Founder & certified Hawaii travel expert with 20+ years of experience in Hawaii tourism.
Hawaii Inter-Island Flights
In Hawaii, inter-island flights are the most convenient way to see numerous islands during your trip. Being the only island state in the country, traveling to the different islands or counties is not as simple as loading up your car with your dog, clothes, and gear, popping in a movie for the kids, and shooting down the interstate. Life in paradise requires much more than that.
Hawaii vacation veterans will remember those days when one could buy a fist full of blank tickets where you could choose your destination, write in your name and call reservations for a seat on the way to the airport.
Inter-Island flights are available at every major airport.
In Hawaii, airline travel is genuinely an inconvenience. TSA lines are sometimes long and slow and, in many cases, make clearing security longer than the actual flying time. However, we will have to endure until the authorities understand that we cannot drive from county to county and provide Hawaii with solutions to keep our intra-state travel smooth and quick.
However, those considering island hopping will find that even with the challenges at the airport, the experience is certainly worthwhile. This is especially true for those who want their Hawaii experience to have all the excitement of Honolulu and Pearl Harbor and still enjoy the quiet, serene setting of the Big Island and must include a visit to the Hawaii Volcanoes National Park.
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Our Inter-Island Tour Recommendations
There is a handful of Hawaii inter-island flights. Each airline has different aircraft, destinations, dependability, and cost, so consider wisely before purchasing a ticket.
Hawaiian Airlines is the dominant inter-island carrier. Serving four major islands with the dependability of Mussolini's trains at the cost of an NFL ticket, Hawaiian offers Boeing 717 jets with first class and coach and pre-assigned seating. As you may have also heard, Alaska Airlines is attempting to purchase Hawaiian Airlines, and as of this writing, this merger remains undergoing a federal review.
The remaining airlines that operate between the islands are Mokulele and Southwest.
Inter-Island Seating Suggestions
Hawaii inter-island flights' air traffic is operated in airspace to the south of the island chain with a few exceptions. Those wanting to get out their cameras and enjoy the scenic views from 10,000 feet above the blue Pacific should refer to the seating recommendations for a more camera-friendly experience.
Which side of the plane should you sit on?
Honolulu → Maui (Kahului) - left
Maui (Kahului) → Honolulu - right
Honolulu → Kauai (Lihue) - right
Kauai (Lihue) → Honolulu - left
Honolulu → Kona - left
Kona → Honolulu - right
Honolulu → Hilo – either
Hilo → Honolulu -right
Hilo → Maui – right
Maui → Hilo – either
Kona → Maui – right
Maui → Kona – left
