Southwest Expanded Service for Hawaiian Islands

Southwest Airlines today announced it will add new service to, from, and within Hawaiʻi in mid-January 2020 with new, daily service between Sacramento International Airport and Honolulu.

In addition, new non-stop service between both of the carrier’s Hawaiʻi gateways in the Bay Area (Oakland and San Jose), and both Kauaʻi and the Island of Hawaiʻi, will give Southwest customers access to 18 flights transiting the Pacific each day between three California cities and four of the five airports Southwest will serve in the Hawaiian Islands.

Today’s schedule publication extends an ability for the carrier’s customers to book Southwest travel through March 6, 2020, and also puts on sale the first-ever Southwest service to Līhue Airport on Kauaʻi and Hilo International Airport on the Island of Hawaiʻi.

With these additions, Southwest will operate a total 34 departures a day on interisland routes, including newly available service between Honolulu and Līhue & Honolulu and Hilo, four times daily in each direction. It will offer service non-stop between Kahului and Kona once daily in each direction.

Hawaiʻi service details for previously announced gateway San Diego will be announced later.

“We’re energized by the warm aloha Southwest has enjoyed in response to our initial Hawaiʻi offering and this second wave of service is an investment that broadens our everyday value through low fares, no fees to change tickets (though fare difference may apply), and two checked bags free* for everyone,” said Tom Nealon, Southwest Airlines President. “We’re focused on bringing Hawaiʻi an authentically Southwest experience with comfort across all seating—for every customer—along with in-cabin snack enhancements for our flights between Hawaiʻi and the mainland.”

In October 2017, Southwest shared an intention to begin the technical work to bring capabilities for Hawaii service, applied with the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) in January 2018, and publicly announced the carrier’s initial gateway airports and initial Hawaiʻi airports in spring 2018. Southwest Airlines first operated Hawaiʻi service on March 17, 2019, from Oakland to Honolulu and currently operates a dozen flights daily between Hawaiʻi and the mainland, and offers 16 interisland departures daily among the Islands.

Hawaiʻi Schedule Summary (as of end of January 2020):