Southwest Airlines Flights and their relationship with Hawaiian routes in the past year.
Southwest is the most loved low-cost airline in the United States. The airline was founded on 15 March 1967 by Herb Kelleher and Rolling King. Southwest operates 3800 flights daily. The airline is gaining momentum in the roundtrip market. Southwest didn’t go by a hub and spoke system and works on point-to-point systems with focus cities. It has a fleet size of 730. The airline is headquartered in Dallas, Texas. As of April 2021, the airline covers 114 destinations. These numbers may vary due to travel restrictions during COVID-19. Popular Routes and Destinations
Southwest entering Hawaiian
market
Southwest announced in the year
2017 that it would start operating scheduled Southwest Airlines Flights to
Hawaii. The airline's original plan was to start selling tickets in early 2018.
Still, due to the partial government shutdown, it had to delay its plans. In
2019 the airline got approval from the Federal Aviation Administration to
operate Southwest's Boeing 737 jets on the long overwater routes. The main aim
of Southwest was to increase Southwest Airlines flights percent in 2019.
Southwest entering the Hawaiian market would mean lowering the cost of
vacations in Hawaii. According to a study by the University of Virginia, the
airline's routes have non-stop service; the average one-way fares are around
40USD less than the cities airline doesn't have non-stop service in. This was
named "Southwest Effect."
The airline planned to operate Southwest
Airlines flights to the Hawaiian islands from four California states- San
Diego, San Hose, Oakland, and Sacramento. The destinations were set to be
Honolulu, Kahului, Maui, Kona, and Lihue on Kauai. The airline offered Southwest
Airlines Reservations between Honolulu and Kahului on Maui and Honolulu, and
Kona. The fares were set 29USD each way.
Effect of the pandemic on Southwest
Airlines Flights and tourism in Hawaii
In 2020 and 2021 several
restrictions were imposed on airlines. As a result, Southwest had to cut a lot
of routes, including
- Oakland
(OAK) – Lihue (LIH)
- San
Jose (SJC) – Lihue (LIH)
The only interisland route left was
from Honolulu(HNL) to Lihue (LIH). There could be changes in this particular
route as well. As of now, most Hawaiian islands do not ask for mandatory
quarantine and a medical certificate of negative COVID-19 RT PCR Test. This
policy does not apply to Kauai. It was decided in early December 2020 that all
travelers entering Kauai by making Southwest Airlines Reservations would be
subjected to a 10-day quarantine.
As a part of the policy, all travellers
will have to show proof of the COVID-19 test taken before departure and a test
upon arrival to the island. Once the passenger has arrived, he/she will be
allowed to roam around the six designated resorts for the first 72 hours upon
one condition. The passenger will have to wear a tracking bracelet confirming
his/her presence on the island.
After the 72-hour mark has passed,
the passenger will have to undergo another COVID test on the resort property
itself. The test will be conducted at the expense of the passenger. If the
reports come negative, he/she is free to continue the trip on the island.
This exhausting system took a toll on
the tourism sector of Kauai. As of November 2020, the rate at which people
travel to Kauai was dropped to a whopping 73% compared to 2019.
Southwest had no option but to cut
down its Southwest Airlines flights to Lihue. However, for passengers still
willing to travel to Kauai, Southwest offered several one-stop options via
Honolulu. And it is not just Southwest who had to trim down its flights;
several other low-cost airlines followed suit. It was announced in March that
American Airlines made alterations in its Lihue routes as well, cutting flight
down to over 30%. Its daily connections were settled to just Los Angeles and
Phoenix. All major U.S air carriers have operated approximately 60% fewer
scheduled flights to Kauai(Lihue) from January 2021 to March 2021.
Maui had not seen such dramatic
shifts. Flights were trimmed down to just 14% during pandemic time as compared
to 2019.
What is Hawaii PreClear, and how is
it helpful?
Southwest partnered with the State of
Hawaii to bypass Safe Travels to eligible passengers who have made Southwest Airlines Reservations to
Hawaii.
This benefit is available to
Southwest Airlines Flights passengers traveling from the airline's California
gateways. To qualify for Hawaii PreClear, the passengers are supposed to
complete State of Hawaii travel requirements. Once the requirements are met,
the passenger will receive a Safe Travels QR code. When you arrive at the
airport, show your QR code to the Southwest Agent at your respective gate. To
get more information about Hawaii PreClear, please refer to Southwest's
official website. Hawaii Pre Clear presents the opportunity to be pre-cleared
at passengers' final departure gate and be considered eligible to bypass
airport screening as well.
Currently, only the passengers who
have proof of an approved negative COVID-19 test are eligible for pre-clearing.
Please refer to the official website of Southwest to see all the requirements
for Hawaii Safe Travel and about Southwest Airlines Reservations.
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