Airline Cost and Second Hawaiian Island?
 

Just wondering if anyone has priced airlines recently to compare cost of flying to and from Kauai directly or as cheaply as posssible versus stopping at Maui for a few days after Kauai, and flying home from there? Can you do this? If airline comes thru Maui on way to Kauai, can you stay two or three days and then continue on to Kauai? Come back home directly. So far, the air cost seems really high from CA (Sacto, SFO, Oak) to Kauai for late Oct, early Nov, like in the $600-700 range. Will it get better if we wait? Found $828 for open jaw via Maui, $200 for r/t from Kauai-Maui and return. Thanks for help.

There are no direct flights between Maui and Kauai, you will need to fly into Oahu and hop to the next island. That will definitely add to the cost. You should be able to find some good deals in October, but you probably should wait to get closer to those dates to buy your tix. I've purchased tickets twice to the islands, both times waited until 6-8 weeks before to purchase.

Just to add some clarification here.

If you are talking about a MAINLAND flight going directly to Kauai or going to Maui than proceeding to Kauai, I have no idea.

But if you are talking about flying one of the local airlines (either Hawaiian or Aloha) between Maui and Kauai, even if you may have to stop in Honolulu for a transfer, you still pay the same one way rate. You don't pay double the rate because you have to stop in Honolulu first.

go to alohaairlines.com or hawaiianair.com and check possible flights. I think there ARE some direct flights from Maui to Kauai.

there is direct flights between maui and kauai on island air, u can book it via aloha airlines, however, those direct flights are $20 more expensive o/w compared to aloha flights. if u have UAL miles, u can use them, 5000 miles o/w.
it is very expensive to fly directly from home to kauai, so i would suggest flying into maui and getting a flight out of honolulu since flying in/out of honolulu is cheaper. that way u get to stay in maui and kauai, and honolulu if u wish.