Vacation Deals in Hawaii? Well....

I must be on every email mailing list to get last minute deals and specials to Hawaii (any excuse for a vacation right?) So, an email alert came through from Hawaiian Airlines last week, offering vacation packages to Hawaii (flight, hotel and car). I went to the website to check out the specials, and I was able to find return airfare, 5 nights accommodation at the Outrigger Waikiki and car rental for $900 per person for the Thanksgiving break. Sounds like a good deal right? Well, when you price each part out separately, it turns out that it actually isn't a good deal after all. If there are 2 of you going on the trip at $900 each, its actually rather expensive.

$350 - Return flights from SEA to HNL
$450 - Accommodation
$100 - Rental Car

Plus taxes, gratuity, meals, etc etc.....

I guess this is a good price for Thanksgiving, but when you compare to other travel deals currently available (right now I think of Las Vegas and Mexico) - this seems a little steep. Too bad, as I was almost ready to book!

I do think that better deals to Hawaii are around the corner, so keep looking for specials. One option we thought about was using our Hawaiian air miles for the flights and just paying for the hotel and car, which can help with costs. Other options include staying at hotels that offer special rates and deals e.g. Free breakfast included, stay 4 nights get one free etc. There are many ways to make your vacation a reality, you just need to do your research and be prepared for the occasional compromise! And for me, that means not taking a third trip to Hawaii this year. Oh well...