We will be in Kauai for 12 - 14 days next July and will probably use United FF points to fly direct to Lihue. I am thinking of extending the trip at the end of the trip with a 4 or 5 night stay at Hotel Hana Maui. I"d like to fly home directly from Maui. I've not done any island hopping in the last 15 years, so I need some basic help.
Can one buy one way fare from Kauai to Maui?
When booking flights from the mainland can you book one way to Kauai and return from Maui and have it considered a round trip fare?
Can you use FF points to do this?
Would it be easier to fly into and out of Honolulu and then take interisland flights to Kauai and Maui?
Thanks for the help!
-Bill

I have flown between Hawaii and the mainland 40+ times using FF miles. I have flown to the mainland from Honolulu and then back home nonstop to Kauai using FF miles; it was considered a round trip. I have also flown from Maui to the mainland and then back home to Kauai using FF miles as a round trip.

Yes, you can buy a one way fare from Kauai to Maui. You will have a stopover in Honolulu.

If you are departing from LAX or SFO you can take a nonstop to Kauai (American and United.) There are nonstops to Maui from LAX, SFO, as well as other cities.

I like to tinker with the United Mileage Plus online site and get an idea of availability before I call the reservation desk. Also, if you are booking a semi-complicated FF trip and the agent seems less than competent or unwilling to look at all the different routes, then hang up and call back until you find an agent who will work with you!

The only drawback to flying nonstop to/from Kauai is that the plane is smaller than the Honolulu and Maui flights and feels cramped.

Thanks for the info vivi!
-Bill

I don't know about using FF miles, but you CAN fly nonstop from Lihue to Kahului (without stopping in Honolulu) on Aloha Air next July. Their schedule shows that there's a lot of flights all day.

love
roxy

Yes, Aloha has many flights from Lihue to Kahului but they all stop in Honolulu. Sometimes you have to change planes, sometimes you stay on the same plane.

After 9/11 the few nonstops from Lihue to Kahuluhi were elminated.

But when Aloha lists their flights on a given day that I type in, they offer let's say ten flights, most are clearly stated as nonstop and a few call out that they stop in Honolulu. I checked, twice!

love
roxy

Oh, wait, you're saying that they fly DIRECT, not nonstop. Sorry. I dunno, that may be true, it's hard to tell, but they seem to present some as nonstop and some as having a definite stopover and plane change.

love
roxy

roxy,
I looked at it too and it is confusing. To me it looks like all flights stop in Honolulu, but a couple of them you don't have to change planes. They say 1 stop. If I HAVE to go through Honolulu, I'd rather do that than have to change planes again.
-Bill