You’re daydreaming about a Kauai vacation . . . again. You’re craving the lazy warm days, turquoise waters, sea turtles, big mai tais, friendly locals, and well, big mai tais. You naturally want to make the most of your trip by getting the best deals on airfare. So, just when is the best time to fly to Kauai?

You check your calendar for all your possible openings and try to stay flexible. Let’s face it, a great deal on airfare will set the tone for a great trip.

Luckily, there are some positive changes in air travel to Kauai:

Firstly, after months of teasing, Southwest Airlines has finally rolled out flights into Lihue from Oakland, San José and Honolulu which gives travelers some exciting new low-fare options — both directly from these ports and as connecting destinations. Keep an eye on pricing and remember to clear out your computer’s cookies after your web search. (Stay stealth because Big Brother internet is watching. . .)

The other development is that Hawaiian Airlines (considered the gold standard for travel to the islands of Hawaii) (hence the name) has unveiled a sparkling new fleet of planes. This can only bode well for competitive pricing across the board — especially as more routes are announced. Note: It appears that Southwest’s low teaser fares are already nudging Hawaiian Airlines to reduce some of its pricing for inter-island flights, as well. Another boon for vacationers!

Best Time to Fly to Kauai

Winter Season

This season is from January through the end of March: You will notice a drop in prices during this usually busy time period thanks to the addition of the aforementioned flights by Southwest and Hawaiian. Again, all this new activity is great for competitive pricing during the winter months!

This is also the rainy season in Kauai and January is also one of the wettest month on the island of Kauai. The North Shore has a lot of rainy days. The best chance of dry weather conditions for your outdoor activities should be one the west and south coasts of the island.

Spring Break/Easter Season

This covers less than a month from mid-March through early-April: This is traditionally an expensive time of year to travel to the Hawaiian islands. The travel site beatofhawaii.com says, “Do not expect to see many deals offered for spring break, although Southwest might bring some pleasant surprises.”

Spring Season

Spring runs from mid-April through early June: This is a beautiful time to visit the Garden Isle but it’s anyone’s guess about flight pricing. Again, keep an eye out, set up alerts and cover your search engine tracks.

Summer Peak Season

Summer runs pretty specifically from mid-June to mid-August: As you might guess, this is also an extremely popular peak time to visit Kauai. The kids are out of school and families arrive in droves, plus honeymoons and weddings proliferate. The big island will be busier and fares will likely go up.

Late Summer months into Fall Season

Fall starts on August 17 and ends around December 10: With the exception of Thanksgiving week, this is definitely Kauai’s low season and a great time to find the best prices! Just like in a game of luau limbo, how low can you go?

August is also the middle of the Hurricane season in the Island of Kauai, however, the chances of a severe tropical storm is pretty low. While November is the best time to visit and learn about wildlife because this is when whale watching season begins. You can go aboard the Catamaran cruise to enjoy whale watching in Kauai and you can also see dolphins while you are at it.

Christmas Season

Christmas is considered the peak travel season because it has the highest spike in travelers and prices: This has long been the most expensive time to fly to Kauai. If you are beholden to this time of year, your best-bet-to-fly travel dates will be on December 24, 25, 31 and January 1. These are actual holidays, of course — when most folks prefer to stay put — so deals can be had. In fact, prices tend to go down overall after Christmas day. This season is where you will witness Hawaii Christmas traditions. Kauai also features a day of holiday shopping and entertainment during the Christmas season.

Any time is the best time to fly to Kauai to enjoy and have a good vacation — one of Mother Nature’s most glorious masterpieces rife with an unforgettable adventure. For more info on travel or to book a villa, just click on Koloa Landing Resort, the best Kauai beach resort. Friendly locals are ready to help! We’ll even reserve a big mai tai with your name on it at the HoloHolo lobby bar. Bon voyage!

Erica Karlin — Koloa Landing Resort