Southwest Airlines started service between California and Hawaii in March. Now the budget carrier plans to add another destination: Hilo, on the island of Hawaii. The airline gave few details about the upcoming service. “Big news for the Island of Hawaii!” Southwest posted on Twitter on May 11. “We’re excited to announce that Hilo will be the fifth airport served by Southwest in the Hawaiian Islands.” Hilo is located on the east side of the island, close to the popular Hawaii Volcanoes National Park. Service to the city would connect through Honolulu, media reports said. Hawaii’s Kilauea volcano a year later: a low-key ceremony, a much bigger crater » Advertisement Flights to Kauai’s North Shore restart, after more than two decades » The airline began service between Oakland and and Honolulu’s Daniel K. Inouye International Airport (HNL) on March 17 and currently operates nonstop flights to Hawaii from Oakland and San Jose. The airline earlier said it would start service between Hawaii and San Diego and Sacramento, but no dates have been announced. (No Los Angeles flights are planned.) Southwest serves Honolulu, Kona, on the west side of Hawaii Island, and Kahului on Maui. It earlier announced plans to fly to Lihue on Kauai (no date given), and started inter-island flights last weekend between Kona and Honolulu. An earlier L.A. Times story said Southwest’s entry into the Hawaii market caused a 17% drop in April in airfares between California and Hawaii, compared with the same time last year. “Whenever you have a new player in a market and a lot more seats, fares will drop,” aviation analyst Seth Kaplan said. “It’s usually good news for consumers when there is more competition in the market.” travel@latimes.com @latimestravel<doc-sep>HONOLULU (AP) — Southwest Airlines has started a new route in the Hawaiian islands with plans to add more interisland service, officials said. The airline began service between Honolulu on Oahu and Kona on Hawaii Island Sunday, The Honolulu Star-Advertiser reported Sunday. Southwest plans to begin four-times daily service to Hilo on the eastern side of the Big Island in late 2019 or early 2020, officials said. RELATED: San Antonio makes list of 18 best budget travel destinations of 2019 Southwest entered the Hawaii market in March when it initiated service between Honolulu and Oakland, California. With the addition of Kona, Southwest has 16 Hawaii interisland flights, or 1,800 daily interisland air seats. The Hilo service would add 1,400 more seats each day to the interisland market, where Southwest flies 175-seat Boeing 737-800 aircraft. The Dallas-based carrier has added 2,100 daily seats through the 12 daily trans-Pacific flights that it offers to and from Hawaii, officials said. RELATED: San Antonio airport gets new low-cost airline, 2 nonstop routes Southwest also expects to announce upcoming Hawaii service from San Diego and Sacramento, California, officials said. Southwest is planning more Hawaii expansion based on what it believes is strong demand for service to Hawaii from almost every city in California, as well as Arizona, Nevada and Colorado, said Andrew Watterson, Southwest executive vice president and chief revenue officer. ___ Information from: Honolulu Star-Advertiser, http://www.staradvertiser.com<doc-sep>Alaska Air (NYSE: ALK) is a major player in the West Coast-Hawaii air travel market today. In fact, the carrier says it operates more flights between the West Coast and Hawaii than any other airline -- an average of 29 daily round trips. However, competition is increasing rapidly. Last year, industry capacity between the western U.S. and Hawaii surged 10.7% -- largely driven by United Continental and Hawaiian Holdings (NASDAQ: HA) -- putting pressure on fares. Industry capacity growth is set to accelerate again over the course of 2019, as Southwest Airlines (NYSE: LUV) moves into Hawaii for the first time. This action could potentially provoke more fare wars. Let's look at whether Alaska Airlines has the tools to remain successful in Hawaii as the competitive environment changes. Hawaii is an important market for Alaska Airlines Alaska Airlines entered the Hawaii market relatively recently, launching a Seattle-Honolulu route in late 2007. Within two years, it was operating an average of more than seven daily round trips to Hawaii from its main operating bases in the Pacific Northwest -- Seattle, Portland, and Anchorage. An Alaska Airlines plane flying over clouds Alaska Airlines began flying to Hawaii less than 12 years ago. Image source: Alaska Airlines. However, about half of Alaska Airlines' flights to Hawaii originate in California today. That's because Aloha Airlines and ATA Airlines -- historically big players in the California-Hawaii market -- both folded in 2008. Alaska stepped in to fill that vacuum, adding numerous routes to Hawaii from cities such as Oakland, Sacramento, San Diego, and San Jose. For most of the past decade, it faced limited competition in these markets. The legacy carriers were retrenching from routes outside their hubs, Southwest Airlines didn't fly to Hawaii, and Hawaiian Airlines couldn't serve midsize markets profitably, because of its reliance on widebody jets with more than 250 seats for its West Coast flights. As a result, Hawaii flights now account for close to 15% of Alaska Airlines' capacity. But the conditions that enabled Alaska's big expansion in Hawaii are disappearing. Story continues Strategy changes at two key rivals The first change to the competitive environment came with Hawaiian Airlines' decision to order the 189-seat Airbus A321neo to complement its widebody fleet. Since the beginning of 2018, Hawaiian has used its A321neos to enter several markets where Alaska Airlines previously offered the only nonstop flights, including San Diego-Kahului, Oakland-Lihue, and Sacramento-Kahului. A Hawaiian Airlines A321neo parked on the tarmac, with airstairs attached Hawaiian Airlines has added new West Coast-Hawaii routes recently. Image source: Hawaiian Airlines. More recently, Southwest Airlines has added Hawaii to its route network. By the end of this month, it will operate six daily round trips to Hawaii, connecting Oakland and San Jose to Honolulu and Kahului. Once its Boeing 737 MAX 8 fleet gets back in the air, it plans to add numerous additional routes, including Hawaii flights from Sacramento and San Diego, as well as nonstop service to two more Hawaiian destinations -- Kona and Lihue. As a result, capacity to Hawaii is currently growing more than 20% annually from Oakland, Sacramento, and San Diego. By next month, capacity between San Jose and Hawaii will likely be up by a similar amount on a year-over-year basis. Today, about a third of Alaska Airlines' flights to Hawaii originate in these four cities where Southwest Airlines and Hawaiian Airlines are both looking to grow. For now, fares seem to be holding up, but with industry capacity growth still ramping up, that could change -- especially during the offseason later this year. Alaska Airlines wants to stay -- but can it afford to? So far, Alaska Airlines' management has expressed a commitment to maintaining the airline's position in Hawaii. That said, Alaska can't pursue growth at the expense of profitability. Last fall, the company set a 13% to 15% target range for its pre-tax margin. Achieving that target won't be easy, so Alaska Airlines can't afford to keep routes that underperform. From Oakland, Alaska Airlines only flies to its Seattle and Portland hubs, aside from its Hawaii flights. It offers just slightly more service in Sacramento. In San Jose and San Diego, Alaska is the No. 2 carrier, but in both cities, Southwest Airlines has nearly three times its market share. Thus, Southwest Airlines has a much bigger built-in customer base in the California cities where it plans to compete with Alaska Airlines' Hawaii flights. It can also capture more connecting traffic in those cities. As for Hawaiian Airlines, its specialization in the Hawaii market and the connecting service it offers within and beyond Hawaii are key competitive advantages. Importantly, Southwest Airlines and Hawaiian Airlines probably also have lower unit costs than Alaska Airlines for routes to Hawaii. Half of Alaska Airlines' Hawaii flights originate in Seattle, Portland, or Anchorage, and those routes aren't going anywhere. But for California-Hawaii flights, Alaska may struggle in the long run to meet its margin target for routes that face nonstop competition, outside its larger focus cities of San Francisco and Los Angeles. Fortunately, Alaska Airlines should have no trouble redeploying the planes used for those routes today to more profitable opportunities elsewhere. More From The Motley Fool Adam Levine-Weinberg owns shares of Alaska Air Group, Hawaiian Holdings, and Southwest Airlines. The Motley Fool owns shares of and recommends Southwest Airlines. The Motley Fool recommends Alaska Air Group and Hawaiian Holdings. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.<doc-sep>The Southwest Airlines ticket counter agent at Midway International Airport in Chicago saw the "HNL" airport code on my baggage tag and smiled. “Ooooh, you’re my first one to Hawaii.’’ She waved the tag at the agent next to her. “Look, Honolulu.’’ No new Southwest destination has generated as much buzz in the airline’s 48-year history as its flights to Hawaii, which began March 17 with nonstop service from California. A month after the flights debuted with fanfare including hula dancers and free leis, USA TODAY bought a Southwest ticket to Honolulu to test travelers’ newest option to the tropical paradise. Would the Hawaii flights be different than other Southwest flights, besides being longer than most? Would it be, as some critics sneer, miserable to fly to Hawaii on a lowly Boeing 737 instead of a wide-body jet, especially without assigned seats? Would passengers be famished after the five-hour-plus flight from California given Southwest’s snacks-only food service? More: Those $49 Southwest tickets to Hawaii sold out quickly Getting to California on Southwest The last-minute tickets for a trip last week weren’t as cheap as Southwest’s teaser introductory fares or some of those nabbed by my seatmates, but at $644 round trip, it was more than reasonable during spring break thanks to the new competition. My Southwest journey to Honolulu from Chicago took three flights, a plane change and 13 hours, compared with a (much pricier) 9 1/2 hour nonstop flight on United. There’s no easy way to get to Hawaii on Southwest from Chicago or most cities outside the West Coast given the airline’s initial focus on nonstop flights from California. (And forget about booking a return ticket without an overnight stay in California.) The routing: Chicago-St. Louis-Oakland-Honolulu. The Chicago-St. Louis leg was 45 minutes, followed by four hours from St. Louis to Oakland. By the time I arrived at Oakland International Airport for Southwest’s 5:45 p.m. departure to Honolulu, I’d already taken the equivalent of an Oakland-Hawaii flight. Along the way, I’d devoured the turkey club sandwich I bought at Midway plus Southwest’s free pretzels, Oreos and Fritos, two cups of tea with a few essential oil drops (a seatmate worried I’d get sick from all the travel) and a can of Diet Dr. Pepper. And I had another 5 hours to go. Southwest Flight 1935 from Oakland to Honolulu Southwest’s flights to Hawaii operate out of Gates 4 and 6 in Terminal 1 instead of the airline’s usual home in Terminal 2 in Oakland, which leads to a long walk to the gate whether you’re connecting from another Southwest flight or coming from the ticket counter. I checked one bag for free. Gate scene: The typical zoo, with travelers lining up earlier than necessary and a snaking line of families in the family boarding line, aka the airline's flights to and from Orlando. What’s not typical: travelers snapping selfies in front of the departure board flashing Honolulu. The gate announcements have a little Hawaiian flavor: “Aloha and welcome. Make your way to Gate 6 for Southwest Flight 1935. Mahalo.” Boarding: I checked in for my Southwest flights exactly 24 hours before departure and was thrilled to get a high boarding priority for the Oakland-Honolulu flight. (The airline famously doesn't assign seats. Seating is first come, first served.) It was good enough to score seat 16D, an aisle seat in the emergency exit row. Travelers who don’t like their boarding position can purchase upgraded boarding at the gate when available. The price was $40 per person the day of my flight. More: Southwest seat saving drives some passengers crazy Aside from the flight attendant wearing a plumeria flower hair clip, nothing suggested this would be anything but an ordinary Southwest flight. One of the announcements stood out and suggested a possible party atmosphere on some flights to Hawaii, where the airline sells a coconut rum drink and Hawaiian beer in addition to its regular beverage menu. “Let’s drink and enjoy, but don’t over imbibe. Remember there are children on board.’’ Before takeoff, one of the pilots on the Boeing 737-800 welcomed passengers with his own Hawaiian flair. “In five hours and one minute we’re going to have you in Honolulu,’’ he said. “Aloha.’’ What does Southwest serve on flights to Hawaii? In-flight food: Less than an hour into the flight, Southwest flight attendants handed out the airline’s new snack pack, offered only on Hawaii flights. “Sit back and snack. Because we [heart] you,’’ the package says. Inside: Wheat Thins, a tiny container of white cheddar cheese spread, Southwest’s signature pretzels, Welch’s fruit snacks, a few Tic Tacs and a wet wipe. The airline has touted the snack pack and a Milano cookie handed out before landing as a more generous offering for the longer Hawaii flights. But I felt like the free snacks were more plentiful on the shorter but still lengthy St. Louis-Oakland flight earlier that day. On that flight, passengers had their pick of Fritos, Oreos and Ritz cheese crackers and were free to take as many as they wanted when flight attendants passed by with the snack basket. Bottom line: the Hawaii snack pack is not going to win any in-flight food awards or substitute for a meal so passengers should eat before their flight or bring food aboard. One preflight option in Oakland, admittedly a splurge: pay $45 for unlimited food and drinks at the Escape lounge near Southwest’s Hawaii gates. I had free access through my credit card and filled up on salami, hummus, vegetables and couscous. Southwest’s coconut rum and pineapple orange juice cocktail, which cost $7, is a nice tropical touch, and the Kona Longboard Island Lager is popular. The couple in front of me ordered a few rounds. “I’ll start a tab and then we can settle up at the end,’’ the flight attendant told them after their second order. More: Southwest Airlines user's guide In-flight entertainment: Southwest passengers flying to Hawaii, as on all Southwest flights, won’t be bored or go broke buying in-flight movies.<doc-sep>
Southwest Airlines is adding another destination in Hawaii but has not revealed the timing or flight details. The airline, which began flights to Hawaii in March, plans to offer interisland flights to Hilo International Airport, on the island of Hawaii or "Big Island." Flights from the mainland to Hilo will not be offered. Travelers will have to connect in Honolulu. Hilo is on the east side of the island. Most visitors to the island of Hawaii fly into Kona International Airport on the west side. The Hilo airport is the closest airport to Hawaii Volcanoes National Park, a popular tourist attraction. The park was temporarily closed a year ago because of a major volcanic eruption, and some parts remain closed. Southwest announced the Hilo flights as it launched its first interisland flights to Kona on Sunday. The airline offers flights between Honolulu and Kona. Passengers from the mainland U.S. can book tickets to Kona with a stop in Honolulu. Hawaiian Airlines and other carriers already offer service to Kona and Hilo. Southwest has started slow in Hawaii. The airline only offers a handful of daily flights from Oakland and San Jose, California, to Honolulu and Maui. More: Flying Southwest to Hawaii: Coconut rum, snack packs and "Forgetting Sarah Marshall'' More: First-timers' guide to Honolulu: 10 Do's and Don'ts More: Southwest Hawaii flights: Here's why some travelers can't book a return flight The airline previously announced plans to offer flights from two other California cities, San Diego and Sacramento, to Hawaii, but those flights have not begun and the airline is mum on when they will debut. Southwest has also said it plans to fly to Kauai but has not revealed a timetable. The airline's next schedule extension, which will open reservations into early January, is scheduled for June 20. The airline, which opens it schedule in increments instead of nearly a year in advance like most carriers, is currently accepting reservations through early November.