Tickets Prices Could Drop When SWA Says ‘Aloha’ To The Islands
Southwest Airlines will begin its service to the Hawaiian Islands “early next year,” Chief Operating Officer Michael G. Van de Ven told shareholders during a conference call in October.
That means SWA will have flights to Hawaii the first quarter of 2019. Obviously, from the airline’s perspective, the earlier the better. It is simply awaiting final approval from the Federal Aviation Administration.
Flights will go to four airports in Hawaii – including HNL (Honolulu) which will put you on Waikiki Beach within a couple of hours – and will depart from the following mainland locations: Oakland, San Diego, San Jose and Sacramento. There’s no service from LAX (Los Angeles) in the initial phase, tho it will likely be added once the above destinations are up and running to the islands.
This, of course, is good news for travelers wanting to go to the Pacific paradise. More flight options means better prices and other airlines must adjust the price of their tickets accordingly and, of course, Southwest is a no-frills airline that is known for its low fares.
SWA also allows for two free bags to be checked, and that is something the other airlines will have to consider. Checked bag fees are expected to rise to $40 a bag on airlines in 2019.
Considering how much Americans overpack in the first place and especially on trips to Hawaii for some reason (heck, all you need are a couple pairs of shorts, two bathing suits and few shirts; you can wear your flip-flops on the plane) this could be a deciding factor on which airline people choose when flying to Hawaii.
My advice is this: if you’re even considering flying to Hawaii, check Southwest’s fares when it begins service and compare it with the other airlines. Monitor these prices and when you’re ready to go, you’ll have a really good idea of which airline to look at first.
Aloha!
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