Allegiant, Southwest to drive down the cost of flying to Hawaii

If you daydream about going to Hawaii, I’ve got breaking news for you that will make it cheaper getting there.

We all know airfares are going up because of the run-up in fuel prices. But the good news is that more and more travel is moving into the hands of discount airlines.

Ever since the failure of Aloha Airlines, the full fare airlines that have dominated travel to the Islands have charged higher and higher fares. It’s not been uncommon that you might fly from the U.S. to Asia or Australia for cheaper than it takes to get to Hawaii.

But that was then, this is now. Hawaii is no longer a bridge too far. Starting in June, Allegiant Air will be flying from Las Vegas and Fresno, Ca., to Hawaii. Over time, I expect that this discounter will bring pressure on the full fares with their prices.

In addition, Allegiant is hurrying into Hawaii service because Southwest will soon be flying there too. The start date for Southwest service to Hawaii is still to be determined because they’re wrestling with the purchase of AirTran. But it’s coming!