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I tweeted this deal first from @MileValueAlerts. Follow @MileValueAlerts on Twitter and follow these directions to get a text message every time I tweet from that account. I tweet from @MileValueAlerts only a few times a month because it is designed to be used only for the best and most limited-time deals–like mistake fares–so that you aren’t bombarded by text messages.

American Airlines and United are in a fare ware right now, both offering cheap roundtrip economy fares to Hawaii. Prices start at $358 (I even see a few dip into the $340 range) from cities across the United States to Kona (Big Island) and Lihue (Kauai). Available travel dates span all the way from October through December, 2018. This is a fantastic deal that won’t last, so act fast.

Contents

  1. What city pairs are available?
  2. When are the cheap fares?
  3. Mileage Earning
  4. Baggage Allowance

Available City Pairs

You’ll find the cheap fares…

  • Atlanta
  • Newark
  • Detroit
  • Houston
  • Minneapolis
  • Salt Lake City
  • Cincinnati
  • Reno
  • Cleveland
  • Boise
  • Denver
  • Boston
  • Portland
  • San Diego
  • Seattle
  • San Francisco

and…

  • Kona (KOA)
  • Lihue (LIH)

When are the cheap fares?

The easiest way to see the cheap fares is on Google Flights. Available dates for the low price start in October and span through December of this year. The specific travel windows with the cheap fares are:

I brought up this calendar of roundtrip prices between Atlanta and Kona on Google Flights.

You can’t purchase tickets directly on Google Flights, but after choosing an outbound and return flight you will be given links to follow to buy on the appopriate airline’s website.

Mileage Earning

Flying United, the fare bucket is G. That is helpful to know if you want to look up elite status credit earnings. 

If you credit your butt-in-seat miles to United, assuming you don’t have status, you would earn 5x the base fare (base fare + surcharges – taxes), which you can find easily on ITA Matrix. For the $358 flight, you would earn 1,404 United miles. Meh.

Flying American, the fare bucket is O.

If you credit your butt-in-seat miles to American, assuming you don’t have status, you’ll earn 5x the base fare (base fare + surcharges – taxes). For the $358 flight, you would earn 1,395 American Airlines miles. Also meh.

But you don’t have to credit to the airline loyalty program you’re flying, you can credit to any partner. Check wheretocredit.com to see which partner you could credit to and earn more miles.

In Waikoloa
In Waikoloa, photo by Nan Palermo

Baggage Allowance

Neither of these fares are Basic Economy. Flying United you’ll get a free personal item to fit under the seat in front of you and a free carry-on, but any checked luggage will cost you as it’s a domestic award. The first checked bag is $25. Same policy applies for flying American.

Hat Tip Airfare Watchdog