Aloha, Hawaii!

This week, Southwest Airlines announced a new service that is making the trip to paradise a lot easier. Starting on March 17, 2019, the airline will begin taking passengers to Hawaii. The first flight will depart from Oakland to Honolulu, Oahu. Trips to Kona and Maui will follow.

“As we answer the call for Southwest in Hawaii with an initial schedule of service that speaks to a long-held hope of our customers, I applaud and congratulate our people for their steady and impressive work to bring our world-famous hospitality and game-changing value to the Islands,” said Gary Kelly, Southwest Airlines’ Chairman & Chief Executive Officer.

The best part? The price tag of the tickets. If customers booked flights yesterday or today, tickets can be as low as $49 for a one-way ticket and inter-island tickets start at just $29.

Arizona customers will have a layover in one of its connecting cities  – Oakland, San Diego, San Jose, Sacramento – to be able to fly to the islands.

Phoenix Sky Harbor has seen a record number of passengers in 2018, reaching 44,943,686 passengers in and out of the airport, a 2.3 percent increase from 2017.

“Southwest Airlines is a tremendous partner at Sky Harbor, with a robust operation. What’s good for our partner’s growth, is good for Sky Harbor and this community,” Deborah Ostreicher, assistant aviation director for the City of Phoenix said. “We are excited that Southwest is embarking on Hawaii service and look forward to the day when their service is offered nonstop from Phoenix. In the meantime, passengers have an added option to get between Phoenix and Hawaii.”