Purchase the least expensive ticket to Hawaii that you can find for the dates that you would like to fly. Tickets that have a lot of layovers or require you to fly overnight are often the least expensive. You can also try using a website with a "name your own price" feature, like Priceline.com, for even lower fares.
Call your airline and ask about their standby policy. Airlines do not always readily advertise their specific policies, but all of them will allow you to get on an earlier flight than the one you have booked for, if there is space. If you want the flexibility of choosing any flight within 24-hours of the ticket you bought, you will pay a small fee. Fees vary from airline to airline, usually between $50 and $75, as of April 2011. Call your airline to ask what they charge.
Use the airline's website to see what other flights to Hawaii leave within the standby time frame that is mandated by your airline. Take note of the flight numbers and times. Aim for flights that have less layovers or those at a more convenient times than the one you are currently ticketed for.
Show up at the airport three to four hours before the first potential flight you want to catch. Only bring carry-on luggage, as it is much harder to fly standby with checked baggage. Check in at the airline desk and tell them that you are planning on flying standby. They will give you a standby ticket and add you to the standby list for your first desired flight to Hawaii.
Wait at the gate for an airline representative to call your name. If there is not room on the flight you came for, you can continue to wait on standby until there is room on another flight to Hawaii that you would like to take.
Board your flight when the airline's officer calls your name. If you decide you do not want to take the flight, you can surrender your seat to another standby passenger and continue to wait.
