finding good flight/hotel packages

June 23, 2009 1:24 PM

Suggestions on finding good air/hotel packages (particularly to Hawaii?)

So, I have the benefit of a steady job and some vacation time to burn right now, and I'd like to take advantage of some of the excellent flight/hotel deals, particularly to Hawaii or Mexico.

Normally I travel abroad to developing countries to travel, not sit in one place at a resort, so I've never had to look for flight/hotel package deals before. Where are some of the resources (websites, listservs) that you all use to find good deals? I'm looking for August...

FWIW, I'll be flying out from San Francisco.

posted by waylaid to travel & transportation around Hawaii (4 answers total)

Pleasant Holidays
posted by euphorb at 1:38 PM on June 23, 2009

Do you have a Costco membership? Some of their packages are very good deals.
posted by rabbitrabbit at 1:45 PM on June 23, 2009

I would be a little wary of package deals, as many of them probably want to put you in a hotel in Waikiki. Waikiki is like Miami Beach (Florida) on steroids.

We were in Hawaii for about two weeks, and stayed in Waikiki the last two nights to catch a flight back to Canada (via San Francisco). Not nearly as good as the rest of the trip, see below.

Much better would be to travel in Oahu (our base was in Kailua) and we visited (for about a week) the island of Kawaii (spelling?). My lungs kept us off the big island and its volcano.

My advice would be to avoid a package deal that only puts you in Waikiki.

If you do stay in Waikiki, I would recommend visiting the Waikiki Aquarium.
posted by mbarryf at 6:02 AM on June 24, 2009

I got really good deals on airfare and hotels at expedia.com and on a rental car at priceline when we went to Maui, as described here. FWIW, I don't think 3 days in Hawaii (as advertised in some of the Pleasant Holiday site deals) is nearly enough time. Take 7-10 days, if you can -- that is one long flight!
posted by onlyconnect at 8:57 PM on June 24, 2009