The Cheapest Months to Fly to Hawaii
When Hawaii fares drop, which islands are cheapest to reach, and the mainland cities with the most nonstops.
By WarBird Flight editors · Updated September 16, 2026 · 2 min read
Cheapest months
Late April through early June and September through mid-December, excluding Thanksgiving week, are the low-fare windows. Christmas through early January and June through August are the most expensive.
Honolulu first
Honolulu (HNL) has the most competition and the lowest fares. Maui (OGG) is usually next; Kona (KOA) and Lihue (LIH) cost more and have fewer nonstops. A cheap fare to Honolulu plus an inter-island hop can beat a direct fare to a neighbor island.
Where the nonstops are
Los Angeles, San Francisco, Seattle, San Diego, Portland, Las Vegas, Phoenix, and Sacramento have the most nonstop service. From the East Coast and Midwest, a connection on the West Coast is normal and often cheaper than the few nonstops.
Build in the inter-island hop
Most mainland flights land at Honolulu on Oahu. If your trip is really to Maui, Kauai, or the Big Island, you have two ways to get there: a single itinerary that a carrier ties together, or a cheap fare to Honolulu plus a separately booked inter-island flight on Hawaiian or Southwest. The separate hop is often cheaper, but book enough of a layover — two to three hours — because a missed connection on a separate ticket is your problem, not the airline's, and the inter-island planes are small and fill up.
The flight is long — price the cabin, not just the seat
Hawaii is a five-to-eleven-hour flight depending on your origin, long enough that a basic economy ticket with no seat assignment and a paid carry-on can be a rough way to spend the day. Compare the basic fare against standard economy before you commit; the gap is sometimes small, and it buys a seat assignment, a carry-on, and the ability to change. An agent can lay the fare classes side by side so you see what each one actually includes.
Book early for summer
Summer and holiday Hawaii fares rarely fall. Book four to six months ahead for those, two to three months for the shoulder seasons. Call (708) 866-8751 and an agent will compare Hawaiian, Alaska, Delta, United, American, and Southwest on your route.
Cheapest recent flights to Hawaii
From our fare snapshot: the lowest recorded fare on each route into Hawaii, cheapest first.
- Sat, Oct 24 – Wed, Oct 28Honolulu to KonaHNL → KOA · AlaskaCall(708) 866-8751$131round trip · recorded low
- Sat, Oct 17 – Mon, Oct 19Honolulu to HiloHNL → ITO · AlaskaCall(708) 866-8751$136round trip · recorded low
- Mon, Nov 30 – Wed, Dec 2Honolulu to MauiHNL → OGG · SouthwestCall(708) 866-8751$143round trip · recorded low
- Thu, Jan 7 – Wed, Jan 13Lihue to MauiLIH → OGG · SouthwestCall(708) 866-8751$151round trip · recorded low
- Fri, Oct 9 – Sat, Oct 24Maui to KonaOGG → KOA · SouthwestCall(708) 866-8751$162round trip · recorded low
Recorded fares from cached search data, not live quotes. An agent confirms availability and today's price on the call.
What the data says about flying to Hawaii
- Low seasonOctoberCheapest month on 34% of the 35 routes with recorded monthly fare history.
- High seasonSeptemberMost expensive month on 26% of those routes.
- Cheapest flight$131Lowest one-way fare recorded recently into Hawaii from any origin.
All routes, airports, and monthly history: flights to Hawaii.
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