Kauai’s airport is located in the town of Lihue, and its airport code is LIH. Travel to Kauai from “the mainland” (the rest of the United States) isn’t cheap, and airfare can vary widely depending on:
- where you’re coming from;
- the carrier you choose;
- the season; and
- how far in advance you book your flights.
For some money-saving ideas, be sure to check out our Lihue Airfare Tips article.
Various airlines (United, Delta, Hawaiian, Alaska and U.S. Airways) offer direct service to LIH, and currently (Summer 2010) you can find non-stop flights to Kauai from eight west coast cities (Los Angeles, San Francisco, San Diego, Sacramento, Seattle, Portland, Phoenix and Las Vegas). The airlines charge a premium for the direct flights, but you can arrive in Kauai at least two hours sooner by skipping a stop at Oahu’s HNL (Honolulu) airport. (It’s about a five-hour flight when flying non-stop from the west coast.) If you live in one of those west coast cities, we recommend you at least check the direct flight price and then use it as a benchmark when reviewing your other options.
If flying direct isn’t an option, you have two choices for the flight from Oahu to Kauai: Hawaiian Airlines or go! Airlines. Flight time from Honolulu to Kauai is about 30 minutes, and there are flights available every hour or so.