Q. Aloha Watchdog! Our family is hoping to fly to either Kauai or the Big Island from SFO in August of 2010. What time of year do airlines usually have big airfare sales to Hawaii? Mahalo!
A. And a big Aloha to you too! One of the most predictable thing about airfare sales is that they're unpredictable. If only we could say, "The week after the cherry trees blossom on the East Coast has always been the time of year that we've found the lowest fares for travel to..." In fact, the airlines use the element of surprise to try to undercut and undersell each other all the time with unadvertised sales and price reductions. Signing up for our alerts or visiting the website often is one of the best ways you can keep on top of what's going on with your route. You'll be able to keep an eye on both prices and fare periods. Then, when you see your period of travel coming up, you'll be coiled up and ready to pounce on a great price, like the sale fare predator we know you to be!