Hawaii Interisland Airfare Not Getting Cheaper Any Time Soon

If you’re planning a Hawaii vacation and it involves getting to any one of the neighbor Islands, you have probably figured out the only way to do this is by airplane. There are no ships or ferries that take you between the islands. In the last few years we have seen price wars, airlines going out of business and air routes changing.

Recntly, we have started to see airfares balancing out. Right now the average Hawaii airfare is about $68, however, if you’re willing to take less popular times you can save a few dollars. And likewise, if you’re traveling during peak travel times airfares are considerably higher. We’ve seen them go as high as $110 one-way in recent months. This is why it’s never a good idea to wait until the last minute to book interisland Hawaii flights; it’s almost never cheaper that way.

One of the main reasons for the balancing out of airfares is less competition. At its peak, we had five interisland carriers all competing for the same market which created several price wars bringing the price down sometimes as low as $19 and they ran specials. Those days are forever gone. This year we saw the merging of 2 local carriers;  Go! Airlines merged with Mokulele Airline which naturally caused Hawaii airfares to go up.

Similar to airlines on the mainland, interisland carriers have had their challenges with profitability. In order for them to remain viable airfares need to be above a certain level and with passenger level decreasing over the years, the need for higher prices is necessary. Last year only 7.4 million passengers flew between the islands as compared to 10 million 13 years ago. The main reason for this decline is that mainland carriers started traveling directly to the neighbor islands bypassing the busy hub of Honolulu international Airport.

Pulling together a trip like this yourself can be tedious. Here at Hawaii Aloha Travel we do this every day and make it very easy and  at the right price. All of our agents are experts at finding the best and  most effective route for your Hawaii vacation, just give us a call at  800-843-8771 and any agent can help you.

Posted by Bruce Fisher follow me on twitter @alohabruce
 

Published by Bruce Fisher

Since 2006 Bruce Fisher has been publishing the Hawaii Vacation Blog and the Hawaii Vacation Connection Podcast which, create daily content about Hawaii Travel and Tourism. This Blog is the only online resource providing Hawaii-based information aimed at travelers seven days per week. Postings reflect the Hawaiian Islands, their culture and their lifestyle as accurately and thoroughly as possible.

Add comment June 1st, 2010