Update: Some offers mentioned below are no longer available. View the current offers here.Hawaii flights are on sale again. The cheapest routes originate out of West Coast cities for less than $300 round-trip — between $300 to $800 cheaper than usual, according to Google Flights.Sign up for the free daily TPG newsletter for more travel tipsThe only drawback is that many of these fares begin in basic economy. Basic economy means different things to different airlines, but you may not have free use of the overhead bins for a carry-on bag, and you probably won’t be able to select your seat, get an upgrade or earn PQM/PQS/PQDs. However, it’s possible to defeat many of basic economy’s negative aspects by having elite status or a cobranded credit card.To find a deal, head to Google Flights and enter your origin and destination cities. Scroll through the calendar function to find dates and prices that work for you. Finally, click through to book directly with the airline or an OTA like Orbitz or Expedia.Airline: Alaska, Hawaiian, American, Southwest, United, DeltaRoutes: SJC/OAK/SAN/LAX/SFO/PDX/SEA and more to HNL/OGG/KOA/LIH/ITOCost: $274+ round tripDates: February — May 2020Pay With: The Platinum Card® from American Express (5x on airfare booked directly with the airline), Citi Prestige® Card (5x on airfare), Citi Premier® Card, Chase Sapphire Reserve (3x on airfare), American Express® Gold Card (3x on airfare when booked directly with the airline) or Chase Sapphire Preferred Card (2x on travel)The information for the Citi Prestige Card has been collected independently by The Points Guy. The card details on this page have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer.Here are some examples of specific flights that are available:San Jose (OAK) to Kona (KOA) for $274 round trip nonstop on Hawaiian via Google:Sign up for our daily newsletterEmail addressSign upI would like to subscribe to The Points Guy newsletters and special email promotions. The Points Guy will not share or sell your email. See privacy policy.Oakland (OAK) to Lihue (LIH) for $277 round trip nonstop on Hawaiian via Google:San Diego (SAN) to Maui (OGG) for $276 round trip nonstop on Alaska:Denver (DEN) to Kona (KOA) for $355 round trip on American:Phoenix (PHX) to Maui (OGG) for $355 round trip on United:Maximize your purchaseDon’t forget to use a credit card that earns additional points on airfare purchases, such as The Platinum Card® from American Express (5x on flights booked directly with airlines or American Express Travel), Chase Sapphire Reserve, American Express® Gold Card, Citi Premier® Card, Citi Prestige Card (5x on airfare) or the Chase Sapphire Preferred Card (2x on all travel purchases). Check out this guide for more on maximizing airfare purchases.
