$149 Find Cheap Flights from California to Hawaii - Compare and Save

This is the cheapest one-way flight price found by a KAYAK user in the last 72 hours by searching for a flight from California to Hawaii departing on 9/1. Fares are subject to change and may not be available on all flights or dates of travel. Click the price to replicate the search for this deal.
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1 adult, Economy, 0 bags

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Good to know

Low seasonJanuary
Cheapest flight$149
Best time to beat the crowds with an average 21% drop in price.
Most popular time to fly with an average 15% increase in price.
Flight from Long Beach 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 
SoosnataFlew with Delta
LAX
-
HNL
Feb 2026
I prepaid my baggage fee through the Delta App during web check-in; however, I was unable to locate the receipt afterward. It would be helpful if prepaid baggage receipts were clearly linked within the trip details section and/or accessible under the traveler profile for easy retrieval. This added visibility would enhance transparency and provide greater convenience for customers managing their travel documentation. Overall, a small enhancement that could further elevate the digital experience.
KhahnieFlew with United Airlines
LAX
-
HNL
Jan 2026
Give yourself plenty of time. Bring a lot of patience and practice kindness. Also bring a portable charger
Verified travelerFlew with Alaska Airlines
LAX
-
LIH
Feb 2026
Plan for delays and bring a small travel bag.
IreneFlew with Delta
LAX
-
HNL
Jun 2025
Click the QR code to do the Ag declaration before you board
Verified travelerFlew with Hawaiian Airlines
SMF
-
HNL
Mar 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 Alaska Airlines
SJC
-
HNL
May 2025
Get there early, you may have to walk to a different terminal
LawrenceFlew with United Airlines
SFO
-
HNL
May 2025
Get to your gate early!!! Very little seating at/near gates 19, 20, 21 and 22. The last couple of flights, American boarding (very different gates) has been very straightforward. The last time on United, boarding at gate 19 was bedlam. Really going to look hard before scheduling on United next time!!!
William DrewFlew with Southwest
SJC
-
HNL
Dec 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 Airlines
LAX
-
HNL
Oct 2024
It varys to the airport state and country. The United States have large airports with the availability of WiFi and charging ports and usable electrical outlets In Romania, WiFi was limited to areas and weak . Warsaw Poland WiFi was much better But still no charging visible. If you travel to Europe you will need a adapter to use there and convert your plug to charge up your mobile phone/tablet/ laptop.
FSFlew with Hawaiian Airlines
OAK
-
HNL
Oct 2024
Bring your own headset, else you need to pay for some, if you need them.
William DrewFlew with Alaska Airlines
SFO
-
HNL
Nov 2024
Arrive at least two hours before your flight.
Verified travelerFlew with Alaska Airlines
SAN
-
KOA
Jun 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 Alaska Airlines
SAN
-
HNL
May 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.
BryanFlew with Alaska Airlines
SAN
-
OGG
May 2024
Airlines are becoming much stricter in limiting people to one carry-on bag and one personal item.
MichaelFlew with Alaska Airlines
SAN
-
HNL
Mar 2024
Get there early as possible for the long haul across the Pacific.
Verified travelerFlew with Hawaiian Airlines
LAX
-
LIH
Feb 2024
Show up early! I didnt know it was international terminal.. and AirTags!

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 airlines fly most frequently to Hawaii?

    California and Hawaii are connected by different airlines. The airlines that fly that route the most regularly are Alaska Airlines (247 flights per week), United Airlines (245 flights per week), and Air Canada (141 flights per week).

  • How many airports are there in Hawaii?

    There are 11 airports in Hawaii. The busiest airport is Honolulu Airport (HNL), with 51% of all flights arriving there.

  • 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 Lihue Airport (LIH), with an average flight price of $257.

  • 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 $447. On the other hand, the most expensive day to fly is Friday, where round-trip prices are $495 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 $465 on average. On average, there is no price difference when choosing to fly in the morning or the evening on this flight route. 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 $509.

  • What is the cheapest flight to Hawaii?

    The cheapest ticket to Hawaii from California found in the last 5 days was to Honolulu, at $227 round-trip. The most popular route is Burbank (BUR) to Honolulu (HNL) and the cheapest round-trip airline ticket found on this route in the last 5 days was $227.

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

    The cheapest month for flights from California to Hawaii is February, when tickets cost $202 (return) on average. On the other hand, the most expensive months are June and July, when the average cost of round-trip tickets is $304 and $301 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 4 weeks before departure, which saves you about 13% compared to booking last minute. For the absolute cheapest price, our data suggests you should book 13 weeks before departure.

  • How many cities have direct flights to Hawaii?

    From California, there are direct flights to Hawaii from 9 cities. The city with the most direct flights is Los Angeles, with 1,331 direct flights each week.

  • How many direct flights to Hawaii are there each day?

    There are around 308 direct flights from within California to Hawaii every day. Most flights (46%) depart in the morning.

  • How many direct flights to Hawaii are there each week?

    Each week there are around 2,155 direct flights from within California to Hawaii. The most common day for departures is Sunday, with 16% of flights taking off on this day.

  • How long is the flight to Hawaii?

    An average nonstop flight from California to Hawaii takes 6h 29m, covering a distance of 2512 miles. The shortest route is San Jose (SJC) to Kahului (OGG) with an average flight time of 5h 15m.

  • How many long-haul flights are there to Hawaii each week?

    There are not any long-haul (6-12 hour flight duration) or short-haul (up to 3 hour flight duration) flights to Hawaii. Instead, there are 2,155 medium-haul flights (3-6 hour flight duration), with the most arriving from Los Angeles.

  • What are the most popular destinations in Hawaii?

    Based on KAYAK flight searches, the most popular destination is Honolulu (83% of total searches to Hawaii). The next most popular destinations are Kahului (9%) and Lihue (4%). Searches for flights to Kailua-Kona (4%), to Hilo (0%) and to Kapalua (0%) are also popular.

Reviews of the 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.
7.9
Alaska AirlinesOverall score based on 12635 reviews
8.5Crew
7.0Entertainment
8.1Boarding
7.0Food
7.8Comfort
Airline reviews

Comfortable seats, good drinks with lots of water refills, staff was kind and understanding of my disabled mother!

10.0 ExcellentSummer, May 2026
LAX - OGG
Read more Alaska Airlines reviews

Comfortable seats, good drinks with lots of water refills, staff was kind and understanding of my disabled mother!

Boarding was easy and quick. Staff was very friendly. Service of snacks and drinks by staff was outstanding.

Our flight when we finally got rerouted to a different destination than we were going was fine. But 2 days was taken out of our vacation because our flit was cancelled. We understand mechanical problems and of course don’t want to be on a plane that has mechanical problems.Wish there had been another solution.

The bathroom trash container under the sink fell out and was like that long before my flight. The plane smelled of canned fish and floor was Deteriorating

I behave had better flights this one was old and poor

See previous. It was the flight from Honolulu to Kapalua that was cancelled.

I didn’t order food so can’t really say how it was. Overall, it was a great experience.

Flight was delayed 14 hours! We missed an entire day of our vacation and had to pay for hotel that we didn’t use

Glad they offer free meal, & I got a complimentary drink I’d like coffee,tea, or water offered 3/4 into trip

Could not check in online. Called airline twice, thinking Hawaiian Airlines could check me in during phone call. NO. In 2nd phone call, Customer Service explained that due to “transition period” of Hawaiian Airlines/Alaska Airlines merger, I could only check in at the airport. In addition, flight to Kahului was late at arrival gate; I made connection to Lihue but my bag did not, so I had to return to Lihue airport a couple hours after my arrival to retrieve the bag.

I think Southwest is the number one airline that anyone can fly I have flown for the first time Frontier and what a joke and their customer service United was a very strange experience I'm only sticking to Southwest from here on out for sure

Great job Southwest! My family doesn't fly often but we felt safe the whole time.

The crew was very kind and made going to Hawaii relaxing and fun to look forward to! Thank you Southwest for a pleasant flight!

I liked the crew member who gave flight instructions on "in case of a problem:. The seats are so small that only a young teenager could sit in middle seat.

I recently flew Southwest from San Jose to Honolulu. I was very impressed with the flight crew, especially the flight attendant in charge of the front of the plane. She came through the aisle at least five times for drinks and water, and two times for snacks. I have not seen such service since I flew first class. Also, for the first time, they gave us the correct baggage claim number, and the luggage came out quickly. I can't wait for Southwest to have assigned seating! I absolutely hate the Cattle Call boarding procedure and the mad dash to get seats and overhead bins. However, the boarding was efficient.

Much better than the.last. flight on SW on Thanksgiving day

Unfortunately it was not a good experience. There was a rude stewardess.

Boarding was well explained and smooth. The flight was short, so there was no time for snacks. They did offer water or juice, though.

The flight was very short, 45 mins, therefore no snacks/drinks were provided; there should be a NA option for food and entertainment survey questions. Also, there were no charging ports onboard for cell phones. My experience was overall positive.

Price was right. Add power to the seats, television, larger plane to accommodate a long flight to improve mental health and overall comfort for a 5 hour flight.

Fabulous if you have a portable wheelchair. They can store it in the galley and you can just walk out with it. Really nice and the flat seats are just incredible, very nice. iPads for movies, also pretty nice,

No charging outlets worked. Other than collecting trash attendants didn’t come around. No one could hear flight attendants announcements during the flight. Seat pads were horrible. Sitting on a board for 5 hours. What happened to Hawaiian airlines comfort, hospitality, and extras? Our pilots did an excellent job trying to minimize turbulence and incredible job in landing in windy conditions.

comfortable but the food is horrible. I have flown Hawaiian several times now and no matter what they say the food is its the same squashed bread with melted goop inside. Tastes fake and isnt what they represent, its quite nasty. What happend to real food? And there is NO entertainment!! so not sure why they are asking for a review on that.

I was very, very cold and a stranger loaned me her sweater next to me. I didn’t wanna buy a blanket just for a four hour trip when I did not need the pillow or the earphones. I don’t mind purchasing a blanket, but I only needed that not all of it accessories. Cold air pretty much blew the entire trip. Two people in front of me both bought the blanket packages. Maybe that’s the idea. The crew was exceptionally nice and passed through multiple times.. the restrooms were very clean and usually accessible.

3 hour wait on customer service after flight was cancelled. Was bumped to a flight where I wouldnt have gotten to my destination for another 2 days. Had to fully refund flight and book a new one the following morning. Paid twice the amount for the flight than I had originally booked. Very disappointed I was not offered any sort of discount or points for all of the frustration, in fact the airline profited twice as much off of me by cancelling my flight and and changing my entire trip.

What an amazing flight. I haven’t experienced this level of service in a flight in years. This will be the only way to fly to Hawaii for me in the future.

I could not believe that on a 5 hour plus flight we were not given a complimentary meal . That should be illegal. Or it would be nice to be informed beforehand that a complimentary meal would not be provided. The wording in the email I got about pre ordering food was phrased in a way that made the food seem like it would be free. Very misleading! Also during boarding we were informed there would be empty seats we could move to if we wanted, all we had to do was wait for an announcement, however an announcement was never made. Then when we tried to change seats ourselves we were singled out over the loud speaker and told we could not move without asking. Then the flight was about to take off , so we didn’t have time to ask . Then we were told we could not move to the exit row because you had to pay for those seats, but we were not told where we could move. Also no one was in the exit rows so , if something happened no one would be there to assist the passengers. Also people should be allowed to move there if the airline wasn’t able to sell them. One passenger asked if he could pay for the upgrade and the flight attendant said she did not have the capability to charge for the seat on her mobile device, so the airline ended up losing possible income anyways . So why not let people move there during flight if you have no way to charge them? Then the landing was bumpy and awful and many passengers complained out loud when we landed .

The flight was great! The flight attendants were friendly and attentive. I would definitely fly Hawaiian Aurlines again!

You have to buy the ear buds and they only offers little cup of water twice.

The worst flight experience I've ever had. Our flight was delayed 14 whole hours because the flight crew never showed up. We had to wait in a two hour line to get our new boarding passes, we were told we had no other option but to fly at 10pm (we didn't depart until 11:45pm). Everyone had to contact their hotels and car rental places, workplaces, etc. since we lost an entire day's worth of travel. The crew showed up at 10:15, which was past the time we were supposed to board. They were laughing and being completely smug when they boarded, and they took another hour to board us onto our flight. The flight crew never came to check in on us, we were quickly given one drink and sandwich and they turned off the lights and were negligent the rest of the trip. My mom asked three attendants for a seat belt extender, they never brought one. I was dehydrated and never received another drink. They were very rude and unfriendly, we had been up since 4am the morning of our flight and didn't land in our destination until 2am the next day (5am local time). This was unacceptable service and treatment, these flights are not cheap and we were inconvenienced out of an entire day of travel. This was 100% avoidable and was the fault of Hawaiian Airlines, and their crews inability to show up to work on time.

Great staff. Clean plane, but we were delayed for more than an hour due to maintenance issues and had to board another plane.

I’m so sorry, I can’t remember her name, I believe it was Dimpti. She was stellar, also a mature Asian flight attendant, lots of flowers in her hair, just as amazing! But literally the crew was AWESOME . Only downside is there weren’t any charging outlets. Maybe I needed to ask a flight attendant , but it would’ve been nice to have one easily accessible.

Older aircraft, no meal, only food was for purchase. Not impressed United.

Stuck on tarmac for two hours plus a 5.5 hour flight. Rude flight attendant. And no meals, not even for purchase!

I learned that seating towards the end of plane that a line forms for the restroom and people use your chair as a hand railing, bumping your seat consistently. I was seated in the aisle. I think that next time if I am towards the back row I would want to sit in the middle or window seat.

Boarding seemed to be organized bedlam. For what ever reason, preboarding took longer than 20 minutes. Made the plane 20 minutes late taking off. Luckily we arrived on time. Flight crew seemed very friendly. Only slight turbulence.

The personnel were professional and friendly. The Boeing 737 Max 9 is too claustrophobic and was very warm at both airport gates, and still warm in the air.

Terrible! The plane was old and you are required to connect your own device to their Wi-Fi rather than have entertainment options in the back of the seat in front of you. The Wi-Fi went out during the flight and there was only one plug for the devices every two seats. Three out of five surrounding my family did not work. The seats and spaces under them were so small I could not fit my backpack, which I’ve always brought on flights and fit before no problem. The crew were unpleasant and patronizing.

Left 2 hours later for delayed I had to take care a kid with special need since people don’t want to move to accommodate the rest of the family. . It wasn’t bad but that made me upset that people can be that selfish.

Everything was great, only problem was that flights were delayed

My luggage never made it, I booked business class only to find out I’m sitting in the back. Very disappointed with the reservation

The plane was spartan, the seats not that comfortable. It was like flying a super low budget airline. They charged for coffee!!! I have never, ever experienced that before.

I had no problems but the changing of planes that I was supposed to be on was confusing. Maybe it would be helpful to let people know your flight changed. Not everyone understands airports or how flying works.

Flight pulled out on time but sat on runway for 30 mins. It was extremely cold in the aircraft despite wearing a winter coat. Surprisingly they had a vegetarian meal but could have some better snack choices for a 8 hour flight.

For a 5 1/2 hour flite i considered the "business class" to be subpar. The seats were just ok, no amenities, really nothing more than a long domestic flight. Frankly disappointed.

More choices on snacks. Built-in video screen to enjoy entertainment choices.

Almost a 6 hour flight and the only food option is a cheese plate… and chips. Also how is it there are no options for texting on American. I’ll be going back to delta and united.

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

Crew were attentive and friendly. Flight was smooth and early! I enjoyed the less crowded plane. Thank you!

Being back games on the in-flight entertainment. Also your flight attendants need a break, raise, or overall attitude adjustment.

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.