One of the biggest expenses when planning a trip to Hawaii will be your travel there. Airfares have been steadily going up since 2023, and fares to Hawaii are no exception. The hubs and I flew to Hawaii for less than $50 total (for both of us). Yes, you read that right. Let me explain how.
I take FULL advantage of reward programs. So, we have the Southwest Visa card that we use for absolutely EVERYTHING. Now, this takes some discipline, because I’ve seen people do this, and they don’t SAVE the money they’re spending so when that credit card bill comes every month, they don’t have the funds to cover it. DO NOT DO THAT!!! It’s SMART if you’re fiscally responsible! Don’t go buy random crap to get miles! Here’s what we do.
Everything possible goes on the Southwest Visa card. I’m talking EVERYTHING!! Utilities, insurance, groceries, gas, etc. If they accept a card, I use that card. Then at the end of the month I go and pay the bill off. If you’re unsure about being disciplined enough to save the money for the bill, here are a couple tips. One is to pay the card every time you use the card. You could do it daily or weekly if that helps you budget easier. You could also move the money from your primary checking account into a savings account daily or weekly, as you spend on the card. However you do it, just remember that you DO NOT want to roll a balance from one month to the next.
I use that card for everything until the Southwest Companion Pass is achieved. Not only am I getting Southwest points on every charge, I also am working my way towards a Companion Pass. Now, perhaps you don’t know what a Companion Pass is. Southwest Airlines has a program where if you earn the CP, someone that you designate as your Companion flies with you for free – you pay the taxes which currently run $11.20 for a round trip flight. There are rules and restrictions for the CP program, but we have had really amazing luck with it. If you’re interested in a Southwest Rapid Rewards Chase Visa, click HERE and not only will YOU get bonus points for joining, but I’ll get some points for referring you! As of 2/14/26, you can use the link to earn a CP valid through 2/28/26, plus 30,000 bonus points! If you’re a business owner you get even more points with the Premier Business Credit Card!
Now, because the hubs and I are business owners, we also have a Southwest Rapid Rewards Business card that we also use. Once the CP has been earned for ONE of our RR accounts, we switch and start using the other card in order to get the CP for the other person as well. Then, if we’re both flying with 2 guests, the guests are free. Please note there are rules and regulations for changing your companion, but it’s pretty straightforward and as long as you pay attention to the rules you’ll be golden!
Now, another concern is “ewwww….flying to Hawaii takes SOOOOO long”. Honestly, it was NOT bad! We flew from St. Louis to Las Vegas. It was an early morning flight and I never sleep great the night before a flight so I was ready for a nap. Anyone else get paranoid they’re going to oversleep and miss their flight?
Once we got to Vegas, we had enough time to hit the restrooms, grab some food, and board our flight to Honolulu. I ate my sandwich, knit for maybe 30 minutes or so, had one cocktail, and then it was off to sleepy land for me again!
Yes, it’s a 6.5 hour flight from Vegas to Honolulu, but it was not bad. A couple tips –
- HYDRATE! Take a refillable bottle of water with you and fill that baby up at every stop. Liquid IV packets are a great way to help get the water down and balance your electrolytes.
- Get up at least 3 times during your flight (that’s about once every 2 hours) and walk to the restroom. It’s good to get some blood flowing in your legs and give yourself a stretch, as well as empty your bladder from all the water you’re drinking (see #1 above).
- Pack things to keep yourself entertained on a long flight. I loaded up my Kindle with books, I had a knitting project, and I had music on my phone. It was nice to have distractions from sitting.
- Here’s another product recommendation and I don’t get anything from this one! Just sharing the love! The hubs and I both get sore legs after prolonged sitting. I had read about Firefly nerve stimulators and decided we’d give it a try for our long flight. Once on board the flight we both put them on and started them up. I can honestly say I feel like they REALLY made a difference for me and I will not only be using them on our return flight, but I’ll also use them on future long car rides (anything over 2 hours tends to make my legs hurt). You can order HERE. Again, nothing gained for me by you buying them. But, anyone who knows me knows that I would never recommend something unless I had experienced a benefit and really believe in it! For our trip I ordered “The Ultimate” so that we both had a pair of devices and straps. You are able to turn the device off when not in use, but once the battery dies, the device must be thrown away. At this time they do not have a rechargeable device.
Now, there are LOADS of airlines that fly to Hawaii, lots of deals to be had, etc. I’m giving you OUR experience, which was with Southwest. If you’re really bougie and want to fly first class, treat yourself! I’m a little bougie and would’ve loved first class tickets, but MAN, I’m also a bit practical and two people round trip for less than $50 – even I’m not passing that deal up!
Once you GET to Honolulu, you need to get from the airport to your hotel, resort, condo, etc. We chose to get a Lyft because we were tired, lugging a lot of luggage, and didn’t want to mess with having to think too much. Lyft and Uber are great options.
You can take the public bus. We have used it a lot since settling in, but did not use it to get from the airport to our condo. I would suggest that if you have the time to plan, order your bus pass ahead of time so that you have it and are ready to go when you land. You can get the bus pass HERE, but remember to allow enough time for the actual physical card to be shipped to YOU at your home address! You can add funds to your card once you get it. At the time of this post, as far as I know, there is not an app on your phone for the bus system. But, I will admit that getting the bus passes was a task I asked the hubs to handle and I don’t know much about it. I just was handed my card and scan it when I get on/off the bus.
There are private taxis and transfers that you can also schedule to get you and your party from the airport to your hotel/condo. Viator has some options. I’m sure you can also find good ones on Google. Just make sure that no matter what you choose you check the ratings!!!
Some people prefer to rent a car for their stay. Parking, however, will be your biggest hurdle for renting a car. Know before you go if parking is available at or near where you’re staying, and how much it costs per day. Parking CAN be very expensive and in our experience thus far, we have not had a need for a car every day.
Check back soon for my first “full day agenda” for adventure on Oahu! Until then, Mahalo friends!
The Neverending Lori 