Hawaii Airfare

Hawaii airfare is one phrase heard often by travel agents — almost all visitors to Hawaii arrive by air. And virtually all international flights, and the majority of domestic flights, arrive at Honolulu International Airport.

Honolulu International Airport has all the expected services, including fast-food restaurants, lounges, newsstands, sundry shops, lei stands, gift shops, duty-free shops and a medical clinic with a nurse on duty 24 hours a day.

You will find a visitor information booth, car-rental counters and hotel courtesy phones in the baggage claim area. A free bus shuttle, called Wiki Wiki, connects the more distant parts of the airport. It can be picked up in front of the main lobby (on the upper level) and in front of the inter-island gates.

To save the two-hour layover in Honolulu and another plane ride, fly directly to the island of your choice. Oahu, the Big Island, Maui, and Kauai now all receive direct flights from the mainland and offer many Hawaii airfare deals; if you're heading to Molokai or Lanai, you'll have the easiest connections if you fly into Honolulu.

When you search for the best Hawaii airfare deal, look for nonstop flights and remember that "direct" flights stop at least once. Try to avoid connecting flights, which require a change of plane. Two airlines may operate a connecting flgiht jointly, so ask whether your airline operates every segment of the trip; you may find that the carrier you prefer flies you only part of the way.

From the U.S. mainland:

• Delta serves Honolulu and Maui.
• Continental and Northwest fly into Honolulu.
• From the West Coast of the U.S., American and United fly to Honolulu, Maui, the Big Island, and Kaui.
• Aloha Airlines flies from California — from Burbank, Oakland, and Orange County — to Honolulu and from Las Vegas to Honolulu and Maui.
• Aloha Airlines flights also connect Vancouver, British Columbia, with Honolulu, and Oakland with the Big Island.
• Hawaiian Airlines serves Honolulu from Las Vegas, Los Angeles, Toronto, Phoneix, Portland, Sacramento, San Diego, San Francisco, and Seattle.
• Hawaiian Airlines also flies to Maui from Los Angeles, San Francisco, and Seattle. In addition to Aloha and Hawaiian, Island Air and Pacific Wings also provide interisland service.
• Paragon Airlines offers private charter service to all the Islands.

To save the two-hour layover in Honolulu and another plane ride, fly directly to the island of your choice. Oahu, the Big Island, Maui, and Kauai now all receive direct flights from the mainland; if you're heading to Molokai or Lanai, you'll have the easiest connections if you fly into Honolulu.

While a good travel agent at home may know about some of these fares, many of the best Hawaii airfare deals are found online. The following travel sites offer some of the lowest fares that you will find on the internet: Travelnow and Travelocity. Compare to see which one offers you the best price and connection.