carrier Air Canada) also serve direct flights from Vancouver and Calgary in Canada to Honolulu.
  • Honolulu is well-served via one-stop flights from North America. Flights to Honolulu with one layover depart from most major North American airports, including Atlanta ATL, Dallas DFW, Denver DEN, Chicago ORD, Los Angeles LAX, Las Vegas DFW, Miami MIA, Seattle SEA, Houston IAH, New York JFK, and San Francisco SFO in the United States and Toronto YYZ, Vancouver YVR, Calgary LAS, and Montreal YUL in Canada. Booking a flight to Honolulu with a layover in one of these major airports can sometimes be a more cost-effective option, but it will require additional travel time.
  • The best airlines to fly to Honolulu from the US and Canada are: Air Canada, Alaska Airlines, American Airlines, Delta Air Lines, Fiji Airways, Hawaiian Airlines, Japan Airlines, Southwest Airlines, and United Airlines. They are top full-service carriers, offering exceptional customer service, in-flight comfort, a generous checked baggage allowance, and reliable customer support channels – all included in the ticket price.

US and Canada to Honolulu.Ticket prices in November 2023.

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Interisland flights: island hopping in Hawaii

Thanks to the close distances between the major Hawaiian islands, this archipelago is a tempting destination for island hopping. As there is no passenger ferry service from Oahu island (where Honolulu is situated) to nearby islands, the best way to explore Hawaii state is by interisland flights.

Oahu serves as the primary point of interisland travel, and you can catch a flight from Honolulu to nearly all of the major neighboring islands. Prices vary greatly depending on the time of day. It can cost $50-$150 to go island hopping in Hawaii with flights being relatively short – under one hour in most cases.

Hawaiian Airlines has always been the leading carrier for inter-island travel – they have a comprehensive route network that covers all the major islands (Oahu, Maui, Kauai, Big Island) and the smaller islands of Lanai, Molokai, and Kapalua. However, similar routes are also operated by Southwest Airlines – it’s worth keeping an eye on this carrier, as they tend to run frequent sales for inter-island flights. Another great option is provided by a less-known airline – Mokulele Airlines – the Hawaii-based small carrier which focuses solely on connecting the islands with its fleet of Cessna 208 Caravan aircraft (a capacity of a maximum of 9 passengers). It has more than 800 flights a week (!) to 10 destinations across the Aloha State. Finally, for those looking to travel directly from Honolulu to the small island of Lanai and stay at a luxurious resort like the Four Seasons, Lanai Air offers a turbo-prop option.

Flying to Honolulu with Hawaiian Airlines

While most major US airlines fly to Honolulu, choosing Hawaiian Airlines as your carrier will help you to immerse yourself into Hawaiian culture before you even set foot on the islands. There is Hawaiian music during boarding and an island color scheme onboard and on crew uniforms. Mai tais (a rum-based tropical cocktail) are available for passengers. Hawaiian Airlines flight crews a known to be friendly and more accommodating than your average domestic flight crew.

All this is coupled with relatively low fees.

Hawaiian Airlines: flying to Hawaii Islands
Hawaiian Airlines is Hawaii’s biggest and longest-serving airline

Flights from the US mainland to Honolulu are at least 5-6 hours long, and even much longer from the East Coast. To help pass the time over the Pacific complimentary hot meals are served (while with other airlines you’re just going to get a snack box). You can get a free glass of wine with your meal, too.

Hawaiian Airlines often come in first in operations – it has impressively high rates of on-time performance and low cancellations, passenger rebookings and baggage mishandling. The airline’s fleet of aircraft is relatively new and well-maintained, and the airline has a good safety record – running since 1929 it has never suffered a single fatal crash.

Hawaiian Airlines operate its flights to Honolulu out of almost all major US airports: Austin, Boston, Las Vegas, Long Beach, Los Angeles, New York, Oakland, Ontario, Phoenix, Portland, Sacramento, San Diego, San Francisco, San Jose, and Seattle.

Know your time zone

When checking flights and airport transfer times, ensure you know the local time zones. The departure/arrival times on your plane ticket and boarding pass are based on the time zone of the departure/arrival airport – this also applies to the connecting (layover) airports.

Hawaii has only one time zone – it observes Hawaii Standard Time (HST) all year, which is UTC -10 time zone. As a result, clocks in Honolulu are 21 hours behind Sydney, 10 hours behind London and 5 hours behind New York. HST does not have an associated daylight saving time.

When you board the plane, adjust your watch to the local time of the destination – subconsciously orienting yourself to the new time will help you to reduce the jetlag a bit.

Next tips

Flights to Honolulu from UK, Germany, France, Netherlands and other countries in Europe

  • There are no direct flights from Europe to Honolulu — you’ll need to get a connecting flight from elsewhere in the Middle East or in Asia. The most convenient (and the cheapest) layovers for flights to Honolulu from Europe are Los Angeles, San Francisco, New York, and Vancouver.
  • Airlines that frequently fly from the UK, Germany, France, and other European countries to Honolulu include Air Canada, Air France, British Airways, Iberia, Japan Airlines, KLM, Lufthansa, Singapore Airlines, and United Airlines.
  • Consider departure airports in neighboring countries to increase your chance of spotting the best deal. Especially look for large airports that serve as hubs for multiple airlines. For example, if you live in Western Europe, check air tickets to Honolulu from Amsterdam, Frankfurt, London, Madrid, Paris, and Rome. Leverage frequent promotions from European budget carriers like RyanAir, EasyJet, and Eurowings to reach a major hub; from there, take a cheaper long-haul flight to your final destination, potentially saving hundreds of euros.
  • These major European airports are excellent departure points for trips to Honolulu: London LHR and Manchester MAN in the United Kingdom, Frankfurt FRA and Munich MUC in Germany, Paris CDG and Nice NCE in France, Amsterdam AMS in the Netherlands, Madrid MAD and Barcelona BCN in Spain, Rome FCO and Milano MXP in Italy, Brussels BRU in Belgium, Copenhagen OSL in Denmark, Oslo OSL in Norway, Stockholm ARN in Sweden, Zurich ZRH in Switzerland, Lisbon LIS in Portugal, Vienna VIE in Austria, Warsaw WAW in Poland, Prague PRG in the Czech Republic, and Dublin DUB in Ireland.

Europe to Honolulu.Flight schedule and ticket prices.

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Last-minute flights to Honolulu. The real cost of convenience.

Last-minute flights are often touted as a great way to save money, but the reality is far from it. Booking last-minute flights to Honolulu almost always never works out. The convenience of being able to book a flight on the fly is a dangerous game of chance, and you will most likely end up paying significantly higher than booking in advance.

Last-minute flight cost spike
Late booking penalty: The flight prices rise as departure draws near. Last-minute flights are almost always more expensive than booking in advance.

The common perception may be that airlines decrease ticket prices to fill empty seats as the departure date approaches. However, the truth is that airfares depend on demand. Based on years of research and current customer data, the airlines know what people are willing to pay for specific flights and dates. They are also well aware that people are willing to pay a premium for flights they need to take immediately. To make the most money, the airline will sell its cheapest fares first and then increase the prices right before the flight to take advantage of business travelers and others who are willing to pay the premium price for late booking.

Occasionally, airlines can put some seats on sale to fill the remaining seats, but these are for unusual times and unpopular places. Popular destinations and dates around peak travel times tend to sell out quickly.

Planning ahead is key to securing a good deal on your flight. Last-minute flight deals are hard to come by, so as soon as you have a tentative travel timeline, book your flight. The earlier you book, the more likely you are to save money. If you are looking for a good deal, the best time to book your flight to Honolulu is 2-8 months before the takeoff.

Looking for the best deals for Honolulu? Check different departure airports.

Airlines often have varying prices for flights to Honolulu from different airports – even if they are in close proximity to one another. So don’t limit yourself to just your nearest airport. The neighboring cities may have lower-priced flights that include a layover at Honolulu, or may even have direct flights that are more budget-friendly.

For example, if you’re looking to fly from Paris to Honolulu, it may be worth checking prices for flights departing from London, Frankfurt, Amsterdam, or Rome. Yes, you may have to fly a few hundred kilometers to these hubs, but domestic low-cost airlines like EasyJet, RyanAir, or WizzAir will happily take you there for less than €100.

Book flights from many departure airports
By entering more than one departure city in the flight search engine (at the top of this page), you can quickly find the airport with the cheapest flights to your destination

The same goes for long-haul flights to Honolulu from anywhere in the world. By broadening your search to include neighboring airports, you may discover lower-priced options that can save you hundreds of euros!

Domestic flights from Honolulu

Most domestic routes in Hawaii are operated by local carriers. When traveling to popular tourist destinations such as Maui, Kauai, Kailua-Kona, and Molokai from Honolulu Airport, you’ll likely fly with one of these domestic airlines: Hawaiian Airlines, Asia Pacific Airlines, Mokulele Airlines, Transair.

This is often the best transportation method, providing speed, convenience, and cost-effectiveness. Local airlines often offer multiple daily flights to key destinations, providing flexibility in scheduling and competitive pricing. They also serve smaller regional airports, enabling access to a wider range of Hawaiian destinations.

Flights to Honolulu from Australia and New Zealand

  • Australia and New Zealand are well-connected with popular Asian destinations, including Honolulu. In addition to domestic airlines – Qantas, Jetstar Airways, Virgin Australia, and Air New Zealand – routes from Australasia to Asia are operated by large international carriers such as ANA, Emirates, Cathay Pacific, Garuda Indonesia, Japan Airlines, Korean Air, Malaysia Airlines, Philippine Airlines, Qatar Airways, Singapore Airlines, and Thai Airways.

    Currently, there are no direct flights from Australia or New Zealand to Honolulu. You’ll need a layover in one of the major hubs in Asia.
    Another good option is a connecting flight with a stopover in the US – Los Angeles, San Francisco, or New York.

    If you prefer a non-stop connection, Hawaiian Airlines, American Airlines, Jetstar, Qantas have direct flights between Australia (Melbourne and Sydney) and Honolulu.
  • Airfare costs can vary widely depending on the route and the airline’s pricing strategy. To find the cheapest flight to Honolulu, compare ticket prices from various international airports in Australia – Sydney SYD, Brisbane BNE, Melbourne MEL, Perth PER, Adelaide ADL, Cairns CNS, Gold Coast OOL, Canberra CBR, and in New Zealand – Auckland AKL, Wellington WLG, Christchurch CHC, Queenstown ZQN, and Dunedin DUD.
  • For optimal savings, consider flying from Australia or New Zealand to a key Asian hub, then connect to Honolulu via a regional low-cost carrier. Among budget airlines that fly to Honolulu are Jetstar Airways, Avianca, JetBlue Airways, Sun Country, WestJet, and ZIPAIR.

    For the first leg, use the budget carriers that fly out of Australian airports, leveraging sales and promotions they run frequently: AirAsia (connects with Jakarta, Kuala Lumpur, and Singapore), Cebu Pacific (Manila), Jetstar (Seoul, Singapore, Tokyo), Scoot (Singapore), VietJet Air (Ho Chi Minh City), Bamboo Airways (Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City, Beijing), and Batik Air (Jakarta, Singapore).

Australia and New Zealand to Honolulu.Flight ticket prices today.

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“Hot seats” on long-haul flights

Those days seat selection is considered an optional, extra paid service – seats with extra legroom (front and exit rows) are usually priced higher. However, if you’re about to take a long-haul flight to Honolulu, those “hot seats” are worth considering – expect to pay $50-$100, which is much less than upgrading to Premium Economy.

If you want to choose your seats, do this early (ideally during the booking) for a more extensive selection of available options.

Booking hot seats (preffered seats with extra legroom) on plane
Choosing a hot seat during the flight booking process is usually worth it. For a reasonable price, you will get more room to stretch your legs, as well as a wider seat pitch.

Booking group flights to Honolulu

Flights are cheaper when purchased in bulk rather than as individual tickets. Booking group flights to Honolulu can be a cost-effective option for a school trip, family reunion, or corporate group traveling to a conference.

To qualify for the special group rate, the group must usually have at least 10 passengers. Discounts depend on the airline, group size, and travel dates, and typically range from 5% to 20% off the regular airfare.

Airlines and flight search websites typically limit automatic group bookings to 10 passengers. This limit reflects the complexity of managing larger groups, which require personalized service and more time to coordinate. To get the price quote for your group, you’ll need to contact the airline or a travel agent directly.

If you’re open to different airlines or want more personalized service, a travel agent may be a better choice. Travel agents may have access to discounted group rates to Honolulu and can help with logistics and scheduling.

Flights to Honolulu from Bali, Bangkok, Delhi, Dubai, Hong Kong, Jakarta, Kuala Lumpur, Manila, Singapore, Seoul, Tokyo, and other major hubs in Asia

  • Manila MNL, Seoul ICN, Taipei TPE have convenient direct flights to Honolulu. Numerous non-stop flights depart from Japanese cities such as Tokyo HND and NRT, Osaka KIX, Nagoya NGO, Fukuoka FUK, and Sapporo CTS.
  • Asia is probably the best continent for short-haul and mid-haul flying. The sheer scale of this most populous region on Earth is reflected in the type of aircraft operating many shorter routes: intra-Asia flyers benefit from comfortable, wide-bodied aircraft by the likes of Boeing 777, 787 or Airbus A350, A330, and A380. When booking your flight to Honolulu look for these bigger planes as they will almost always give you the best experience in every cabin, including better seat pitches, higher ceilings, and larger overhead bin space.
  • Asia is also home to most of the world’s best airlines. There are only ten airlines that received the prestigious 5-star mark of quality from Skytrax, and all of them are from Asia: ANA, Asiana Airlines, Cathay Pacific, EVA Air, Garuda Indonesia, Japan Airlines, Korean Air, Qatar Airways, Singapore Airlines. Choosing one of these airlines for your trip to Honolulu will guarantee a pleasant journey – delicious meals served during the flight, great in-flight entertainment, and above-average airline customer service.
  • Asia is extremely well served by low-cost regional airlines. If you are visiting Hawaii and want to see several other countries on a tight budget, they often have great sales with rock-bottom prices, while still offering a relatively comfortable flight experience. Among the best Asian budget airlines you can book without hesitation are AirAsiaCebu Pacific, Citilink, FlyDubai, Indigo, Jetstar Airways, Scoot, SpiceJet, and VietJet Air. The cons? Being no-frills airlines they may not provide free baggage allowance, inflight meals, or onboard entertainment. The departure times may also be quite inconvenient as they try to save money by flying at off-peak hours.
  • Most major Asian airports have convenient and frequent flights to Honolulu — including Changi (Singapore), Dubai (UAE), Hong Kong (China), Incheon (Seoul, South Korea), Indira Gandhi (New Delhi, India), KLIA (Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia), Narita (Tokyo, Japan), Denpasar (Bali, Indonesia), Soekarno–Hatta (Jakarta, Indonesia), Ninoy Aquino (Manila, Philippines), Suvarnabhumi (Bangkok, Thailand), Taoyuan (Taipei, Taiwan), and others.

Honolulu from major Asian airports.Flight prices in November 2023.

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Proof of onward travel – a simple hack

Travelers who go on long trips often don’t have a set itinerary and fly on one-way tickets. The problem? For many APAC countries, proof of onward travel is a legal requirement. If you arrive at the airport without an onward ticket (from Hawaii to another country), you’ll either be forced to buy one online or forbidden from boarding the plane altogether.

The cheapest solution? Renting an onward ticket! Use the websites such as OneWayFly or OnwardTicket to get a flight reservation for a limited amount of time (usually 2 to 14 days). They work by actually booking you on a real flight out of Hawaii and giving you a confirmable flight reservation with a PNR (Passenger Name Record) under your name. After the time limit, your spot on the flight is automatically canceled. Such “temporary tickets” tend to cost anywhere from $10 to $20.

Confirmed flight ticket reservation
Proof of onward travel: confirmed flight ticket reservation (source: OnwardTicket)

Fly now, pay later

Book Now Pay Later (BNPL) plans for flights have become a popular trend in the travel industry, allowing travelers to book flights and pay in installments. Among the airlines that offer this option are American Airlines, Delta Air Lines, Emirates, Qatar Airways, Qantas, Turkish Airlines, and United Airlines. They partner with external financial companies to offer their loan services on the checkout page.

The BNPL plans come with varying terms and fees. Some may be interest-free but have fees for late-payments and require forced autoplay on your bank account, while others may have high annual percentage rates (up to 30-40% APR).

When considering BNPL financing for your flight to Honolulu, it’s crucial to carefully evaluate the pros and cons, and thoroughly review the terms and conditions.