Air Tahiti Nui Takes Delivery of Its Very First Dreamliner
It's the dawn of a new era for French Polynesia's hometown international airline, Air Tahiti Nui. The carrier currently serves four destinations from its hub in Papeete (PPT) with its small fleet of Airbus A340-300s, but those widebodies are a bit past their prime — fortunately, for customers and the airline alike, they're about to be replaced with Boeing's latest and greatest long-haul jet.
Air Tahiti Nui just took delivery of its very first 787-9 Dreamliner at Boeing's South Carolina facility on Tuesday, flying the brand-new bird first to Oklahoma City (OKC) and on to Los Angeles (LAX), where it'll spend a few days before beginning the last leg of its journey to PPT.
The carrier has a total of four Dreamliners on the way, with all expected to enter the fleet by the end of 2019. The 787-9 will launch first on the airline's flight from PPT to Auckland on Nov. 7. It will begin flying to Los Angeles the next day, on Nov. 8, after its return leg from AKL.
The Dreamliner is scheduled to begin operating some flights from LAX to Paris (CDG) in March 2019, and from PPT to Tokyo (NRT) in June 2019, though some frequencies may continued to be flown by the A340 until all of the airline's 787s enter the fleet.
The plane represents a huge step up in business class, with 2-2-2 lie-flat seating throughout. This is also the first Air Tahiti Nui aircraft to offer a true premium economy product, and coach passengers can expect a more comfortable ride as well.
You can book flights between LAX and PPT on this new aircraft using multiple award currencies, including American AAdvantage (40,000 miles each way for economy; 80,000 for business) and Flying Blue (from 25,500 miles each way for economy; 73,500 for business).
I had a chance to explore the 787-9 on the ground in Charleston (CHS) and on the delivery flight to LA — stay tuned for a full tour coming on Wednesday, along with an explanation for our quick pit stop, and the very first Dreamliner visit to Oklahoma City.
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| 2X miles | 2 miles per dollar on every purchase |
| 5X miles | 5 miles per dollar on flights and vacation rentals booked through Capital One Business Travel |
| 10X miles | 10 miles per dollar on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Business Travel |
Intro Offer
Earn 200K miles when you spend $30K in the first 3 months, and an additional 200K miles when you spend $150K in the first 6 monthsLIMITED-TIME OFFER: Earn up to 400K bonus milesAnnual Fee
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Why We Chose It
The Capital One Venture X Business Card has all the Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card has to offer and more. It offers an incredible welcome bonus and requires an equally impressive spend to qualify. In addition, the card comes with premium travel perks like annual travel credit. (Partner offer)Pros
- The Capital One Venture X business card has a very lucrative welcome offer.
- In addition, the card comes with many premium travel perks such as an annual $300 credit for bookings through Capital One Business Travel.
- Business owners are also able to add employee cards for free.
Cons
- The card requires significant spending to earn the welcome offer.
- Another drawback is that the annual travel credit can only be used on bookings made through Capital One Business Travel.
- LIMITED-TIME OFFER: Earn up to 400K bonus miles: 200K miles when you spend $30K in the first 3 months, and an additional 200k miles when you spend $150k in the first 6 months
- Earn unlimited 2X miles on every purchase, everywhere—with no limits or category restrictions
- Earn 10X miles on hotels and rental cars and 5X miles on flights and vacation rentals booked through Capital One Business Travel
- With no preset spending limit, enjoy big purchasing power that adapts so you can spend more and earn more rewards
- Empower your teams to make business purchases while earning rewards on their transactions, with free employee and virtual cards. Plus, automatically sync your transaction data with your accounting software and pay your vendors with ease
- Redeem your miles on flights, hotels and more. Plus, transfer your miles to any of the 15+ travel loyalty programs
- Every year, you'll get 10,000 bonus miles after your account anniversary date. Plus, receive an annual $300 credit for bookings made through Capital One Business Travel
- Receive up to a $120 credit for Global Entry or TSA PreCheck®. Enjoy access to 1,300+ airport lounges worldwide, including Capital One Lounge locations and Priority Pass™ lounges, after enrollment
- Enjoy a $100 experience credit and other premium benefits with every hotel and vacation rental booked from the Premier Collection
- This is a pay-in-full card, so your balance is due in full every month