Flights to Tahiti...help!

[jumelle]

I have been looking at flights to Tahiti. We are booked for cruise in July. United has a flight from San Francisco but today the only return showing is via Auckland for a total of 38 hrs! Air France flight leaves Tahiti at 7:20 am. Is that even possible to make? Otherwise Air Tahiti is at 11:45 pm. What can you do until that time? I’m now wishing we had booked the package. Any suggestions?

 

[Heartfelttraveler]

We took the Delta/Air France in February 2019.  It was a great flight.  Since it only flies a few days a week we did three nights pre-cruise and 1 night post cruise.  Stayed all four nights at the Intercontinental Tahiti.  Loved it.

 

We are booked for another French Polynesian cruise in October 2021.  We are again booked on Delta/Air France with four nights pre cruise and one night post cruise.  This time we are staying two nights in a VRBO (very reasonably priced), two nights at the Sofitel Moorea with a rental car for the four nights.  Post cruise we are staying at the Faire-Suisse.  Very, very reasonably priced.

 

The problem with the United flight is that they only have one flight per week.  That is why you are flying through Auckland.

 

If you choose the Air Tahiti Nui flight you can get a day room at the Intercontinental Tahiti.  It is really just a place to store your luggage with a changing/showering room.

 

We absolutely loved French Polynesia and cannot wait to go back.

 

We were booked for October 2020 which got canceled due to COVID.  We had booked the Delta/Air France flights with the return the morning of debarkation.  Windstar said that this was fine as the ship actually docks the night before.  We had arranged a car service to take us to the airport at 5:30 AM.  Just call Windstar and they will advise you.

[jumelle]

Thank you Heartfelt Traveler for the information. I will contact Windstar and ask if we can disembark early for the flight. The fare Suisse looks like a great option for the night before the cruise.

Hoping we get to do this cruise in July🤞

[TakingFlight]

If you end up with the Air Tahiti Nui flight you can get a day room at the Fare Suisse. They will pick you up at the dock and take you to the airport in the evening. You get full use of the room so you can take a nap, shower, etc. before the flight. All for about $100.00 (don’t quote me on the price).

[Petoonya]

7 hours ago, Heartfelttraveler said:

The problem with the United flight is that they only have one flight per week.  That is why you are flying through Auckland.

 

 

Actually United flies three days a week nonstop- Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday. We always do Fare Suisse or a particular Airbnb that picks up at the ship and will drop off at the airport or reverse. Fare Suisse is modest, but very clean and comfortable, close to restaurants, the lunch trucks, a grocery store and a Hertz.

[Heartfelttraveler]

I stand corrected - United is again scheduled to fly three days a week.

[milepig]

On 1/23/2021 at 7:22 PM, Petoonya said:

 

Actually United flies three days a week nonstop- Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday. We always do Fare Suisse or a particular Airbnb that picks up at the ship and will drop off at the airport or reverse. Fare Suisse is modest, but very clean and comfortable, close to restaurants, the lunch trucks, a grocery store and a Hertz.

This. You may need to play around with the dates for United. Or just search +\- dates. We spent a night after the cruise to make it work. The other option since the UA flights are late evening that WS spends the last night at berth in Papeete (at least they did) just get off and hoof it to the airport when you dock.

[Petoonya]

Anyone else not a huge fan of United 👻?

It seems almost every time I fly them the flight is terribly late or canceled. Or maybe it's just my usual routing out of SFO. Partially so, but seems it happens even more when air is clear and all four runways operating. However when we were still flying, and when I did get on a flight, the service seems to have improved markedly over the last couple years. Maybe because there are so many websites that bemoan United.

 

Like "15 reasons Why United Sucks."

 

 

[r&rd]

The other option for Papeete to SFO is French Bee - a low cost French airline. But we will be going United!

[jumelle]

I emailed Windstar asking about catching a 7:20 am flight and they never responded. So we went ahead and booked the flight anyway. They have to let us disembark especially since the ship docks in Papeete the night before. Of course we are assuming this cruise in July actually happens. 

[Zukini]

I've asked this question to Windstar myself through their Facebook page.  Their response was:

 

Hello Joe, yes, absolutely! You may disembark a day before. Just let Guest Services Manager know at the check in. Have a great vacation with us!

 

Hope that helps.

[jumelle]

Great! Thank you.

[susiesan]

2 hours ago, jumelle said:

I emailed Windstar asking about catching a 7:20 am flight and they never responded. So we went ahead and booked the flight anyway. They have to let us disembark especially since the ship docks in Papeete the night before. Of course we are assuming this cruise in July actually happens. 

Just announced:

FP closing the borders.

 

https://www.rnz.co.nz/international/pacific-news/435573/french-polynesia-shutting-borders-to-tourists

[minidonuts85]

3 hours ago, susiesan said:

Just announced:

FP closing the borders.

 

https://www.rnz.co.nz/international/pacific-news/435573/french-polynesia-shutting-borders-to-tourists

Starting to see hotels in my social media feed announcing closures until 3/31 (or until the borders are open)....

[jumelle]

UGH!

[Petoonya]

20 minutes ago, jumelle said:

UGH!

Don't give up hope! July is a long way off and people are getting vax there too. Negotiate your final payment date if necessary as the time approaches.