03-04-2019
10:00 AM
14 Loves
Today marks a huge milestone for Southwest Airlines: our very first flights to Hawaii are officially on sale! We’re thrilled to be able to bring our low fares and Southwest Hospitality to Hawaii! Visit Southwest.com/Hawaii to learn more about Southwest’s offerings for the Aloha State.
We are in the business of connecting People to what is important in their lives, and it is no secret that Californians love Hawaii. To build on our strength in the Bay Area, Oakland will be our first gateway to the Hawaiian Islands.
Daily service will launch to Honolulu on March 17 with one roundtrip during the first week of service and an increase to two flights in each direction daily as of March 24.
The state capital was a natural first choice for service to Hawaii, and offers a wealth of attractions to interest a variety of Customers.
Next for Oakland is service to Kahului, Maui! We will begin with one roundtrip on April 7, and increase to two flights in each direction daily on April 10. There is so much to experience on the island of Maui, from the beautiful coral reefs to the Road to Hana. Just writing this makes us wish that we were already there!
Also in this schedule, we are excited to announce a second gateway to Hawaii: San Jose, California.
On May 5, we will begin daily nonstop service to Honolulu with one roundtrip.
A few weeks later on May 26, Silicon Valley Customers will have more options to Hawaii with the introduction of nonstop service to Kahului, Maui. One thing is for sure … it will be tough to decide between these two destinations when planning a vacation from San Jose!
Another exciting piece included in today's initial Hawaii schedule release is interisland flying. Since there are only two ferries that operate interisland services, flying is an integral part of travel between the islands and we’ve been hearing for years that locals want competitive pressure as a factor in their travel among the Islands.
On April 28, flights between Honolulu and Kahului, Maui take off four times daily in each direction.
Just a couple of weeks later, the growth continues when our third destination in Hawaii opens: Ellison Onizuka International Airport at Keahole. This airport is an easy gateway to beautiful beaches around Kona, Volcanoes National Park, and the entire western side of Hawaii Island.
Similar to the Honolulu – Kahului, Maui service, Kona will be served four times daily to Honolulu. Our Hawaii Customers will love these flights, and we are excited to be able to offer our world famous Southwest Hospitality on these routes crucial to the Hawaiian economy.
We know you may have questions regarding the availability of connecting itineraries, especially to cities further east from California. Connections will be more likely to generate on our high frequency routes to Oakland and San Jose, and could change based on the operating schedule. When developing these schedules, our primary focus was to offer the best possible timings for local Customers. As we continue to add service to Hawaii and increase some of our technical capabilities, we will only see more cities gain connections to the state.
Be sure to stay tuned over the coming weeks, as we have more flights to announce!
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Today, Southwest Airlines announces our intent to serve Honolulu, HI (Oahu); Kahului, HI (Maui); Kona, HI (Island of Hawaii); Lihue, HI (Kauai). While we do not yet have details to share on exact dates or routes, they do represent our initial footprints and top priorities for the soonest service in the State of Hawaii. Fun fact: did you know each island has its own personality? Oahu can energize, Maui will captivate, Island of Hawaii inspires, and Kauai just might rejuvenate you. There’s so much beauty to discover on each of the destinations—which island are you the most excited to explore? Or, for those Hawaii regulars, which location is calling you back? Additional details will be coming soon, so continue to check back for announcements on mainland gateways, future schedules, and more! Mahalo!
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As you may recall, last week Southwest announced our initial four airports in the Hawaiian Islands: Daniel K. Inouye International Airport in Honolulu (HNL), Kahului Airport on Maui (OGG), Lihue Airport on Kauai (LIH), and Ellison Onizuka International Airport on the leeward side of The Island of Hawaii (KOA). Today, we have more news about Southwest’s intended service plans for Hawaii.
The initial gateway cities that will offer nonstop service (pending required regulatory approvals) to Hawaii are:
Mineta San Jose International Airport (SJC)
Oakland Metropolitan Airport (OAK)
Sacramento International Airport (SMF)
San Diego International Airport (SAN)
While we aren’t yet ready to share specific nonstop routes or other flight details, please know those details will be reflected in the flight schedule that would publish following our ETOPS authorization from the FAA to operate Hawaii service.
Southwest President Tom Nealon made these announcements this morning at a community meeting with Hawaiian tourism, civic, and government leaders. He shared Southwest’s eventual interisland flights would come following the initial ramp-up of operations across the state’s four principal airports.
“Our plan for Hawaii requires us to share these initial details now so that our facilities in the airports will be ready for all that we intend to offer,” Nealon told a gathering at the Hilton Hawaiian Village in Waikiki.
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