United Airlines has great deals to Hawaii!
The Flight Deal reports you can fly to Kona, Hawaii, from several US cities starting at ~$491 round-trip in coach!
You can search for this fare using ITA Matrix or Google Flights, then book it on the United Airlines website.
This deal won’t last long, so book soon if you’re interested!
How To Book It
Link: ITA Matrix
Link: Google Flights
Here’s how to use Google Flights or ITA Matrix to find sale dates.
I found these fares using Google Flights and was able to book them on the United Airlines website.
Note: You can cancel a United Airlines reservation within 24 hours of booking and get a full refund.
Remember, folks who have the Chase United MileagePlus Explorer card get a free checked bag. But you have to use the card to pay for your ticket!
Fly to Kona, Hawaii
You can fly United Airlines to Kona, Hawaii, starting at ~$491 round-trip from:
- Charlotte
- Dallas
- Miami
- Philadelphia
- St. Louis
Travel until early December 2015 or January through June 2016. I found lots of open dates, and ~$500 to Hawaii round-trip is a good deal!
Fares are limited and you must purchase your ticket at least 21 days in advance.
What If You’re Not in an Included City?
You can get to 1 of these cities by using British Airways Avios points to get there.
British Airways Avios points are great for short-haul flights. Because it only costs 4,500 British Airways Avios points 1-way in coach for flights less than 650 miles (until February 3, 2016), and 7,500 British Airways Avios points for flights up to 1,149 miles.
Or if you have the Southwest Companion Pass, you could fly to these cities very cheaply. That’s because with the Companion Pass, your companion flies with you for almost free on both paid and award tickets.
Or you could try to find a cheap paid ticket from your home airport to 1 of the sale cities. But do the math to see what makes sense to you!
Which Card to Use?
Remember to use a card that will earn you bonus points:
- AMEX Premier Rewards Gold – 3X American Express Membership Rewards points when booking directly with airlines
- The Business Gold Rewards Card from American Express OPEN – 3X American Express Membership Rewards points for booking directly with airlines when you choose this as your 3X category (otherwise 2X points)
- Barclaycard Arrival Plus – 2.1% back
when you redeem for $100+ travel purchases - Chase Sapphire Preferred – 2X Chase Ultimate Rewards points on travel
- Citi Prestige – 3X Citi ThankYou points on airfare
- Citi ThankYou Premier – 3X Citi ThankYou points on travel
Get Free Hotel Nights With These Cards
Link: Hot Deals – Hotel Credit Cards
If you book a cheap flight, remember there are lots of ways to get cheap or free hotel rooms with points from credit card bonuses and spending!
Here’s how to decide where to stay in Hawaii using your hotel points!
To find hotels that can be booked with points, I use Hotel Hustle (which even shows you if rooms are actually available!) or AwardMapper.
Remember, you can transfer flexible points like Chase Ultimate Rewards or American Express Membership Rewards to different hotel programs.
Check out my posts on all the ways to earn Hilton and Hyatt points! And here’s my list of 5 top Starwood hotels next to US beaches – including 1 in Hawaii!
Note: Folks who want to book paid stays could check out discount sites like Orbitz, Expedia, or TravelPony for deals. But remember you won’t get stay credits or points (and might not have your elite status recognized!).
And Airbnb is a great way to save money on accommodations, especially for longer stays. Here are some tips on how to negotiate a better Airbnb price, and how to find a safe and comfortable Airbnb.
Bottom Line
Fares to Kona, Hawaii, start at ~$491 for lots of travel dates through June 2016, on United Airlines from several US cities. There are blackout dates from mid to late December.
Be sure to purchase your ticket 21 days and advance and keep in mind available seats are limited.
With this deal, you can purchase tickets well into 2016, so this is perfect for a break before the holiday season, a mid-winter getaway, or a trip over Spring Break.
Let me know if you book a ticket!
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