Air France business class availability between Los Angeles and Tahiti is a unicorn in normal times. But these are not normal times. They currently have an incredible amount of business class nonstop award availability! Normally it’s nearly impossible to find seats on any date, but currently it’s wide open!
Air France flies 777-200ERs with 1-2-1 direct aisle access lie-flat seats on this route.
You can book with this:
- Air France Flying Blue: 64K miles each way, plus $223.69 westbound or $285.44 eastbound
- Mileage transfers available from AMEX (1K:1K instantly), Barclays (1.4K:1K), Capital One (2K:1.5K instantly), Chase (1K:1K instantly), Citi (1:1 instantly), Marriott (60K:25K)
- Awards for travel through 12/31/21 are fully refundable, otherwise they may cost $55 to refund or they may continue to be refundable for free.
- Delta: 100K miles each way, plus $5.60 westbound or $52.66 eastbound
- Mileage transfers available from AMEX (1K:1K instantly) or Marriott (60K:25K)
- Awards and taxes are fully refundable.
You can find the current COVID-19 entry rules for vaccinated and non-vaccinated travelers here.
I’ve rounded up award space availability on dates that have at least 2 business class award seats. Note that most June dates are only bookable with Air France/Flying Blue miles.
There is business saver award space from Los Angeles to Papeete on:
November 10, 14, 17, 24, 28
December 1, 5, 8, 12
January 12, 19, 26
February 2, 16, 23, 27
March 2, 6, 21, 24, 27
April 27
May 1, 8, 11, 15, 22, 25, 29, 31
June 1, 2, 4, 5, 7, 8, 9
There is business saver award space from Papeete to Los Angeles on:
November 4, 8, 11, 15, 18, 22, 25, 29
December 2, 6, 9, 13, 16, 20, 23
January 6, 13, 20, 27, 28
February 3, 7, 10, 14, 17, 21, 24, 28
March 3, 7, 10, 14, 17, 21, 28
April 4, 11, 13, 18, 25
May 2, 9, 12, 16, 23, 30
June 1, 2, 3, 5, 6, 8, 9, 10, 12, 13, 15, 16, 17, 19, 20, 22, 23, 24, 26, 27, 29
Hotel options:
From Papeete you can take a ferry or short flight to the beautiful island of Moorea, to the stunning resorts of Bora Bora, or to the many other islands of French Polynesia.
Due to the early flight time from Papeete to Los Angeles, you will likely have to overnight in Papeete. You can stay at the nearby Intercontinental Tahiti near the airport with points.
Bora Bora and the Maldives are both famous for luxury resorts with incredible overwater bungalows. I’ve been to the W Maldives and the S. Regis Maldives, but I’ve yet to go to Bora Bora. That’s been partially due to how easy it is to find amazing business and first class awards to the Maldives, point deals that I’ve taken advantage of, and the ideal Maldives weather taking place during winter in the US versus ideal weather in Bora Bora taking place during summer in the US.
IHG has 2 properties in Bora Bora, Marriott has 2 properties, and Hilton has 1 hotel there. If you can find award availability at the InterContinental Bora Bora Resort Thalasso Spa you can book right into an overwater villa. You can currently earn 150,000 points with the Chase IHG Premier card.
Hilton also has a property on Moorea, which some say is one of the prettiest islands on the planet. Hilton is also opening a resort in Tahiti on 1/1/22.
Papeete even has a Jewish community and an Orthodox shul. The shul is 2.3 miles from the soon to open Hilton Resort and 5.4 miles from the Intercontinental Tahiti. There’s little information about the shul and community online, so I’d love to hear about it if you’ve been there.
You can book a Bora Bora Pass or Bora-Tuamotu Pass to island hop at rates that aren’t much more (or may even be cheaper) than a flight from Papeete to Bora Bora.
Have you been to French Polynesia? Do you have plans to go in the future?
@Dan – are you going? 🙂
Looking to use some Hilton and IHG Free Night Certificate Awards for May 2022. Can’t find any Standard night awards for Hilton and IHG frees are worthless. Anyone have any luck?
The conrad and the ic thallaso only have 2 rooms they let you book with points so ppl book then speculatively but if you wait until within the cancelation period its easier to find when those speculative trips don’t work out and they cancel
If you book it round-trip, taxes are only $60.
The Saint Regis Bora-Bora actually will offer you kosher food if you give them advance notice… I spoke with the head chef who was relatively knowledgeable about what he would need to do and how to do it, but since we eat fish and dairy out… We just did that. Although he was knowledgeable, I feared it wouldn’t be done correctly
$60 in total taxes? That would be good, because otherwise, when you add in the taxes, it’s not much of a deal (unless you MUST go in biz class for your honeymoon or such).
Regularly a $4500 flight Even if you have to pay $500 in taxes, still a solid deal
that is not true, on last page before you buy, they add like $450 surcharge.
We spent shabbos there 10 years ago and the community was very nice.
There was a small hotel not far from the shul.
Was able to find some food but brought a lot of our own.
S Regis restaurant was very accommodating like many other hotels I asked for raw vegetables they gave me a head of lettuce and tomatoes and peppers and I had them charge me for a salad.
any way to search a calendar on flying blue website now?
The le meridian is still closed for renovations for the foreseeable future. Hopefully they do a nice job so there will actually be a nice marriott option ! Str is nauseous and grossly overpriced
I keep getting a layover in Entebe, Uganda… Can’t Air France offer a direct flight?
I just booked June 12-21 and, yes, there is a calendar on the Flying BLue/Air France website.
Went here two years ago and stayed at the Conrad Hilton using points + be my guest certificates and upgraded to an overwater sunset room with private pool
Was AMAZING
The hotel was VERY accommodating, they even have GLATT KOSHER meat they can make for you and separate kosher pans (or you can bring your own pans
They also allow you into the kitchen to turn the stove on or watch them make the food (including fresh challah)
Their Mahi Mahi fish was incredible
Also took the AirFrance flight from Los Angeles, it’s one of the few flights they NEVER serve kosher meals in so keep that in mind
Can’t wait to go back!
I keep getting an error at the very end as I confirm booking. It says to contact the airline to complete booking. Anyone else?
Yes, on app or web error.