The Guide to Delta Flights to Hawaii

Delta Air Lines flies to many U.S. states, including the popular destination of the island paradise of Hawaii. If your next vacation has you heading to the Aloha State, Delta may be for you. The Atlanta-based airline operates service to five Hawaiian airports, giving you plenty of options to fly from several cities.

Here’s what you need to know about Delta flights to Hawaii.

Hawaii destinations that Delta serves

Delta serves the following airports on four islands. Some flights are nonstop, while others have a connection in Honolulu.

• Hilo, Hawaii.

• Honolulu, Oahu.

• Kahului, Maui.

• Kona, Hawaii.

• Lihue, Kauai.

Getting to Hawaii from the U.S. mainland on Delta

Delta offers a nonstop flight to Hawaii from Atlanta, the carrier’s largest hub. It also operates direct flights to Hawaii from Los Angeles-LAX, Minneapolis, Salt Lake City and Seattle.

In late 2022, Delta plans to add nonstop flights to Hawaii from Detroit and New York, as well as additional nonstop routes from Atlanta.

Delta interisland flights in Hawaii

Delta offers several interisland flights so you can island hop and see more of the state. These include:

• Honolulu to Hilo.

• Honolulu to Kahului.

• Honolulu to Kona.

• Honolulu to Lihue.

• Kahului to Kona.

• Kahului to Lihue.

In-flight refreshments

Although the flight crosses an ocean, Hawaii is a domestic destination. If you’re in main cabin, Delta’s economy class, expect some free snacks, such as granola bars, crackers or cookies, and complimentary nonalcoholic drink service that includes soft drinks like soda and juice.

Premium snacks and alcohol are available for purchase. However, you won’t get a full meal like you would on an international flight. Delta Comfort+ (premium economy) and first class passengers receive complimentary beer, wine and liquor.

» Learn more: Delta basic economy versus main cabin

In-flight entertainment

Delta Studio offers in-flight entertainment on Delta flights. On a flight to Hawaii, there will be movies, TV shows, music and podcasts and live TV. Children’s movies for the little ones are included in the collection.

In-flight Wi-Fi

Delta has two Wi-Fi providers, Gogo and Viasat, to allow you to get online while in the air. While hourly and daily plans are available, frequent travelers can purchase a Wi-Fi subscription to be covered for any Wi-Fi-enabled flight. A monthly pass will set you back $49.95 for domestic coverage and $69.95 for international coverage.

If you're a T-Mobile subscriber on an eligible plan, you can connect to Delta Wi-Fi for free for an hour on Gogo-enabled flights. However, keep in mind that the onboard internet service isn’t available on all aircraft.

If you don’t need Wi-Fi but just want to remain in contact with those on the ground, free unlimited texting is available for the flight.

Check Google Flights

It’s always a smart move to start your search with a quick check of Google Flights. Enter your departure city and the destination as you normally would. When you click on the calendar icon to select a travel date, a pop-up calendar will appear with the lowest available prices in a two-month window.

This search tool highlights the least expensive fares in green, so it’s easy to find dates with the best flight prices. Once you narrow down your travel dates, Google Flights shows where to book the lowest price, whether it’s directly with an airline or through an online travel agency.

» Learn more: How to book a flight

Redeem Delta SkyMiles

Once you find the flights you want to book, check the Delta website to see how many SkyMiles you’d need to redeem for the same itinerary. You can search for your preferred dates or use the airline’s price calendar to find the best redemption rates.

Delta’s loyalty program prices out its award flights dynamically, meaning the cost in miles correlates to the cost in cash, so lower prices can translate to lower redemption rates.

Delta has several transfer partners if you need a top-up on your loyalty account for a flight redemption.

» Learn more: Your guide to the Delta SkyMiles program

Take advantage of flight deals

From time to time, Delta offers discounted award redemption rates to specific regions of the world. The stars have to align just right for this one, but in the past, we’ve seen some incredible deals on award flights to various destinations, Hawaii included. It’s possible to book round-trip flights to Hawaii for as few as 14,000 SkyMiles, but the timing has to be just right and you have to have flexible travel dates.

You can check flight deals from your home airport here.

American Express issues several co-branded Delta SkyMiles credit cards for all kinds of flyers, including casual travelers and road warriors. These cards can help you accumulate airline miles for award flights on Delta and its partners. Here are their annual fees and welcome offers:

• Delta SkyMiles® Blue American Express Card: $0 annual fee (see rates and fees) – Earn 10,000 bonus miles after you spend $1,000 in purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months. Terms Apply.

• Delta SkyMiles® Gold American Express Card: $0 intro for the first year, then $150 annual fee (see rates and fees) – Earn 50,000 Bonus Miles after you spend $2,000 in eligible purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership. Terms Apply.

• Delta SkyMiles® Platinum American Express Card: $350 annual fee (see rates and fees) – Earn 60,000 Bonus Miles after you spend $3,000 in eligible purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership. Terms Apply.

• Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card: $650 annual fee (see rates and fees) – Earn 70,000 Bonus Miles after you spend $5,000 in eligible purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership. Terms Apply.

With these cards, you receive certain benefits to make your Delta flights to Hawaii even cheaper, including some of the following perks:

Free checked bags for you and your companions

Delta charges $35 for the first checked bag on domestic flights. However, if you hold one of the co-branded Delta cards (except the Delta SkyMiles® Blue American Express Card), you and up to eight passengers booked on the same reservation receive a free checked bag. Terms apply.

TSA PreCheck/Global Entry enrollment credit

The Delta SkyMiles® Platinum American Express Card and the Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card both offer a credit statement toward TSA Precheck once every 4.5 years or toward Global Entry enrollment once every four years. The option to go through TSA PreCheck lanes is available at more than 200 airports, including all five airports in Hawaii, which makes moving through security lines a breeze. Terms apply.

Delta Sky Club access

This isn’t available to everyone, but if you hold the Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card, then you get complimentary access to Delta Sky Club with a same-day Delta boarding pass up to three hours before your departing flight (unless you have a layover).

Additionally, you get four one-time lounge guest passes per year, so you and a companion can both enjoy the lounge, food and amenities together.

Terms apply.

» Learn more: These credit cards can get you Sky Club access

Change policy: Delta doesn’t charge change or cancellation fees for domestic flights in most classes of service except basic economy (fare difference applies). You have to pay a fee of $99 to $199 per ticket if you wish to cancel or change your basic economy ticket.

Consider travel insurance: If you're concerned that Delta won’t help you, travel insurance might. This optional standalone insurance can be purchased separately from your airfare. But you might not even need to pay out-of-pocket for trip insurance because many credit cards offer travel insurance as a built-in benefit to customers who pay for a flight on that card.

Rewards earning policy: SkyMiles members earn redeemable miles on Delta flights based on their current elite status tier. Basic economy tickets don’t earn miles or Medallion status qualifications, so keep that in mind when you pay cash for a flight.

To view rates and fees of the Delta SkyMiles® Blue American Express Card, see this page. To view rates and fees of the Delta SkyMiles® Gold American Express Card, see this page. To view rates and fees of the Delta SkyMiles® Platinum American Express Card, see this page. To view rates and fees of the Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card, see this page.