Hawaii, More Is On The Way! Southwest Airlines Expanded Service For The Hawaiian Islands Now On Sale

DALLAS, Aug. 15, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Southwest Airlines Co. LUV today announced the carrier will add new service to, from, and within Hawaii in mid-January 2020 with new, daily service between Sacramento International Airport (SMF) and Honolulu. In addition, new service nonstop between both of the carrier's Hawaii gateways in the Bay Area, Oakland and San Jose, and both Kauai and the Island of Hawaii, 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 Aloha State.

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 Lihue Airport (LIH) on Kauai and Hilo International Airport (ITO) on the Island of Hawaii.

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

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

In celebration of the expansion, Customers now may book the carrier's second wave of Hawaii service at Southwest.com/Hawaii with launch fares on sale today only for as low as:

The carrier is offering introductory pricing on new interisland flights:

Fares are available through 11:59 p.m. Pacific Daylight Time on the purchase-by dates specified above.Travel on these fares is valid only on certain days of week and seats are limited. Please see complete fare sale rules below.

"We're energized by the warm aloha Southwest has enjoyed in response to our initial Hawaii 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 Hawaii an authentically Southwest experience with comfort across all seating—for every Customer—along with in-cabin snack enhancements for our flights between Hawaii and the mainland."

With an industry-leading 32-inch seat pitch on aircraft serving Hawaii and Islands-inspired drinks and snacks, Southwest's world-class service for the Islands includes the carrier's gate-to-gate connectivity on WiFi-enabled aircraft, offering 100 percent free inflight entertainment with free inflight movies^{1^}, free Live TV², and free messaging^{3^}. 

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 Hawaii airports in spring 2018. Southwest Airlines first operated Hawaii service on March 17, 2019, from Oakland to Honolulu and currently operates a dozen flights daily between Hawaii and the mainland, and offers 16 interisland departures daily among the Islands.

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

SOUTHWEST AIRLINES FARE SALE RULES

$29 Interisland fare: Purchase through 11:59 p.m. Pacific Daylight Time on Aug. 22, 2019. Interisland travel at this fare is valid on Tuesdays and Wednesdays and only on nonstop service between Jan. 21—March 4, 2020.

$99 fare between Mainland and Hawaii:  Purchase on Aug. 15, 2019 through 11:59 p.m. Pacific Daylight Time. Except as otherwise specified, travel at this fare is valid on Tuesdays and Wednesdays and only on nonstop service between Continental U.S. and Hawaii. Nonstop travel between Oakland and Lihue, and between San Jose and Kona at this fare is valid only on Tuesdays through March 3, 2020. Nonstop travel between Oakland and Kona, and between San Jose and Lihue at this fare is valid only on Wednesdays through March 4, 2020.

Additional fare sale rules that apply both to the $29 Interisland fare and the $99 fare between Mainland and Hawaii:  Points bookings do not include taxes, fees, and other government/airport charges of at least $5.60 per one-way flight. Seats and days are limited. Fares may vary by destination, flight, and day of week and won't be available on some flights that operate during very busy travel times and holiday periods. Travel is available for one-way Wanna Get Away® fares. Fares may be combined with other Southwest Airlines® combinable fares. If combining with other fares, the most restrictive fare's rules apply. Sale fares may be available on other days of week, but that's not guaranteed. Fares are nonrefundable but may be applied toward future travel on Southwest Airlines®, as long as reservations are canceled at least ten minutes prior to the scheduled departure. Failure to cancel prior to departure will result in forfeiture of remaining funds on the reservation. Any change in itinerary may result in an increase in fare. Standby travel may require an upgrade to the Anytime fare depending on Rapid Rewards® tier status. Fares are subject to change until ticketed. Offer applies only to published, scheduled service.

ABOUT SOUTHWEST AIRLINES CO.

In its 49th year of service, Dallas-based Southwest Airlines Co. LUV continues to differentiate itself from other air carriers with exemplary Customer Service delivered by more than 59,000 Employees to a Customer base topping 130 million passengers annually. Southwest became the nation's largest domestic air carrier in 2003 and maintains that ranking based on the U.S. Department of Transportation's most recent reporting of domestic originating passengers boarded. In peak travel seasons, Southwest operates more than 4,000 weekday departures among a network of 101 destinations in the United States and 10 additional countries.

Southwest coined Transfarency^® to describe its purposed philosophy of treating Customers honestly and fairly, and low fares actually staying low. Southwest is the only major U.S. airline to offer bags fly free^® to everyone (first and second checked pieces of luggage, size and weight limits apply, some carriers offer free checked bags on select routes or in qualified circumstances), and there are no change fees, though fare differences might apply.

Southwest is one of the most honored airlines in the world, known for a triple bottom line approach that contributes to the carrier's performance and productivity, the importance of its People and the communities they serve, and an overall commitment to efficiency and the planet. Learn more about how the carrier gives back to communities across the world by visiting Southwest.com/citizenship. 

Book Southwest Airlines' low fares online at Southwest Airlines or by phone at 800-I-FLY-SWA.

SOURCE Southwest Airlines Co.