The catch: Fly from a secondary airport on Alaska Airlines. Works for other destinations, too.
Discounted First Class fares to Hawaii from Los Angeles, San Francisco, and Seattle are on average $1,100 to $1,350, and there is a lot of competition for mileage awards from these gateways.
But depart from Oakland, for instance, and the fare drops to $839. From San Jose and San Diego the ticket costs $909; from Portland, $971.
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Fine print: Booking code P for Alaska. Fares vary by season as does advance-purchase requirement (up to 30 days). On Alaska Airlines fares to Hawaii are valid Sunday through Wednesday, from Hawaii, Monday through Thursday. Fly on other days and pay about $25 more one-way.