Hawaiʻi Flight Changes for Winter 2026: What Kamaʻāina Need to Know

The winter 2026 schedule adds new nonstops out of Honolulu and reshapes how the islands connect to each other.

9 min read · Updated September 10, 2026

Advertiser disclosure: This page contains affiliate links. HRT has partnered with CardRatings, and both may earn a commission from card issuers when you apply through our links, at no cost to you. Full disclosure.

Quick overviewTap to expand

• Alaska is adding two new Honolulu nonstops. Boise runs daily December 17 through March 21. Spokane runs Saturdays only, December 19 through April 17. Alaska is the only carrier on both.
• Honolulu to Las Vegas grows. Hawaiian goes from three daily flights to four during peak winter and spring windows.
• Honolulu to Auckland is not returning. The seasonal three-times-weekly service does not resume in November, and those A330s move into domestic Hawaiʻi flying.
• Southwest refocused its island flying around Honolulu. Its March 2027 interisland schedule shows 32 daily flights, down from a 2023 peak of 64, Honolulu spokes only. It added Las Vegas to Hilo on August 6, Hilo’s only mainland nonstop.
• Delta and American are bringing widebodies in. Delta launches Minneapolis to Maui and brings back Boston to Honolulu on December 19. American returns to Chicago to Kahului on December 17.
• Hawaiian is investing more than $600 million through 2029 in lobbies at all five island airports, a 10,600 square foot Honolulu lounge, and an A330 retrofit starting 2028.

In this article

1. What changed on the Hawaiʻi flight map for winter 2026?
2. What is Alaska adding from Honolulu this winter?
3. What changed with Southwest’s Hawaiʻi flying?
4. What is Delta doing to Hawaiʻi this winter?
5. What did American add to the Hawaiʻi map?
6. What does Hawaiian’s $600 million plan change for locals?
7. How do you book these new routes with Atmos Rewards points?
8. Which cards actually earn the points for these flights?
9. Scottie’s Take
10. Frequently asked questions

What changed on the Hawaiʻi flight map for winter 2026?

Four airlines reshaped the Hawaiʻi map for the winter 2026 to 2027 season. Alaska added Honolulu nonstops to Boise and Spokane and grew Las Vegas. Southwest refocused its island network around Honolulu and opened a Las Vegas to Hilo nonstop. Delta and American both added widebody service from mainland hubs. Hawaiian committed more than $600 million through 2029 to airports, lounges, and cabins.

For those of us who live here, the headline is not "more ways to visit Hawaiʻi." It is that the way you get off this rock, and the way you move between islands, both changed this year. Here is the whole board, then the breakdown.

Hawaiʻi route changes for winter 2026 to 2027, as of September 2026

Airline	Route	What is happening	Dates	Aircraft	Source
Alaska	Honolulu to Boise	New, daily, only nonstop	Dec 17 to Mar 21	Boeing 737 MAX	Alaska
Alaska	Honolulu to Spokane	New, Saturdays only, only nonstop	Dec 19 to Apr 17	Boeing 737 MAX	Alaska
Hawaiian	Honolulu to Las Vegas	3x daily to 4x daily in peak periods	Peak winter and spring	Airbus A330	Alaska
Hawaiian	Honolulu to Auckland	Seasonal service will not resume	Was 3x weekly in winter	Discontinued	Alaska
Alaska	Honolulu to Burbank	Summer seasonal, not on winter schedule	May 13 to Aug 18, 2026	Boeing 737-8 MAX	HRT
Southwest	Ontario to Honolulu	Launched daily	Began Jun 4, 2026	Boeing 737 MAX 8	Southwest
Southwest	Burbank to Honolulu	Peak-day service, not daily	Began early Aug 2026	Boeing 737 MAX 8	Southwest
Southwest	Las Vegas to Hilo	New, 3x weekly, Hilo’s only mainland nonstop	Began Aug 6, 2026	Boeing 737 MAX 8	Southwest
Southwest	Interisland network	32 daily, Honolulu spokes only	March 2027 schedule	Boeing 737	Cirium
Delta	Minneapolis to Kahului	New, daily in peaks, 5x weekly core winter	From Dec 19, 2026	Airbus A330-300	Delta
Delta	Boston to Honolulu	Returns, daily late Dec then 4x weekly	From Dec 19, 2026	Airbus A330-300	Delta
Delta	Detroit to Honolulu	3x weekly to daily	From Nov 9, 2026	Airbus A330-300	Delta
Delta	Atlanta to Honolulu	Second frequency, 3x weekly	Jan 4, 2027 through March	Airbus A330-300	Delta
Delta	Salt Lake City to Kona	Daily, starts earlier than last winter	From Nov 9, 2026	Boeing 767-300	Delta
Delta	Los Angeles to Kona	Upgauged to a widebody for winter	From Nov 9, 2026	Boeing 767-300	Delta
American	Chicago O’Hare to Kahului	Returns daily, first time since 2007	Dec 17 to Mar 27, 2027	Boeing 787-8	American

Every row links to the airline’s own newsroom release. I do not publish a schedule change until I can point you at the primary source.

Good to know

Several roundups still circulating say Alaska is adding flights at secondary California airports. That was accurate in the spring. Alaska’s Honolulu to Burbank nonstop was a summer seasonal route that ran May 13 to August 18, 2026, and it is not on the winter schedule. Southwest is the carrier serving Burbank into this winter, on peak days rather than daily. If Burbank is your gateway for a December trip, check the calendar carefully before you assume there is a flight.

What is Alaska adding from Honolulu this winter?

Alaska is launching two new Honolulu nonstops in mid December. Boise flies daily from December 17 through March 21, departing Honolulu at 12:42 p.m. and landing at 9:45 p.m. Spokane flies Saturdays only from December 19 through April 17, departing Honolulu at 2:33 p.m. and landing at 10:42 p.m. Both use an Alaska-branded Boeing 737 MAX, and Alaska is the only carrier flying either route. Those times come straight from Alaska’s July 14, 2026 newsroom release, which publishes the full schedule table.

Alaska noted that a significant share of travelers on both routes continue on to Neighbor Island destinations. That detail matters for us in reverse. It means the schedule is being built so an ITO, KOA, or LIH connection ties into these flights.

Three other things came in the same July 14 announcement:

• Las Vegas gets more seats. Hawaiian goes from three daily Honolulu to Las Vegas flights to four during peak holiday and spring break periods, flown on the A330. The ninth island keeps getting easier to reach.
• Auckland is off the board. Hawaiian is not resuming its three-times-weekly seasonal Honolulu to Auckland service in November. Andrew Stanbury, regional managing director for the South Pacific, pointed to high fuel costs, soft demand recovery in international Pacific markets, unfavorable exchange rates, and shifting travel patterns. Those A330s get redeployed into domestic Hawaiʻi flying.
• Overall Hawaiʻi seasonal capacity is up. Alaska says combined seasonal capacity grows 3 percent year over year and up to 6 percent during peak holiday periods.

Honolulu is now one of Alaska’s two largest hubs alongside Seattle, with more than 250 daily flights to, from, and within the islands. From Honolulu the combined network reaches London, Reykjavik, Rome, Seoul, Tokyo, Sydney, and Papeete, with Paris and Athens scheduled for spring 2027. For how the loyalty side works now, see my Atmos Rewards guide.

What changed with Southwest’s Hawaiʻi flying?

Southwest reshaped its Hawaiʻi network in two directions this year. On the mainland side it grew, launching daily Ontario to Honolulu service on June 4, 2026 and adding Burbank to Honolulu on peak days in early August, both announced in Southwest’s Golden State release, then opening Las Vegas to Hilo three times weekly on August 6. On the interisland side it consolidated, moving to a Honolulu-only spoke structure with fewer daily flights.

The Las Vegas to Hilo route is a genuinely good one for East Hawaiʻi. It runs Mondays, Thursdays, and Fridays, departing Las Vegas at 9:30 a.m. and arriving Hilo at 12:35 p.m., with an eastbound redeye leaving Hilo at 8:45 p.m. Those times are from Southwest’s Heart for Hilo release. It is the only nonstop between Hilo and the mainland, and Hilo had not had one in roughly three years. I broke the route down when it was announced in my Hilo to Las Vegas nonstop guide.

The interisland picture is the part worth understanding before you book. Southwest’s interisland operation peaked around 64 daily flights in summer 2023 and sat near 50 through April 2025. The schedule filed for March 2027 shows 32 daily, and the network is now Honolulu to Hilo, Kahului, Kona, and Līhuʻe only, with neighbor island to neighbor island flying no longer in the schedule. Those counts come from Cirium schedule data rather than a press release, since airlines rarely announce reductions.

The shape changed too. Southwest moved to a bank pattern where all four neighbor island airports get flights at the same four times, and the morning departure bank out of Honolulu is gone. Aircraft now start their day on the neighbor islands and come into Honolulu first, which fits a network built around mainland connections.

What this means for you

If you have been using Southwest for early morning interisland runs, check your dates before you plan around one. Without a morning bank out of Honolulu, same-day round trips get harder. And if your normal hop is neighbor island to neighbor island, for example Līhuʻe to Kahului, that is not in Southwest’s schedule anymore.

Hawaiian carries the large majority of interisland flying, and its schedule is built around how island families actually move. That is worth factoring in when you decide where your points balance and your loyalty should live.

Departure times shifted as well. On a summer Saturday in 2023 there were 13 Southwest departures from Hawaiʻi to the mainland before 11 a.m. The March 2027 schedule shows two before 11 a.m., 16 between 11 a.m. and 5 p.m., and 10 redeyes. Las Vegas remains the main connecting point, and the westbound Vegas to Honolulu redeye is a useful addition for anyone who flies that route often.

What is Delta doing to Hawaiʻi this winter?

Delta is running what it calls its largest seasonal Hawaiʻi schedule to date, headlined by two December 19 launches. Minneapolis to Kahului is brand new, operating daily during peak holiday and spring break periods and five times weekly through core winter. Boston to Honolulu returns after being cut, operating daily during peak late December then four times weekly for the rest of the season. Both fly the Airbus A330-300 with lie-flat Delta One and Delta Premium Select cabins. All of it is laid out in Delta’s February 13, 2026 News Hub release.

Delta also layered frequency across existing routes:

• Detroit to Honolulu expands from three times weekly to daily starting November 9, 2026, on the A330-300.
• Atlanta to Honolulu picks up a second frequency three times weekly from January 4, 2027 through March, also on the A330-300.
• Salt Lake City to Kona begins daily 767-300 service on November 9, 2026, earlier in the season than last year.
• Los Angeles to Kona is upgauged to the 767-300 for the winter season starting November 9, 2026.
• New York JFK to Honolulu already moved from up to five weekly flights to daily back on April 1, 2026, on the 767-300.

I covered the full Delta announcement when it dropped in February if you want the deeper breakdown: Delta announces its largest Hawaiʻi schedule.

Why a mainland carrier’s expansion matters to kamaʻāina

Two reasons. More widebody seats into Honolulu in December usually means better pricing on the return leg, which is the direction we care about. And Boston to Honolulu is the longest domestic flight in the country, so having it back gives you a one-stop path to New England without an overnight on the mainland. My guide to flying to the mainland from Hawaiʻi walks through how I sequence these bookings.

What did American add to the Hawaiʻi map?

American is returning to Chicago O’Hare to Kahului with daily Boeing 787-8 service from December 17, 2026 through March 27, 2027, per American’s January 22, 2026 newsroom release. American last flew this route in 2007, so this is a genuine return rather than a frequency bump. It gives the Midwest a second nonstop option to Maui alongside United, and American is putting Flagship Business lie-flat and Premium Economy seats on it.

For anyone chasing oneworld value, this one is worth watching. Hawaiian joined oneworld in spring 2026, which means Atmos Rewards points can be earned and redeemed across the alliance. An American 787 flying into Kahului is another piece of metal you can potentially put points against.

What does Hawaiian’s $600 million plan change for locals?

Hawaiian announced the Kahuʻewai Hawaiʻi Investment Plan on January 5, 2026: more than $600 million over five years to modernize airport spaces, upgrade technology, and retrofit aircraft interiors, with projects rolling out statewide through 2029. The name refers to fresh water emerging from its source, which the airline describes as a metaphor for resources flowing outward to support communities over time.

Here is what is actually in it:

• Airport renovations on all four main islands. Lobbies and gates at Honolulu, Līhuʻe, Kahului, Kona, and Hilo get reworked between now and 2029, with better seating, more open space, and more power charging.
• A new premium lounge at Honolulu. A 10,600 square foot space at the entrance of the Mauka Concourse in Terminal 1. Hawaiian said in January it was well into design and expected the space to open around the end of 2027. It will operate alongside the existing Plumeria Lounge and the six Premier Clubs across the state.
• A full A330 interior retrofit starting in 2028. New seats, carpets, and lighting, first class suites, a brand new premium economy cabin, Bluetooth-enabled seatback entertainment, and Starlink Wi-Fi. Hawaiian is also acquiring three A330s off lease to support future Pacific flying.
• App and website overhaul plus expanded resident benefits. The plan explicitly includes enhanced rewards and exclusive benefits for Hawaiʻi residents, which is the piece that showed up in the September 2 Huakaʻi announcement.

Rendering of the planned Mauka Concourse lounge at Honolulu Terminal 1, from Hawaiian’s investment plan press kit. The airline said in January 2026 it expects the space to open around the end of 2027.

That Huakaʻi update landed on September 2, 2026 and is the most immediately usable part of all this. Huakaʻi by Hawaiian members now get two free checked bags on Neighbor Island flights, triple Atmos Rewards points when redeeming Foodland Maikaʻi points, and quarterly Neighbor Island fare discounts that cover you plus up to six guests on the same reservation. Membership is free but you have to opt in, and every adult in your household should have their own account.

If you want to know what is open at Honolulu right now while you wait on the new lounge, I keep a current rundown in my HNL airport lounge guide.

Quick tip

Timelines on airport construction move. The end of 2027 target for the new Honolulu lounge came from Hawaiian’s January 2026 remarks, and the A330 retrofit is stated as starting in 2028, not finishing. Do not make a 2027 travel decision on the assumption that lounge will be open. I will update this piece as the airline firms up dates.

How do you book these new routes with Atmos Rewards points?

Every new Alaska and Hawaiian route on this list is bookable with Atmos Rewards points on the same distance-based chart. As of September 2026, one-way interisland awards start at 4,500 points and Hawaiʻi to West Coast economy awards start at 12,500 points, with pricing varying by date and demand. Boise and Spokane are longer hops than the West Coast, so expect them to price above that floor.

1. Search one way, not round trip. Award pricing is per direction and the cheap seat is rarely available in both directions on the same dates. Book each leg separately and you will find saver space far more often.
2. Search the full calendar month, not a single date. The award calendar view shows you where the low buckets sit. On brand new routes like Boise and Spokane, saver space is usually widest in the first few weeks after launch and again in the shoulder weeks after the holidays.
3. Watch the Saturday-only pattern on Spokane. With one weekly frequency there is no flexibility. If a Saturday sells out of saver space it is gone, so set your dates early.
4. Track the monthly Atmos deals. Atmos Members Day drops on the first Wednesday of each month, and Global Getaways regularly prices Honolulu departures below what the West Coast pays for the same seat. I post the Hawaiʻi-specific ones in travel deals as they land.
5. Layer the Huakaʻi quarterly discount on cash fares. The quarterly Neighbor Island discount now covers you plus up to six guests on one reservation. For a family trip that often beats paying points, so run both numbers before you burn a balance.

Which cards actually earn the points for these flights?

The routes are only useful if you have a balance to spend on them. For most kamaʻāina, the fastest path to a mainland or interisland award is everyday category spend plus a well-timed welcome offer, not slow accrual from flying. One strong sign-up bonus can cover a West Coast round trip plus an interisland connection with points left over.

What I look at when choosing where to put island spend:

• Groceries and gas earn the most here. Between Foodland, Costco runs, and Hawaiʻi gas prices, those two categories carry more weight for an island household than they do for a mainland one.
• Free checked bags pay for themselves fast. If your household flies interisland even a handful of times a year with bags, a card benefit that covers checked bags usually clears its annual fee on its own.
• Transferable points give you options. Schedules move. Points that can go to more than one program let you follow the route map instead of hoping one airline keeps your exact itinerary.
• Timing beats optimization. A well-timed welcome offer is worth more than a year of chasing bonus categories. Apply when the offer is elevated, not when you happen to be thinking about it.

I keep an updated rundown of what I actually recommend for island households here: best credit cards for Hawaiʻi residents.

Free for kamaʻāina

Not sure which card fits your ʻohana?

The ʻOhana Program is free, personalized card consulting built around how Hawaiʻi families actually travel. We look at your spending, your travel goals, and your timeline, then build a plan. No pressure, no upsell.

Join the ʻOhana Program

Scottie’s Take

Here is what jumped out reading all of this in one sitting. Almost every headline this year was about getting more people to Hawaiʻi. Minneapolis to Maui. Chicago to Maui. Boston back to Honolulu. Meanwhile the story that actually touches our daily lives, how we move between our own islands, barely got covered.

That is not a complaint about any one airline. Everybody flies where the demand is, and none of this happens out of spite. But it does change how I would plan. If you fly interisland regularly, look closely at whose schedule is actually built for the way you travel. For most island families that is going to be Hawaiian, and the September Huakaʻi update made that gap wider in a good way. Two free bags on Neighbor Island flights, plus a quarterly discount that covers seven people on one reservation, is real money for a family. It is free to join and it takes about two minutes.

The Boise and Spokane routes genuinely surprised me. Those are not California leisure markets. Alaska specifically said a significant share of those travelers continue past Oʻahu, which tells me the schedule is being built around Neighbor Island connections. Routes designed around connections usually hold better timing, and that helps us going the other way too.

I also like what the $600 million plan says without saying it. You do not put that kind of money into lobbies at Hilo and Līhuʻe if you are planning to be a smaller presence here. That is a commitment to the islands, and I am glad to see it.

My move for this winter: book Vegas early on points before the peak-period seats get taken, and watch Boise award space in the first two weeks after December 17. New routes almost always have soft award inventory before people find them.

What did I miss? If you have already found saver space on Boise or Spokane, or a schedule change reshuffled a trip, drop a comment or send me a note. Your on the ground reports are usually faster than the press releases.

Frequently asked questions

When do Alaska’s Honolulu to Boise and Spokane flights start?

Boise to Honolulu begins December 17, 2026 and runs daily through March 21, 2027. Spokane to Honolulu begins December 19, 2026 and operates once a week on Saturdays through April 17, 2027. Both routes fly an Alaska-branded Boeing 737 MAX, and Alaska is the only airline offering nonstop service in either market, per Alaska’s newsroom release.

Is Alaska still flying Honolulu to Burbank?

No. Alaska’s Honolulu to Burbank service was a summer seasonal route that ran May 13, 2026 through August 18, 2026 and is not on the winter schedule. Southwest currently serves Burbank to Honolulu on peak days rather than daily, so check specific dates before you book a Burbank itinerary this winter.

Why is the Honolulu to Auckland route not returning?

Hawaiian said in July 2026 that it would not resume the three-times-weekly seasonal Honolulu to Auckland service, citing high fuel costs, slower than expected demand recovery in international Pacific markets, unfavorable exchange rates, and evolving global travel trends. The aircraft are being repositioned to support more domestic Hawaiʻi flying.

How many interisland flights does Southwest operate now?

Southwest’s March 2027 schedule shows 32 daily interisland flights, down from about 50 in April 2025 and a 2023 peak near 64, based on Cirium schedule data. The network is now Honolulu to Hilo, Kahului, Kona, and Līhuʻe only, with neighbor island to neighbor island flying no longer scheduled.

Can I fly nonstop from Hilo to the mainland?

Yes. Southwest launched nonstop service between Las Vegas and Hilo on August 6, 2026, operating Mondays, Thursdays, and Fridays. Westbound departs Las Vegas at 9:30 a.m. and arrives Hilo at 12:35 p.m. Eastbound is a redeye departing Hilo at 8:45 p.m. It is currently Hilo’s only nonstop link to the mainland. Schedule details are in Southwest’s release.

What is the cheapest way to fly interisland with points right now?

As of September 2026, one-way interisland awards on Atmos Rewards start at 4,500 points, with pricing varying by date and demand. For families, the Huakaʻi by Hawaiian quarterly Neighbor Island fare discount now applies to you plus up to six guests on the same reservation, which frequently beats paying points outright. Run both numbers before you book.

When will the new Honolulu lounge open?

Hawaiian announced a 10,600 square foot premium lounge at the entrance of the Mauka Concourse in Terminal 1 as part of its January 2026 investment plan, and said at the time it expected the space to open around the end of 2027. Construction timelines change, so treat that as a target rather than a commitment. The lounge will operate alongside the existing Plumeria Lounge and the six Premier Clubs statewide.

Is Honolulu still a major hub after the merger?

Yes. Alaska describes Honolulu as one of its two largest hubs alongside Seattle. The combined Alaska and Hawaiian operation runs more than 250 daily flights to, from, and within the islands, with nonstop access to more than 20 domestic and international destinations and onward connections to more than 125 cities across North and Central America.

How I sourced this

Every route change above is linked to the airline’s own newsroom release: Alaska (July 14, 2026), Delta (Feb 13, 2026), American (Jan 22, 2026), and Southwest (Ontario and Burbank, Las Vegas to Hilo). Interisland frequency counts come from Cirium schedule data, since airlines rarely issue releases for reductions.

Route information current as of September 10, 2026. Airline schedules change frequently, especially on seasonal routes. Verify dates and frequencies directly with the airline before booking. I refresh this page as new schedules are filed.