Hawaiian, Southwest add flights, offer reduced fares

Hawaiian and Southwest, the two largest carriers at Maui’s Kahului Airport, continued adding flights Thursday, after wildfires devastated neighborhoods on the island.

Both airlines are offering fares from Maui to Honolulu for as low as $19. 

“Our heart is with Hawaii. We’ve added additional flights between the Islands and back to the mainland this week to keep people and supplies moving,” Southwest said in a post on the social media platform X, which was formerly Twitter. 

Hawaiian said the $19 seats would be on offer through Friday to facilitate urgent travel from Maui to Honolulu. 

With the state of Hawaii now formally discouraging all nonessential travel to Maui, some airlines have also expanded travel waivers to allow travelers to visit another Hawaiian island instead.

Related: Maui wildfires create logistical challenges for travel companies

Southwest will allow customers who were booked for a flight to or from Maui from Aug. 9 through Aug. 14 to rebook within two weeks of their original date of travel without a fare difference for flights to Honolulu, Hilo, Kona or Kauai’s Lihue Airport. 

Hawaiian has a similar waiver in effect, except that it is on offer for customers who have Maui bookings through Aug. 20. Tickets must be rebooked by Aug. 23 for travel commencing by Sept. 1.

Alaska customers, meanwhile, can rebook Maui travel that had been scheduled through Aug. 15 to its Hawaii stations in Honolulu, Kona and Lihue without a fare difference. Trips must begin by Aug. 31. 

In another wrinkle, United’s waiver applies to bookings for Aug. 9 and Aug. 10 to or from both Maui and Honolulu. However, fare differences will only be waived for rebookings of customers’ original city pair.

American and Delta have travel waivers in effect for Maui only. 

Hawaiian, American and United are also offering refunds for customers who choose to cancel Maui itineraries that had been planned during the waiver dates. 

All flyers are eligible for refunds in cases in which the airline cancels a flight.

Fires in Maui have killed at least 36 people and devastated the town of Lahaina.

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