$129 Find Cheap Flights from California to Hawaii

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Low seasonJanuary
High seasonJuly
Cheapest flight$129
Best time to beat the crowds with an average 17% drop in price.
Most popular time to fly with an average 13% increase in price.
Flight from San Jose to Honolulu

Flights from California to Hawaii: the best tips from KAYAK users

Insights shared by verified travelers who flew the route from California to Hawaii 
Verified travelerFlew with Hawaiian AirlinesSMF-HNLMar 2025
Bring a blanket for the flight and your own snacks. WiFi on the plane was great and the leg room in our seats was good also
Verified travelerFlew with Hawaiian AirlinesLAX-HNLApr 2025
Trust me and buy the ticket with Hawaiin Airlines. Sooo worth it.
Verified travelerFlew with Hawaiian AirlinesLGB-OGGApr 2025
Long Beach airport is great. Quick and easy entry and exit.
William DrewFlew with SouthwestSJC-HNLDec 2024
If you're flying from San Jose, arrive at the airport early. You never know how long the line at TSA will be. If you have time, the airport has well-designed facilities and reasonable priced restaurants. The Southwest ground staff is professional and will help you through the check-in and cattle call boarding process
Verified travelerFlew with Hawaiian AirlinesLAX-OGGJan 2025
a must, you need a to car to get around there is a lot to see. There’s a lot of good food plus try the shave ice cone. I haven’t seen any bad vibes the people here mind their own business. The food can be pricey at Maui so be ready and save.
Verified travelerFlew with Hawaiian AirlinesLAX-HNLDec 2024
Not sure if all airlines charge just to get a seat but find an airline that doesn’t nickel & buck you to death. So you know when you go you have a seat otherwise fly Southwest
Verified travelerFlew with Hawaiian AirlinesSFO-HNLFeb 2025
Stick with Hawaiian Airlines for the best exprrience
Verified travelerFlew with Hawaiian AirlinesOAK-HNLJan 2025
Free airbuds so people can watch a movie
Verified travelerFlew with Hawaiian AirlinesSFO-HNLJan 2025
Better grasp on what weather conditions will be and how you will respond. I shouldn’t have to sleep on the terminal floor tonight yet here I am…
JonathanFlew with Hawaiian AirlinesLAX-HNLDec 2024
Don’t take Hawaiian air if you don’t want to be delayed.
LeiFlew with Hawaiian AirlinesLAX-HNLOct 2024
I used to think Hawaiian. But now I recommend, Alaskan and Delta
Verified travelerFlew with Alaska AirlinesSAN-OGGOct 2024
Try a different airline. They may be a bit more honest.
William DrewFlew with Alaska AirlinesSFO-HNLNov 2024
Arrive at least two hours before your flight.
FSFlew with Hawaiian AirlinesOAK-HNLOct 2024
Bring your own headset, else you need to pay for some, if you need them.
Verified travelerFlew with Alaska AirlinesSAN-KOAJun 2024
Dress with a tank top under your sweater because once you exit the plane, the Kona heat will hit you like an oven
Verified travelerFlew with Hawaiian AirlinesLAX-OGGJul 2024
New flight was on southwest, not direct, one layover, but service was top notch. Excellent considering conditions it was booked under
Verified travelerFlew with Hawaiian AirlinesLGB-OGGAug 2024
Long Beach is a great airport and I would gladly fly out of there than LAX
Verified travelerFlew with Hawaiian AirlinesONT-HNLJul 2024
TSA was super fast. Easy airport to navigate.
ToddFlew with Hawaiian AirlinesOAK-LIHJul 2024
Used to love Alaska but they stoped direct flights from Oakland. Southwest non-stop departure times mare not as convenient which is why we chose Hawaiian for this trip to Kauai .
Verified travelerFlew with Alaska AirlinesSAN-HNLMay 2024
I suggest packing a big snack bag and a large water bottle in case there are any issues with the flight causing a delay. When there are delays, no food is served, so you are stuck in a chair hungry and thirsty.
RobertFlew with Hawaiian AirlinesLAX-OGGMay 2024
Hawaiian Airlines is the best. With food service , good entertainment and great customer service. Can’t go wrong.
BryanFlew with Alaska AirlinesSAN-OGGMay 2024
Airlines are becoming much stricter in limiting people to one carry-on bag and one personal item.
MichaelFlew with Alaska AirlinesSAN-HNLMar 2024
Get there early as possible for the long haul across the Pacific.
AlexandraFlew with United AirlinesLAX-HNLApr 2024
Delta is much better in terms of seat comfort and entertainment options.
phoFlew with Alaska AirlinesSJC-HNLMay 2024
Singapore airlines are pretty good with everything.. SJC is good small airport
JeffreyFlew with Alaska AirlinesSFO-HNLMar 2024
Try not to book a completely filled flight..
LaurenFlew with Hawaiian AirlinesLAX-OGGFeb 2024
If you’re flying on the 8am flight, they serve a yummy breakfast sandwich. Maybe skip breakfast in the airport. Oh and you can buy top ramen onboard too, and they’ll pour in hot water for you!
Verified travelerFlew with Hawaiian AirlinesOAK-LIHFeb 2024
Most food and snacks are an extra charge. But the price of the flight makes that inconvenience worth it
Verified travelerFlew with Hawaiian AirlinesLAX-LIHFeb 2024
Show up early! I didnt know it was international terminal.. and AirTags!
Verified travelerFlew with United AirlinesSFO-KOAFeb 2024
Be prepared for delays- otherwise check-in was easy and simple!
Verified travelerFlew with Hawaiian AirlinesSMF-HNLFeb 2024
Hawaiian pretty good, except for the lack of Wi-Fi

FAQs for booking flights from California to Hawaii

  • How does KAYAK find such low prices on flights from California to Hawaii?

    KAYAK is a travel search engine. That means we look across the web to find the best prices we can find for our users. With over 2 billion flight queries processed yearly, we are able to display a variety of prices and options on flights from California to Hawaii.

  • How does KAYAK's flight Price Forecast tool help me choose the right time to buy my flight ticket from California to Hawaii?

    KAYAK’s flight Price Forecast tool uses historical data to determine whether the price for a flight from California to Hawaii is likely to change within 7 days, so travelers know whether to wait or book now.

  • What is the Hacker Fare option on flights from California to Hawaii?

    Hacker Fares allow you to combine one-way tickets in order to save you money over a traditional round-trip ticket. You could then fly from California to Hawaii with an airline and back with another airline.

  • What is KAYAK's "flexible dates" feature and why should I care when looking for a flight from California to Hawaii?

    Sometimes travel dates aren't set in stone. If your preferred travel dates have some wiggle room, flexible dates will show you all the options when flying from California to Hawaii up to 3 days before/after your preferred dates. You can then pick the flights that suit you best.

  • Which is the cheapest airport to fly into in Hawaii?

    Prices will differ depending on the departure airport, but generally, the cheapest airport to fly to in Hawaii is Kahului Airport (OGG), with an average flight price of $247.

  • What is the cheapest day to fly to Hawaii?

    Based on KAYAK data, the cheapest day to fly to Hawaii is Wednesday where round-trip tickets can be as cheap as $382. On the other hand, the most expensive day to fly is Saturday, where round-trip prices are $428 on average.

  • What is the cheapest time of day to fly to Hawaii?

    The cheapest time of day to fly to Hawaii is generally in the evening, when round-trip flights cost $382 on average. Morning departures are around 5% more expensive than evening flights, on average. The most expensive time of day to fly to Hawaii is generally in the afternoon, which is peak travel time and where the average cost of a ticket is $422.

  • What is the cheapest flight to Hawaii?

    The cheapest ticket to Hawaii from California found in the last 72 hours was to Kailua-Kona, at $182 round-trip. The most popular route is Los Angeles (LAX) to Honolulu (HNL) and the cheapest round-trip airline ticket found on this route in the last 72 hours was $255.

  • What is the cheapest month to fly from California to Hawaii?

    The cheapest month for flights from California to Hawaii is October, when tickets cost $507 (return) on average. On the other hand, the most expensive months are June and December, when the average cost of round-trip tickets is $867 and $786 respectively.

  • How far in advance should I book a flight from California to Hawaii?

    To get a below average price on the flight from California to Hawaii, you should book around 12 weeks before departure. For the absolute cheapest price, our data suggests you should book 12 weeks before departure.

  • How long is the flight to Hawaii?

    An average nonstop flight from California to Hawaii takes 6h 43m, covering a distance of 2515 miles. The shortest route is Oakland (OAK) to Kahului (OGG) with an average flight time of 5h 10m.

  • What are the most popular destinations in Hawaii?

    Based on KAYAK flight searches, the most popular destination is Honolulu (51% of total searches to Hawaii). The next most popular destinations are Kahului (22%) and Lihue (13%). Searches for flights to Kailua-Kona (12%), to Hilo (1%) and to Kapalua (0%) are also popular.

Top 5 airlines serving from California to Hawaii

Need help choosing which airline to fly with from California to Hawaii? KAYAK airline reviews give an overall score for each airline based on loads of factors, including comfort, boarding, in-flight entertainment and more, to make your decision easier. See airline scores according to verified KAYAK customer reviews.
8.0
Alaska AirlinesOverall score based on 9968 reviews
7.9Comfort
7.1Entertainment
7.1Food
8.5Crew
8.2Boarding
Airline reviews

My youngest didn't have a assigned seat until we biard6the plane.

2.0 MediocreStephanie, Apr 2025SAN - SLC
Read more Alaska Airlines reviews

My youngest didn't have a assigned seat until we biard6the plane.

I got the last seat on the plane, in the back in the corner against the window, and I paid a competitive price for my ticket several weeks before the flight.

Long delay before boarding. By the time I was informed of the delay I was already at the gate.

There was no seating at the gate, no where to charge your devices, super crowded. Boarding in group F meant all luggage space was taken when it was time for me to board. The boarding crew was short with everyone and seemed irritated. The luggage space was insufficient, the seat was too small for me (6'4") and very uncomfortable trip. I was in a middle seat between a person snoring the whole trip and a person with very strong body odor. The flight crew was terse and unfriendly, seemed irritated and impatient. Yelled a lot at people with earbuds in, understandable. Finally, we arrived 10 minutes early, only to sit on the tarmac for 20 minutes and wait for a gate. Worst flight experience I've had in years.

One of the worst check-in experiences ever. Apparently, we were overweight and had to completely repack. They tried to charge us an extra $35 per bag on top of the standard checked baggage fee we had already paid in advance. Surprisingly, we managed to fit everything into our carry-ons and stayed under their precious 50-pound limit. (By the way, 23 kg is actually 50.7 lbs, so we couldn’t even go slightly over 50 according to the very unfriendly agent.)

Tight legroom. The breakfast was provided, which was a plus, and okay the taste.

Check your emails that you sent me. 9 emails were sent telling me that my flight is Delayed. Each one with a different time 7:10, 7:55, 9:31, 9:09, 9:29, 9:44, 10:00, 9:49, and 10:10. That was how my experience went.

It was my first time flying Alaska Airlines and first time flying from Santa Rosa airport. The staff was very professional and friendly. Their instructions were clear and any question was answered satisfactorily. My seat was comfortable and the in-flight beverage service very adequate for the duration of the flight. We arrived ahead of the scheduled landing time and deplaning was simple. I look forward to flying with Alaska again.

Personal demeanor not good on flight returning to LAX..Great and superb on the way to Portland

Awful. We got the last seats and they don't recline. We've been on this horrible journey since 6am and won't get to our destination almost a full day later. Oh and no food, either. Never again.

Delta flight was on time, seats were comfortable, and crew was nice.

Thank you for not flipping the plane on the run way. You guys get a 5 star rating for the flight!!!

Boarding is, as it always is… horrible. Gate lice. Slow moving zones. Too many people with carry ons

It was terrible, if they ran flights on time it would make a big difference.

Delta seems to be improving in many areas, except they are super bad with the food available. Bring back normal food service on long flights.

I actually received a notification from kayak on email but not one by text from Delta when my departure gait changed and I almost missed my flight

New boarding doesn't make sense. Filling front first is slow.

Delta flight was great from the check in all the way to arrival. However, I had a very bad experience. I requested a wheelchair and the wheelchair employee that went to pick me up from the plane in Boston to bring me to the baggage claims told me I have to pay him. I was under the impression that it was a free service and I usually give tips but the person forced me to pay and since I said no because I was upset with his demand when my daughter walked in to pick me up he demanded payment from my daughter who paid him thinking maybe now it is a charged service.

Horrible. Grateful to be alive but spent 13 hours at airport only to return back to my familys house and flight changed to next day. They tried to fix a part on plane, had no back up plane and after 10 hours , reattempted the flight and it STILL wasn't fixed. We got a meal voucher and rescheduled flight but there should be some other compensation for the 15 hours spent in airport

My seat was changed at the last minute and I was moved to the last row, right next to the bathroom despite selecting my seat well in advance. I was also made to check my carry on due to space but when I got on the plane there was significant empty overhead space. Picking up my carry on from the luggage carousel added time to my trip which had already been extended due to delay.

We moved from the international terminal to a new location. I think there are still some bugs to work out . We didn’t receive check in notification and had to scramble to find it but i think it will work out

Not so good. The takeoff was aborted after reaching 100 knots due to a problem with the front tires. I do commend the pilot for a quick decision and preventing a potential disaster. We returned to the gate to put fresh tires on the front. Our flight was delayed for over 3 hours. The rest of the flight was okay. We were reimbursed by Hawaiian Airlines for only $50. Not too generous

Arrived at the gate with no seats assigned. Was told by gate agent the flight was full and we would not be on it. I asked the gate agent how could I be sold tickets when the flight was full. She replied, “Thats just how they do it.” I was able to get seats once I arrived at the gate. The flight itself was great. I’ll never purchase tickets without seat assignments from kayak or anyone again. Shame on kayak or Hawaiian airlines or all of you.

A cold sandwich would be much better than the warm gummy croissant.

Liked the crew. Seats were uncomfortable during the last few hours of the 11 hour flight. Better selection of movies .

They cancelled our flight and one after and then crammed everyone on a late flight. Refused to give us a meal voucher because the delay was less than 3 hours. In the end the delay was 4 hours. No reason was ever given for the cancelled flights. Fly Southwest!

The temperature on the plane was too cold and the food was not very good. Everything else was good.

There was mention of a complimentary magazine but none were in the seat pockets. The flight is short so understandable not having food or a snack.

Hawaiian airlines canceled my flight the night before my a due to weather. This is fine, I know this happens. In the email alerting me to the cancellation they said they would reach out to reschedule. I got this email at dinner time the night before the trip. I didn’t hear back so I called and was on hold for hours, I tried their texting questions option and never heard back. I tried to chat with a representative online, the website says you can chat and have questions answered but there is no link to a chat option anywhere on the site. After hours trying to get someone to communicate with me about the details of the cancellation and my rescheduling options I have up, got the flight refunded and booked a much more expensive last minute flight. Nonexistent customer service, I’ll never fly Hawaiian again.

Friendly & on Time .Need to make sure the Hana Hou magazine is in front of each seat

Electric plugs didn't work. Entertainment system wasn't working

The design of the light switch on the arm rest is ridiculous.

The gate was too far away for the connecting flight

Compared with other carriers business class for an overnight was not worth the extra expense.

Easy to board. Flight was super crowded though so I didn't sleep well on that cross country red-eye flight. The aisles seem ot have gotten narrower and the seat smaller whn luggage and people are getting bigger so it would be AWESOME to have more space and breathing room in general ;)

Pilot Erika DeLong made us feel safe and at ease in a frankly scary time to be flying. Her warm smile and greeting and excellent command of the aircraft in foggy bumpy weather helped us all to calm our nerves and get us home safely.

Plenty of room for me and the cat in Premium Economy. Seat was comfortable. Boarding was a breeze. The lady at the special check-in desk was great, super helpful and professional.

Wish movie and music choices changed more often. Mostly same from a month or two ago when I last flew.

It was good. Just that the seats could not be reclined. The people behind were not ready to let the chairs be reclined

Had a hard time finding my assigned seat. No attendants to assist.

Very helpful ground crew after an earlier flight delay and being rebooked on a different flight.

The plane was late and then sat on the runway for almost 45 minutes before taking off.

We kept being told that the flight was full and that all overhead compartments were full and therefore had to check in our hand luggage. We were some of the last people to board and noticed that there was still sufficient space in the overhead compartments. We were obliged to check in hand luggage when there was space and so had to wait at luggage retrieval which took a while to then noticed damage to our luggage - not a great experience!

This was an overnight flight. There was no meal service in first class, just a simple snack basket was offered along with beverages. There should have been some type of continental breakfast prior to arrival in PHL. As an Executive Platinum American Airlines Advantage member, I received no name recognition from the first class flight attendant. When disembarking at PHL, the flight attendants were more interested in their cell phones than saying "thank you" to the passengers as they disembarked.

The flight was quick and to the point. The crew just did their job w/o excessive talking and everything was just perfect.

Awkward carry on process. Forced to check all carry on. No overhead space of worthiness. Left delayed, but made up the time. Crew was amicable.

Amazingly comfy flight - I had upgraded for a reasonable price and it was worth it. The food also was good.

Had to wait on pilot and crew to depart and had to wait to arrive at the gate because they only had 2 crews working. Delays, delays....Planes just keep getting smaller and tighter and they nickle and dime for everything. When will an airline actually wake up and make flying more enjoyable?

Angela was the best fa ever. She made that 8 hour flight a breeze

I paid for what I got which was cheap, I brought my own entertainment. I knew what to expect, so I could be prepared. If you’re flying economy, check in early like me. I have no problems with my flight, was on time, staff were friendly, and overall good experience.

Book cheap flights from California to Hawaii

Recent round-trip flight deals

5/29Thu
1 stop
9h 20mSFO-HNL
6/5Thu
nonstop
5h 25mHNL-SFO
$264
9/18Thu
nonstopHawaiian Airlines
5h 37mSFO-HNL
9/25Thu
nonstopHawaiian Airlines
5h 15mHNL-SFO
$266
5/26Mon
nonstopUnited Airlines
5h 27mSFO-OGG
5/29Thu
nonstopUnited Airlines
5h 00mOGG-SFO
$278
10/13Mon
nonstopAlaska Airlines
5h 30mSFO-HNL
10/20Mon
nonstopAlaska Airlines
5h 10mHNL-SFO
$278
5/26Mon
1 stopAlaska Airlines
18h 34mSFO-OGG
5/29Thu
1 stopAlaska Airlines
21h 40mOGG-SFO
$282
9/5Fri
1 stopUnited Airlines
8h 18mSFO-HNL
9/8Mon
nonstopUnited Airlines
5h 08mHNL-SFO
$288
8/13Wed
1 stopAmerican Airlines
11h 12mSFO-OGG
8/20Wed
1 stopAmerican Airlines
9h 33mOGG-SFO
$297
10/7Tue
1 stopDelta
8h 15mSFO-HNL
10/14Tue
1 stopDelta
8h 13mHNL-SFO
$297
9/2Tue
1 stopDelta
10h 39mSJC-HNL
9/9Tue
1 stopDelta
12h 58mHNL-SJC
$297
9/9Tue
nonstopAmerican Airlines
5h 51mLAX-HNL
9/18Thu
nonstopAmerican Airlines
5h 29mHNL-LAX
$307

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Recent one-way flight deals

5/29Thu
nonstopSouthwest
5h 35mSJC-HNL
$129
8/11Mon
nonstopHawaiian Airlines
5h 25mSFO-HNL
$131
9/16Tue
nonstopAlaska Airlines
5h 37mSFO-HNL
$139
8/11Mon
nonstopAlaska Airlines
5h 20mSFO-OGG
$139
5/29Thu
1 stopDelta
14h 32mSJC-HNL
$139
8/26Tue
nonstopDelta
5h 47mLAX-OGG
$149
8/13Wed
1 stopUnited Airlines
8h 46mSAN-HNL
$154
9/18Thu
nonstopUnited Airlines
5h 43mLAX-HNL
$163
8/19Tue
nonstopAmerican Airlines
5h 40mLAX-KOA
$172
8/19Tue
1 stopAmerican Airlines
11h 12mSFO-OGG
$175

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Last minute flights from California to Hawaii

Last minute flight, train and bus deals

5/5Mon
nonstopDelta
5h 46mLAX-HNL
5/13Tue
nonstopDelta
5h 40mHNL-LAX
$308
5/5Mon
nonstopDelta
5h 42mLAX-OGG
5/13Tue
nonstopDelta
5h 13mOGG-LAX
$313
5/5Mon
nonstopAlaska Airlines
5h 40mLAX-OGG
5/15Thu
multi-stopAlaska Airlines
7h 15mOGG-LAX
$318
5/5Mon
nonstopHawaiian Airlines
5h 59mLAX-HNL
5/10Sat
nonstopHawaiian Airlines
5h 28mHNL-LAX
$340
5/4Sun
nonstopHawaiian Airlines
5h 55mLAX-HNL
5/7Wed
multi-stopHawaiian Airlines
10h 11mHNL-LAX
$341
5/5Mon
nonstopAlaska Airlines
5h 59mLAX-HNL
5/11Sun
nonstopAlaska Airlines
5h 25mHNL-LAX
$348
5/5Mon
nonstopAmerican Airlines
5h 46mLAX-HNL
5/11Sun
nonstopAmerican Airlines
5h 33mHNL-LAX
$354
5/2Fri
nonstopAmerican Airlines
5h 59mLAX-HNL
5/8Thu
nonstopAmerican Airlines
5h 33mHNL-LAX
$356
5/2Fri
nonstopUnited Airlines
5h 48mLAX-HNL
5/11Sun
nonstopUnited Airlines
5h 28mHNL-LAX
$362
5/1Thu
multi-stopUnited Airlines
8h 48mLAX-HNL
5/2Fri
nonstopUnited Airlines
5h 36mHNL-LAX
$402

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Everything you need to know for your flight to Hawaii

Cabin class types available on flights to California

Cabin classes available on flights to California. Prices are the lowest found on KAYAK over the last 7 days. Price and availability is not guaranteed.

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