Bay Area travelers treat Hawaii the way east coasters treat Europe, a conceivable long weekend getaway. Flights typically clock in around the five-hour mark, just short enough that jet lag won't knock you for a loop, so you can hit the ground running—or tanning, as the case may be.
With demand high, Hawaiian Airlines just opened new direct routes out of Oakland International Airport through August 15, 2014, to both Kona on the Big Island and Lihue on Kauai.
Flights to and from Kona depart on Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays, and Saturdays, while flights to and from Lihue take off on Sundays, Tuesdays, and Thursdays, giving competitor Alaska Airways a run for their money on the same routes.
A quick data search shows one-way fares (including all taxes and fees, rounded to the nearest dollar) currently as:
To Kona
- Monday: $268
- Wednesday: $269
- Friday: $281
- Saturday: $331
Returning to Oakland
- Monday: $311
- Wednesday: $281
- Friday: $309
- Saturday: $331
To Lihue
- Sunday: $388
- Tuesday: $464
- Thursday: $414
Returning to Oakland
- Sunday: $419
- Tuesday: $329
- Thursday: $354
Unlike other domestic carriers, Hawaiian offers full in-flight meals as part of the fare, including complimentary wine and Koloa Breeze Rum Punch with meals.
