Kauai to Oahu on the cheap is now possible!
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I did not know where I was, really. In the Honolulu airport of course, but I didn’t see any familiar landmarks. In fact, the part of the airport I was in after flying from Kauai to Oahu looked new!
I’d just arrived from Kauai on my first Southwest flight. At $29 for the flight over and $39 for the flight back, my trip is a mere $79! What a change from the $200+ Hawaiian was charging. I say “was charging” because I see they now have “some” lower fares for $49 and $59, although most are still around $100 each way.
My Kauai to Oahu shopping sprees normally consists of flying in on Hawaiian, then catching the #19 or #20 bus to Ala Moana. The bus stop is right outside the door of the Hawaiian terminal, now known as “terminal one.”
Southwest Airlines has changed all that!
First of all, thank you Southwest for bringing us affordable fares. Now, as to the arrival gate; I discover we are in terminal two, gate 10. Trust me when I say the walk to baggage claim is a long one. Walk off the plane, up the escalator, down the hallways following the “baggage claim” signs. Along the way, I ask three different security guards how to get to the bus. (I’m referring to the City Bus, not the WikiWiki.)
If you are collecting luggage, just keep following the baggage claim signs. If you hope to find the Bus, my best advice is to find gate F2. Just past this gate on your right is a security check and just before the security checkpoint is an exit.
Walk through the exit by security, continue straight outside and you will see a bench on the center island for the Bus. If it’s hot like it was the day I was there, stand under the shade of the terminal until you see the bus coming because the bus stop is nothing more than a bench with no shelter. BTW, if you are 65 or over and have your medicare card, bus fare is $1!
Flying Kauai to Oahu on Southwest is different.
On my Kauai to Oahu trip I learned that Southwest ONLY has open seating. However, when you check-in, you are assigned to group A through C, numbers 1-60. At the gate, you line up by group and number to board. The sooner you check-in, the better your group and number. It’s a quick flight from Kauai to Oahu, so no seat is really bad for such a short flight.
Finding Southwest to fly back.
The Southwest ticket counter is in Lobby 6, terminal two, formerly known as the International Terminal. Be advised, when I went through security, there was no pre-TSA and almost all of the passengers were holding passports. In other words, you go through security with all the international travelers, which took a good 20 minutes the Saturday I was there. So allow yourself plenty of time!
Once again, I chose to walk to the gate which was G-10. You pass two Starbucks on your way but hold off. G-10 is at the end of the G gates, down the escalator. Here, you will find a brand new Starbucks along with a little snack shop. Best to get your Starbucks here if you like to sit and sip while waiting for your departure.
My Kauai to Oahu lodging was budget too!
With Oahu hotel rates easily in the $250-$350 and up range, even for Kama’aina, going from Kauai to Oahu becomes a major expense. Thankfully, I found a very small, but very affordable studio on my favorite site, Airbnb. For $75 a night, along with my airfare, my 4 days, 3 night clocked in at just slightly over $300. That’s less than just one night in a hotel!
The unit was perfect! It had a double bed, TV, beach towels and snorkel equipment, coffee, tea, dishes, microwave, refrigerator /freezer, hairdryer, shower and was spotless. Click here to check it out.
Introducing Roberts of Hawaii Shuttle Services!
Traveling on a Saturday means busses run less often and I was concerned about the bus being on time, arriving at the airport on time, finding Southwest and getting to the gate.
While exploring the lower level of Ala Moana Shopping Center, I saw signs for luggage storage and airport shuttle. Following the signs led me to a Roberts of Hawaii.
Here, they store your luggage (or backpack as was my case) for $5. No need to worry about someone possibly breaking into one of the Ala Moana storage lockers. They also provide airport shuttle service to and from Honolulu. For $15 they arrange a pickup time suitable for your flight departure AND store your luggage while you do last-minute shopping. It was a win/win for me since I couldn’t store my backpack in my Airbnb! They also do hotel pickups. This service just opened up in Ala Moana about 2 months ago and is something I will definitely use again.
Thank you again, Southwest!
I plan to fly Southwest Kauai to Oahu more often now that it’s affordable. Just remember to give yourself plenty of time on the way back to get through Security and out to the far-flung gate.
The day I flew was World Kindness Day. Southwest, who is the airline with heart, gave us pretzels with a special message as seen in the photo above.
If you enjoyed Oahu, perhaps you’ll put the Big Island on your list after reading our Volcano Village post. Pele is not to be missed! Also, our Early Morning Princeville Walk will give you a sample of Kauai’s beauty. Like to do more than just walk? Fitness while Traveling has several suggestions to keep you active and healthy.
We’d love to have you follow along with us on our journeys. Subscribe on the sidebar for auto-notification of new posts – so you don’t miss out! Until next time, aloha!
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