Tickets now on sale for new, affordable Southwest Hawaii flights

It’s time to get away, for a slightly lower price.

Southwest Airlines is offering new flights between Hawaii and California, which will begin taking off on March 17, according to a report by USA Today.

The initial route will be between Oakland and Honolulu, with other routes to be announced in April.

Fares start at $49 for one-way trips in June, though USA Today reports these tickets are sold out as of noon today. Check Southwest's low-fare calendar to see the lowest price of the ones left.

» Southwest Airlines' first test flight to Hawaii a success

Southwest is also launching inter-island flights, CNN said. The first of those will be between Honolulu and Kahului on April 28.

Southwest getting into this market is great news for consumers, especially for inter-island trips, because Hawaii flights are notoriously expensive.

According to a Hawaii tourism blog, Hawaii has had only one inter-island airline since Aloha Airlines went down in 2008.

Flights to the island are less pricey, but still more expensive than the equivalent distance over land. According to a separate USA Today article, one reason is because planes that fly to Hawaii have to meet a higher standard.

The U.S. Federal Aviation Administration requires planes that make long trips over water meet ETOPS, the Extended-range Twin-engine Operational Performance Standards.

ETOPS-certified planes need more redundancies for their electrical or communication systems. They also have to carry more fuel and life rafts.