This years tourism arrival figures for Tahiti continue to lag (over 8% down in April) below the terrible 2009 numbers (the worst year since 1996.) Air Tahiti Nui responds by offering a special fare good for stays in French Polynesia for up to four (4) days. Yes, four days for your vacation. If you pay $60 extra you can stay for all of five (5) days.
Now, if you happen to live in New Zealand you can visit for up to sixty days (60) days on a special airfare. Obviously the 3 million New Zealand market is more important than the over 300 million North American market.
Potential customers of Air Tahiti Nui posted their dismay about this on ATN's facebook page.
Did Air Tahiti Nui listen to what the customers wanted? No, they deleted most of the complaining posts. At least two of the censored posters happened to be Tripadvisor French Polynesia forum destination experts.Are you really serious ATN? That's what you call a vacation? One day only in Moorea? In the market in downtown Papeete with the traffic and all shopping for made in Bali trinkets?
As a yet undeleted poster wrote on facebook, "OMG!!! ATN, are you trying to dig yourself a whole [sic] to China?"
I've got to tell you folks. If you haven't been to the Cook Islands, if you haven't seen Rarotonga or Aitutaki then there is no reason at this point not to go. Check out Air New Zealand's web specials.
Another Update from facebook: Air Tahiti Nui USA Thank you for all of you who have booked the Midnight Madness sale. For all of those who wanted to stay longer, we have exciting news. You now can choose any combination of the designated outbound dates with the later return date of 22JUN for stay up to 13 days. For these variations, please call our reservation office at 877-824-4846 until 5:00PM PST today.
If you are reserving and paying for your domestic airfares in French Polynesia you can enjoy an even bigger savings. Air Tahiti has announced a 30% reduction on their blue fares good throughout the year. Customers must be present in French Polynesia during the booking and ticketing process.
Roundtrip fares from Tahiti to:
Huahine - 16,800 xpf RT
Raiatea - 19,200 xpf RT
Bora Bora - 23,000 xpf RT
Maupiti - 23,000 xpf RT
Rangiroa - 24,600 xpf RT
Manihi - 24,600 xpf RT
Tikehau - 24,600 xpf RT
Fakarava - 26,200 xpf RT
All taxes are included.
Blue fares are, of course, those charged for the less popular flights - usually very early in the morning or late in the afternoon. You will have a smaller luggage allowance - 10 kgs (22 lbs). You won't find any information on this on the Air Tahiti site that is accessible outside of French Polynesia.
Several years ago I posted this about blue fares.
Air Tahiti Nui has finally come up with a special air fare that is not an insult to the North American market. I guess NO TOURISTS didn't work for them. Now instead of having a five day vacation, visitors will be able to purchase the special for stays up to 30 days.
If you choose to travel between 11/01/10 to 12/10/10 and 01/07/11 to 03/14/11 you can get a fare of $899 RT from LAX to Papeete plus tax or $988.90 total.
The catch is having to book uncomfortably far in advance, between now and May 7th. Sure I'm tempted but who knows what will happen between now and November. Will the new ferry (post to come about that) still be running and on the same days? Air Tahiti's (the domestic carrier, not to be confused with Air Tahiti Nui) summer schedule goes into effect November 1st and thus the information available on their Web site may not be accurate.
When I first read about the fare I got excited but then I realized that I'm the customer and if they want me back they've got to concede even more. Right now I could buy an airfare to Tahiti for April, this month!, if I agreed to only stay there for five days. I have to book now and wait till November for a longer vacation? I'll wait and see what develops.
Air Tahiti Nui is offering a new Web special fare RT from LAX to Papeete.
The $859.00 price includes all taxes, fees and surcharges.
Purchase a ticket between April 20th and May 11th for flights between August 11th (high season!) and December 10th.
No minimum stay, maximum stay is 10 days from arrival in Papeete.
Air Tahiti Nui has posted another online special, $859 RT from LAX including all taxes, fees and surcharges.
Tickets must be purchased before February 28th and are good for travel between now and April 30th. The maximum stay allowed is 15 days.
Happy New Year!
Air Tahiti Nui is finally offering a special and it's a good one.
$860 including all taxes, fees & surcharges RT from LAX to Tahiti
The fare is only available on select dates and flights:
Southbound (Los Angeles - Papeete)
TN11/05FEB
TN01/08FEB
TN411/14FEB (Valentine's Day!)
TN01/15FEB
TN11/19FEB
TN111/20FEB
TN11/26FEB
TN111/06MAR
TN101/11MAR
Northbound (Papeete - Los Angeles)
TN12/11FEB
TN412/14FEB
TN12/18FEB
TN102/19FEB
TN12/25FEB
TN22/03MAR
TN12/04MAR
TN102/12MAR
TN02/16MAR
Call 877-824-4846 in the U.S. and Canada (Tickets must be purchased by January 22nd)
I haven't seen a great airfare to Papeete (PPT) from Los Angeles (LAX) in a while. With the loss of Air New Zealand from that route in a months time I suspect that deals will be harder to find. I can share with you what has worked in the past for me.
Sign up for Air Tahiti Nui's email specials. It used to be the way to get the first news of special reduced fares to Tahiti, usually restricted to just a few flights.
Recently, ATN has been posting specials on their Web site over two weeks before the customers who have taken the time to register have received notification. I would be making at least a weekly visit to the ATN Web site to see if there is anything good posted there.
Last year I got a better fare on Expedia than the same flight directly from Air Tahiti Nui. (Just tried a comparison for departure on 4/19, return 5/2, after taxes and surcharges Expedia was $971 total and ATN was $1192.)
I tried Orbitz and they showed a fare of $972.
Travelocity amazed me as offering the lowest fare for those dates at $951.40.
I've been signed up for Air France's email specials for several years. However, they have never notified me of any special fares to French Polynesia (however, if you want to go to Paris ....).
Once a couple of years ago, when I was bored, I started inputing random dates into the Air France online booking service. I found a great fare (in the $400's RT) available for certain depatures in April and May. I was never able to find where the fare was published but it was available for purchase on the Air France site. The fare I got for roughly the same dates as above was $1,108. Note that Air France displays the fares in one way segments, the fare is not $504.
While I've gotten great U.S. hotel deals bidding on Priceline I have not used them for international air. You can purchase airline tickets, without bidding, from them also. For the dates mentioned above they were also cheaper than ATN coming in at $1013. I suggest reading up on bidding strategies at Bidding for Travel.
I also tried various "Cheap" airfares sites but none of them were cheaper than Expedia, Orbitz or Travelocity.
If I was planning for an upcoming trip and had flexibility with dates I would wait for an Air Tahiti Nui special. The specials aren't restricted to off-season, I've used them at the peak of high-season in August and early Septmember. I've purchased them over a month before depature.
As there is so much outdated information on the Web regarding French Polynesia I thought I would post this basic information. The airlines that fly to Tahiti are:
 | Air Tahiti Nui from Los Angeles, New York, Paris, Tokyo, Osaka, Sydney, Auckland |
 | Air France from Los Angeles, Paris |
 | Hawaiian from Honolulu |
 | Air New Zealand from Auckland and until April 2nd, 2007 from Los Angeles and Rarotonga |
 | Air Calin from Noumea, New Caledonia |
 | Lan Chile from Easter Island, Santiago |
 | Air Rarotonga will start service in April from the Cook Islands |
 | Air Tahiti will start service in April from the Cook Islands |
Savings can also be realized by purchasing point to point airfares in Tahiti instead of overseas.
Here some are fare comparisons for round trip tickets. My Tahiti fares are from last summer. These fares are good on any flight.
| Route RT | Overseas LS | Overseas HS | Tahiti |
| Tahiti - Huahine | 21000 | 21000 | 18900 |
| Tahiti - Bora Bora | 31500 | 34700 | 26100 |
| Tahiti - Raiatea | 24300 | 24300 | 21600 |
| Tahiti - Maupiti | 30300 | 30300 | 26600 |
| Tahiti - Tikehau | 32200 | 34700 | 28600 |
| Tahiti - Rangiroa | 32200 | 34700 | 28600 |
| Tahiti - Nuku Hiva | 57600 | 57600 | 50200 |
| Tahiti - Raivavae | 49200 | 49200 | 43900 |
If you happen to be young (under 25), a Senior (60 or over), or traveling with your family (at least one adult with a child under 16) you can purchase a Carte Jeune (Youth Card), Carte Marama (Senior Card) or Carte Famille (Family Card).
The card costs 1000 to purchase for youths and Seniors and 2000 for families. You will need to present photo ID (like your passport, for families this applies to the parent, children need a birth certificate), have a passport photo for the pass (for families this applies to the parents only though I would bring photos of the children just in case). I've heard that the pass is not available for purchase at the airport Air Tahiti office. One has to go into Papeete to purchase it.
The card is good for 5 years, assuming that one still qualifies.
The benefits of the cards are a price reduction of 50% on bleu flights (75% for children under 12), 30% off on blanc flights (50% for children under 12) and 10% on rouge flights (50% for children under 12).
Be aware that the seats available for these discounted fares are limited. Reservations and ticketing can only be done in French Polynesia for these discounts.
I must also note that I read a report from someone who purchased a family pass. At first they tried to tell him that he was not eligible since he was a tourist. He pointed out the sentence (written in French) where it said that the card, reservations and ticketing have to be done in FP with no mention of any restrictions as to who could benefit.
Available for purchase only in French Polynesia are two additional airpasses that can offer you substanital savings. They are the Les Pass "Bleu"s.
The Pass Bleu Decouverte is for travel from Tahiti to Huahine, Raiatea and Moorea. Last summer it cost 19200.
The regular Pass Bleu goes from Tahiti to Huahine, Raiatea, Bora Bora and Moorea. (Note that Maupiti is not included.) Last summer it cost 25200.
The rules are the same as the airpasses discussed previously EXCEPT that you have to travel on bleu (blue) flights to and from Tahiti and on bleu or blanc (white) flights between the other islands. Between Moorea and Tahiti (which has to be your last island) you will be traveling on Air Tahiti or (more likely) Air Moorea and need not worry about availability. Your checked luggage limit is 10 kgs (22 lbs).
If you are traveling on a Pass Bleu or if you have a Youth (Jeune), Senior (Marama) or Family (Famille) card (which I will discuss later) you need to be aware of Red (Rouge), White (Blanc) and Blue (Bleu) flights. If you do not fit in those categories skip over this as all flights are equal for you.
The red flights are the most popular (and hence most expensive), then come the whites and after that the blues. There are a limited number of discounted seats on these flights as others are paying full (or full local) fares for them.
According to last summers schedule, if you wanted to catch a blue flight to Bora Bora from Tahiti your choices would be (for the 50 minute flight):
Monday (Lundi):
5:00 am
5:30 am
3:20 pm
6:00 pm
Tuesday (Mardi):
2:10 pm
Wednesday (Mercredi):
5:15 pm
5:40 pm
Thursday (Jeudi):
1:15 pm
5:55 pm
Friday (Vendredi):
6:40 am
5:00 pm
Saturday (Samedi):
5:25 am
1:00 pm
3:05 pm
5:15 pm
Sunday (Dimanche):
7:20 am
2:40 pm
4:55 pm
6:45 pm
I don't know how far in advance the blue seats on these flights get booked up. You are competing with locals who can make reservations for them in advance. You cannot do that if you are out of the country.
Looking at last summers schedule from Tahiti to Huahine I see that there is no blue flight on Fridays for that route.
Air Tahiti tickets can be purchased overseas via their Web site and picked up at the airport upon arrival (either at the check-in counter for a point to point e-ticket or at the Air Tahiti office for an airpass). You can also purchase them from your international carrier. If you are going on a package tour your Air Tahiti tickets will be included.
Purchasing your tickets in French Polynesia will yield substantial savings except for airpasses that cover island groups other than the Society Islands. The risk in waiting to purchase your ticket until arrival is that you may not be able to get on the flight that you want or even fly on the day that you want. You also will have a lower checked luggage limit of 10 k (22 lbs). I will discuss this later in more detail.
The airpasses offered overseas are (I have entered the price that was offered last summer if purchased in Tahiti in parenthesis):
Discovery Pass:
Tahiti, Huahine, Raiatea 24200* (24200)
Bora Bora Pass:
Moorea, Huahine, Raiatea, Bora Bora, Maupiti
From January 5th to May 31st and from November 16th to December 21st 34700 (33700)
From January 1st to January 4th and from June 1st to November 15th and from December 22nd to December 31st 36800 (33700)
Lagoon Pass: Moorea, Rangiroa, Tikehau, Manihi, Fakarava, Ahe 38900 (38200)
Bora Bora Tuamotu Pass: Moorea, Huahine, Raiatea, Bora Bora, Maupiti, Rangiroa, Tikehau, Manihi, Fakarava, Ahe 50400 (48700)
Marquesas Pass: Nuku Hiva, Atuona, Ua Pou, Ua Huka
From January 5th to May 31st and from November 16th to December 21st 63000
From January 1st to January 4th and from June 1st to November 15th and from December 22nd to December 31st 69000
(in FP this pass is 61200 from January 1st to March 31st and from November 1st to December 31st and 66200 from April 1st to October 31st)
There are also two extensions that can be added to any airpass except one cannot add the Australes extension to the Marquesas pass:
Australes Extension: Rurutu, Tubuai, Raivavae 26300 (26200)
Marquesas Extension: Nuku Hiva, Atuona 47300 (46200)
The extensions must be added to the beginning or the end of a pass.
The airpasses are not like Eurail passes. You cannot hop on and off planes as you wish. You have to make a schedule, this flight on this day, that flight on that day and be ticketed. Once you take your first flight the other flights cannot be changed. (Though I did hear a report of someone who was able to get a flight to another island due to a bad weather report for his initial destination. However, don't count on it.)
The passes begin in Tahiti; travel must be completed in one archipelago before starting on another. Islands within an archipelago can be visited in any order. All islands covered in a pass do not have to be visited (and it can be quite a challenge to include all the islands or selected islands on a pass given a particular timeframe).
Only one stopover is permitted on an island. A transit with a flight number change is considered a stopover. The exception to this is: Bora Bora-Tikehau, Bora Bora-Manihi, Bora Bora-Fakarava or vice-versa, where a flight number change and stop of less than 2 hours in Rangiroa is considered as a transit, not a stopover.
A stopover or transit in Tahiti is not permitted except to get to Moorea on the Lagoons pass or for 24 hours before or after an extension.
Passes are only valid for 28 days.
Tahiti to Moorea (and vice-versa) may be flown on an Air Tahiti or Air Moorea flight. There is an extra charge for the Air Moorea evening (night as they call it) flights.
(Note: there are lower fares for children available on all flights.)
Air Tahiti is the domestic carrier of French Polynesia (though it will begin to fly to the Cook Islands in April). It is a different airline from the international carrier Air Tahiti Nui.
It's a fine airline and you will be flying on 48 or 66 seat twin turboprop aircraft (smaller aircraft is used for the remote islands).
Pineapple juice will be served. Meals are only provided for flights to the Marquesas, Gambiers and Hao. Sandwiches are offered for sale to the Australs. You'll get a very nice Air Tahiti magazine.
The seating is open, first come, first served.
The luggage allowance is less than on your international flight to Tahiti. You are allowed 10 kg (22 lbs) if you purchase your ticket in French Polynesia, 20 kg (44 lbs) if you purchase it overseas. If you are a diver and have your international dive certification card (and international air ticket) you are allowed an extra 5kg (11 lbs).
Hand luggage is restricted to a day pack size (17” x 13” x 7”) weighing less than 3k (6.6 lbs). They made me check in my "fits under the seat" rolling pilot bag.
If you are over the weight limit you have to pay for the excess. The cost per kilogram depends on your flight. If you want to calculate the cost go to the fares page and enter your to and from destination and you will see the excess luggage cost for that leg.
Some example one way excess luggage costs per 1k (2.2 lbs):
| Tahiti-Huahine | 120 |
| Tahiti-Bora Bora | 170 |
| Tahiti-Rangiroa | 200 |
| Bora Bora-Rangiroa | 290 |
At Tahiti (Faaa) Airport (the only one on the island) baggage storage is located in a small building within the large parking lot just in front of the airport.
Air Tahiti Nui has provided this luggage storage information page which includes an excellent map to the location. As links to Tahiti related Web pages go bad at an alarming rate I have also copied the information here.
The hours of operation are:
| Monday | 4 am - 12:30 am (+1) |
| Tuesday. | 5 am -12:30 am (+1) |
| Wednesday. | 5 am -12:30 am (+1) |
| Thursday | 5 am -12:30 am (+1) |
| Friday | 5 am - 11 pm |
| Saturday | 5 am - 12:30 am (+1) |
| Sunday | 5 am -12:30 am (+1) |
| Holidays | 5 am -12:30 am (+1) |
| Small volume (vanity, etc.)* | 395 |
| Middle size suitcase | 640 |
| Big box | 950 |
| Surfboard (short board) | 1100 |
| One cover-several surfboards | 1600 |
| Surfboards over 2 meters | 2200 |
| Windsurfer | 2700 |
Yesterday it was announced that a code share between Air Tahiti and Air Rarotonga will commence on April 3rd for flights between Rarotonga in the Cook Islands and Papeete, French Polynesia.
Air New Zealand is abandoning that route at the beginning of April.
The flights will be on Tuesdays and Saturdays in both directions.
On Tuesday the flight from Tahiti is at 7:15 am, arriving in Rarotonga at 9:55 am.
On Saturday the flight from Tahiti is at 12:15 am, arriving in Rarotonga at 2:55 pm.
Returning from Rarotonga on Tuesday the flight departs at 10:55 am and arrives in Tahiti at 1:40 pm.
On Saturday the flight departs Rarotonga at 3:55 pm and arrives in Tahiti at 6:40 pm.
Tahitipresse reported that the fares will be "from US$ 249/€ 192 to US$ 356/€ 275" for a one way.
It is already possible to book the flights on the Air Rarotonga Web site; there is no mention on Air Tahiti's site. The fares shown on Air Rarotonga's site (NZD 349 for a thrifty fare and NZD 499 for a fully flexible fare) are equivalent to the Tahitian prices.
Back in October Air New Zealand announced changes to its Pacific schedules effective April 2nd 2007. I've noticed that folks planning RTW trips are not yet aware of these.
Air New Zealand will no longer fly from Papeete to Rarotonga (and there is no other way to travel directly between French Polynesia and the Cook Islands). Their flights from Los Angeles to Papeete will be via Air Tahiti Nui as a codeshare. Two of their flights to Auckland from Papeete will be via Air Tahiti Nui as a codeshare.
What this means is that if you are traveling from Easter Island you would go to Papeete, as before. From Papeete your onward choices would be to Noumea, New Caledonia (Air Calin), Honolulu (Hawaiian Airlines), Los Angeles (Air Tahiti Nui), Auckland (Air Tahiti Nui , Air New Zealand), Sydney (Air Tahiti Nui ), and Tokyo (Air Tahiti Nui ).
Connections to other Pacific islands are available in New Caledonia via Air Calin (Wallis and Futuna) and Air Vanuatu (Vanuatu, Fiji, Solomon Islands). Connections to other Pacific islands from Hawaii are via Hawaiian Airlines (American Samoa) and Continental (Marshall Islands, Federated States of Micronesia, Guam, Palau, Northern Marianas).
The only way to reach Easter Island is via Lan Chile from either Santiago or Papeete.
Air Tahiti Nui is running a special airfare from Los Angeles to Papeete, Tahiti. It's only valid for outbound travel on January 27th and 28th and returning on February 7th. The fare is $608 *plus taxes and fees or $718 total RT.
