Deal alert: Fly nonstop to Bali, Tahiti from $461 round-trip
Update: Some offers mentioned below are no longer available. View the current offers here.
If you've been dreaming of the South Pacific, now's the chance to go, with flights dipping as low as $461 round-trip, direct from San Francisco to Papeete on French Bee.
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The best rates on round-trip flights to Bali and Tahiti originate from the West Coast, and availability is decent between March to early May, depending on the routes.
Related: Here's what we thought of The Brando in French Polynesia
Some of these fares may book into basic economy, which means different things on different airlines, but often means you may not have free use of the overhead bins for a carry-on bag. You probably also won't be able to select your seat, get an upgrade, or earn PQM/PQS/PQDs. However, it’s possible to avoid the woes of basic economy with elite status or a cobranded credit card.
Not sure what to do in the South Pacific? Here are some of our favorite alternatives to Bora Bora; our best tips for visiting French Polynesia on points and miles on Miles Away, our podcast; and four ways to spend five days in Bali if you have 100,000 Marriott points.
To find a deal, head to Google Flights and enter your origin and destination cities. Scroll through the calendar to find dates and prices that work for you. Finally, click through to book directly with the airline or an OTA like Orbitz or Expedia.
Here's what you'll want to know:
Airline: French Bee, United, Korean Air, Delta, China Airlines (Taiwan carrier)
Routes: LAX/SFO/SEA and more to DPS/PPT
Cost: from $461 round trip
Dates: March — May 2020
Pay With: The Platinum Card® from American Express (5x on airfare booked directly with the airline or through American Express Travel), Citi Prestige® Card (5x on airfare), Citi Premier® Card, Chase Sapphire Reserve (3x on airfare), American Express® Gold Card (3x on airfare when booked directly with the airline) or Chase Sapphire Preferred Card (2x on travel)
The information for the Citi Prestige Card has been collected independently by The Points Guy. The card details on this page have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer.
San Francisco (SFO) to Tahiti (PPT) for $461 round trip direct on French Bee via Kiwi.com:
Read our review of this flight here: French Bee in economy to Tahiti, French Polynesia
San Francisco (SFO) to Tahiti (PPT) for $598 round trip on United and French Bee (separate tickets):
Read our review of this flight here: San Francisco to Tahiti on United 787-8 Dreamliner
Los Angeles (LAX) to Bali (DPS) for $661 on China Airlines (operated by Taiwan, which isn't under coronavirus watch) via Vayama:
Seattle (SEA) to Bali (DPS) for $680 round trip on Delta:
Maximize your purchase
Don’t forget to use a credit card that earns additional points on airfare purchases, such as The Platinum Card® from American Express (5x on flights booked directly with airlines or American Express Travel), Chase Sapphire Reserve, American Express® Gold Card, Citi Premier® Card, Citi Prestige Card (5x on airfare) or the Chase Sapphire Preferred Card (2x on all travel purchases). Check out this guide for more on maximizing airfare purchases.