United Airlines announced it would be increasing their service to Hawaii this year, offering a total of 40 daily flights between the mainland and the islands. All cities including Honolulu (HNL), Hilo (ITO), Kona (KOA), Lihue (LIH), and Maui (OGG) can expect to see an increase in service over the course of this year.

Per United,

Beginning December 20, United will increase service from its hubs in Chicago, Denver, Los Angeles and San Franciscoto Hawaii. The airline will continue operating its daily nonstop service to Honolulu from all seven domestic hubs in Chicago, Denver, Houston, Los Angeles, New York/Newark, San Francisco, Washington, D.C., plus Guam and Tokyo.

Some notable additions include 5x daily service between San Francisco and Maui as well as year round service to all the islands the airline serves from Denver, both starting in December.

Beginning this summer, premium cabin customers on all overnight flights between Hawaii and Chicago, Denver, Houston, New York/Newark and Washington, D.C., will enjoy 180-degree flat-bed seats for a more relaxing and sleep-enhancing flight with custom-designed duvets and pillows provided by leading luxury specialty store and New York-bred retailer Saks Fifth Avenue.

Overall these are great changes, and hopefully should mean increased saver award availability on some of these routes, though time will tell how much of an impact this will be have over awards.

With the increased service to Hawaii, especially from the West Coast, I would also expect to see some price drops on some routes including LAX/SFO to both Maui and Honolulu, considering Delta, American, Hawaiian, and Virgin America all fly between these cities.

What are your thoughts on United’s increased to service to Hawaii? Feel free to comment below!

Hat Tip: TravelSkills