Not that I can afford it, but Mrs. L.A. has decreed we will take a vacation every year. This year it looks like it might be Hawaii. She spent the evening looking for accommodations on Hawaii. I’ll have to buy the plane tickets, and it looks like The Usual Suspects (Alaska, Delta, whoever) fly into HNL. Not finding anything to ITO. So…
What’s the cheapest way from YVR (Vancouver, BC) to HNL near the end of October? Right now, I’m seeing about $350 to $400 per person out, and about $250 per person back. So it could cost $1,300, which seems a far cry from those $99 flights I keep hearing about but never actually see.
How do you get from Oahu to Hawaii inexpensively? (Please don’t say ‘Swim.’)
Check out Costco Travel (if you are a member). They have really good packages. Then compare the [almost] identical package offered by the airlines, and some hotels. I think Costco will almost always beat them on price and availability.
Are you sure you want to fly out of YVR and not SEA? You would be adding customs layers to your travel.
Are you dead-set on the big island? I’ve literally just come back from my one-and-only trip to Hawaii, but it was with Ms. Cups who has been going her whole life. We have a condo on Lihue and they consistently say it’s their favorite island by a mile because it’s the most “natural” and “real”.
The other islands (Maui especially) they say is no different than going to Miami/LA/Daytona or any other big city beach. Giant condo/hotel combinations lots of people, etc. etc. Lihue, on the other hand, is called the garden island for a reason. The entire island is green and beautiful, the buildings are much more local (there’s a rule that says no building can be taller than a coconut tree) and it’s just all and all more pretty.
There are still beaches and waves and fun excursions like helicopter tours and waterfalls and kyaking…the only real downside is no volcanoes.
So, I guess what I’m saying is, why are you going and what do you want to do?
Mrs. L.A. wants to pick out the accommodations. When we went to Puerto Rico, she rented a condo for a week. Last night she was looking at houses/bungalows.
YVR is 33 miles away from our house. SEA is 123 miles away, and traffic on a Monday morning between Everett and the airport would be intolerable.
My list includes seeing my great-uncle’s name on the Arizona memorial and touring the USS Missouri; swimming, snorkeling, and kayaking; partaking of the local culture (except luaus); eating local delicacies (even the ones I make at home); and…? I’d like to see volcanoes, and hike along some trails, and steal a tiki from a cave and then go to bed under a large, heavy painting and then go surfing. Seriously, I’d like to do the volcano and walking. And the water.
Fair comment. Just be aware some Vancouver flights actually stop in the US mainland before flying to Hawaii, and return. A direct flight should take six hours, give or take. A simple stopover can really add up total flight time and negate any time saved had you flown out of SEA.
Inter-island sailplane flights are not unknown. One of the instructors at my club (in S. F. Bay Area, California) claims to have done it. (Given what I know of his background, I find this not at all implausible.)
ETA: Oh, wait a minute… You might want to go with your wife right? Well, there are Schweizer 2-32’s on Oahu, and they can accommodate two passengers in the back seat!
I like Alaska Air from the NW and Hawaiian is also consistently highly rated. Going in the Summer you are pretty well screwed on those magic air fares you hear tell of. If you can postpone until after the children have all returned to school, mid-September to October, you will find much better airfare and hotels, and the climate is better too. If you are interested in seeing whales, they arrive in the islands Dec/January to winter over.
I second, third, fourth the recommendation to fly out of Seattle. Consider driving the night before and staying at a hotel.
I am not a big city person when on vacation. Or ever actually. Going to see the Arizona is valid however. After that, the Big Island is extremely awesome. I really like the Kona area, and it is worth exploring the volcano area at least once in your life. Be aware that the areas where you can see lava are not necessarily anywhere near the crater. CairoCarol has a house on the Big Island and may be able to give you some suggestions for places to stay and things to do.
Since I’[ve never been to the big island, and that’s clearly the right choice for you, I’m gonna bow out of this conversation.
Although I will say we flew Alaska (our of SEA, but I’m not attempting THAT discussion) and absolutely loved it. The legroom was fine enough, but the real kicker was that there were usb outlets on every seat. So during the 6-hour flights (I had 2 additional ones coming from Orlando) it was great to wear out my Fire’s battery and just plug it in without worry.
They also have an in-plane entertainment system. Watch movies and TV shows and stuff for free.
I’m also going to recommend re-thinking your airport insistence, unless price truly is no object. Also, while Monday morning traffic is hideous, other times of day aren’t that bad.
Still, if you are not searching for specific dates, there are frequent sales to Hawaii from both YVR and SEA. If you’re willing to wait and take advantage of those, you should be able to find roundtrip flights for 350-400/person. Get on some travel alert sites (and the mailing lists for the most likely carriers) and look for the appropriate flight.
I fly home to Oahu more or less every year, usually in November-February, and have done so for the last 14 years.
Volcanoes worth seeing and the Arizona memorial are on 2 different islands. Where do you want to spend the bulk of your time, Oahu or Hawaii? If you want a more laid-back, less city/more nature experience, my suggestion is you fly to and stay primarily on the Big Island (Kona or Hilo) and make an overnight trip to Oahu. It might lower your costs a bit. Oahu does have nature-based attractions, though, and more variety in food, so don’t discount it too quickly.
Fly Hawaiian Airlines. You will have a more Hawaiian-y experience. Don’t fly Delta.
Check both sites like Expedia for packages, but also check with airlines and hotels individually. Sometimes you can put together a better deal. Even if you wind up not using Expedia, it’s useful for researching hotels (photos and descriptions).
I typically wind up paying approximately 2k per person for a RT flight and 7d/6n hotel stay.
Money is an object. I pay for the mortgage, electricity, water, propane, cable-and-Internet, plus my own expenses and debts. So we need something cheap. However my boss seems to think I’m necessary, and getting time off to go on a vacation is somewhat problematic. So I have to schedule well in advance.
We’re thinking we’ll fly into Oahu and see Pearl Harbor, and then spend the rest of the trip on Hawaii.
Hawaii has an airline? :eek: I forgot about Hawaiian Airlines. I’ll check them out later.
Google Flights is your friend. Put in your departure and destination cities and click on the calendar to pull up two months of days/prices at a time. I’m not sure where you’re looking for flights but I’m seeing lots of <$400 from YVR to HNL end of October, even for direct flights. Also, there are direct flights from YVR to KOA or LIH but of course cost more and not daily. They are operated by Westjet. Prices seem to drop a bit mid-Nov if your timing is flexible from $600+ to more like $550 for KOA.
Island to island flights should be easy to find on there as well.
There is a poster here that has a rental property near Hilo that looks amazing. I can’t remember the name, though. I’ll see if I can find it.
I’ve been going to the airlines’ booking pages. I also see <$400 YVR to HNL, but then there’s $250 or so for the flight from HNL to YVR. So $650 each for the round trip.
If you want to see the USS Missouri and the USS Arizona, I would suggest booking a Pearl Harbor tour with one of the tour companies as the tickets get gone really fast. The tour company will get all the tickets for you and pick you up and drop you off at your hotel (if you are staying on Oahu). I don’t know how it works with someone staying on another island.
We just got back from 5 nights in Lihue on Kauai. It’s my 2nd Hawaiian island and my husband’s third. (We both went Honolulu a couple years ago, and he had been to the big island about 7 years ago). Kauai was our favorite and there was enough to do (or not do if you want) for 5 nights.
The best search tool for flights if you’re flexible is this one: http://matrix.itasoftware.com
Use “See calendar of lowest fares” and select 10/1/17 and then range of nights (I used 4-11 nights).
The cheapest option was on Delta roundtrip per person, Vancouver to Honolulu, 10/26-10/31 (or 11/1) for $480 Canadian dollars (about $362 US)
Hilo and Lihue were considerably more expensive.
As for hotels, my husband travels for work. On a trip last year, he called Marriott directly to book the room. At the end of the call, they said that he had a “special offer” waiting if he wanted. Time share presentation. The deal was 5 nights in Lihue at the Marriott Kauai Beach Club for $199. What was supposed to be an hour and a half presentation ended up being 3 hours. But still, it was worth it for such a cheap deal on a decent hotel. Just don’t buy into their pitch and you’re golden ($25K plus $1K a year in maintenance fees for what is about 1 week at their resorts is not worth it.) It does look like they have places on the big island too.
I see round trip on Westjet Oct. 25-31 (among other dates) for $376. That’s USD but the Canadian equivalent that I pulled up on the Westjet site shows $498 Canadian. Are you tied to specific dates?
Seriously, I’d like to do the volcano and walking. And the water.