Paradise now: Fly Alaska Airlines to Hawaii from $99 or 7,500 miles each way

Alaska Airlines just dropped another great deal on flights to the Hawaiian Islands .
This 72-hour flash sale includes flights to Honolulu, Kauai, Kona and Maui for as low as $99 one-way. If you’ve been stockpiling Alaska Mileage Plan miles, you can find flights for just 7,500 each way. You must book your travel by midnight Thursday to lock in the limited-time sale prices.
The deal encompasses travel from now through November of this year, so you have a wide window to plan a trip and get a good deal. Restrictions  vary by city, so make sure you read them before you buy your ticket.
The cheapest fares in this deal involve Alaska Airlines’ Saver fares. This tier allows travelers a free carry-on bag, so if you’re hoping to get the most bang for your buck, plan to travel light.
ERIC ROSEN/THE POINTS GUY
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Deal basics
Airline : Alaska Airlines
Routes : To Honolulu, Kauai, Kona and Maui in Hawaii from Anchorage, Alaska; Los Angeles; Portland, Oregon; San Diego; San Francisco; and San Jose, California
How to book : D irectly with the airline ; no code needed
Travel dates : Now through Nov. 19 (specific dates vary by destination)
Book by : Sale ends Thursday at 11:59 p.m. PDT
Restrictions : Check specific destinations for travel restrictions; for some cities, the sale fares are only eligible for travel between Sundays and Wednesdays.
Sample routes
This sale includes one-way fares priced as low as $99.
Departure airports:

Ted Stevens Anchorage International Airport (ANC)
Los Angeles International Airport (LAX)
Portland International Airport (PDX)
San Diego International Airport (SAN)
San Francisco International Airport (SFO)

Arrival airports:

Daniel K. Inouye International Airport (HNL)
Lihue Airport (LIH)
Ellison Onizuka Kona International Airport at Keahole (KOA)

Alaska’s website is much more user-friendly than some other airline sites. A nice time-saving way to search is to click the calendar view. That will show you the lowest fares available for a specific month. We did this to search for flights from Los Angeles to Honolulu, and we saw that late August had a few $105 one-way departure flights, and September had lots of available return flights at the same price.
ALASKA AIRLINES
ALASKA AIRLINES
October is also a good month to fly from LA to Honolulu. This nonstop itinerary from LAX to HNL is only $208 round-trip.
ALASKA AIRLINES
Here’s a really good last-minute deal from San Francisco to Maui. You can fly out of SFO to Kahului Airport (OGG) on May 29 for less than $200 round-trip.
ALASKA AIRLINES
There is good availability for $99 one-way fares from San Diego to Honolulu throughout the summer, but especially in August. This itinerary from SAN to HNL costs just $196 round-trip.
ALASKA AIRLINES
If you want to use Alaska miles to book your dream Hawaiian vacation, Maui has some of the best redemptions in this sale. You can fly from SAN to OGG in November for only 15,000 miles round-trip plus $11.20 in taxes.
ALASKA AIRLINES
There are also great redemption values on trips from San Francisco to Maui. Check out the availability for one-way flights for just 7,500 miles in October. If you live in the City by the Bay, October is definitely the month to score the best bargain in this deal.
ALASKA AIRLINES
ALASKA AIRLINES
Maximize your purchase
Be sure to use a credit card that earns bonus points on airfare purchases, such as:

Alaska Airlines Visa Signature® credit card : An unlimited 3 Mileage Plan miles per dollar spent on eligible Alaska Airlines purchases
American Express® Gold Card : 3 points per dollar spent on airfare when booked directly with the airline or through amextravel.com
The Platinum Card® from American Express : 5 points per dollar spent on airfare when booked directly with the airline or through American Express Travel (on up to $500,000 of these purchases per calendar year, then 1 point per dollar)
Chase Sapphire Reserve® : 3 points per dollar spent on airfare
Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card : 2 points per dollar spent on travel

Bottom line
Before you buy your ticket, be sure to check the prices for each month on the Alaska Airlines website for your preferred route in order to get the best deal — availability varies widely at the lowest prices. As always, the more flexible your travel plans are, the better chance you have of taking full advantage of this sale.

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