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Does anyone know if there is a "best time" to travel to Kona? I got information for a time share the other day and I would love to go but I would have to book that in advance and wondered what the "slow" times might be for KOA. I am on DL and travel at S3C, right now we do not have ZED agreements with the company I work for, so my options are limited.
Hey browneyes,
Unfortunately I don't have much of an answer for you, but I just wanted to let you know that I deleted your other post to save clutter. Don't worry, I'm sure a reputable DL person will be just as likely to answer your question. I think KOA loads should match up with the rest of Hawaii loads in general.
Generally the best time to travel to Hawaii/Kona would be off season in the spring - late February to May (excluding Easter & spring break) and fall - Oct to early December (excluding Thanksgiving)
BTW, humpback whale watching season (Kona) is mid January to early March.
And you don’t have to take a cruise to see them ether, just look to the shore and watch for the plumes of water.
AA, AS, DL, UA all have LAX-KOA non-stops
anybody ever nonrev on Hawaiian Air, Im looking at them as a backup in case the DL flights dont work out.
I have nonrevved on HA but it's probably been a decade. I don't think there are amazing times to nonrev to Hawaii in general because it is such a popular destination so my advice would be to be flexible. If there are seats to HNL but not to KOA, take them because you can easily go inter-island. Don't try to travel home the day before you have to be back at work since Hawaii is a well known place to get stuck for a day or two - leave yourself a cushion.
All that being said, I have flown nonrev to the islands many times with no difficulty. Pretty much always at the beginning of March (see above, just before spring break) but I know people who have done it in April with no problems either. The off season (read that to mean the tail end of hurricane season) in October and the beginning of November would be a good time as well. Stay well away from long weekends and major holidays like Thanksgiving and Christmas. Have fun and let us know what you decide!
Surprisingly, I've flown nonrev on HA via LAS in 1st week of FEB and never had a problem...The service is amazing.
my first choice is ideally the FLT 837 from ATL-HNL, but thats an iffy one at times, my second option would to try to make it out to a west coast city, LAS, SFO, SEA, OAK, and try to nonrev on a HA flight if needed. The trip isnt until mid August, im just trying to price it to see if its worth going then or wait until the "off season"
From the Hawaii Visitors Bureau travel to Hawaii in the summer is (actually) heavier than the winter. ODD you think - but not so. School teachers and children & parents summer vacation increases travel. Then there is the factor that is overlooked that more people reside in the southern half of the United States than the northern. The weather as bad as it is in the north in the winter does not hold a candle to the hot humid weather that the south land experiences in the summer. So folks like to escape to air conditioned Hawaii for respite. See the picture here ? But trying to take the once daily nonstop ATLHNL is like putting all the eggs in one basket. Look at all the ways you can get to the point(s) where other flights are. There is a nonstop out of SLC and of course the west coast cities. Check out the possibilities of taking the first flight out in the morning - don't wait til later in the day when all the cancellations; oversales; maintenance delays have compounded against you. Be thankful if you are able to get on in an Economy Comfort seat. First and Business class is a tough nut to crack. All the frequent flyers and award tickets pretty much rule out the front cabin -"BUT" you might get lucky - won't know until you check it out and try. With the Delta TravelNet for assistance you can preview the other non-revs trying to get on your flight. Not an exact science til the day of departure and the Airport Standby List is established. Wished the Non-Rev Standby List provided the Pass Classification with the Seniority Date for better idea of the chances of making a flight. It helps to check who made or did not make the flights from the day previous and see what non-revs were rolled over. You won't get the names only the last name first three letters but the seniority date will be there giving you a clue. There is so much more to offer you clues to the possibilities of making a flight such as checking the seat mask (chart) at the Delta.com website but you may already know that. Now as for travel to Kona best to consider getting to Hawaii (Honolulu, Ohau) first and then if necessary buy a ticket from HNL to KOA. Consider another overlooked round-a-bout way to get to KOA by flying to Hilo and renting a car from that point driving to Kona. So bear in mind that you might have to adjust your schedule shorting or extending your vacation a day or two to get around a travel trouble spot. BEFORE YOU MAKE THE LEAP OF FAITH Please do some checking on how you are going to get back to where you started from. A worst case scenario is to plan on buying a cheap ticket to get you back to the Mainland where travel possibilities are better. Travel to Hawaii in the summer is possible just a bit more difficult although not as bad as the Presidents day weekend or Thanksgiving (impossible !!!!!). Buddy passes S4 and Retirees S3B plan carefully - Active S3 and S2 may have troubles with the popular timed flights. Count your blessings if you can at least make the Mainland; more than half the battle is over at that point. With the exception of the buddy passes there is also the possibility of buying the/a ticket "Fly Confirmed for Less & Even Less"! Good Luck - Break-a-Leg or whatever it takes !
If you can spring for a confirmed ticket, you should because as RM Anderson and others have said, summer is a difficult time to non-rev to Hawaii. Might not have that much difficulty getting out there but coming back, the lists are very long with everyone seeming to use their highest travel priority. Buying a confirmed ticket at least for the the return portion is a good suggestion as well.