DFW To Maui

American Airlines Review- Week of Thanksgiving

Traveling to Maui from DFW: An East Texan’s Adventure

Living in East Texas has its unique charms—rolling hills, pine forests, and a slower pace of life. But when it comes to long-distance travel, one of the realities is that we often find ourselves driving to metropolitan areas like Dallas-Fort Worth (DFW) to catch flights. This was the case for my family’s recent adventure to Maui, and what a journey it turned out to be!

The Drive to DFW

Our flight was set for Sunday November 24th, 2024 at 11 am CST. We have the luxury of family living in DFW that we’re able to stay with, so we arrived in DFW on Saturday afternoon. When leaving from DFW plan your parking in advance. We typically use the Parking Spot vs parking in the parking garage where you’re paying a premium and will end up with a hefty bill at the end of a 7 day vacation. If you’re making this trek, my advice is to leave plenty of time for Dallas traffic (At least 2.5 hrs)—especially if you’re navigating rush hour. Arriving at the airport with ample time to spare set a stress-free tone for the rest of the trip.

An Almost 9-Hour Flight: What to Expect

When booking our tickets, I was slightly apprehensive about the almost nine-hour flight from DFW to Maui—especially riding in the main cabin with three kids. If you’ve never taken a flight this long, it’s important to prepare for the physical and mental demands.

Here’s what worked for us:

1. Entertainment Is Key: The plane had individual entertainment for each seat with a variety of shows, games or music. We also packed the kids’ electronics and Noise-canceling headphones. American also offered small earbud style headphones at no additional charge if you happen to forget yours.
2. Snacks and Hydration: Airline food can be hit or miss, so we packed a variety of snacks to keep everyone happy. I’m so glad we did because American Airlines only offered a “Snack” for this flight. In fact, before boarding they suggested that we grab food for the flight. The option was a chicken and goat cheese wrap or an artichoke ciabatta sandwich. Both sounded appetizing to me, but they were not fresh, good or filling. I packed an empty Stanley that we were able to fill with water once we passed TSA.
3. Comfort Items: Small travel pillows and blankets made a world of difference for nap times. Each person had a small carryon that was able to be stowed under the seat in front of them making it easily accessible.
4. Stretching and Movement: Whenever the seatbelt sign was off, we encouraged the kids to stretch and move around a bit to avoid restlessness. We sat near the middle of the plane which happened to be in front of the restroom. We could easily access the restroom to stretch our legs and break up the flight.

Arriving in Maui

We spent almost 9 hours in the air but arrived at about 4 pm Hawaii time. Stella was beyond excited to see the beaches and terrain from the airplane window. The weather was perfect, I expected more humidity like I’ve experienced in Mexico. It was warm, breezy and beautiful. We stayed on the west side of the island, which meant an hour drive to the hotel while the sun set.

Tips for Fellow East Texans

If you’re planning a similar trip, here are a few tips:

• Plan Your Timing: Driving to DFW adds a couple of hours to your travel day, so account for that when booking flights.
• Prepare for the Time Change: Maui is four to five hours behind Central Time, depending on the season. This can be an adjustment for kids, so try to ease into the new schedule gradually. We kept them up as long as possible on Sunday and let them sleep in the following day. We never really fully acclimated, but it wasn’t an issue like was I worried it would be.

Final Thoughts

The flight wasn’t as bad getting to Maui. I would pack and plan the same way we did this trip. The flight back was shorter yet felt longer and more uncomfortable.