$149 Find Cheap Flights from The Big Island to California

This is the cheapest one-way flight price found by a KAYAK user in the last 72 hours by searching for a flight from The Big Island to California departing on 9/9. 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.
1 adult
1 adult, Economy, 0 bags

KAYAK searches hundreds of travel sites at once for deals on flights to California

Travelers love KAYAK
41,299,237 searches in the past 7 days on KAYAK

Save 21% or moreCompare multiple travel sites with one search.

Track pricesNot ready to book? Create a price alert for when prices drop.

Bundle and saveSave money when you bundle your flight + hotel.

Filter your dealsChoose cabin class, free Wi-Fi and more.

Useful Info

Good to know

Low seasonJanuary
Cheapest flight$149
Best time to beat the crowds with an average 8% drop in price.
Most popular time to fly with an average 8% increase in price.
Flight from Kailua-Kona to Sacramento

Flights from The Big Island to California: the best tips from KAYAK users

Insights shared by verified travelers who flew the route from The Big Island to California 
Verified travelerFlew with Alaska Airlines
KOA
-
SFO
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
KOA
-
LAX
Nov 2025
Pay to reserve your seat and bring airbuds for the free movies!
MikeFlew with Alaska Airlines
KOA
-
SJC
Jul 2025
Be prepared for your flight by purchasing a meal before departure, and by all means spend the eight bucks for inflight WiFi.
Verified travelerFlew with Hawaiian Airlines
KOA
-
SMF
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.

FAQs for booking flights from The Big Island to California

  • How does KAYAK find such low prices on flights from The Big Island 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 The Big Island to California.

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

    KAYAK’s flight Price Forecast tool uses historical data to determine whether the price for a flight from The Big Island 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 The Big Island 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 The Big Island 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 The Big Island 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 The Big Island 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?

    The Big Island and California are connected by different airlines. The airlines that fly that route the most regularly are ITA Airways (54 flights per week), United Airlines (45 flights per week), and Alaska Airlines (32 flights per week).

  • How many airports are there in California?

    There are 29 airports in California. The busiest airport is Los Angeles Airport (LAX), with 40% 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 Los Angeles Airport (LAX), with an average flight price of $292.

  • 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 $468. On the other hand, the most expensive day to fly is Friday, where round-trip prices are $553 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 afternoon, when round-trip flights cost $447 on average. Morning departures are around 25% more expensive than evening flights, on average. The most expensive time of day to fly to California is generally in the morning, which is peak travel time and where the average cost of a ticket is $588.

  • What is the cheapest flight to California?

    The cheapest ticket to California from The Big Island found in the last 5 days was to Los Angeles, at $247 round-trip. The most popular route is Kailua-Kona (KOA) to San Francisco (SFO) and the cheapest round-trip airline ticket found on this route in the last 5 days was $429.

  • What is the cheapest month to fly from The Big Island to California?

    The cheapest month for flights from The Big Island to California is September, when tickets cost $246 (return) on average. On the other hand, the most expensive months are January and June, when the average cost of round-trip tickets is $431 and $358 respectively.

  • How far in advance should I book a flight from The Big Island to California?

    To get a below average price on the flight from The Big Island 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 23 weeks before departure.

  • How many cities have direct flights to California?

    From The Big Island, there are direct flights to California from 1 city. This city is Kailua-Kona and there are 308 direct flights each week.

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

    There are around 44 direct flights from within The Big Island to California every day. Most flights (46%) depart in the morning.

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

    Each week there are around 308 direct flights from within The Big Island to California. The most common day for departures is Sunday, with 16% of flights taking off on this day.

  • How long is the flight to California?

    An average nonstop flight from The Big Island to California takes 9h 43m, covering a distance of 2457 miles. The shortest route is Kailua-Kona (KOA) to San Jose (SJC) with an average flight time of 4h 58m.

  • 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 308 medium-haul flights (3-6 hour flight duration), with the most arriving from Kailua-Kona.

  • What are the most popular destinations in California?

    Based on KAYAK flight searches, the most popular destination is Los Angeles (22% of total searches to California). The next most popular destinations are Las Vegas (18%) and Long Beach (9%). Searches for flights to San Francisco (8%), to Ontario (7%) and to San Diego (7%) are also popular.

Reviews of the top 5 airlines serving from The Big Island to California

 
Need help choosing which airline to fly with from The Big Island 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 12529 reviews
8.5Crew
7.0Entertainment
7.1Food
8.1Boarding
7.8Comfort
Airline reviews

On time, good seats, not overly full, up beast positive crew.

10.0 ExcellentAnonymous, Jun 2026
SEA - SBA
Read more Alaska Airlines reviews

On time, good seats, not overly full, up beast positive crew.

People were friendly. Flight was a little delayed. Maybe I missed the reason for it. Overall a nice experience.

The flight itself was great. But we had to wait over an hour to deplane so I missed my train. Not the crews fault. They were wonderful!

Great trip. No complaints. Impressed with the crew’s response to various challenges pre-boarding.

Over all it was great. My original flight was canceled but they quickly rebooked me. I was frustrated because I had to cancel my entire plans for the day but all considered, not bad. The crew tried to keep us calm while we sat in the plane for was felt was an hour or so but they could use a bit of a script. The seats were comfortable and I would give it another try.

Having the internet available while flying was great. Better than having to choose from watching movies from a limited selection.

Not able to get boarding pass for domestic connection flight when check in at international airport. I was told I need to get connection flight boarding pass after I entered US. It us very inconvenient.

I was very impressed at how Alaska Airlines handles people with medical needs.

Check in & bag drop was straightforward. Alaskair changed the gate approx 40 min before departure, and I only became aware due to Google wallet update to my boarding pass. Had to move from gate N1 to C9 which required use of the Train, luckily I had time available.

Wish there were more complimentary drinks available - only had water and apple juice. Also - no snacks were provided during the flight, but we were offered some items as we exited the plane.

The first time I flew in the extra legroom section. It was difficult to notice a difference. I had bad luck with my neighbors. The crew was okay. Southwest has reduced the live TV options.

No gluten free snacks. Seats felt worn or bare bones even though it was a new 737 MAX 8.

Plane was clean and comfortable. Flight attendants and gate staff were professional, friendly and efficient. Boarding and deplaning were orderly and efficient. All in all, the typical excellent Southwest experience.

Not having a five hour delay with little notice! The crew was very kind, though, and just as tired as we passengers were. The flight didn't depart until nearly 1 am...and no reason was ever given.

This leg was much better, but we did have to have a 3 hour lay o er after coming from a very exhausting hiccup with our flight from BNA to Den

The Air hostess were very rude on my flight from Houston to Austin . Their regular communication itself felt a they are shouting at people.

Boarding was easy. The seats are small and fairly uncomfortable

The problem with the seat assignments is that there were a lot of rows in the front that were empty but my row at the back was full. Just not so pleasant.

No food or entertainment, just a quick 40 minute flight. A little bumpy due to Santa Ana winds but pilot has no control over that. Good flight and landing!

Good but I prefer choose your own seat. With the new assigned seats they should board from the back I see no advantage to this new boarding. Just like every other airline

Flight delayed four separate times. I’m now one hour hours late to landing.

worst flight ever from Delta, it got delayed and kept on delaying..

Everything went smoothly, although the usual gripes about airline travel were still present: the boarding process is inefficient, the snack selection is limited, and so on. Since there was extra space on the flight, the gate agent rearranged many people's seats to put people on the aisles and windows, leaving the middle seats empty, as much as possible, which was pretty great.

While they turned off most cabin lights to allow people to sleep, I was bothered by how bright the side lights still were. It was still quite bright for me in a window seat, when I wish I could have slept!

One of the flight attendants was a little cranky. I appreciated the free wifi and plug to charge my laptop

WiFi didn’t work most of the time. The usb chargers would work only occasionally for 5 mins and wouldn’t charge after that. Had to keep trying repeatedly at each of the seats in the row.

The crew bent over backwards to thank us for flying and make us comfortable. The food service was quick and efficient. The Captain communicated and said goodbye and thank you as we departed. They really stood out!

Generally on time departures and arrivals, clean planes, sky miles membership provides great benefits (complimentary upgrades, etc).

my mom urmila patel needed a wheelchair which was not available on the curbside. she needed to walk almost 50 meters inside (at the risk of falling) and then had to wait in line to get a wheelchair (this is not ok). Once obtained she had to seat in it for 30-45 minutes for someone to take her in thru the checkin process (which was fairly smooth and easy). the lady who helped her with her checkin process was very courteous and helpful

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.

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.

Our flight was delayed several Times due to mechanical issues. Although I understand this may happen at times, it was very inconvenient and we had to book a hotel for an overnight stay. We were traveling with my 3-yo grandson and waiting at the airport from noon until 6:30pm with no reassurance that our next rescheduled flight would depart, we had to decide what’s best for him. A day later, I found out that I may be able to demand compensation if my flight is delayed more than 4 hours. I will hav to read the fine print next time.

Service was professional and quick. Premium economy seat was comfortable given the class

Like: departed and arrived on time. Unlike: Food options for purchase allways bad, 1 of 2 of the crew members not very friendly at all. Seats and leg room aweful. At this point I am thinking on switching to AA.

The staff was extremely helpful and friendly at all times! They went above and beyond to get us into an earlier flight in San Diego to make our connection in SFO possible, because our original flight did actually not make it! I did so much appreciate the UA team and how they made this possible. We also didn’t have seats together on the long flight to Singapore, but they found us seats together last moment with no additional cost! Nobody sat next to us, so that we were able to sleep! Thanks to UA for improving their service and Underpricer for booking this trip! Please be careful: 1,5 hrs for transfer in San Francisco might not be enough time in the future

Packed flight, which makes it tough on crew and boarding staff (and the customers of course). But this was great boarding, clear instructions, etc. Traveling on the weekends are always fraught with danger as you have families and less frequent flyers thus more confusion. But this flight went as planned.

Destroyed my suitcase. Tired of talking about it. Cancelling my unite mileage plus account.

New plane was lovely. Crew customer service is always lax but expected. Kraft on time and arrived safely.

Seat pitch is horrible especially on the 15 hour flight. Gate crew at SFO was Outstanding. The flight crew was also great.

6 1/2 hours from Tampa to SFO on a Boeing 737. Cramped. No Service. No real food. One pass for coffee at the beginning and a second pass THREE hours later. And check-in in Tampa was nasty even by United standards. And I am at almost TWO million miles on United. It's a non-stop. But terrible service.

It was so much better than expected, Ohare is not such a pleasant experience but American Airlines with the new, clean aeroplane and free Wi-Fi was outstanding and the crew so pleasant and helpful.

Was put into a seat right behind the toilet that had no entertainment possible but did have plenty of leg room over noisy part of plane.

American delayed the flight for a crew rest period. The delay occurred late in the evening - the earliest i can find is 10:20 pm. With a 6 am flight anyone on the flight would have already have been asleep (unless you are insane, a vampire or on drugs) and at least for me i was already on the way to the airport at 445 am the next morning when i discovered they delayed the flight until 9 am. Given the incoming flight was in the air at 6 pm the evening before this should have been figured out a lot more timely that was there only crew to use. Just frustrating given there is no consideration for customer experience anymore in flying.

Flight: Started on time. Comfortable flight. Arrived on time. Crew: Very cordial and helpful. Drinks and snack was served with a smile. Overall enjoyed the trip. Regards, Hari Doss Chanchala Doss

To have arrived on time and not 3 hours late after having already spent $100 to change to an earlier flight, only to arrive back home close to the original flight time.

American Airlines is a miserable experience. It is predictably miserable, in the sense that every time I fly American, I brace myself for the certainty that it will be unpleasant and uncomfortable. But it is unpredictable in the sense that I never know if the flight will be on time or delayed nine hours (both happened to me this week). I never know if I will be able to sit in the seat that I selected when I purchased the ticket or if I will be told by Customer Service (!!!) that I must relocate from first class to a seat in the back of the aircraft with no explanation (both happened to me this week). Will the food be frozen and half defrosted, or scalding hot? Will the drinks be warm? Will the flight attendants be surly and mean? Will the toilets be cramped and foul? Will the seats be narrow and uncomfortable? Will there be a real electric outlet at the seat, or just an unreliable USB-2 port? Will there be enough seats in the boarding lounge or just a few? Will the boarding process be smooth and efficient, or will the gate agents mess it up and delay it needlessly for 30 or 40 minutes? Will the catering and cleaning crew be prompt or will they take an extra 30 minutes? Will the brakes on the aircraft work properly, or will the pilot delay takeoff for four hours while the ground crew attends to what can only be described as routine maintenance that should have been done the night before? I've eexperienced every one of these unpleasant things this year, 2026. The only thing I can reliably count on is that American will find a new way to make the experience of flying as miserable as they possibly can.

Wifi was spotty. Tray table was very dirty when I sat down.

The WiFi would not connect enough for me to do my actual work. It permaspooled, disconnected, said it was connected, then wouldn't open an email... it was frustrating. I am not a tall person, 5'4" - and I felt cramped with little room to reach into my bag under the seat in front of me. I feel sorry for anyone taller than me having to fly. the one positive thing I will add, is the overhead bins are roomy enough to manage more bags than other carriers.

Going non stop to lax like I paid for. Not stopping in MCI for gas. Too long of delays

Delayed for mechanical and no updates on what was happening and how long the delay might be.

Everything you need to know for your flight to California

Cabin class types available on flights to The Big Island

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