You spent months meticulously planning your Hawaiian vacation. You even booked the best-ranked domestic airline, Hawaiian Airlines, which is also one of the most reliable.

Then, just when you think everything’s a go, your Hawaiian flight is canceled. Maybe weather forced the airline to ground your flight, or it had a mechanical issue. Either way, it’s a good idea to understand both Hawaiian Airlines’ cancellation policy and Hawaiian Airlines’ refund policy.

Here’s everything you need to know.

Why does Hawaiian Airlines cancel flights?

When you pay for something, you expect to get it. But airlines can’t always deliver, often due to reasons beyond their control. Here are some of the most common reasons flights are canceled.

Bad weather

Hawaii is famous for sunny beach days year-round and, unlike the Caribbean, it’s not known for hurricanes. That said, storms in the Pacific can still wreak havoc in Hawaii, whether they make landfall as hurricanes or as tropical storms.

In 2018, for example, tropical storm Olivia forced Hawaiian Airlines to cancel some commuter flights and created chaos for travelers throughout the islands. That’s all to say that Hawaiian Airlines reserves the right to cancel flights due to storms or other dangerous weather conditions.

Geological conditions

Volcanoes are a big draw to Hawaii, offering travelers surreal hikes across volcanic landscapes and, sometimes, a chance to see red-hot lava erupting from the earth. But these stunning Hawaiian landmarks also create a slight — but still real — risk of disrupting air travel.

Volcanic ash poses a direct threat to planes and airline safety. Vog, or volcanic smog, can affect visibility for pilots should the winds blow in the wrong direction at the wrong time.

Hawaii’s airports aren’t near any active volcanoes, so it’s highly unlikely that lava could melt your plane’s runway. But Pele, the Hawaiian goddess of fire and volcanoes, is famously unpredictable, so visitors should be prepared for the unexpected.

Security emergencies

At 8:10 a.m. on Jan. 13, 2018, Hawaiian residents got an emergency alert that a ballistic missile was on course to strike the densely populated island of Oahu.

It took 38 excruciating minutes for panicked residents to get the follow-up text: There was no missile.

The emergency alert had been a mistake. And though the false alarm caused only some minor flight delays, the incident is an illustration of how unforeseen security events can upend travel plans and cause airlines to cancel flights.

Other reasons Hawaiian may cancel your flight

In the fine print of its policies, Hawaiian Airlines leaves a lot of leeway to cancel flights for many reasons.

Aircraft issues, government demands, labor shortages or any other event not reasonably foreseen by Hawaiian could cause your flight to be canceled.

Flyer rights after a Hawaiian Airlines flight cancellation

The federal government announced in May 2023 that it’s writing new rules to require airlines to compensate passengers when flights are canceled or delayed for long periods of time. But until those rules are in place, your travel will fall under the current guidelines.

If Hawaiian Airlines cancels your flight, it will do one of these things:

Put you on another Hawaiian Airlines flight to your destination or next stopover point.

Put you on another airline’s flight to your destination or next stopover point.

Cancel your ticket and refund your money.

What to do if your Hawaiian flight gets canceled

When Hawaiian cancels your flight, you have two options: rebook your flight or request a refund.

How to rebook after a Hawaiian Airlines flight cancellation

If you have the Hawaiian Airlines app, you might consider rolling the dice and booking a new flight immediately in-app without consulting an agent.