6 Airlines That Fly to Hawaii

The Aloha State is a bucket list destination for many travelers, and if you live somewhere that has direct flights to Hawaii, the temptation can be even greater to get to the famous Pacific Ocean islands.

Even if your local airport doesn’t have a nonstop option, there are plenty of one-stop flights available to get you to a Hawaiian getaway — you’ll just have to know what airlines fly to Hawaii.

This guide will show you the way to paradise by outlining which airlines fly to Hawaii, from what airports and what to expect inflight. When you’re sipping a mai tai on the shores of a Hawaiian island, you’ll thank us.

Major Hawaiian airports

Here are the Hawaiian airports that you can fly to from the U.S.:

• Honolulu’s Daniel K. Inouye International Airport on Oahu.

• Maui’s Kahului Airport.

• Kauai’s Lihue Airport.

• Kona International Airport on Hawaii's Big Island.

A shortlist of which airlines fly to Hawaii and from where

Airlines fly from these mainland cities, either year-round or seasonally.

» Learn more: The best airline credit cards right now

What airlines go to Hawaii?

1. Hawaiian Airlines

The islands’ home carrier is Hawaiian Airlines. It brings the spirit of Aloha to travelers during the flight before they arrive and after they leave. The airline treats all passengers to a hot meal with island-inspired flavors, complimentary drinks from the bar (including island-roasted coffee, craft beer, wine and mai tais with the meal) and onboard entertainment that is free to access.

On its wide-body planes, the airline offers flat-bed seats in business class. Hawaiian flies to many island destinations from the mainland, including Honolulu, Kahului (Maui), Kona (Big Island) and Lihue (Kauai). Once in Hawaii, it has a dense interisland network as well with more than 170 flights per day, making it the largest airline flying intrastate. It operates the most nonstop routes to the mainland from Hawaii out of all U.S. domestic carriers.

If you’re looking to earn bonus points for your flight or enough points to redeem for a future vacation, consider the Hawaiian Airlines® World Elite Mastercard®. You’ll earn 3x miles on Hawaiian flights; 2x miles on gas, dining and groceries; plus benefits like two free checked bags and even a half-off companion fare discount.

» Learn more: What the Hawaiian Airlines HawaiianMiles program gets right

2. Alaska Airlines

The airline’s name may not give away its tropical route map, but it certainly has quite a few flights between the mainland and Hawaii.

Today, the carrier flies to the major airports on Oahu, Maui, the Island of Hawaii and Kauai from many Western U.S. cities, including:

• Anchorage, Alaska.

• Los Angeles.

• Portland, Oregon.

• San Diego.

• San Francisco.

• San Jose, California.

• Seattle.

On board, the airline offers passengers the chance to stream more than 500 free movies and TV shows to their personal devices while keeping them charged up at the seat. Economy class passengers can purchase meals and snacks on the flight.

If you have the Alaska Airlines Visa Signature® credit card, you’re eligible for free checked bags for you and up to six companions. The card also comes with a discounted companion fare that you can use to get to Hawaii.

» Learn more: A guide to Alaska flights to Hawaii

3. American Airlines

American flies from several mainland cities to Hawaii, but it stands out from the pack in one important way: Its business class passengers flying from Chicago-O’Hare and Dallas-Fort Worth on nonstop flights to Hawaii can use the Flagship Lounge as part of their itinerary.

If you’re seated in the main cabin, don’t despair. If you have the Citi® / AAdvantage® Executive World Elite Mastercard®, it comes with Admirals Club access when traveling on a same-day American flight.

In the air, all passengers on flights from Chicago and Dallas to Hawaii receive a complimentary meal and open-bar service. This applies to the carrier’s “Flagship” Hawaii routes from those destinations; other flights, like those from Phoenix or Los Angeles, do not offer the same amenities.

» Learn more: The guide to American Airlines flights to Hawaii

4. Delta Air Lines

Delta flies from Atlanta to Honolulu and Maui on long-haul aircraft with flat-bed seats in the Delta One cabin. It uses similar wide-body aircraft to Honolulu from New York-JFK, Detroit and Minneapolis-St. Paul, usually on a seasonal basis. It also serves the four major airports in Hawaii — Honolulu, Kahului, Kona and Lihue — from other major gateways like Los Angeles, Salt Lake City and Seattle.

In economy class, expect Delta’s solid inflight entertainment system, Delta Studio, as well as complimentary snacks and nonalcoholic drinks. On Delta’s longest flights from airports like New York-JFK, Atlanta, Detroit and Minneapolis-St. Paul, for example, complimentary meals are available in economy.

If you’re looking for more, Delta co-branded credit cards provide cardholders with a 20% discount on inflight purchases.

» Learn more: The guide to Delta flights to Hawaii

5. Southwest Airlines

Southwest brings its bags-fly-free philosophy across the Pacific Ocean, which makes it a real winner for heavy packers. Note that the airline does not offer assigned seats in advance, so travelers will want to pay for early boarding or check in early to be able to select the ideal seat on these longer sectors. Southwest does not offer food for sale either, but it does have plenty of snacks and nonalcoholic drinks available for free.

The airline flies several nonstop flights to Honolulu, Kahului, Kona and Lihue from numerous mainland airports in the West Coast region. It also operates several interisland flights between Hawaiian cities providing onward connections. Look for Southwest flights to the islands from airports like:

• Las Vegas.

• Long Beach, California.

• Los Angeles.

• Oakland.

• Phoenix.

• Sacramento.

• San Jose, California.

• San Diego. 

If you fly to Hawaii often, Southwest’s famous Companion Pass could provide some major value.

» Learn more: The guide to Southwest Airlines Hawaii flights

6. United Airlines

United is no stranger to Hawaii. At press time, it offered the most nonstop flights from the mainland to Hawaii compared to other carriers. Travelers can fly from numerous United hub cities — like Chicago-O’Hare, Los Angeles, Newark and San Francisco — to the Hawaiian Islands. The carrier serves the four main airports of Honolulu, Kahului, Kona and Lihue. 

United deserves praise for the inflight service on its longest flights from the mainland like complimentary meals in all cabins. If you want to buy alcoholic drinks, using a United co-branded credit card can provide a 25% savings on inflight purchases.

» Learn more: A guide to United flights to Hawaii

Flights to Hawaii, recapped

If you’re planning a vacation in the Hawaiian Islands, there are plenty of options for direct flights to Hawaii. No matter which coast you live on, or anywhere in between, there are lots of airlines flying to Hawaii.

If you want to get the Aloha spirit going before you leave the mainland, look to Hawaiian Airlines for the most authentic island experience.