Compare 5 loyalty programs for San Francisco to Kona award flights, with economy seats from 17,500 points.
San Francisco to Kona is a medium-haul domestic route to Hawaii with nonstop award seats on United Airlines. Five programs price the route, and economy starts at 17,500 points via Alaska Atmos Rewards. With this many programs in play, the same seat can price very differently depending on where you book it. This page compares every way to book SFO–KOA on points.
Best one-way award prices per airline over the next 12 months.
| Airline | Economy | Premium economy | First |
|---|---|---|---|
 Alaska AirlinesAS | 17,500Lowest | Not available | 40,000Lowest |
 American AirlinesAA | 17,500Lowest | 200,000Lowest | 128,000pts |
 United AirlinesUA | 19,000pts | Not available | 83,400pts |
 DeltaDL | 27,100pts | Not available | 96,900pts |
When award seats between San Francisco and Kona price cheapest over the next year.
| Month | Cheapest award (points) |
|---|---|
| Nov 2026 | No award data |
| Dec 2026 | 45,000 |
| Jan 2027 | No award data |
| Feb 2027 | No award data |
| Mar 2027 | No award data |
| Apr 2027 | No award data |
| May 2027 | 17,500 |
| Jun 2027 | No award data |
| Jul 2027 | No award data |
| Aug 2027 | No award data |
| Sep 2027 | No award data |
| Oct 2027 | No award data |
4 airlines with award seats between San Francisco and Kona, nonstop or connecting.
American AirlinesAAAlaska AirlinesASDeltaDLUnited AirlinesUAWhat to know before booking San Francisco to Kona with points.
Distance ~2,370 miles; nonstop flying time ~5h15 (estimate). Local time in Kona is 3 hours behind San Francisco (2 while San Francisco is on standard time). Data covers November 2026–October 2027. Only two months in the calendar data carry prices: December 2026 at 45,000 points and May 2027 at 17,500.
San Francisco to Kona is served by American Airlines, Alaska Airlines, Delta and 1 more, offering multiple options for award travelers. Compare 5 loyalty programs to find the best value for your points. Award prices start from 17,500 points in economy. Use our search tool to check real-time award availability on this route.
Roughly 2,370 miles separate San Francisco International Airport (SFO) and Ellison Onizuka Kona International Airport (KOA), so a nonstop spends about 5h15 in the air, a little more or less depending on winds and direction. United Airlines carries all of the nonstop award space in the data. The Boeing 737 appears on those nonstop award segments. Expect mostly connecting results: only about 8% of the award options in the data are nonstop.
On a domestic run like San Francisco–Kona, award prices go head to head with cash fares. Saving points means connecting: the economy floor connects once, and an economy nonstop on United Airlines costs more. The cheapest economy seat adds about $6 in taxes and fees, in line with the route's typical economy taxes. If the cash price is modest, buying the ticket is often the better trade. Hold off on converting flexible points until the seat is confirmed bookable; there's no undoing a transfer.
Alaska Atmos Rewards takes economy at 17,500 points and first class at 40,000. American AAdvantage is cheapest in premium economy at 200,000 points. Also in the mix: Delta SkyMiles, United MileagePlus, and Virgin Australia Velocity. No program wins more than two cabins here, so pick the seat first, then the currency.
The data has one nonstop award carrier on San Francisco–Kona: United Airlines. Its Star Alliance membership means alliance partners can sell that seat too, not only United MileagePlus. Beyond the nonstop, the cheaper connecting awards in the data change planes in Kahului. Every cabin's cheapest award prices through the airline's own program at last check, so start there before pricing partners. Only four airlines show award space here, but five programs sell their seats, so the program matters more than the carrier.
Check the departure code before moving points; San Francisco awards can also start at San Jose (SJC). Out of San Francisco, Atlanta is a cheaper redemption at last check, from 9,500 points. For a longer redemption from San Francisco, Amsterdam and Athens are tracked too.
Alternative corridors travelers consider alongside San Francisco to Kona.
From 4,000 ptsBusiness 17,300 pts
From 4,900 ptsBusiness 21,000 pts
From 5,000 ptsBusiness 19,300 pts
From 5,000 ptsBusiness 23,000 pts
From 7,000 ptsBusiness 30,000 pts
From 8,087 ptsBusiness 60,000 pts
Common questions travelers ask about the San Francisco to Kona route.
