Hawaiian Airlines is the dominant carrier within Hawaii. The airline flies dozens of flights each day to popular destinations, including Maui (OGG), Honolulu (HNL), and Hilo (ITO). These are among the shortest domestic flights in the United States.
While these flights are super short, there are nuances to these vital interisland links, and easy ways to save money, too.
1. Flights Run Frequently
Flights between the Hawaiian Islands are extremely frequent, rivaling other major routes like New York City to Washington, D.C. On a sample day in March 2026, Hawaiian Airlines operated 19 flights between Honolulu and Maui, its 2 most popular destinations in Hawaii. These flights operate near hourly, with some peak time periods throughout the day offering every half-hour service.
Because of the frequency of flights, you’re able to book the time that’s most convenient for you, and if you have Atmos Rewards elite status, you can stand by for an earlier flight free of charge. Hawaiian doesn’t offer same-day standby to passengers who have checked bags on their original flight, for flights departing in less than 30 minutes, or for passengers without status.
While Hawaiian doesn’t offer a true same-day change policy, you can change to another flight free of charge if the price of the other flight is the same as your original flight.
You can find many nonstop flights between the islands, but occasionally there are flights that transit through Honolulu. This can add a considerable amount of time to your journey, and the ticket price may be the same as a nonstop flight, so try to avoid this option if you can.
2. Aircraft Type Affects Comfort and Wi-Fi
Flights to neighbor islands are very quick, but comfort matters. On interisland flights, Hawaiian Airlines operates a majority of flights on its Boeing 717 aircraft. However, scattered throughout the day, and depending on the routing, are a number of flights on the Airbus A321. Usually, these aircraft are scheduled to fly to another island, then to the mainland, or to make turns between the islands before returning to Honolulu to fly to the mainland.
These Airbus A321 aircraft are more comfortable than their Boeing 717 counterparts, since the aircraft is meant to fly longer distances. The planes are significantly newer, offer more padding on seats, and have a much more spacious first class cabin. The key differentiator is that these planes offer complimentary Starlink Wi-Fi throughout the entire flight. There is no Wi-Fi on the Boeing 717.
Rarely, Hawaiian may fly an A330 between the islands, though this is the exception rather than the norm. If you can snag one of these planes, you can fly in comfort, but only for about 20 minutes or so.
3. Lounge Access Is Limited
Hawaiian Airlines operates Premier Club locations in Honolulu, Hilo, Kahului (Maui), Kona, and Lihue (Kauai). These lounges are no-frills, open from morning until evening, and offer a comfortable place to relax before your flight, but with limited amenities. These lounges are nothing like the nicer Plumeria Lounge.
With a first class ticket on an interisland flight, either paid, award, or upgrade, you can use the lounge. Each lounge offers small bagged snacks (think nuts or snack mix), coffee and hot tea, soft drinks and juice from a dispenser, Wi-Fi, charging outlets, and, in Honolulu, private restrooms.
There is also a customer service agent in the lounge to help you with any ticketing or seat assignment needs.
Think of the lounge as a private area with comfortable seating and nonalcoholic drinks, but nothing more. The Premier Clubs are much less comfortable than typical U.S. airline lounges, such as the United Club or American Airlines Admirals Club. Nonetheless, it’s a nice place to get some work done before your flight or to avoid sitting in the gate area.
If you’re not on a first class ticket, you can typically access the lounge with a Priority Pass membership.
4. Onboard Service Is Super Quick
Most flights between the islands last 20 to 30 minutes, sometimes a bit less, sometimes a bit more, depending on the route. These flights are incredibly quick, and it won’t be long after you take off that you’re already being asked to prepare for landing.
Flight attendants will usually take first class alcoholic or nonalcoholic beverage orders on the ground and spring into action as soon as the seatbelt sign comes off to provide you with your beverage of choice. Drink fast, because there’s little time for refills.
I’ve noticed some flight attendants are much more forgiving than others and will offer a refill or additional drink even as the gear is down and you’re ready to land. Other than a beverage, there is no additional service due to the lack of time.
Keep in mind that because these flights are short, using the onboard restroom can be quite a challenge. Especially if there’s turbulence, the seatbelt sign might stay on for the duration of the trip, making it impossible to use the facilities. Even if it’s off, you might only have a few minutes to jump up and use the restroom before you’re asked to sit. My recommendation is to go before boarding.
While the service on the quick flight isn’t anything to write home about, the real entertainment is the views outside, which can be stunning on both takeoff and landing.
5. Flights Are Cheap and Awards Start Low
Flying between the islands isn’t terribly expensive. Most one-way trips between the islands are less than $100, so it’s pretty easy to island hop without breaking the bank. Unlike flights on the mainland, you won’t find prices rise too much as it gets close to departure, so you can usually book last-minute trips for far less than you’d pay for a similar routing on the mainland.
Alaska Airlines and Hawaiian Airlines have a flexible booking policy: if you need to cancel your ticket, you can do so without any penalty, and the funds will be credited to your online wallet. You can then use these funds to book another trip.
I did this on a recent trip from Honolulu to Maui. I wanted to change my return flight, and rather than doing a same-day change, which was a bit cumbersome, I simply canceled my ticket and then used those same funds to book the new ticket since the new flights were the same price (which is not uncommon in Hawaii). This allows you additional flexibility if you don’t know when you’re flying between the islands.
6. Hawaiian Airlines Doesn’t Serve Every Island
Interestingly, Hawaiian Airlines does not serve all of the Hawaiian Islands. For example, Hawaiian does not serve Lanai (where one of my favorite hotels, the Four Seasons Lanai, is located) or Molokai. These islands tend to have far fewer tourists than the larger islands and aren’t served by Hawaiian Airlines; instead, they’re served by a small regional carrier called Mokulele Airlines. Benefits don’t transfer between Hawaiian and Mokulele, so the experience and redemption opportunities won’t be the same, but if you need to get to these smaller communities, you may only have one shot.
Some city pairs you can book on a single ticket, while other flights are booked separately. If you need to book your flights separately, be sure to allow plenty of time between your Hawaiian Airlines flight and your Mokulele flight so you can transfer without any stress. You may be required to pick up your baggage and then recheck it with Mokulele.
7. Be Prepared To Board via Stairs
At some airports, you may need to board your aircraft via stairs, so keep this in mind when bringing luggage onboard. You usually won’t have to use any stairs in Honolulu, but other airports may require you to board or deplane using stairs. If you have a larger or heavier carry-on, you may want to consider checking it.
Stairs are mostly utilized at airports other than Honolulu and Maui.
8. Some Flights Are in a Separate Terminal
At Maui and Honolulu, Hawaiian Airlines operates an interisland terminal that is separate from flights to the mainland or other destinations. If you’re coming off an interisland flight, you must make your way to another terminal in many cases, and you usually have to undergo an agricultural scan of your bag to ensure you’re not bringing back any fruits and vegetables.
In Honolulu, especially, with it being such a big airport, it may take a few minutes to get from one gate to another, so if you’re on a connecting itinerary, leave time between flights for the transfer.
9. Window Seats Offer the Best Views
Window seats are popular on Hawaiian Airlines flights, especially on interisland flights, where you can see fantastic views for pretty much the whole flight.
Generally, if you’re flying from west to east, sit on the left side of the aircraft, and if you’re flying east to west, the right side of the plane, but you can still get views on either side.
10. Luggage Retrieval Can Be Slow
If you’ve ever flown Hawaiian Airlines, you know that getting your bags off the baggage carousel in Honolulu can require a long wait. Especially during peak season, when many flights land at once, you should pack your patience.
If at all possible, try to bring only a carry-on bag for your trip so you don’t have to check a bag. If you do need a larger bag, plan to wait for your luggage to come out.
Final Thoughts
Hawaiian Airlines is the predominant carrier in Hawaii, flying between the islands. While the flights are short, the service is friendly, and Hawaiian offers a robust schedule to get you where you need to go. Fares are usually relatively cheap, and with Hawaiian joining the Oneworld alliance, you can soon access alliance-wide perks.