Budget Travel - HNL - SLC or PVU ideas for family of 5

Hello FT,

I would like to try and take my family to visit friends in Provo, UT for Christmas. We have 3 kids, who will be 7, 4 and 1.

I don't mind driving, so I'm willing to buy RT tickets from HNL to LAS, PHX, DEN, ETC.

If I try to book to any destination over Christmas, the tickets are north of $800, so I'm looking at over $3,200 with the little one going from lap to lap.

In my head, it's supposed to cost <$400 per person.

Any ideas on the ideal way to secure 4 roundtrips from HNL to Utah or an adjoining state? I'm thinking depart 12/20 and return 1/2.

My current ideas are:
1) Allegiant (currently can't book Dec on their website; I called today and the lady told me to try back in late May/early June)
2) I have 150K American miles (but I'm kinda thinking it would be better to use them to get the family to Europe next year)
3) Alaska Air - companion pass comes with their credit card (I applied yesterday for me and the wife; both apps got the 'we have to check you out further' message-- we have excellent credit, but I have many cards and I keep signing up like a crack addict. This may be the winner. I pay the Christmas price for two tickets and the two kids only cost $175 each (i.e. the cost of the annual fee for the card + $99 companion ticket)
4) I have around 75K spg points
5) Other random miles (HA 30K, UA 60K, Korean Air 30K)
6) Me and the wife are working to hit the spend on Chase Sapphire cards, so that'll be another 100K UR points

I want 4 HNL-SLC tickets for under $1,200 flying around Christmas. Is it possible? What would you do?

As always, thank you and may the travel gods bless you with sign up bonuses and random hotel suite and first class cabin upgrades....

I want 4 HNL-SLC tickets for under $1,200 flying around Christmas. Is it possible? What would you do?

Well, everyone and his brother wants to spend the holidays in Hawaii, so the planes are full and tickets will cost more during that time, even if you are flying FROM there.

If it were me, I'd just pick another time, though that's not an answer you want (you did ask What would you do?)

EmailKid

Thank you for your 0.02 cents, spoken like a true budget moderator....

spoken like a true budget moderator....

Um, not sure if that's good or bad ...

Hopefully someone else will come up with an idea. I suggest looking at the Hawaii forum, though cross posting is rather frowned upon at FlyerTalk.

If you don't get much traction here I may move the thread there (PM me if I forget).

Oh, and by all means make sure you are signed up for fare alerts on all the popular search engines like Travelocity, Expedia, FareCompare @:-)

That's how I found the $536 all in fare to Rio :D

Also monitor the Mileage Run deals, I've seen things pop up there ex Hawaii now and then.

EmailKid, posting as a general member (OK, except the moving the thread part)