Quick summary
Our fare scan on October 13, 2026 found the lowest US–Majuro round-trip economy fare at $3,342 for October 25–30 travel, with three stops. No current source publishes a MileagePlus award price for this route, so the old claim that miles save $800–$1,500 per round trip no longer holds, and the comparison has to be run live on your own dates.
The Island Hopper runs three times weekly westbound, and international travelers need a US ESTA or visa approved at least 72 hours before departure or they can be denied boarding in Honolulu. Here is how to plan the trip and where the miles-versus-cash call actually gets made.
The lowest round-trip economy fare from the United States to Majuro in the fare scan on October 13, 2026 is $3,342. It is for October 25–30 travel with three stops. That is the price an award redemption has to beat.
The old case for miles no longer holds.
The previous version of this guide put the saving at $800–$1,500 per round trip. Neither the Honolulu–Majuro cash range nor the 35,000–45,000-mile award price behind that comparison is supported by current sources. For travelers in North America, Europe and Australia and New Zealand, the question remains the same: does an award undercut the cash fare?
What United’s Island Hopper actually flies in 2026
United’s Island Hopper is flight UA154 from Honolulu to Guam, with UA155 flying the return through the same stops. It calls at Majuro, Kwajalein, Kosrae, Pohnpei and Chuuk. As of May 25, 2026, it operates three times weekly westbound, on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays. Earlier versions of this guide listed a different weekly pattern.
The aircraft is a Boeing 737-800. The full run takes about 14.5 hours of block time across six segments. Honolulu to Majuro is the longest single leg, at roughly 4.5 hours. Ground time is short: 45 minutes at Majuro and 39 at Kwajalein.
The remaining ground windows are 33 minutes at Kosrae, 34 at Pohnpei and 34 at Chuuk. At Majuro, Kosrae, Pohnpei and Chuuk, passengers can step off during that window.
Kwajalein has different rules.
Photography and video are restricted there. There is also no in-flight Wi-Fi on the ocean legs and no automated baggage handling at the island stops, so the day runs on the crew’s clock.
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What a Majuro round-trip costs now
The scan found a single low fare, with departure on October 25 and return on October 30. It says nothing about which months are cheaper. The price is a floor for late-October travel, not a seasonal pattern.
The scan returned cash fares only. Anyone repeating the old saving today is quoting figures nobody can check.
The price picture is thin. Google Flights shows what United is charging for specific dates, and United’s own Honolulu to Majuro page carries the route and its fares directly.
Travelers from Europe and from Australia and New Zealand reach this fare only after getting to Honolulu. The quoted fare starts in the United States. A positioning flight or a separate award to Hawaii sits on top of it. For Australia and New Zealand, the alternative routing via Nadi is covered in our note on the Fiji Airways Australia–Majuro option.
The paperwork that can stop you at Honolulu
The Island Hopper transits Kwajalein, a US military installation, and finishes in Guam, a US territory. International travelers therefore need a valid US ESTA or visa for the trip. That requirement stands as of May 25, 2026.
The document check happens before you fly. Missing paperwork can end a long-planned trip at the airport rather than at the destination.
For travelers arriving from Europe, Australia or New Zealand, the document comes before the fare. The approval window is a minimum, not a target.
MileagePlus changes that affect any award plan
United retired the Excursionist Perk for tickets issued on or after August 21, 2025. Tickets booked before that date are still honored. Any voluntary change, however, re-prices the itinerary and removes the free segment. A plan to add a second island for zero miles no longer works.
In April 2026, United added an automatic 10% discount on United-marketed awards for co-branded cardholders and 15% for Premier status holders. It is the one change this year that moves the award price in the traveler’s favour.
Buying miles to close a shortfall is expensive. As of October 5, 2026, United sells MileagePlus miles at $35.00 per 1,000, or 3.5 cents each.
The minimum purchase is 2,000 miles. A 10,000-mile top-up costs $350 before taxes and fees.
Miles do not expire while the account is open and in good standing. No deadline forces you to spend a balance. Chase Ultimate Rewards and Bilt Rewards transfer to MileagePlus at 1:1. Marriott Bonvoy transfers at 3:1, with a 10,000-mile bonus for every 60,000 points moved.
These changes do not establish the price of a US–Majuro award seat. The live comparison belongs in United’s MileagePlus award booking page.
Cash fees at island stops
The Federated States of Micronesia charges a mandatory cash departure fee per state, as of May 25, 2026. FSM states collect it, so it applies at Kosrae, Pohnpei and Chuuk.
A card will not get you through the terminal.
For a traveler who breaks the Island Hopper into several island stops, this cost is unavoidable. It applies to every FSM state on the itinerary.
Before you book the October 25 window
Price your exact round trip in cash first, then look for award space on your dates. The fare and a confirmed seat are not the same thing.
- Documents first — apply for ESTA or a US visa now; approval is required at least 72 hours before departure and United can deny boarding at the Honolulu gate.
- Carry cash — $20 per FSM state departure fee at Kosrae, Pohnpei and Chuuk, with no ATMs or card machines at the check-in counters. Bring small US dollar bills before you arrive.
- Fix your days around the schedule — the Island Hopper runs westbound on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays as of May 25, 2026, so a missed departure means waiting for the next one, not two hours.
- Watch — whether United publishes award pricing for US–Majuro or restores a free-segment perk; either would change the miles-versus-cash comparison.
All three checks are cheaper to make now than at the airport. To settle the miles-versus-cash question for your trip, search your dates.
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Questions? Answers.
What is the Island Hopper route exactly?
United’s Island Hopper is flight UA154 from Honolulu to Guam, returning as UA155. It stops at Majuro, Kwajalein, Kosrae, Pohnpei and Chuuk, uses a Boeing 737-800, and covers six segments in about 14.5 hours of block time. The route has been flown since 1968.
Does United still fly the Island Hopper?
Yes. As of May 25, 2026 the service runs three times weekly westbound, on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays. Earlier guides listed a different weekly pattern, so check the current schedule before you fix your dates.
How do you book the United Island Hopper?
Through United, either as a cash fare or as a MileagePlus award. No verifiable source publishes a mileage price for US–Majuro, so search your own dates in United’s award tool. Co-branded cardholders and Premier members get an automatic 10% or 15% discount on United-marketed awards added in April 2026.
Is Kwajalein a better option than Majuro?
Kwajalein is a US military installation. Passengers cannot leave the aircraft there without prior US government authorization, and photography and video are restricted; the ground stop is 39 minutes. Majuro is the practical stop for leisure travelers.
