$155 Find Cheap Flights from Hawaii to California - Compare and Save

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Cheap Flights from Hawaii to California

Cheapest round-trip prices found by our users on KAYAK in the last 5 days
Sort by: Cheapest
San Francisco
4h 58mNonstop
from $300per person
Sacramento
5h 02mNonstop
from $310per person
Los Angeles
5h 15mNonstop
from $314per person
Oakland
5h 00mNonstop
from $317per person
San Jose
4h 59mNonstop
from $325per person
San Diego
5h 25mNonstop
from $340per person
Long Beach
5h 04mNonstop
from $345per person
Burbank
5h 20mNonstop
from $384per person
Explore the map
Useful Info

Good to know

Low season

January

Cheapest flight

$155
Best time to beat the crowds with an average 15% drop in price.
Most popular time to fly with an average 4% increase in price.
Flight from Kahului to San Diego

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

Insights shared by verified travelers who flew the route from Hawaii to California 
Verified travelerFlew with Alaska Airlines-Sep 2026
Hawaiian Airlines were excellent from check in, and boarding to arrival. But I direct San Jose to Kailua-Kona would be better than the the hop in and out of Honolulu. The time to get from one gate to another in Honolulu was too short
DerekFlew with Delta-Sep 2026
Check your bags knowing that 50 minutes can be a hard cut off time.
samantaFlew with Alaska Airlines-Jun 2026
the red eye one is perfect to sleep on plane and get there early morning
SharonFlew with American Airlines-Aug 2026
The flight from the Hu to Los Angeles is about 5 1/2 hours. We use the fly a red eye. This typically works for us. I also see people with young children. Also do the red eye. Period however, if you are traveling with children get them really tired before they fly out so they will actually sleep. Make sure you upload movies on your phone cause sometimes the Wi-Fi is not working and that’s a long flight but nothing to do. Bring your favorite book. Do some off-line work
TomFlew with Alaska Airlines-Jun 2026
It’s a mess checking in through TSA. Lots of travelers but only 2 machines open to get through. The same goes for car rentals. Lots of renters but only a few desk workers. Plan to arrive early by about 2.5 to 3 hours early in Lihue
GreggFlew with Hawaiian Airlines-Dec 2025
Be sure to pack food for your flight of 5+ hours.
Verified travelerFlew with Alaska Airlines-Feb 2026
I flew direct from Kona Airport. It's small, friendly . But on the obverse side loading did take a very long. Take a direct flight to San Francisco; connection is a terrible experience in Honolulu International Airport.
Verified travelerFlew with Alaska Airlines-Dec 2025
Make sure you check on your flight before going to the airport
VictorFlew with Hawaiian Airlines-Jan 2026
These flights often delayed so plan at least one day extra. If you must be in Sacramento on time.
Verified travelerFlew with Alaska Airlines-Nov 2025
Pay to reserve your seat and bring airbuds for the free movies!
MikeFlew with Alaska Airlines-Jul 2025
Be prepared for your flight by purchasing a meal before departure, and by all means spend the eight bucks for inflight WiFi.
KeithFlew with Hawaiian Airlines-Jul 2025
Check your seating assignment thoroughly when you check in to ensure it's the seat you paid for. Flights number, planes, seat assignment, departure times can change at moment's notice, so make sure your confirmed flight assignment in 100% correct!!!
LeoFlew with American Airlines-Jul 2025
Avoid LAX if you can fly into other CA airport. LAX is very confusing. Our gate was adjacent to another that was boarding at the same time. We could not hear our boarding announcements. Almost missed our boarding group. Terminal 4 has multiple floors, the signs were okay, but a 3-D map is needed to fully comprehend your path. Very limited food options and super expensive restaurants with mediocre food (CrownLAX). Avoid LAX if your want a pleasant layover/transfer process.
Verified travelerFlew with Hawaiian Airlines-May 2025
Make sure you give yourself time, our gate was a long walk down but noticed there was a shuttle option? Because of timing I decided to walk it, I wouldve liked to take a shuttle.
OlgaFlew with Hawaiian Airlines-May 2025
Get to the airport 1 1/2 to 2 before your flight. Airport to confusing with the process especially if it your first time in Kahului.
CHARLESFlew with American Airlines-Mar 2025
Allow plenty of time to pass through agriculture and TSA security screening.
Verified travelerFlew with Alaska Airlines-Dec 2024
Get there a couple hours early. TSA is not the best organized. The security line took us about 50 minutes to an hour.
GeraldFlew with Hawaiian Airlines-Feb 2025
There is an agricultural inspection of carryon bags at the gate. Don’t try and bring home any pineapples.
Verified travelerFlew with Hawaiian Airlines-Oct 2024
The gate we were at did not have a designated boarding area. This caused passengers to congregate in the middle of a walkway. The gate agent was clear in telling people to sit until their zone was called, but many did not listen. Whole fruits and vegetables are also not allowed, so don't pack those back to California. Bags were also weighed -- carry-ons could be just 25 pounds or less. This was enforced.
Verified travelerFlew with Hawaiian Airlines-Oct 2024
Get to the airport early. Long line through security.
Verified travelerFlew with Alaska Airlines-Jun 2024
The exiting gates and boarding connecting flights are very close, always bring an empty water container that you can fill in the airport filtered water dispensers bring your own favorite food
HeatherFlew with Hawaiian Airlines-Aug 2024
Easy entry and exit. Easy to get to rental car. Extremely fast exit from airport itself.
RaquelFlew with Hawaiian Airlines-Jun 2024
Sit last row so no one is behind you and buy cancel noise headphones!
SusanFlew with Hawaiian Airlines-Aug 2024
That they willlet you check your carry ons the gate sometimes
Verified travelerFlew with Alaska Airlines-May 2024
Don't use a small water bottle. Get a big one and fill it prior to boarding so you can keep hydrated better.
Dr. SherrieFlew with United Airlines-Apr 2024
Pack your own snacks and download your movies and shows in case the WiFi doesn’t work.
AntonellaFlew with Southwest-Apr 2024
Bring a charge / battery for your phone and your own food.
MichaelFlew with Alaska Airlines-Mar 2024
Get to the airport extra early for a Hawaii flight.
Verified travelerFlew with Hawaiian Airlines-May 2024
Bring some food and be prepared for seat changes.
Verified travelerFlew with United Airlines-Jan 2024
Not many places to eat at LAX after 9 pm, sandwiches are 11.99 at the convenience store. Everything else was good at both airports.

FAQs for booking flights from Hawaii to California

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

    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 Hawaii to California.

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

    KAYAK’s flight Price Forecast tool uses historical data to determine whether the price for a flight from Hawaii to California 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 Hawaii to California?

    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 Hawaii to California 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 Hawaii to California?

    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 Hawaii to California 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 California?

    Hawaii and California are connected by different airlines. The airlines that fly that route the most regularly are Alaska Airlines (384 flights per week), United Airlines (162 flights per week), and Southwest (140 flights per week).

  • How many airports are there in California?

    There are 28 airports in California. The busiest airport is Los Angeles Airport (LAX), with 38% of all flights arriving there.

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

    Prices will differ depending on the departure airport, but generally, the cheapest airport to fly to in California is Ontario Airport (ONT), with an average flight price of $309.

  • What is the cheapest day to fly to California?

    Based on KAYAK data, the cheapest day to fly to California is Thursday where round-trip tickets can be as cheap as $523. On the other hand, the most expensive day to fly is Saturday, where round-trip prices are $687 on average.

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

    The cheapest time of day to fly to California is generally in the evening, when round-trip flights cost $539 on average. Morning departures are around 15% more expensive than evening flights, on average. The most expensive time of day to fly to California is generally in the afternoon, which is peak travel time and where the average cost of a ticket is $630.

  • What is the cheapest flight to California?

    The cheapest ticket to California from Hawaii found in the last 5 days was to San Diego, at $160 round-trip. The most popular route is Honolulu (HNL) to Los Angeles (LAX) and the cheapest round-trip airline ticket found on this route in the last 5 days was $198.

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

    The cheapest month for flights from Hawaii to California is February, when tickets cost $214 (return) on average. On the other hand, the most expensive months are January and August, when the average cost of round-trip tickets is $310 and $305 respectively.

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

    To get a below average price on the flight from Hawaii to California, you should book around 4 weeks before departure, which saves you about 26% compared to booking last minute. For the absolute cheapest price, our data suggests you should book 14 weeks before departure.

  • How many cities have direct flights to California?

    From Hawaii, there are direct flights to California from 4 cities. The city with the most direct flights is Honolulu, with 1,081 direct flights each week.

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

    There are around 273 direct flights from within Hawaii to California every day. Most flights (43%) depart in the morning.

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

    Each week there are around 1,909 direct flights from within Hawaii to California. The most common day for departures is Monday, with 15% of flights taking off on this day.

  • How long is the flight to California?

    An average nonstop flight from Hawaii to California takes 6h 40m, covering a distance of 2511 miles. The shortest route is Kahului (OGG) to San Jose (SJC) with an average flight time of 4h 51m.

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

    There are not any long-haul (6-12 hour flight duration) or short-haul (up to 3 hour flight duration) flights to California. Instead, there are 1,909 medium-haul flights (3-6 hour flight duration), with the most arriving from Honolulu.

  • What are the most popular destinations in California?

    Based on KAYAK flight searches, the most popular destination is Las Vegas (35% of total searches to California). The next most popular destinations are Los Angeles (19%) and San Francisco (11%). Searches for flights to San Diego (8%), to Long Beach (7%) and to San Jose (5%) are also popular.

Reviews of the top 5 airlines serving from Hawaii to California

 
Need help choosing which airline to fly with from Hawaii to California? 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 13008 reviews
7.0Food
8.1Boarding
8.5Crew
7.0Entertainment
7.8Comfort
Airline reviews

The fight attendant for the first class cabin was outstanding. Very attentive and cared excellently for the passengers. Very smooth flight and landing. I used my iPAD and my own apps for entertainment, but I think a service including inflight entertainment will be better for some.

10.0 ExcellentAnonymous, Sep 2026
Read more Alaska Airlines reviews

The fight attendant for the first class cabin was outstanding. Very attentive and cared excellently for the passengers. Very smooth flight and landing. I used my iPAD and my own apps for entertainment, but I think a service including inflight entertainment will be better for some.

Didn’t call First Class passengers, called priority boarding. I’m old, I was listening for First Class. Family in row 3 made the flight annoying. Out of control child, father the kept getting into to overhead slamming it shut, blocked the isle for a solid 45 seconds during de boarding. Then blocked the door getting off the aircraft. These people should seriously be fined for their behavior, I didn’t splurge on First Class tickets to deal with such things.

It differed from the flight out to Kona: fewer people thus a simple seat change was great. 1 row 2 seats. The menu was also better than the flight out as well. It arrived 45 minutes early.

Your seats do not recline more than 2”. That’s a shame on a 5+ hours flight especially overnight flight. Garbage airline

Had small delay to replace a airplane tire but overall it. Went well.

Part of the first class package is luggage. We checked our luggage in easily but our luggage should be one of the first bags off when we land. On both flights this was not the case. The lounge in Kauai is awful. Food and drinks were excellent on the flight. Service was attentive. On the flight over we arrived 45 minutes early. Like last time the same thing happened in a previous flight. The problem both times was waiting in the plane for 30 minutes so that a spot to unload could open.

Good flight overall. Lots of bumps during flight but pilot kept searching for smooth air

I wasn’t aware that we needed to supply our own screens for entertainment

I was in economy class and there was plenty of leg room. New interior which was nice and they served various kinds of chips and sodas on the red eye. You couldn't get a bottle of water but they instead served it in a medium paper cup from a reinforced structured paper container, environmental friendly.

Boarding passes could not be received online, even after online check-in. While they appeared on the Alaska.com app, they did not transfer to inbox or messages and were not available at all on the Alaska.com app following the check-in process. There was no choice other than to get boarding passes at the airport counter.

Despite paying for an ‘upgraded’ seat in row 1, I had to put my luggage in the middle of the plane. Snacks were bleh and seat was small and uncomfortable and I am not large. Attendants were fine but not super helpful. Plane just seemed outdated.

Delayed for no reason at all originally. Then they said it was due to weather conditions. Communication between kayak and Southwest was terrible because both displayed different delays and departure times for HOURS throughout the day. The plane then had technical issues which delayed us from taking off even longer. Didn’t actually take off until 11:45pm when the original departure time was 7:35pm. I didn’t get home until 1:30am the next day. I was exhausted and pissed off. I am not confident if I’ll fly southwest in the future or use kayak to book.

Flight was fine. Only thing was flight was delayed nearly 2 hours. Flight was originally scheduled to depart at 7:50pm but didn't depart until 9:50pm. I got home around midnight. It was later than desired and I had to get up early next day to take kids to practice. I have noticed that last flight of day on West Coast for Southwest always tend to have delays.

Terrible delay today. also, waited 90 minutes for baggage to unload in Seattle earlier in the week.

Seated at front bulkhead for a smidge extra leg room away from home and on flight back home. Away crew was very proactive about assuring our carryons had space close behind us (because no seat in front of us our personal items had to be in a small bin overhead). They actively required passengers place overhead luggage on its side so more items could fit in bins. Home crew made no such efforts. I had to struggle back rows to get overhead bags upon landing, no crew help then either, and some disgruntled passengers as I and others retrieved our bags. There was a system that worked pretty well. The home bound crew just didn't feel like working.

Flight left on time and was early landing. Seats not comfortable and not enough space…

It would have been better if the flight was on time

No wifi, seems to be very common with Southwest currently. Everything else was normal.

Boarding process, crew were good. But the seats were so uncomfortable that was all I could focus on. I literally had to sit forward so that all 3 of us could fit in row. I will try to avoid Southwest in the future for any flights over 60 minutes.

Boarding was quick. The flight itself was good. However, no charging ports for cell phones. Also, the food provided was just a few snacks. For a 5-hr flight, I would expect at least a sandwich.

great! appreciated the last minute upgrade to Comfort+ exit row, as well

My seat was changed without my consent. It wasn’t a major deal but annoying.

The Airline Attendant found us in flight and moved us to seats in the front of economy due to the short time we would have to make our connecting flight. We really appreciated it.

DL486 could not get to the gate due to jet bridge malfunction. We moved gates. The connecting flight of LAX to MCO was not communicated with. Even though we were in the same terminal, DL482 left without about 10 of us, including a mother and her 3 children. I got to the gate at 7:34 am which is past the 7:20 am last call for a 7:35 am departure. Had they waited 5 minutes, all of us would have made it on board.

Delta has joint the nickel and diming airlines. The experience is getting worst by the day. 1,000,000 miles for a trip to Asia in Business Class where I got the same thing for just under 90,000 miles through an Asian airline. Where is Richard Anderson? Please come back!

Staff at the check-in counter were friendly, happy and helpful. They tagged our bags and sent us to “bag drop off” but were not very clear about where that was. The airport was busy we headed off in what we thought was the right direction until a gentleman waved us down and actually came after us. He was the baggage handler for Delta and recognized our “deer in the headlights “ look-he brought us to the right area (which was marked as the Southwest Airlines Drop Off) and sent us on our way. Wonderful guy, low key and working with a big smile on his face. Loved it. Loved him.

My flight was extremely cold. I had a jacket and a cover was left in each seat. The cover was extremely thin and I have a disability, fibromyalgia and arthrithis and AC air is the worst. I closed my vent and my husbands vent and it still was frigid. I asked the attendant if I could get another cover and she quickly almost dismissively and totally unconcerned stating, (I quote) (one per chair) and walked off so quickly that I didn't get a chance to explain to her that I literally have adisability. I didnt want to make a seen so I set on that flight for over 5 hours in pain, joints locking up and extremely uncomfortable. When my fibromyalgia flares up my joints not only ache but they will lock up also and it takes me days to get back to my regular self even though I take medication for it. I felt like it would not have hurt anyone at all for her to just give me an extra cover because I'm sure they have all types of medical issues in people that fly every day.

Your crew could maybe answer the call bell at least one of the times I pressed it. I pressed it first time with 2.5 hours left in our flight bc my partner was hungry and wanted a sandwich. We finally got the sandwich with 40 mins left in the flight.

Delta flights are great. Easy boarding, friendly crew, great entertainment system. The food/snack choices could be a little better, especially on 4+ hour flights, but still better than most other airlines.

Not much food service - comfort + seat wasn’t that comfortable

Job well done, being treated for good and helping a lot . thanks you so much till will meet against.

My flight from Honolulu (UA 1221) was on a very old 757, no video monitors anywhere. If you wanted to watch a movie, you needed to do so using the United app on one’s phone. WiFi was $8 for Mileage Plus members; I demurred, choosing to spend my time reading a novel using the Kindle app on my Samsung S26. The meal was okay … Breakfast on any domestic airline is so-so as a rule and this one was no exception. The best part of the meal was the fruit plate and the warm croissant. The highlight: The flight left on time and arrived early.

Excellent flight. On time. Great staff. Clean and crisp cabin.

This was an overnight flight, and in the morning they did know coffee service. How you can throw passengers in a San Francisco airport at 5:40 a.m. in the morning and not giving them Coffee is a crime.

Packed in plane small uncomfortable seats elbow to elbow nobody wants to be in that situation for the money they paid

Horrible service no Wi-Fi connection on both leg of the flight and they are refusing to fix bad service

Flight arrived 30 min early and bag was waiting at the baggage pickup. United Club HNL was one of the nicest in the system

The flight was comfortable with the exit row and great service

1. when we went to check in, our 2 first class seats had been CANCELED and the flight was sold out. This was done without our prior knowledge. It was all we could do to restore one first class seat for my wife and I flew economy. 2, Our flight home was scheduled to leave at 10:30 pm. Due to tsunami warnings, the roads were closed and our flight status was uncertain as to whether it would leave as scheduled. It was announced that it would now leave at 11:20 pm and the roads were now open since the tsunami had come and gone. We made a mad dash to the airport and checked in. Delays were announced at 12:30 pm, 1:30 am, 2:30 am and at 3:30 am it was canceled. Since this was a flight due to natural (tsunami) causes, there was no compensation. We were told to return at 1:00 pm the next day and our baggage would be kept on the plane since the same plane was going to leave at 1:00 pm. We had to return to our hotel for the rest of the night. The same plane did not leave at 1:00 pm and our baggage was gone! All in all, it was a miserable performance by UA. Information was hard to obtain and no one knew what was going on and what was going to happen. Hundreds of passengers slept on the floor, chairs, etc. No food and no water was made available to the passengers. It was a situation where UA could care less what was going on. As a one million mile flyer, I had not experienced anything like this before and it was hugely disappointing!

Boarding was mayhem. Late boarding by 15 minutes because of lack of staff (missing 1 flight attendant. We had to wait for an arrival of another plane before we could board). Flight was a little rough, but cannot blame on airlines.

The guy sitting in front of me kept pushing hard his sit against my legs… very uncomfortable

Food was horrid. In my opinion inedible. They did offer some sorbet and one small dish of fruit. Stewards were super stingy with water, coffee, etc.

On-time, direct flight is great. Having one bathroom out of order was unfortunate.

My flight in Dallas had maintenance issues. Which caused us to missed our connecting flight in LA. We had to stay overnight in Los Angeles. American Airlines booked us a hotel. The hotel was the Holiday Inn. It was horrible. The whole hotel smelled like weed and there were people rambling all night long up and down the hallways. The carpets in the hallway and the room has stains. There was dirt on the floor. It was so nasty that I slept in my clothes.

The flight crew was rude. We were in first class and no one even offered water until an hour after we were in the air. Horrible experience

Boarding gate in Honolulu was staffed with a great clerk with a soothing voice despite the flight delay of over an hour. Flight attendants in the plane were all grumpy, not pleasant looking bunch. Their sour attitude showed throughout the flight. Inly able to get a select few movies started. Most of the movie links in the “free entertainment” did not work.

Flight boarded from Gate 39 at OGG, the farthest gate in the terminal. There were no Hawaiian themed amenities for the flight. The first class service was mediocre at best; I received not special welcome or recognition as an executive platinum member of American Advantage program. The flight attendants were more concerned with their cell phones than saying "thank you" to the passengers as we disembarked. Fortunately, the flight arrived at LAX a few minutes early.

RE Food: Wish there was a choice for No Rating. Flew from Honolulu to Los Angeles on a Red-Eye flight (11:00 pm to 7:30 am). Other than a package of cookies with a beverage choice offered soon after take-off, and a beverage choice shortly before landing, no other food choices were offered. Everyone slept or rested for most of the trip. Nothing to rate. RE Entertainment: Everyone was sleeping most of the flight. Only saw one passenger watch about 30 minutes of entertainment on his iPad. I never attempted to access any entertainment options.

Our flight was great we left Kona earlier and got into LAX almost an 1hour earlier as well. LAX AA is in repair so to get out and found our bus to get pick up was a bit confusing.

I can say I will not be taking this airline again any time soon. Seat were uncomfortable and too tight. Lack of chair screen and little overhead space.

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