
Score cheap flights to Hawaii with return tickets slashed in rare flash sale
If you've been shivering your way through winter, it's likely you've found yourself doom-scrolling enviously through other people's Euro Summer posts and googling 'cheap flights to anywhere hot'.
No need to daydream any longer though, as Hawaiian Airlines has released new low fares for a winter escape, with return trips from Sydney to Honolulu for just $997.
You could be ditching your winter coat and chilly commute for the golden sands of Waikiki beach within weeks.
The award-winning airline has made wishing for a spontaneous getaway to warmer climes a reality, by slashing the fares on their Australia to Hawaii route.
It's a limited-time offer: If you can travel between August 21 and 30, you can jump on this incredible last-minute deal.
The average temperature on Oahu in August is in the high 20s to 30c, so pack your swimmers and sunscreen and prepare to bask in the balmy weather you've been missing - the perfect antidote to the winter blues to tide you over until the Aussie summer returns.
If a Hollywood holiday sounds more tempting, return flights from Sydney to Los Angeles start from $1,346.
There are also deals to Las Vegas for $1,755, San Francisco $1,644 and San Diego for $1,742. Flights to Continental US fly from Australia via Honolulu.
While the discounted fares are impressive, splashing out on an upgrade may be just as tempting, thanks to Hawaiian Airlines' brand new premium class: Leihoku Suites.
Available on Boeing 787 aircraft, the luxury cabin features enclosed suites, fully lie-flat seats, wide aisles and luxurious touches.
Whether you opt for an exciting city adventure in the US, or kicking back on island time, you can cross the Pacific in comfort with Hawaiian Airlines.
Renowned for their hospitality, the airline has won awards in the past few years for its food, cabins, punctuality and business class.
Seats are limited and these fares will only be available until August 10 - so schedule your 'out of office' now, and you'll be sipping sunset cocktails before you know it.
What to do on Oahu
Oahu, the vibrant heart of Hawaii, blends city energy with stunning natural beauty, making it one of the most versatile islands to stay on.
Known as 'The Gathering Place', it offers everything from world-class beaches to lush mountains and a thriving food scene, all within easy reach.
Honolulu, the island's capital, is where you'll find the iconic Waikiki Beach – a hub for surf lessons, luxury shopping, and historic hotels like the Moana Surfrider, open since 1901, and The Royal Hawaiian, known as 'The Pink Palace of the Pacific'.
Beyond the buzz of Waikiki, a more zen ambience can be found on the island's North Shore, renowned for its laid-back vibe and legendary surf breaks.
If you tire of the beach, hike up Diamond Head for breathtaking views from the volcanic crater, take a day trip to Hanauma Bay for snorkelling, or immerse yourself in history with a visit to Pearl Harbor.

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


Daily Mail
12 hours ago
- Daily Mail
New Trump proposal could force some visitors to pay $15,000 bond
The U.S. could require bonds of up to $15,000 for some tourist and business visas under a pilot program launching in two weeks. It comes after the Trump administration secured another victory in restricting visas for transgender athletes to come to the 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles. A government notice made the announcement on Monday, an effort that aims to crack down on visitors who overstay their visas. The program gives foreign service officers at American embassies the discretion to impose bonds on visitors from countries with high rates of visa overstays, according to a Federal Register notice. Bonds could also be applied to people coming from countries where screening and vetting information is deemed insufficient, the notice said. The Daily Mail has reached out to the White House and the State Department for comment. Donald Trump has made cracking down on illegal immigration a focus of his presidency, boosting resources to secure the border and arresting people in the U.S. illegally. He issued a travel ban in June that fully or partially blocks citizens of 19 nations from entering the U.S. on national security grounds. Trump's immigration policies have led some visitors to skip travel to the United States. Transatlantic airfares dropped to rates last seen before the COVID-19 pandemic in May and travel from Canada and Mexico to the U.S. fell by 20% year-over-year. Effective August 20, the new visa program will last for approximately a year, the government notice said. Consular officers will have three options for visa applicants subjected to the bonds: $5,000, $10,000 or $15,000, but will generally be expected to require at least $10,000, it said. The funds will be returned to travelers if they depart in accordance with the terms of their visas, the notice said. A similar pilot program was launched in November 2020 during the last months of Trump's first term in office, but it was not fully implemented due to the drop in global travel associated with the pandemic, the notice said. A State Department spokesperson listed the criteria that will be used to identify the countries that will be affected, adding that the country list may be updated. 'Countries will be identified based on high overstay rates, screening and vetting deficiencies, concerns regarding acquisition of citizenship by investment without a residency requirement, and foreign policy considerations,' the spokesperson said. The State Department was unable to estimate the number of visa applicants who could be affected by the change. Many of the countries targeted by Trump's travel ban also have high rates of visa overstays, including Chad, Eritrea, Haiti, Myanmar and Yemen. U.S. Travel Association, which represents major tourism-related companies, estimated the 'scope of the visa bond pilot program appears to be limited, with an estimated 2,000 applicants affected, most likely from only a few countries with relatively low travel volume to the United States.' Numerous countries in Africa, including Burundi, Djibouti and Togo also had high overstay rates, according to U.S. Customs and Border Protection data from fiscal year 2023. A provision in a sweeping spending package passed in the Republican-controlled U.S. Congress in July also created a $250 'visa integrity fee' for anyone approved for a non-immigrant visa that could potentially be reimbursable for those who comply with visa rules. The $250 fee goes into effect on October 1. U.S. Travel said that fee could hinder travel and said 'if implemented, the U.S. will have one of, if not the highest, visitor visa fees in the world.' Earlier Monday, Citizenship and Immigration Services stepped in line with Trump's wider efforts to ban transgender athletes from women's sports. The USCIS announced it has updated its immigration policy to restrict visa eligibility for transgender women seeking to compete in women's sports . Under the policy update, USCIS will consider 'the fact that a male athlete has been competing against women' as a negative factor when evaluating visa petitions in categories such as O-1A for extraordinary ability, EB-1 and EB-2 green cards for highly skilled workers, and national interest waivers. 'USCIS is closing the loophole for foreign male athletes whose only chance at winning elite sports is to change their gender identity and leverage their biological advantages against women,' said USCIS spokesperson Matthew Tragesser. 'It's a matter of safety, fairness, respect, and truth that only female athletes receive a visa to come to the U.S. to participate in women's sports.' The move comes amid the president's broader efforts to bar transgender athletes from competing in women's sports with the United States set to host the Olympics in Los Angeles in 2028.


The Guardian
14 hours ago
- The Guardian
Qantas frequent flyer points devalued as airline rolls out changes to loyalty program
Qantas has effectively lowered the value of its frequent flyer points after enacting significant changes to its loyalty program. The overhaul of the frequent flyer program came into effect on Tuesday, about seven months after the carrier flagged the changes in an announcement in late January. At the time, Qantas announced it would broadly increase the amount of frequent flyer points needed to redeem Classic Reward flights for the first time since 2019 and the second time since 2004. The changes mean a Classic Rewards economy seat on a Qantas service between Sydney and Melbourne has increased from 8,000 points plus $55 in fees to 9,200 points plus $55 in fees from August. A Classic Rewards business class seat on the same service has increased from 18,400 points plus $55 in fees to 19,300 points and $76 in fees. On a Qantas-operated Sydney-London flight, the existing Classic Rewards one-way economy seat cost of 55,200 points and $263 in fees has risen to 63,500 points and $263 in fees. Qantas softened the blow of its frequent flyer changes with an announcement on Tuesday that it was releasing 400,000 new Classic Reward seats across its international and domestic network. The majority of these seats will be on dedicated 'points planes', where every seat across all cabins can be secured with points, the airline said in a press release. Qantas has also lowered the amount of points needed to book domestic flights in Australia and New Zealand on its budget subsidiary Jetstar, which have been reduced from 6,400 points to 5,700, plus booking fees. Andrew Glance, the chief executive of Qantas's loyalty program, said in January the adjustments would ensure the airline could continue to grow the number of seats available to be booked with frequent flyer points. Adele Eliseo, the publisher of The Champagne Mile frequent-flyer website, said Qantas needed to honour that commitment. 'The pressure's on Qantas to really keep investing in opening their seat inventory so people can use their points – so we'll cross our fingers,' she said. Overall, Eliseo said Qantas' devaluation of its frequent flyer points was 'a pretty safe move' by the airline. Virgin Australia devalued its points by making rewards seats on its flights more expensive earlier this year and there have been similar moves by international carriers, Eliseo said. 'The real test will be: can Qantas continue to deliver rewards seats, especially in business and first class,' she said. 'People will accept the price rises if the seats are there.' 'They did a pretty good job of giving notice … even though it doesn't make it any easier when you're looking at a rewards flight and there are an additional 30,000 points added to it,' she said. Eliseo advised people to plan their trips as early as possible to have a better chance of securing rewards seats, or booking at the last minute if they can, as she said seats available on points could open up. 'Just checking as you go, and making sure you're flexible is the way to go,' she said.


Telegraph
17 hours ago
- Telegraph
The nation that benefited the most – and least
A flat third Test, with spicy selection debate and brief confusion over who was the proper player of the series, was probably the ideal way to restore animosity between the four nations that make up the British and Irish Lions. As they go their separate ways after a summer of comradeship, who will be most satisfied with the past few months? England ⬆️ Tourists: 15 Test players: 10 From the captain to 20-year-old tyro Henry Pollock, via a couple of centurions drafted into the group, England's was the most eclectic cohort. Maro Itoje and Ellis Genge have added a unique and intense experience to their ice-and-fire leadership double-act, which is bound to benefit Steve Borthwick in the short- and medium-term. Ollie Chessum will learn from a tough night at the line-out in Sydney, too, and was evidently popular among new colleagues. Peers seemed to embrace Pollock as well, while Tom Curry's ferocity earned him a trio of Test starts. Borthwick is eyeing up a seven-one bench with good reason. There is a varied gaggle of talented back-rowers to squeeze in, including Ben Earl and those who impressed with England in Argentina such as Tom Willis, Ben Curry, Guy Pepper and Sam Underhill. The prop stocks are healthy. Will Stuart was eventually ousted by Tadhg Furlong as first-choice tighthead, yet contributed to the Tests and looked to be having a blast off the pitch. Tommy Freeman was one of 11 individuals to start all three Tests. After a sizzling season, he may feel as though he did not quite hit his straps and might have anticipated scoring more than two tries. The 24-year-old was threatening when brought into the action, though, and will remain integral to the England side. It will be intriguing to see whether he spends more time at outside centre or even full-back, for club as well as country. Elliot Daly, the original utility man, underlined his poise and was pushing for the Tests when he broke his arm. At 32, he still is valued by Borthwick. Another Northampton Saint, Alex Mitchell was ever-present in match squads. This reflects his dependability and he cannot fail to have learned constructive lessons from Jamison Gibson-Park. Scrum-half is an area in which England need to develop depth. Hooker is, too. Jamie George joined Luke Cowan-Dickie with the Lions when the latter picked up a horrible concussion. Below that, the pecking order is somewhat uncertain with Theo Dan and Curtis Langdon treading water above Gabriel Oghre and Jamie Blamire. Fly-half is another head-scratcher. Fin Smith and Marcus Smith returned a grand total of 14 Test minutes between them, courtesy of the latter's brief cameo in Brisbane. Fin did not take the field during the series, while Marcus did not receive a single start on Australian soil after spending the entire game against Argentina at full-back. Ultimately, the arrival of Owen Farrell edged them out. The hot potato of Farrell now passes back to Borthwick, who has respectfully hinted that a return to form for Saracens must be the first step. That seems eminently sensible. There is no rush to make this decision, as delicate an issue as it may be. Do not forget that Borthwick picked Fin Smith, Marcus Smith and George Ford – the three centrally contracted playmakers – in the same squad to face Wales and still managed a six-two bench. Clarity is essential and the Smiths should be emboldened, but it could be damaging to completely cast out experience with a World Cup coming into view. And that is not Borthwick's style anyway. Whatever happens, the opening weeks of the Premiership are sure to be full of compelling subplots. Verdict: Depth is not a problem for England. It never should be, but this Lions tour has strengthened it. Borthwick will, though, need to review a busy summer and address tricky questions. Scotland ⬆️ Tourists: 12 Test players: 4 The number of Scotland tourists, which did not include the unfortunate Zander Fagerson due to the tighthead prop's calf complaint, is undoubtedly swelled by the convenience of their concurrent trip to New Zealand and Fiji. Equally, though, Tom Jordan could have been whisked in as a utility back and one feels that other call-ups should age well. Darcy Graham must have been close to the original crew, while Ewan Ashman and Gregor Brown are bound to be in contention for 2029 if those two dynamic forwards deliver on potential. Even though he will have wanted greater Test involvement for his players, Gregor Townsend will be pleased. Finn Russell is in his prime, having admirably absorbed the diverse experiences of his career. He will turn 35 on the cusp of the 2027 World Cup and there is nothing to suggest he cannot be Scotland's lynchpin at that tournament. Blair Kinghorn was compromised by a knee injury yet still showed his class off the bench at the MCG as Russell guided the Lions down-field like an NFL quarterback on a winning drive. It felt like a seminal two months for Huw Jones, who deserved his three Test starts regardless of Garry Ringrose's availability. His days in the back three, where the Lions nudged him after an in-game reshuffle in Sydney, may be limited, but Scotland will not need him there because of their alternatives and he should be brimming with confidence. Jones and Sione Tuipulotu, arguably the Lions' most costly omission from the third Test squad, showed their class and will take some dislodging as Scotland's front-line centre pairing when fit. Tuipulotu, by his own admission, plays with a chip on his shoulder. He has all the skills, and is bound to take some motivation from his disappointment. Scott Cummings and Pierre Schoeman, both largely excellent in the tour fixtures, are in the same boat, and will be vital as Scotland's forwards bid to provide a platform for their glittering backs. Duhan van der Merwe will have to fight to make the first-choice line-up in November because of quality elsewhere, which would have been unthinkable four years ago. Scotland have fine options at scrum-half with George Horne and Jamie Dobie, the latter a good enough wing to facilitate a six-two bench, but Ben White was accurate and unfussy upon replacing the stricken Tomos Williams. The zip of his pass and the distance of his kicking game, as well as the running threat he demonstrated with a sniping try in Adelaide, give him the full package. As much as defeat in Fiji was an unfortunate outcome for Scotland, it was also no disgrace. Games against New Zealand and Argentina, book-ended by USA and Tonga, headline their November and Townsend will want three victories as well as a determined tilt at the All Blacks. Verdict: Scotland will always need to box clever because of their lack of depth but this could be a game-changing tour for them if it ends up breeding greater self-belief and players like Tuipulotu and Cummings channel any frustration constructively. Wales ↔️ Tourists: 2 Test players: 1 The hamstring injury suffered by Tomos Williams deprived the wiry scrum-half of a tilt at the Tests to supplement his excellent season with Gloucester. Jac Morgan stayed on, impressed amid huge competition for back-row spots and was rewarded with two bench appearances against the Wallabies. In the thick of the Melbourne comeback, he was also combative in Sydney, scoring a close-range try and snaring his seventh turnover of the trip. Crumbs of comfort are what Wales supporters are clinging onto right now, with the appointment of Steve Tandy, the return of Louis Rees-Zammit, and a dogged defeat of Japan representing three positive pieces of news in a sea of dread. In Morgan, however, they have an outstanding player as a figurehead. Argentina and Japan are their first two November opponents before New Zealand and South Africa hit Cardiff. Winning at least one of those first two will be Tandy's aim. Verdict: Certainly a positive outcome, though obviously severely limited by the numbers. Ireland ↔️ Tourists: 18 Test players: 12 It was no secret that Ireland were heading towards the 2027 World Cup with a mature squad, but this tour reinforced as much. Whether Bundee Aki makes it back to Australia for that tournament, when he will be 37, must be in doubt. Robbie Henshaw and Stuart McCloskey are strong contingencies, though both will be 34. Hugh Gavin is a strapping 21-year-old and an age-grade star who made his Test debut against Portugal in July. Stuart Lancaster is overseeing his development at Connacht. Having flitted around Leinster's backline last season, Jamie Osborne arrived with the Lions and showcased his rangy running. The 23-year-old is a big talent and voiced his desire to nail down a permanent position as soon as possible. There are prospects pushing through. Sam Prendergast is ahead of Jack Crowley in the fly-half shoot-out. As for younger Lions tourists, the magnificent Dan Sheehan is only 26. Joe McCarthy is 24 and Thomas Clarkson – a contentious call-up yet undoubtedly a promising tighthead – is 25. Caelan Doris, poised for the captaincy of the 2025 Lions at just 27, is recovering from a shoulder operation and should be fresh for a tough autumn schedule comprising New Zealand in Chicago before Japan, South Africa and Australia at the Aviva Stadium. Aged 28 and 30, respectively, James Ryan and Garry Ringrose should have plenty of caps ahead of them if they can overcome concussions. Ronan Kelleher and Mack Hansen are only 27 and Andrew Porter, despite a somewhat strange tour in which he was held back until the Test series and then failed to make a significant impact, has time on his side at 29. Hugo Keenan is the same age and was excellent once he had returned to full health. But to emphasise the discernible age issue facing Ireland, three more of their Lions in Tadhg Beirne, Jamison Gibson-Park and Finlay Bealham will be 35 in 2027. Another four – Jack Conan, Tadhg Furlong, Josh van der Flier and James Lowe – will be 34. Even if provincial sides have shown a willingness to rest and rotate their squads, two full seasons and a World Cup summer could feel like a long road for some of them. Will they all get there? It should be stressed that Beirne was immense against the Wallabies, with Gibson-Park also among the most influential Lions. Furlong and Conan also merited their Test selections. Lowe's was a tale of light and shade in Brisbane and Melbourne before he was dropped. The struggles of Lowe and Porter were more jarring because they have been close to indispensable to Ireland since Farrell began as head coach. Depth at loosehead prop, for instance, is unconvincing and Lowe's left boot has been an important the game plan. The 2026 Six Nations, which will contain a sole rest week rather than two, will challenge squad depth and durability like never before. There are three straight fixtures on the bounce with a break before two more to finish. It will be a grind, and Ireland visit Paris first up. If all that seems overly pessimistic, a 34-5 win over Georgia in Tbilisi a month ago should hearten Ireland fans. Coached by Paul O'Connell and captained by Craig Casey, a young team produced an assured performance. Gus McCarthy, Nick Timoney, Ryan Baird, Gavin Coombes and Tommy O'Brien all stood out. Renewal does not have to mean drastic regression. The effect of the Ireland-heavy backroom staff with the Lions is something else to monitor. Will Farrell and his lieutenants – such as Aled Walters, Simon Easterby, Andrew Goodman and Johnny Sexton – be able to exploit what they have learned about players from other nations? Or will it benefit the other nations to have had such acute insight into Farrell's tactics and coaching traits?