San Francisco to Honolulu is a medium-haul domestic corridor to Hawaii; nonstop award space turns up on Alaska Airlines and United Airlines. Six programs price the route, and economy starts at 12,500 points through Alaska Atmos Rewards, on a nonstop. Domestic cash fares can rival awards, so check the cash price first and redeem when the award price is low. Every SFO–HNL award below is broken out program by program.
SnapshotLive award availability and points prices between San Francisco and Honolulu.
OverviewSan Francisco to Honolulu is served by American Airlines, Alaska Airlines, Delta and 1 more, offering multiple options for award travelers. Compare 6 loyalty programs to find the best value for your points. Award prices start from 12,500 points in economy. Use our search tool to check real-time award availability on this route.
Award pricing can vary by airline, cabin, loyalty program, travel season, and transfer partner. For this route, the best value often comes from comparing multiple programs instead of searching one airline at a time.
RouteFlying San Francisco to Honolulu covers about 2,400 miles, linking San Francisco International Airport (SFO) with Daniel K. Inouye International Airport (HNL); a nonstop takes roughly 5h20, with winds moving it either way. The nonstop award space in the data is split between Alaska Airlines and United Airlines. Aircraft logged on those nonstops include the Airbus A321 and Boeing 757-300. Nonstops make up only about 10% of the award options in the data; the rest connect.
PricingBest one-way award prices per airline over the next 12 months.
| Airline | Economy | Premium economy | Business | First |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alaska AirlinesBest | 12,500 pts | N/A | 46,000 pts | 40,000 pts |
| Delta | 12,600 pts | 94,000 pts | N/A | N/A |
| United Airlines | 15,000 pts | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| American Airlines | 17,500 pts | 47,500 pts | 60,000 pts | 35,000 pts |
Live award pricing from Flightpoints data, computed 9/5/2026. Prices vary by date and availability.
StrategyFor San Francisco–Honolulu, the cash fare is the benchmark an award has to beat. Here the lowest economy price is also the quickest trip: an Alaska Airlines nonstop booked through the airline's own program. Taxes and fees on that seat run about $6, below the route's typical economy taxes. When the fare is low, pay cash and hold the points for a pricier trip. Hold off on converting flexible points until the seat is confirmed bookable; there's no undoing a transfer.
AvailabilityWhen award seats between San Francisco and Honolulu price cheapest over the next year.
ProgramsAlaska Atmos Rewards wins economy at 12,500 points and first class at 35,000. Qantas Frequent Flyer takes business class at 46,000 points on an Alaska Airlines nonstop. Of the other four, Delta SkyMiles, American AAdvantage, and Air Canada Aeroplan are worth a look too. First class also prices as a partner award, with the long leg on American Airlines.
Airlines4 airlines with award seats between San Francisco and Honolulu, nonstop or connecting.
AirlinesNonstop award space on San Francisco–Honolulu spans two alliances: Alaska Airlines (oneworld) and United Airlines (Star Alliance). That means partner programs in both alliances have a way onto a nonstop. Beyond the nonstop, the cheaper connecting awards in the data change planes in Los Angeles, Seattle, and Lihue. Qantas Frequent Flyer sets the business-class floor as a oneworld partner, selling the Alaska Airlines nonstop at its own rates.
DetailsDistance ~2,400 miles; nonstop flying time ~5h20 (estimate). Honolulu runs 3 hours behind San Francisco (2 while San Francisco is on standard time). Data covers October 2026–August 2027. Across all six months with calendar prices, November 2026, March 2027, and April 2027 are the cheapest (12,500 points); July 2027 is the priciest (22,100).
TipsInsider moves that consistently unlock cheaper award seats.
CompareAlternative corridors travelers consider alongside San Francisco to Honolulu.
AlternativesFrom the San Francisco side, Oakland (OAK) and San Jose (SJC) both price at the same 12,500 points in economy as SFO. Also tracked into Honolulu: Los Angeles to Honolulu, from 7,700 points at last check. Confirm which San Francisco airport the award uses before transferring points.
Search live award availability across every airline and program that flies this route.
Common questions travelers ask about the San Francisco to Honolulu route.
At last check, the economy floor is 12,500 points one-way through Alaska Atmos Rewards, nonstop. With six programs pricing the route, it pays to check several. The pricing table above shows each cabin's low at last check.
