Yes, the weather is pretty awesome in California — and the state does have swaying palm trees and terrific beaches, too — but there’s something about the gentle trade winds, the fragrant aroma of jasmine leis and the taste of freshly made poke that makes an escape to Hawaii, well, an escape. And with lots of flights from the major airports in California to three islands in Hawaii, there’s little excuse not to go.
We recently checked nonstop flights from Los Angeles, San Francisco, San Diego and San Jose to Oahu, Maui and the Big Island and here are the airlines, dates and flight times that are the cheapest. And don’t forget to pack your reef-safe sunscreen!
Los Angeles to Honolulu (Oahu)
Flight length: 5 hours, 50 minutes
Cheapest airfare (when we checked): $355
Airline: American, Hawaiian, Delta and United
When to fly: American: Oct. 1-10, 19-31 and Nov. 1-9 at 8:20am, 2:00pm, 2:10pm, 4:55pm or 7:50pm; returning Oct. 6-12, 14, 15, 24-31 and Nov. 1-14 at 7:10am, 12:50pm, 9:32pm or 10:28pm.
Hawaiian: Oct. 1, 3, 5-7, 11, 16, 19-21, 23-31 and Nov. 2-6, 9 at 7:00am, 10:00am or 6:05pm, returning Oct. 6, 8, 10-12, 16, 23-31 and Nov. 1-5, 7-11, 14 at 8:00am, 2:45pm or 10:10pm.
Delta: Oct. 4-7, 19-21, 23-31 and Nov. 2-9 at 8:25am, 2:55pm or 7:01pm, returning Oct. 9-12, 24-26, 28-31 and Nov. 1-5, 7-14 at 7:15am, 11:15am or 9:00pm.
United: Oct. 5-7, 19, 21, 23-31 and Nov. 2-4, 9 at 8:00am, returning Oct. 10-12, 25, 26, 28, 29, 31 and Nov. 1-5, 7- 9, 14 at 7:12am, 12:14pm or 3:19pm.
Los Angeles to Kahului (Maui)
Flight length: 5 hours, 48 minutes
Cheapest airfare (when we checked): $355
Airline: American, Delta, Alaska, Hawaiian and United
When to fly: American: Oct. 1-5, 8-12, 14-31 and Nov. 1-7, 9 at 8:25am or 2:20pm, returning Oct. 6-10, 15-17, 19-25, 27-31 and Nov. 1-10, 12, 14 at 11:13am, 12:46pm, 1:55pm, 2:31pm, 5:04pm or 10:00pm.
Delta: Oct. 4, 5, 11, 19, 20, 26, 28-30 and Nov. 2, 4 at 8:20am or 5:05pm, returning Oct. 9, 10, 16, 24, 25, 31 and Nov. 2-4, 7, 9 at 9:05pm or 10:05pm. Alaska: Oct. 8, 9, 28-30 and Nov. 2, 4, 8, 9 at 8:15am, returning Oct. 15 and Nov. 2-4, 7, 9, 13, 14 at 2:05pm or 4:55pm.
Hawaiian: Oct. 19, 28, 31 and Nov. 4 at 9:00am, returning Oct. 24 and Nov. 2, 5, 9 at 1:30pm.
United: Oct. 20, 26, 27, 29 at 5:36pm, returning Oct. 25, 31 and Nov. 2, 3 at 12:43pm or 1:04pm.
Los Angeles to Kona (Big Island of Hawaii)
Flight length: 5 hours, 44 minutes
Cheapest airfare (when we checked): $345
Airline: American, United, Hawaiian and Delta
When to fly: American: Oct. 1-3, 19, 20, 25-31 and Nov. 2-4, 6-9 at 8:25am, returning Oct. 6-8, 24, 25, 30, 31 and Nov. 1-5, 7-9, 11-14 at 1:10pm.
United: Oct. 1-3, 17-21, 24-31 and Nov. 1-9 at 9:20am, 9:25am, 4:40pm or 4:50pm, returning Oct. 6-8, 22-26, 29-31 and Nov. 1-14 at 1:30pm, 8:45pm or 9:45pm.
Hawaiian: Oct. 1, 15, 19-21, 23-26, 28-30 and Nov. 4-9 at 11:00am, returning on Oct. 6, 20, 24-26, 28-31 and Nov. 2-4, 9-14 at 3:20pm.
Delta: Oct. 2, 18, 19, 26-30 and Nov. 1, 2, 9 at 5:30pm, returning Oct. 7, 23, 24, 31 and Nov. 1-4, 6, 7, 14 at 9:40pm.
San Francisco to Honolulu (Oahu)
Flight length: 5 hours, 19 minutes
Cheapest airfare (when we checked): $457
Airline: United and Hawaiian
When to fly: United: Oct. 1-4, 8-10, 22-25, 29, 31 and Nov. 1, 5-10, 12-14, 26-29 at 9:01am, 12:30pm or 2:05pm, returning Oct. 8, 9, 15, 29, 30 and Nov. 5, 6, 12, 15, 19 and Dec. 3, 4 at 12:55pm, 4:13pm, 9:00pm or 9:45pm.
Hawaiian: Oct. 25, 29, 31 and Nov. 5-7, 9, 10, 12, 26-29 at 9:00am, returning Oct. 30 and Nov. 5, 12, 15, 19 and Dec. 3, 4 at 1:20pm.
San Francisco to Kahului (Maui)
Flight length: 5 hours, 19 minutes
Cheapest airfare (when we checked): $497
Airline: United, Alaska and Hawaiian
When to fly: United: Oct. 1-4, 8, 9, 11, 15-17, 22-24, 29-31 and Nov. 1, 5-13, 21-29 at 9:07am, 9:24am, 10:05am, 10:40am, 1:30pm, 3:25pm, 4:55pm, 5:00pm or 6:50pm, returning Oct. 8, 9, 15, 16, 22, 29 and Nov. 5, 6, 12, 15, 16, 19, 28-30 and Dec. 3, 4 at 2:52pm, 8:40pm or 9:13pm.
Alaska: Oct. 4, 8-11, 15-18, 22-25, 29-31 and Nov. 8-14, 21-29 at 7:00am, returning on Oct. 9, 15, 16, 22, 23, 29, 30 and Nov. 5, 15, 16, 19, 28-30 and Dec. 3, 4 at 10:25pm.
Hawaiian: Oct. 8-11, 16, 22-25, 29-31 and Nov. 1, 8-13, 21, 23-29 at 10:05am, returning Oct. 15, 16, 22, 29, 30 and Nov. 5, 6, 15, 16, 19, 28-30 and Dec. 3, 4 at 2:10pm.
San Francisco to Kona (Big Island Of Hawaii)
Flight length: 5 hours, 25 minutes
Cheapest airfare (when we checked): $477
Airline: United and Alaska
When to fly: United: Oct. 1-3, 16, 22-25, 29-31 and Nov. 5-10, 12, 13, 22-24, 26-29 at 9:30am or 5:50pm, returning Oct. 8, 23, 29, 30 and Nov. 5, 12, 15, 19, 27-29 and Dec. 3, 4 at 12:55pm or 9:30pm.
Alaska: Oct. 1, 3, 15, 17, 22, 24, 29, 31 and Nov. 9, 10, 12-14, 21, 23, 24, 26-29 at 12:40pm, returning Oct. 8, 22, 29 and Nov. 5, 15, 19, 28, 29 and Dec. 3, 4 at 4:00pm.
San Diego to Honolulu (Oahu)
Flight length: 6 hours, 8 minutes
Cheapest airfare (when we checked): $437
Airline: Alaska and Hawaiian
When to fly: Alaska: Oct. 2, 9, 22-24, 29-31 and Nov. 5, 6, 8-10, 12-14, 23, 24 at 8:40am or 10:20am, returning Oct. 9, 15, 29 and Nov. 5, 12, 15, 19, 29 at 12:50pm.
Hawaiian: Oct. 22-25, 29-31 and Nov. 1, 6, 8-10, 23, 24, 27-29 at 10:10am, returning Oct. 29, 30 and Nov. 5, 6, 12, 15, 29 and Dec. 3, 4 at 2:20pm.
San Diego to Kahului (Maui)
Flight length: 5 hours, 50 minutes
Cheapest airfare (when we checked): $397
Airline: Alaska ad Hawaiian
When to fly: Alaska: Oct. 2, 8, 15, 16, 29-31 and Nov. 5-9, 12-14, 24, 26-28 at 7:00am or 10:10am, returning Oct. 9, 15, 22 and Nov. 5, 12, 15, 19, 29 and Dec. 3 at 12:00pm or 4:05pm.
Hawaiian: Oct. 2-4, 9, 10, 15-18, 22-25, 29-31 and Nov. 1, 5-10, 12, 13, 26-29 at 7:50am or 8:25am, returning Oct. 9, 15, 22, 23, 29, 30 and Nov. 5, 6, 12, 15, 19 and Dec. 3, 4 at 12:00pm or 12:40pm.
San Diego to Kona (Big Island of Hawaii)
Flight length: 5 hours, 52 minutes
Cheapest airfare (when we checked): $377
Airline: Alaska
When to fly: Oct. 4, 16, 18, 23, 25, 30 and Nov. 1, 6, 8, 13, 15, 22 at 7:00am or 7:55am, returning Oct. 11, 23, 30 and Nov. 6, 13, 15, 19, 20, 27 at 2:35pm or 4:00pm.
San Jose to Honolulu (Oahu)
Flight length: 5 hours, 35 minutes
Cheapest airfare (when we checked): $397
Airline: Alaska and Hawaiian
When to fly: Alaska: Oct. 11, 23, 25 and Nov. 6, 13, 24 at 8:00am or 8:35am, returning Oct. 16, 30 and Nov. 13, 19, 29 at 1:25pm or 2:10pm.
Hawaiian: Oct. 29-31 and Nov. 6, 10, 26-28 at 9:05am or 9:10am, returning Nov. 5, 13, 15 and Dec. 3 at 2:15pm.
