What is the Best Airline to Fly to Maui?

by Denis Dore
(Canada)

Flying to Maui in Comfort

Finding the best airline to fly to Maui Hawaii in comfort is a big concern for many travelers.

Recently, Melinda, from Washington, asked me a question concerning airlines and comfort. I decided to share my answer so everyone can benefit from it and add their own comments and suggestions.

Here's her question:

"We vacationed in Maui in March - which was WONDERFUL! So WONDERFUL we are doing it next March.

The only bad thing about the trip was flying home. The seats were so close together I felt like a sardine.

We are flying from Austin to Maui. Do you have any suggestions regarding airlines?"

And here's what I proposed to her:

Hello Melinda,

I am so glad you liked your stay in Maui. It's a magic place.
Once you visit it, you just can't stop going back to explore more and more... :)

Your question is a good one...

When I visit Maui, I fly all the way from Canada's East Coast through Honolulu. It's a rather long flight. I experience the same feeling of discomfort on the plane every time. That's not cool.

The problem comes from the type of aircrafts used by the majority of Airlines offering "domestic flights".

Even if going to Paris is shorter than going to Maui (at least in my case), it's considered an 'International flight' and I get a Boeing 747 or a great Boeing 777. That usually means better seats.

But when flying inside Canada and US, I end-up with a smaller aircraft like a Boeing 737.

That being said, comfort is not only a matter of aircraft type. It also depends of its age and onboard services offered by the airline. That means that you need additional info to help you choose the best flight.

My advices:

1. Based on your dates and budget, find the flight you would like to book using Expedia.com (or any other online agency - your choice)

2. Go to TripAdvisor.com and find the flight in the list

3. Once you get it, click on the +Details button at the bottom right

4. Then, click on the link called SeatGuru Reviews

A pop-up window will appear, showing the aircraft configuration plus a bunch of valuable information:
- Aircraft type
- Seats width for First and Economy Class (you will like this one)
- Amenities

On top of that, every single seat is getting a review from passengers: Good, Poor, Blocked, etc.
It is very useful.

Make sure to avoid RED seats.

Additional suggestion:

I invite you to post your question directly on our Maui Hawaii Dream Vacations Facebook page here.

With a community of almost 1000 Maui Travelers, you may get some additional advices very quickly.

On top of that, if it's not already done, I invite you to read the section of MHDV website dedicated to Maui Air Travel issues here.

I hope these tips will help you find better seats on your next flight to Maui.

Enjoy your trip to Maui and please, come back to share photos, videos or travel stories. We always love to get fresh news from the island.

Denis :)