Hawaii Airline - Kauai Travel

Airline Travel to Kauai

Travel to Kauai from the "mainland" (the rest of the United States) isn't cheap. Airfare from Salt Lake City to Honolulu ranges from $500 to $1400 round-trip depending on the carrier, time of year, and how early you book your flights in advance. Less expensive flights are available if you are flying from the west coast.

Hawaii is one of the most popular vacation destinations in the world, and unfortunately the airlines choose to keep these flights full rather than add more flights. A large percentage of people traveling to Hawaii are using frequent flyer miles to get there. Don't expect to find a lot of vacant seats on the plane. Most flights are sold out by departure date.

Lihue Airport (LIH) pronounced lee-HU-ay ("ay" as in hay), handles virtually all arrivals on Kauai. The terminal in Lihue is small, modern, and efficient. Airlines that fly directly to Kauai include Delta, Hawaiian, United, US Airways (from Pheonix), and Alaska Airlines (from Seattle). Because of the limited number of airlines servicing Kauai, many people fly other airlines to Honolulu and then use an interisland carrier to travel to Kauai.

Honolulu International Airport (HNL) is a large airport and is serviced by dozens of airlines from all over the world. Inter-island flights to Kauai, Maui, Molokai, and the Big Island are located in a separate smaller terminal on the far western side of the main terminal. To get to the Inter-Island terminal, turn left at the curb when leaving the baggage claim area and follow the walkway. Rent a "smart-cart" for $1.25 if you are carrying luggage, or take the free "Wiki-Wiki" bus at curbside because it's a fairly long walk, especially if you are coming from United's gate which is at the far opposite side of the airport. Delta's terminal is much closer.

At the Inter-island terminal in Honolulu, both Hawaiian and go! airlines operate flights about every hour to Kauai. Ticket prices vary from about $60 to over $100 each way. If you arrive earlier than your reserved inter-island flight, ask to go stand-by on the next available flight to Lihue. You might save yourself 40 minutes of waiting. Keep in mind that if you do this, you will probably arrive before your luggage (unless you checked it only to Honolulu and then re-check it again on your flight to Kauai). If you do arrive before your luggage, just relax and pick up your rental car while you wait. Your luggage will probably be at the baggage claim in Lihue by the time you pick up your car. Just don't make the mistake of packing your rental car information in your luggage. It's better to keep this with you so you can pick up your car even if your luggage is delayed.

Airline Flights to Kauai:

• Delta Airlines (800) 221-1212 has several flights a day to Lihue and several other Hawaiian destinations from Atlanta, Cincinnati, Salt Lake City, and Los Angeles. "Direct flights" doesn't necessarily mean "non-stop" flights. A direct flight from Salt Lake City may make a stop in Los Angeles.
• United Airlines: (800-241-6522) flies to Honolulu from several cities and directly to Lihue (LIH) from both San Francisco and Los Angeles. Flying directly to Kauai (LIH) saves you from having to stop in Honolulu.
• HAWAIIAN AIRLINES: (800-367-5320) Besides being one of the two main inter-island carriers on Hawaii, Hawaiian Airlines also offers non-stop service to Honolulu from several mainland cities including: Seattle, Portland, Sacramento, San Francisco, Los Angeles, San Diego, Las Vegas, and Phoenix.
• go! Airlines: (888-IFLYGO2) flies inter-island flights between Honolulu, Oahu (HNL), Hilo, Big Island (ITO), Kona, Big Island (KOA), Kahului, Maui (OGG), and Lihue, Kauai (LIH).

Check This Link for Limited-Time Airfare Deals at Delta.com