In case you have been waiting anxiously for that Boise, Idaho direct flight, your dreams (and those of at least two other people) have come true!
Alaska/Hawaiian is launching seasonal nonstop flights between Honolulu and Boise and Spokane (perhaps one of our airline readers can explain this one to us 🤷♂️). The combined carrier is also adding more Honolulu-Las Vegas service and increasing California flying, with Hawaiʻi capacity expected to grow 3% year over year and up to 6% during peak holiday periods. Delta’s winter schedule will also restore or expand service from Boston, Minneapolis, Detroit and Atlanta, adding even more mainland lift heading into the peak travel season.
Not to be left out, Southwest is adding more Honolulu service to Burbank and Ontario, restoring weekend nonstop flights from San Diego to Kona and Līhuʻe, and even introducing a new Las Vegas-to-Honolulu “reverse red-eye.”
At the same time, Hawaiian will not resume its seasonal Honolulu-Auckland route, citing high fuel costs, soft international demand, unfavorable exchange rates, and changing travel patterns.
The changes show where airlines believe the strongest near-term opportunity lies. Rather than waiting for international markets to fully recover, carriers are adding service from secondary mainland cities and connecting hubs that can feed travelers from across the Midwest, East Coast, Mountain West, and Pacific Northwest.
For Hawaiʻi hotels, the shift means continued growth in domestic demand and a visitor mix that looks increasingly different from the pre-pandemic market.
And a reminder for those traveling to the continent: as of July 1st, Hawaiian will phase out complimentary main-cabin meals on most continental flights in favor of paid, preordered options. The aloha is still complimentary. Lunch is not.
Read More: Alaska/Hawaiian, Delta, Southwest
