Hawaiian, Alaska are boosting flights to Maui

Alaska offers pretesting program

Hawaiian and Alaska airlines on Wednesday announced resumption of flights from the Mainland to Kahului Airport, as the state gears up for its COVID-19 pre-travel testing program for trans-Pacific flyers Oct. 15.

Alaska Airlines also announced a COVID-19 testing pop-up program along the West Coast, beginning in Seattle, that has been approved by Hawaii.

By Nov. 18, Hawaiian will resume flights between Kahului Airport and Los Angeles; Oakland, Calif.; Portland, Ore.; Seattle; San Jose, Calif.; and Sacramento.

In addition, Hawaiian will resume nonstop service between Honolulu’s Daniel K. Inouye International Airport and McCarran International Airport in Las Vegas starting Thursday and between Honolulu and Oakland, Phoenix and San Jose international airports Nov. 1.

Hawaiian also is increasing frequencies on existing nonstop service between Honolulu and six U.S. West Coast cities — Los Angeles, Portland, Sacramento, San Diego, San Francisco and Seattle — by Nov. 18.

“We’re encouraged by the positive response to the state’s decision to welcome travelers back to Hawaii, and we are resuming service to key markets to give our guests more options to visit our islands,” said Brent Overbeek, senior vice president of revenue management and network planning at Hawaiian Airlines.

Hawaiian also is restarting international passenger service Thursday with a weekly flight between Honolulu and Tokyo’s Narita International Airport. The airline has been flying cargo between the two locations since June and will resume passenger service for essential travel after suspending flights in March.

Alaska Airlines will be adding a second daily flight between Seattle and Kahului Airport beginning Oct. 15, said Alaska Airlines spokesman Daniel Chun on Wednesday.

On Nov. 1, the airlines will offer four daily flights to Maui — two daily from Seattle, one daily from San Diego and four per week from Portland and three per week from San Jose, he said.

The airline will be increasing flights to Maui during the Thanksgiving holiday period from Nov. 20 to 30, he said. There will be seven daily flights to Maui — three daily from Seattle, one daily from Portland, one daily from San Diego, four per week from San Jose, four per week from Oakland, three per week from Anchorage, Alaska, and three per week from Los Angeles.

Alaska Airlines also will be offering rapid COVID-19 testing that is compliant with state’s pretesting program, which will enable visitors to Hawaii to bypass the 14-day quarantine.

The airline is partnering with Carbon Health to offer rapid COVID-19 testing in its popup clinics across the West Coast, starting Oct. 12 in Seattle. Test results will be ready within two hours at a discounted cost of $135 for Alaska Airlines flyers.

Carbon Health utilizes the Abbott ID NOW rapid test (same as United Airlines’ test at San Francisco airport). Testing will be available for all Alaska Airlines passengers — of any age over 3 months old.

Hawaiian also offers a pretesting program at Los Angeles and San Francisco airports.