Iza

I have been watching airfares to Hawaii (and Kauai in particular) for the last 3 months or so (for travel in August) only to see the fares go up from $990 per person to $1300 range. Now it is getting closer to our travel dates and I am starting to panic.
The trend for the prices seems to be up and no sales seem to be in sight.
I read an article in the Wall Street Journal recently that predicted that prices will go up for the summer because of low airline capacity. So I am even more worried now.
We are travelling from Hartford, CT.
Should I buy now, wait some more, try bidding on Priceline???? Help!

Jim

Well, it certainly can't hurt to keep trying Priceline for whatever price you're aiming for.

try this

Fly Southwest to Oakland. With friends fly free fares you get there for $500 roundtrip.

From Oakland to Honolulu roundtrip fares begin at $312 per person.

Check this website use the "My dates are flexible. Show me the lowest fares available." choice.

http://edit.travel.yahoo.com/config/ytravel?resform=YahooFlightsR

From Honolulu to Kauai it's about $50 a person each way.

You're looking at about $900 a person that way.

tina

Iza, just did a search on orbitz for your flight from Hartford to Kauia in August. With 2 stop-overs, you pay $907. It's with US Airways. I think you should take advantage of this now unless you want to wait for last-minute deals that can be risky if you're not flexible with your dates. I've been seeing summer sales to the Caribbean but not for Hawaii. Anyway, there's also no harm in trying priceline. I usually try hotwire first since they give you an hour to decide if you want to purchase the flight and then I go to priceline to see if they can beat the fare of hotwire. If they can't, then I purchase the flight from hotwire. Whatever you decide, goodluck!

Sarah

lza a lot of people on here have been talking about (Hawaiian Air) Sacramento to honolulu and then purchasing and inter island coupon. Have you looked at that option yet? Sounds crazy but if you combine it with an overnight stay on the outbound it is not a problem or was not for me. If you don't combine just make be sure that your eastcoast link lands at a gate near Hawaiian Airlines terminal. SFO direct to Lih (united)leaving morning arriving 12pm is $800-$930

Iza

Thanks for the responses. I checked the Sacramento option. I am not seeing the really cheap flights to Honolulu for our dates. Will try Priceline this morning and will let you know how it goes.
I was also intrigued by Tina's post and guess what - if we go a week later than originally planned the prices are in $1000 range! Since I may have some flexibility in accommodations I may try that if Priceline does not work.

Sarah

Just remember not to accept more than one stop over flying into Honolulu. I would book the interisland hop separately. Best to offer them what you think you can get right away unless you are willing to wait a week before your next offer otherwise they force you into a comprimising such as number of connections and airports departing from.
I would think you could win a bid of 799 round trip to Honolulu (including biding fees and taxes). Remember someone the other day said they lost a bid for 600 forget which airport they were flying out of.

Sarah

799 was the sale fare I got from Continental last May for August.

Al

You will find better fares due to competition if you fly into Honolulu. Then buy a seperate round trip ticket on Hawaiian Air from Honolulu to Kauai. This is what we did to get the best overall price. It all worked very smooth for us with just a short layover in Honolulu both ways.

Susan

Regarding the cheaper fares from Sacramento to Honolulu, you need to go to Hawaiian Airlines website (www.hawaiianair.com) to find the best price. If you can fly SWA Friends Fly Free from Hartford to California you will be way ahead of the game. Also check directly with Hawaiian and Aloha about fares from Los Angeles. Good luck!

Iza

I tried Priceline and had a bid of $780 (prior to taxes) rejected. BDL (Hartford, CT) to LIH (Kauai), travel dates are first 2 full weeks in August.

Patty

If you're going to look into Sacramento, you might as well check all of the SoCal airports as well - LAX, Burbank, Orange County, and Ontario. A few airlines are starting new service from Burbank and Ontario so there may be specials. Also check Pleasant Hawaiian's service on ATA from LAX and Suntrip's charter out of Oakland. Good luck.

Sarah

Liz United direct connection to Lihue from SFO in the morning dropped down to 802. If this is any kind of indication for other fares. It has been at $930 for about a month. Feel terrible for you. Still $683 with a connection in HNL again this is west coast to Kauai. Looks like you will have to go out of Newark or JFK and still pay near a thousand. Terrible that 780 flight was rejected. Did you try offering $660 for Honolulu alone then buying coupons still getting you your 780 rate?

Iza

Sarah, thanks for the update. I actually tried bidding again today because (as you noted) the rates have dropped a bit. I bid $765 from Newark to Kauai (before taxes, with 2 connections) and it was rejected. I also repeated my bid from Hartford and was rejected again. So the airlines are not willing to let go of these tickets for $800 per person
I am almost resigned to paying $990 per person from Newark to Lihue, but am still holding off. I don't know how much longer to wait. I am afraid that if I wait too long there will be no seats for us.

Sandy

You may want to check out this website. Last time I checked, you could add on from Hartford to Honolulu for an extra $275. You can add the Honolulu to Kauai on a separate ticket. This website has lots of different Hawaii offers, maybe one will work for you.
http://www.skyauction.com/jsp/offer.jsp?OFFER_ID=686056

Lenleigh

IZA -

What are your travel dates? I am not currently working but I am a travel agent. I randomly picked Aug 12 - 21 2002 and checked two different sites online with prices around 866.00 per person(including taxes). There are some things that you can do to get prices down. To get the best price you have to be flexible, there may be a better fare out there if you leave mid week (wed to wed), also you should have a sat night stay.

I also checked BDL to LAX and then LAX to HNL and the prices are actually a little cheaper just going BDL - HNL. Sometimes LAX- HNL RT has rates in the $200-$300 range per person but for the dates i picked it was more like $500 per person. You do not want to wait much longer because more seats are going to sell out and prices will rise as you get closer! Check as many places as you can and go for it, or you will be paying $1,000 per person soon.

Sarah

I would have a problem with those dates Lenleigh you loose too much time traveling time mid week. This is the reason those rates are. Always nice to know about midweek rates though.


lza if you are going for the 1000 fare as I have. I strongly recommend you leave on your last work day (that evening and stay over in SFO take the morning flight into lihue skipping honolulu completely. You will be on Kauai at 12pm and more restedn than if you just got off 14 hour connecting flight. You could also send your parents over earlier to explore San Fran as I have with my travel companions. Just a thought.

If you are paying $1000+ anyway a direct morning flight into Lihuie is the way to go. Flighing into HNL you are usually walking around to your gate at HNL (20 minutes)and then waiting on line. This is not unbearable but annoying after a long flight in from the east coast. I am usually cranky and snappy during this walk. Usuallly in the aiport for about 1.5 hours that is only if you don't have to pick up luggage.

I can rarely enjoy the day of departure so that afternoon flight is nice gets you into SFO at 9pm and then another sleep over if you want or a red eye home.

Sarah

vanguard airlines LGA to SFO is 313 if you can combine that with a direct flight to Lihue of 802 or connecting 683. Does look dismal flying out of Hartford. If you download side step at sidestep.com you get comparison fares every time you search for fares on any sight. Kind of a step saver although sidestep is owned by major airlines thing is it shows you jet blue, vanguard and some others that don't readily pop up on Orbitz.

xxx

I would try to get into SFO or Lax if you opt for evening flight, by 9-10 you want to remember that will feel like 12-1pm to you.

Lenleigh

Sarah-

Not sure how you loose more time traveling during the week than you do on the weekend? The reason I mentioned during the week is becuase generally that is the only time when the lowest fares are still available. And I was assuming (as I didnt have the info) that they were flexible enough to take off of work.

Iza- If you can find anything under $1,000 per person (that has however many stops you are willing to make) I would book it because they will not be around for long. Looking at dates in the first two weeks in August were well over $1,000 per person. Also I don't know how many seats you need but there is always the possibility that they could have just one/two seats left at that price and then they will jump(likely a big jump with HA). Have you called Cheap Tickets? Call them, dont research it on the internet. If you get a decent agent on the phone they can tell you what dates (around your original dates) and flights have the lowest fares still left.