HONOLULU, Hawaii — The marathon hop that linked Waikīkī’s surf to Fenway Park’s Green Monster is headed for retirement. Hawaiian Airlines has confirmed through its online booking engine that it will cease nonstop service between Honolulu’s Daniel K. Inouye International Airport (HNL) and Boston Logan International Airport (BOS) this fall, closing the chapter on what is currently the longest domestic flight in the United States.
Last chance to book the nation’s longest domestic flight
Hawaiian has operated the 4,427-nautical-mile (8,199-kilometer) route since April 2019. Its final eastbound departure is loaded for November 19, with tickets available until seats sell out. After that date, travelers looking to move between Hawaii and New England will need to make at least one connection, most likely on the West Coast. “For avgeeks and mileage runners, it’s the end of the longest domestic hop in the country,” Ishrion Aviation wrote on X.
Schedule details through the final week
- Honolulu–Boston: Mondays, Wednesdays, Saturdays, and Sundays, departing 14:15 and arriving 06:00 the next morning.
- Boston–Honolulu: Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Sundays, departing 08:00 and touching down at 13:10.
While the frequency has hovered at four weekly flights, certain peak weeks feature a fifth rotation. Every leg is flown by a 278-seat Airbus A330-200, the smallest wide-body in Hawaiian’s fleet.
Why the airline is pulling the plug
Publicly available U.S. Department of Transportation data covering April 2024 through March 2025 paints a mixed picture for the niche service:
- Total round-trip local passengers: 149,800 (about 410 travelers per day).
- Hawaiian’s market share: 48 percent.
- Average load factor: 83 percent, 4 points below the carrier’s systemwide mainland average of 87 percent.
- Total revenue per available seat mile (TRASM): $0.088, the lowest among 16 mainland Hawai‘i routes analyzed and well under the group average of $0.113.
- Maximum scheduled block time: 11 hours 25 minutes.
In simple terms, the flight costs more to operate than it generates in revenue, even when consistently filling more than eight out of 10 seats. Hawaiian can redeploy the jet on shorter, higher-yielding routes or use its new partnership with Alaska Airlines—its parent company since earlier this year—to funnel New Englanders through Seattle-Tacoma (SEA) or other Alaska hubs.
Delta’s short-lived attempt underscores the challenge
Delta Air Lines briefly entered the Honolulu–Boston market in November 2024, flying as many as seven times weekly with Airbus A330-300s and an occasional Boeing 767-300ER. By April 2025, the SkyTeam carrier had exited, recording just 63 percent load factors on 43,000 round-trip passengers. With 84 percent of its customers traveling only between the two endpoints rather than connecting onward, Delta found it easier to route traffic through its mainland hubs—including Atlanta, Detroit, Los Angeles, Minneapolis, New York JFK, Salt Lake City, and Seattle—where it now offers eight to 13 Honolulu departures daily.
What the end of Honolulu–Boston means for flyers
Boston Logan ranks as the tenth-busiest U.S. airport for wide-body activity, so losing a headline-grabbing flight is more image-damaging than capacity-crushing. Still, the retreat leaves the East Coast with a single nonstop link to Hawaii on Hawaiian Airlines: New York’s John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK). Mileage enthusiasts wonder if JFK could be next, but its robust connecting opportunities, particularly to European partner JetBlue, give it a strategic edge not enjoyed by Boston. Travelers who booked holiday trips after November 19 should monitor reservation emails for rebooking options. Hawaiian is expected to offer alternatives via Seattle, Portland, or San Francisco on Alaska-operated flights that retain a Hawaiian code.
More cuts in the Pacific network
Boston is not the only city losing a purple-tailed Airbus. Hawaiian’s booking calendar also shows the end of flights from Honolulu to Fukuoka (Japan) and Seoul Incheon (South Korea), removing two secondary Asian gateways from its long-haul map. Exact last-service dates are not yet published, but the search engine no longer displays seats after mid-November. Passengers already ticketed should likewise expect outreach from the airline.
Tips for travelers re-routing between New England and Hawaiʻi
- Build in a cushion. Most one-stop itineraries route through the West Coast. A missed connection could strand you overnight, so avoid tight layovers.
- Mind the aircraft type. Some West Coast connections use single-aisle Boeing 737s or Airbus A321neos if a twin-aisle cabin matters—especially in premium economy—check seat maps before committing.
- Use airline partnerships. Hawaiian’s integration with Alaska Airlines means your miles, status, and checked-bag waivers should carry over on codeshare flights. The same applies to JetBlue’s alliance with Hawaiian in Boston and New York.
- Redeem wisely. Award space between Boston and Hawaii often prices lower when booked as two segments rather than a single award, especially if you mix programs like Alaska Mileage Plan, HawaiianMiles, and American AAdvantage.
- Consider shoulder seasons. Early December and late January tend to offer lower fares and thinner crowds in both Honolulu and Boston, easing the sting of an extra flight segment.
For six years, the HNL–BOS trek symbolized the outer edge of U.S. domestic aviation. By Thanksgiving, it will be another entry in the record books. If you have long dreamed of sipping a mai tai at Waikīkī after a single, sunrise-filled flight from New England, book now—or prepare to add a West Coast pit stop to your journey.
