If you’re planning on purchasing a neighbor island flight on Hawaiian Airlines, be prepared to (maybe) pay a bit more if you want to check a bag. For tickets purchased on or after March 10th, Hawaiian Airlines has raised the price of 1 checked bag from $17 to $25, and the price of a 2nd checked bag from $17 to $35. However, if you’re a HawaiianMiles Member (even just a general member), the first bag price goes down to $15, while the second bag price goes up to $20.
Below are the terms and conditions:
*Restrictions may apply. As a member benefit, HawaiianMiles members will enjoy reduced 1st and 2nd checked baggage fees when flying between the Neighbor Islands, traveling wholly within the State of Hawaii. For example, a ticket from Honolulu (Oahu) to Kahului (Maui) is considered a Neighbor Island ticket, and therefore, Neighbor Island bag fees apply. A ticket from JFK to Kahului with a connection in Honolulu will be considered a North America ticket, and therefore, North America bag fees apply. Discount applies to confirmed Hawaiian Airlines revenue tickets and flight award tickets redeemed with HawaiianMiles. Discount is applicable on any fare class ticket. Baggage discounts will only be applied when your HawaiianMiles number is present in your reservation, or added prior to completing the check-in process.
Purchasing tickets through codeshare partners: In compliance with DOT regulations, Hawaiian Airlines must be the marketing carrier on your itinerary to assure that this benefit is applied (i.e. ticket shows a Hawaiian Airlines flight number for the first flight on the ticket). If you are a member of HawaiianMiles and another airline’s frequent flyer program, your HawaiianMiles number must be the only frequent flyer number present in your reservation, to be eligible for the baggage discount. This also means you will be earning HawaiianMiles for your entire itinerary; mileage credit will not be posted to any other frequent flyer program.
I hate checking my bags, mainly because it means there’s a possibility my bag will be lost or that I’ll be waiting at baggage claim for a while. However, there are some instances where I just have to check a bag or when I’m traveling with family who are checking their bags (or when I’m traveling Alaska Airlines and want to test the 20-minute guarantee!). I bring this up because even as a checked bag hater, each of my last few trips to Hawaii have involved someone checking a bag because of how much $@&% the people I travel with have brought.
It’s worth noting on my latest neighbor island flight from Kona to Honolulu, I was offered an upgrade to First Class for $50 at the airport, which includes 2 free checked bags. If that upgrade offer exists on your flight and you’re traveling with everything including the kitchen sink, it may be a good option. As for credit card options, the Barclays HawaiianAirlines credit card only allows 1 free bag for the primary cardholder (no companion) and only if you book the ticket through Hawaiian Airlines’ website using that credit card.
