Southwest has been struggling in Hawai’i, thanks to stronger than anticipated loyalty to Hawaiian, and just poor timing. Add in pressure from Elliott Investment, and Southwest is reshuffling Hawai’i service in hopes of improving its financial performance.
The arrival of Southwest Airlines in the islands was transformational for travel. It meant that Hawaiian no longer had a monopoly on inter-island flights, as well as on some key Hawai’i-West Coast routes. The move also weakened Hawaiian’s financial health before the pandemic hit, which snowballed into the situation we’re in today, with Hawaiian being acquired by Alaska Air. However, the pandemic also put the brakes on Southwest’s plans in the islands, slowing growth and return on investment.
Boeing also contributed to the issue, as Southwest had planned on using the smaller 737 MAX7 for Hawai’i ops. Being forced to use the larger MAX8 meant dumping more capacity into the market than they wanted to, which has had a negative effect on pricing and profitability.
Then came Elliott. With a laser focus on profits above all else, Southwest’s management was under pressure to do something about Hawai’i, even though their presence here helps them to increase profits related to Rapid Rewards. Well, it seems like, as was the case with other portions of its operations, Southwest is bowing to the pressure again, with the result being that Southwest is reshuffling Hawai’i service. Thankfully, though, the changes are drastic ones.
Southwest is Reshuffling Hawai’i Service
There are many elements to this all as Southwest is reshuffling Hawai’i service, so I’m going to do my best to separate this out into more digestible segments. The first portion we’re going to discuss is the one that I was most concerned with – intra-Hawai’i service.
Inter-Island Service Changes
To me, this is where Southwest has had the most impact, as Hawaiian enjoyed a monopoly here for quite some time now. So, when news that Southwest is reshuffling Hawai’i service broke, this is where I my mind immediately went. Anyway, here’s what happening for these flights:
- Honolulu-Kahului: reduction from 77 weekly flights to 55. This represents a change from 11 daily flights to an average of just under eight flights per day
- Honolulu-Kona: reduction from 42 weekly flights to 34. This represents a change from six daily flights to an average of just under five flights per day
- Honolulu-Lihue: same as Honolulu-Kona
Southwest’s Honolulu-Hilo and Kahului-Lihue services remain unchanged at three and one flight(s) per day, respectively.
Trans-Pacific Changes
As you can see, the inter-island changes are all cuts. However, as we discuss how Southwest is reshuffling Hawai’i service, trans-Pacific service is where we see some variability.
Honolulu
Routes to Honolulu aren’t seeing any cuts, but we are seeing some frequency reductions, along with an increase. Both Oakland and Phoenix are seeing reductions from twice daily down to a single daily flight. However, on the flip side, Las Vegas is gaining a third daily flight.
Kahului
Service on the Valley Isle is seeing a more convoluted set of changes.
- Long Beach service is being suspended indefinitely
- Las Vegas and Oakland service is being cut from twice to once daily
- San Jose flights are seeing a major boost, going from twice weekly to five times per week
Kona
Compared to other destinations in Hawai’i, Kona’s changes are mostly positive.
- Los Angeles flights return seasonally with two flights per week from June 7 to August 3, 2025
- Oakland service is being suspended indefinitely
- Sacramento service is being reinstated with one daily flight
Lihue
Lihue is seeing a single change, which is the reinstatement of seasonal twice weekly flights to Los Angeles between June 7 and August 3, 2025
New Flights
It isn’t all doom-and-gloom as Southwest is reshuffling Hawai’i service. In fact, there are two all-new flights being added, which are a redeye Honolulu-Los Angeles flight, along with a redeye Lihue-Las Vegas. It’s worth noting that these are in addition to the five announced earlier this year.
Southwest is Reshuffling Hawai’i Service, Final Thoughts
While I had hoped Southwest wouldn’t resort to cutting back service in Hawai’i, I’ll take these relatively small cuts over what could’ve been. After all, some of their inter-island routes are already a bit inconvenient, which is why I ended up fly Hawaiian to Hilo the last time I went. But, it is what it is. And, to be honest, I may start flying Hawaiian more simply because of their affiliation with Alaska Airlines. Though, for a cheap flight between the islands, I’ll continue to stick with redeeming Ultimate Rewards points via transfer into Rapid Rewards.
At any rate, all of the above changes are effective April 8, 2025, except for the seasonal routes.