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I spent most of my New Year’s Eve watching college football and booking a summer trip to Maui for my best friend’s family. In the process, I discovered that there are as many as SEVEN award seats available to Hawaii on Alaska Airlines from the West Coast. Act now if you want to take your family to Hawaii this summer!

West coast cities that Alaska flies nonstop to Hawaii

From/To OahuMauiKauaiBig Island
Oakland, CAYesYesYesYes
San Jose, CAYesYesYesYes
San Diego, CAYes
YesYesYes
Sacramento, CANoYesNoNo
Seattle, WAYesYesYesYes
Portland, ORYesYesSeasonalSeasonal
Anchorage, AK YesSeasonalNoSeasonal
Bellingham, WANoSeasonalNoSeasonal

Many dates available during peak summer months!

I searched award seats from the bay area to Maui during the peak summer months including June, July and August. There aren’t many dates available from my preferred San Jose airport, but date are wide open from Oakland, even for 7 people!

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Here are a few tips to keep in mind when you search online:

  • You can search up to 7 seats.
  • Naturally, availability is better if you need fewer than 7 seats.
  • Click on any date labelled 17.5k to see if nonstop flight is available.
  • Best availability seems to be between Oakland, Portland, Seattle and Maui.

Book nonstop flights using 12,500 British Airways Avios!

[SEE: Use Avios to your advantage for a family trip ]

If award seats are available on nonstop flight, use 12,500 British Airways Avios to book! There is one catch. You can’t book Alaska award on British Airways website, Instead, you have to call in, but it is easy if you follow the tip I wrote last week.  [ SEE:  Don’t call the US British Airways phone number! – try this instead ]  And be sure to ask for the Alaska Airlines confirmation number, which you will need to select seats on Alaska’s website.

If you live along the west coast but not in any of the cities listed in the table above, you might still be able to find the low level award seats for 17,500 Alaska miles. For example, I was able to find 4 seats from Salt Lake City and Las Vegas to Maui, though dates are very limited. Alaska recently announced new changes to its award chart, pretty much gone distance based. And remember, Alaska awards allows a free stopover, so you can add a few days in Seattle or the Bay Area, before or after your Hawaii vacation!

Maui Mamas Fish House

Will you be taking your family to Hawaii this summer? If you do end up in Maui, be sure to visit my favorite restaurant on the island – Mama’s Fish House. The food is fabulous!


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