In March 2019, the largest low-cost airline in the United States, Southwest Airlines marked a new milestone in its history with its flights to Hawaii, where for the first time it would operate and be the only low-cost competitor to traditional operators such as United Airlines and Hawaiian Airlines, leaders in the Hawaii market.
Southwest currently offers destinations to Hawaii from Honolulu, Lihue, Kona and Maui in intra-island operations and to Los Angeles, Oakland, Phoenix, San Jose CA, San Diego, Las Vegas, Sacramento and Long Beach.
Effective February 17, 2022, Southwest, will increase operations to Hawaii from several existing routes, such as:
- Phoenix – Honolulu two daily flights
- San Diego – Kona daily flights
- Sacramento – Kona 4 weekly flights on Monday, Wednesday, Friday and Sunday
- San Jose CA – Lihue daily flights
- San Diego – Maui daily flights
- Sacramento – Maui daily flights with 3 weekly frequencies on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays
**(Increases from Phoenix and San Diego start on February 18, 2022)
All flights will be operated by Boeing 737 MAX and Next Generation aircraft.
Southwest offers several benefits to consumers on its flights to Hawaii with convenient fares. Benefits include:
- More spacious and higher reclining seats.
- Free movies/TV and WiFi service for USD 8.
- Two free checked bags.
- No surcharges with date changes or cancellations.
Last July, the Hawaiian authorities opened the entrance to vaccinated and/or tested travelers, to reactivate the tourist activity in the region. Taking advantage of the easing of restrictions, many airlines have increased their services or launched new routes.