Posted on 03/08/2022 4:59:22 AM PST by US Navy Vet
Ok all I have a question, have any of you done the Southwest airline trip from the Midwest to Hawaii and if so what did you think/any advice?
First of all, congrats on your upcoming anniversary.
That being said, in my opinion, travelling to Hawaii is currently not worth it.
From the Southwest page about Hawaii flights...
Hawaii Travel Advisory
*Travelers must provide a U.S. vaccination card or valid negative COVID-19 PCR test from a State-of-Hawaii-approved Trusted Testing Partner in order to be exempt from a 10-day quarantine.
*Travelers must create a Safe Travels account, upload test results, and receive a QR code prior to landing in your destination.
*After completing Hawaii travel requirements, Travelers may be eligible for Hawaii Pre-Clear to have the opportunity to be pre-cleared at their final departure gate or other centralized location and bypass airport screening upon arrival in Hawaii.
Until all this CoupFlu bullsqueeze is no longer active, there’s no reason to go to Hawaii. I’ve always wanted to go there, but as long as this crap is being done, it’ll never happen.
Florida and then on a Caribbean cruise. Better than Hawaii and no airplane with fat, rude, flight attendants. Go to a Republican state, rather a Democrat controlled one.
How is that bad advice?
Most important when flying Southwest: Book EARLY and pay the extra $25 so you get to board and pick your seat first.
Airlines might serve meals by then. In any case, carry food on board with you.
Fly non-stop - you do not want to have to deal with the LA airport.
Track the pandemic rules. Hawaii has been very restrictive, but is easing up.
Since you are former military, look into the Hale Koa hotel right on Waikiki beach. However, Maui is much nicer than Oahu!
The Everglades are a sight to behold! Truly amazing!
Looks like it’s Florida then.
Is Southwest getting some larger aircraft? I think their fleet only has 737s. Some of them are the stretch models, but they’re still only 6 seats per row.
Great! But be aware...Florida is just about the flattest state in the country.At 200 feet above sea level you’re at the very top! :-)
We flew from Phoenix to Oahu for our 39th anniversary in 2018, but we flew Hawaiian Airlines. It was a 5-6 hour flight, but the thing that made me a little nervous is there’s literally no place to land in an emergency between California and Hawaii. Other than that, I’d love to go back in the future. We stayed on Oahu for 12 days in a condo 2 blocks from Queen’s Beach and loved every minute of it.
We learned to break up the return trip by spending a day or so in either Phoenix or Las Vegas, which are both nice places to spend a couple of days. If it's summertime, then Vegas is your best option unless you like 120 degree weather. That routine also allowed us to get get somewhat back into our normal time zone for the final leg back.
You mentioned you were going to Oahu. That is actually my least favorite island to visit. Honolulu is basically New York City with palm trees. Now as a first time visitor, there will be plenty to do and certainly check out Pearl Harbor and all the memorials as well as Waikiki Beach. You can also get away from the city and get a more Hawaiian experience.
My favorite island is the Big Island and we stay at Kailua-Kona which is the dry side of the island. Rent a car and see the whole island, from tropical rain forests to active volcanoes to ranches that would make you think you are in Oklahoma or Texas. Pretty much every climate (except arctic) can be experienced on the Big Island. But if you really want to see snow in Hawaii, the Big Island is the place to see it if you visit at the right time. Mauna Loa and Mauna Kea sees at least some snow every year. Then you can be back at the 80 degree beaches in an hour or so. Check with your rental car agency though, some of them don't allow you to take their rentals on Saddle Road (which is the way to the interior mountains).
Maui is our second favorite island. The best restaurants and beaches. You can still find your own "private beach" for the day if you know where to look and you can surprise your spouse by going into the ocean naked.
If you want a really quiet experience, try the island of Kauai which has (relatively) minimal commercial development and a lot of open spaces, including a rival to the Grand Canyon.
Anyway, after your Oahu trip, you will definitely want to go back and explore some of those other islands.
Yep. This is not the time.
And as far as I’m concerned the thread is killed with your post. 😉
March 7, 2022 - Hawaii plans to lift its COVID-19 quarantine requirement for travelers later this month.
Starting on March 26, travelers within the U.S. won’t have to show proof of vaccination or a negative test to avoid a five-day quarantine. Hawaii is the only U.S. state to implement a coronavirus quarantine program of this kind. Gov. David Ige says the requirement saved lives and was a major factor in limiting the spread of COVID-19 in the islands.
We made the trip several times, with young children, in the 90's, on United and AA. The difference between a wide body jet and a Southwest 737-800 is that you have two aisles instead of one. The seats all have the same basic distance and pitch. To me, the only issue was the lack of meal service, but I plan ahead for that.
I prefer the Southwest experience to AA, Delta or United, but I was a (mostly) business traveler flying two or three times each week.
All flights to Hawaii for Southwest route thru Las Vegas, Phoenix, Oakland, San Jose, San Fran or San Diego. (Yes LAX also, but why?!). Phoenix, Vegas or San Jose would be my choices.
From DSM you will stop in Las Vegas to fly the leg into Oahu. Getting back you will need to schedule a layover before you catch the morning flight back to the Midwest. KCI and STL have better options for the return flight schedules.
So what you have is a 2 1/2 to 3 hour flight, a bio break at a real airport, then another 5 to 6 hour flight to the Islands. About the same as BOS to LAX or East Coast to Seattle.
Coming back, you will face the overnight challenge, so pick a city that you don't mind a layover before the final flight to DSM.
You can certainly build a trip that gets you to Hawaii in one day, and a flight back home in one day, but the Southwest flight scheduler will not allow for a planned double connect. You can have more than one stop but only one change of planes in their system, per flight record. So if using DSM, you can book two round trips and manage it that way.
I used to post here, and it is a wealth of information from folks that practically live on Southwest:
I can not advise you on Southwest.
I flew from Boston to Honolulu three years ago on Hawaii Airlines.
We stayed on Waikiki Beach for a few days. There are only about eight hotels that are right on the beach.
We did the Pearl Harbor tour.
One of the best things I have ever done in my life.
We only stayed on Oahu for a couple days.
If I ever go back I will stay longer.
We then flew over to the Big Island and spent a week on the Kona coast.
If you go to the Big Island you need to rent a car. It is a BIG island. We drove all over it for a week. FYI, the Big Island is not nearly as expensive as Oahu or especially Maui. A steak dinner on the Big Island is about the same as around here.
That is because they have some of the biggest cattle ranches in the country. They also grow a lot of food on the island.
I went to Maui about 25 years ago.
It is beautiful. Everywhere. Breathtaking.
It is also very expensive unless you rent a condo in Kihae. Some of the nicest resorts in the world in Wiamae.
On all of the islands there is a dry side and a wet side. It is a drastic difference.
The Kona side of the Big Island looks like the dark side of the moon.
It is one huge lava field.
Except for the coast where the resorts are.
The Hilo side is tropical jungle.
It rains all the time. Same story on Maui.
The Hana side is beautiful, when it is not raining.
I have not been to the other islands.
I can’t remember the name of the one where they filled all the Jurassic Park movies, but I know people who have gone there and they said it rained 4 out of 6 days.
That is why you need a car if you visit.
It can be raining in one area, but you drive five miles away and the sun is out.
that length of trip would be miserable. I have over 2M miles on southwest and 1M on AA.
Southwest frequently flies at 100% capacity.
I agree with everything BiglyCommentary said.
Also, get to the gate early, at least an hour before boarding. Southwest does not have assigned seats and boards passengers in groups based on when you get there. You want to be in the first group. Before the first group boards they board passengers with disabilities or small children, so many seats will be taken before the first group boards. It is even worse if you are not the plane’s first stop to the destination, since the best seats will already be taken before the plane arrives at your stop.
We spent some time on Oahu and some time on the Big Island. Big Island is more interesting IMO. Highlight of Oahu was visiting Pearl Harbor.
The island you can’t remember is Kauai. It has a canyon (Waimea?) that rivals the Grand Canyon. The extinct volcano nearby is one of the wettest places on earth. Around 600” of rain per year. The northwest part of the island is accessible only by boat. That’s the area where the movie was made. My wife’s favorite island.
Napali Coast. I love hanging out in the Princeville Resort.
Done that. Best is you stay up late the night before and then fly home on the a red eye out of HNL at about 9 pm. Then at least you are zombied out sleeping for half the flight.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.