A Hawaiian vacation is a dream for many. The expense, however, is a killer. Because Hawaii is 2500 miles or more from any airport on the West Coast, travelers quickly find that travel expenses alone eat up most of a vacation budget. You can minimize that expense by smart planning in one of two directions: preplanning your trip carefully, or leaving your trip plans very flexible.
Instructions
1. Decide what kind of traveler you are: a planner or a last-minute kind of person. If possible, plan your trip for the Hawaii off-seasons of spring (mid-April to mid-June) and fall (September to mid-December).
2. Planners should start by booking packages, rather than individual flights, planning out every step of the way. If you compare costs, you can get a great deal on your vacation overall by allowing a travel agent to bundle together your hotel, air, and car rental costs. The right package may even offer great deals on the Hawaiian attractions you're planning to visit anyway.
3. Planners may find the best deals if they are willing to fly out from Las Vegas. Hawaiian Airlines has regular and frequent flights to the "Ninth Island," as Las Vegas is marketed in Hawaii.
4. Non-planners who prefer flexibility can find cheap flights to Hawaii by not locking in specific days for travel. If you can travel during a three to four day window, you'll almost always find cheaper rates. You can also get an edge if you can drive a few miles to a different airport.
5. Though many people say buy tickets early, a down economy is a good time to purchase last-minute tickets. Again, if you have flexible plans, you can often find great deals on tickets a week before you travel. The exception: if the weather has been bad, it's possible enough flights were canceled or delayed to fill up those empty seats last-minute bookers count on.
6. The ultimate last-minute deal is open only to people who are active-duty military or retirees: space-available travel. Hickam Air Force Base, near Honolulu, is a hub for Pacific military flights, and you can find seats from the West Coast to Hickam almost every day. Flying back is a little trickier, but if you can't find a seat, you can always book a commercial flight for that last leg. The best part: space-available flights are free.
7. Both types of planners should check the Hawaiian Airlines website frequently, or sign up for the airline's emails; they are often engaged in price wars with the larger carriers and have great specials you would not normally know about. If you're flying out of one of the cities Hawaiian Airlines travels to, you should be able to find a great deal. Other smaller carriers, like Alaska Air, offer good deals as well that you won't find on Expedia and other flight-comparison websites.
Tags: Hawaiian Airlines, your trip, find great, great deal, great deals, West Coast