Southwest Airlines’ presence in Hawaii influenced Honolulu-based Hawaiian Airlines to lower its fares on some popular routes. The airline dropped prices on select flights between the Hawaiian islands and the US mainland.

Fares were lowered to prices under $100, but it did not last long before they returned to regular numbers. The sale comes as airlines prepare for the influx of travelers due to spring break.

The war over fares

Earlier this week, Hawaiian announced a fare war price match in which it dropped the price of 17 routes by at least 24%. In the previous price comparison, the carrier charged $119 on most of those routes and even more on others, according to the Beat of Hawaii.

The sale was undoubtedly short-lived. Passengers who took advantage of the price match had to purchase their tickets for travel in April and May by 23:59 on Thursday. The travel dates for sale prices varied by route but started as early as April 12th and continued until as late as May 25, 2023. Many routes are operated by the Airbus A330-200, which provides the most comfort, but the A321neo also serves some.

How cheap and where?

According to the Beat of Hawaii, the following are the routes where fares were slashed to compete with Southwest.

Several travelers flock to Hawaii for spring and summer to take advantage of the state’s warm and sunny weather. In the spring, the temperatures reach the low 80s, and the ocean temperature is also comfortable, meaning travelers can enjoy swimming, snorkeling, and other recreational activities.

According to the Beat of Hawaii, Spring is also a time to find more moderate prices on Hawaii accommodations and is an ideal time to enjoy the Hawaii weather, with fewer crowds and somewhat lower costs, compared to the summer.

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Healthy competition

Southwest started service to Hawaii in March 2019. Simple Flying previously reported that the low-cost carrier is the second-largest airline in the state. The airline also competes with Hawaiian in the inter-island market, flying its Boeing 737-800s or 737 MAX 8s between the islands.

In preparation for the summer travel demand Hawaiian recently announced that it would boost frequencies on some routes. Flights from Honolulu to Austin, Boston, Las Vegas, and Los Angeles will see an increase in overall weekly flights this summer.

Source: Beat of Hawaii