A Hawaiian Airlines airplane sits fueled and loaded for the next flight at the Daniel K. Inouye International Airport in Honolulu. Those looking to fly from the Bay Area to Hawaii in the summer should purchase their tickets now, before prices go up, experts say.
UCG/UCG/Universal Images Group via Getty ImagesThe uproar over March Madness upsets and so-called Cinderella teams is a sure sign that it’s time to plan for spring and summer travel. And if Hawaii is where you want to go, start shopping for an airline ticket now before prices rise.
According to the folks at Going, formerly Scott’s Cheap Flights, flight fares to Hawaii from the Bay Area begin to climb around the same time each year. The company found that the average fare for flights out of San Francisco is about $248 round trip, but the price shoots up by June.
“At time of writing, you can fly from the Bay Area to Hawaii nonstop for $242 roundtrip throughout April and May,” wrote Katy Nastro, a spokesperson for the company, in an email to SFGATE. “Once June hits, however, tickets cost at least $100 more and currently jump to over $400 round trip come July.”
A quick check of the rate calculator on the Hawaiian Airlines website showed six available dates between April and May when a four-night round-trip ticket costs $247.
Nastro added that the demand for flights to Hawaii from the U.S. mainland has increased in recent years; the domestic average daily passenger rate has risen 11% since 2019.
“Part of this uptick in demand started pre-pandemic with the addition of Southwest adding flights to Hawaii, putting downward pressure on fares and offering more affordable options for travelers,” she wrote. “Amidst the pandemic years, people looked at Hawaii as a great option for a ‘big trip’ without leaving US borders.”
If you can hold off until the end of the summer, Nastro recommends visiting Hawaii in September; in early fall, tourist numbers decline and even cheaper flights become more available.