Southwest Airlines Announces Hawai’i Service

Southwest is rolling out service to Hawai’i soon, with tickets available in 2018.

“A day long-awaited by our customers, fans and more than 55,000 of the world’s most-loved airline employees is finally within sight — a day that will showcase [our] hospitality, about as far Southwest as you can go in the United States,” said Gary Kelly, chairman and CEO, Southwest. “Hawai’i is an important place for Southwest Airlines because so many people count on us to take them everywhere they want to go reliably and affordably. We’re ready and excited to address a request we’ve heard for years.”

The airline hasn’t revealed any specific routes or flight details as of yet, though it was announced the Boeing 737 Max 8 aircraft is slated for the service.

Before the announcement can be made final, Southwest must secure FAA authorization, as well as FAA approval on using the Boeing 737 Max 8 for extended over-water operations.

While not officially announced, The Los Angeles Times did report representatives noted flights to Honolulu (HNL), Kauai (LIH) and the Big Island (KOA). Taking the 737 Max 8’s capabilities into consideration, as well as current services, some travel outlets are guessing Southwest will announce service from several cities in California, as well as Las Vegas (LAS), Denver (DEN) and Phoenix (PHX).

It’s also expected the dreaded (at least for competing airlines) “Southwest Effect” will occur when the airline moves into the islands, driving market prices down so other carriers can still compete with Southwest’s lower prices.

“On average, our fares will be lower than theirs or bring down the market price. That’s called the ‘Southwest Effect,’” Andrew Watterson, executive vice president, Southwest, told Hawaii News Now. “Low costs come from very efficient operations. We pay our people well, but we work them hard and we work the airplanes hard. So that leads to low costs, so we have lower than our competitors, so we’ll be able to bring lower ticket prices.”

Whatever the outcome may be when Southwest finally releases more details, one thing is for sure — travelers reap the rewards of lower prices to one of the most in-demand destinations in the country.