Virgin America announced Tuesday that it will start new flight routes to Hawaii in the fall, giving travelers a new and possibly cheaper option to get the 50th state.
The airline will begin flights from San Francisco to Honolulu on Nov. 2, 2015, and to Kahului on the island of Maui on Dec. 3, 2015. Fares begin at $199 each way.
Virgin America president and CEO David Cush called Hawaii one of the most popular leisure destinations for travelers from the Bay Area.
“This marks the next phase of growth for our airline, as we take delivery of new Airbus aircraft and expand our Elevate [rewards] program," Cush said in a statement. "We look forward to bringing a new kind of flight service to the market and to building lasting community ties with the state of Hawaii."
The carrier will operate the routes with new Airbus A320 aircraft, which the manufacturer is delivering this year. The planes have "sharklet" wingtips, which improve the fuel efficiency of the A320 aircraft, enabling it to fly longer routes than planes with more traditional "winglet" technology.
Halfway to San Francisco! 30 mins free wifi on @VirginAmerica and my first trip on an A320 with sharklets pic.twitter.com/pBrJOnCVY6— Daren Tyczynski (@dtyczynski) November 23, 2013
JetBlue, a major domestic competitor of Virgin America's, is also receiving deliveries of A320 and A321 aircraft outfitted with sharklets.
According to Airbus, the wingtip design offers 4% fuel burn savings.
Virgin America will face competition on the nonstop routes from SFO from United, Hawaiian and Delta Airlines. Fares for those airlines in November begin at about $620 roundtrip, making Virgin's $199 one-way offer a deal.
“On behalf of the state, I would like to welcome Virgin America to Hawaii and congratulate the company on its new service to the Hawaiian Islands,” said Hawaii Governor David Ige in a statement. “We are excited about the business and leisure travel opportunities the service will provide. We look forward to Virgin America’s success in serving both visitors to and residents of Hawaii.”