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Book now: Two business-class award seats to Tahiti on multiple dates

Dec. 04, 2019
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5 min read
(Photo by Brian Biros / The Points Guy)
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The blue waters of French Polynesia are a postcard-worthy sight, and Tahiti regularly appears on many travelers' bucket lists. Unfortunately, getting there using points and miles isn't all that easy, thanks to limited flight options and hit-or-miss award availability. This is especially true in business class. In fact, our research of over 120,000 data points from earlier this year found that your overall chance of a successful, business-class award search is (at best) 2.96% on Air Tahiti Nui — and less than 0.05% on both Air France and United.

However, if you're eyeing Tahiti as a possible destination for an upcoming trip, listen up. As first reported by u/benjinito on reddit, Air Tahiti Nui has opened up two business-class award seats on its nonstop flight from Los Angeles (LAX) to Papeete (PPT) in both directions over the next several months — and it covers almost the entire booking schedule.

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At the time of writing, here are the dates with two of these awards available:

To Tahiti

  • December 4, 7-8, 10-11, 14-18, 25 and 30-31
  • January 5, 7-9, 12-15, 20, 22, 26 and 28-29
  • February 2, 4-6, 10, 12, 16-19, 23-24 and 26-27
  • March 1, 4, 8, 10-11, 15, 17-18 and 31
  • April 7, 12, 15, 19, 21-22, 26 and 28-29
  • May 3, 6, 10, 13, 16-17, 19-20, 24-27 and 30-31
  • June 2-3, 7, 9-10, 16-17, 19, 21, 23-25, 28 and 30
  • July 1-2, 5, 7-9, 12, 14-16, 19, 21-23, 26 and 28-30
  • August 2, 4-5, 9, 13, 16, 18-20, 23, 25-26 and 30
  • September 1-2, 6, 8, 15, 22-23, 27 and 29-30
  • October 4, 7, 11, 13-14, 18, 20-21, 25 and 27-28

From Tahiti

  • December 8-9, 11, 16-17 and 31
  • January 11-15, 18-22 and 25-27
  • February 2-3, 5, 9-10, 16-19 and 23-25
  • March 1-2, 4, 9, 16, 18, 23, 26 and 30
  • April 1, 8, 13-14, 20-22 and 27-29
  • May 4-6, 11-13, 16, 19-20 and 25-27
  • June 1-3, 8-10, 15-16, 22-25 and 29-30
  • July 1-2, 6, 8, 13-16, 20-23 and 27-30
  • August 1, 3-6, 10-13, 17-18, 24-26 and 31
  • September 1-2, 7-9, 14-16, 22-23 and 28-30
  • October 5-7, 12-13, 19-21, 25-26 and 28
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You and a loved one could be saying "Cheers!" in business class to Tahiti. (Photo by JT Genter / The Points Guy

This is an astounding amount of award space, and it likely won't last. The last time we drew attention to this award availability, we found just 22 dates with award space going to Tahiti and 15 days with award space on the return, so this is a big deal. And you would also be flying on Air Tahiti Nui's new Boeing 787s, not the aged Airbus A340s that used to serve LAX until earlier this year.

How to book

Air Tahiti Nui doesn't belong to one of the major three alliances, but it does have partnerships with individual airlines. The best program through which to book these awards is likely American AAdvantage, which will charge 80,000 miles per person for a one-way, business-class award ticket between the U.S. and Tahiti. A round-trip flight for two would thus set you back a cool 320,000 miles — though you'll need to pay just ~$56 per person in taxes and fees.

Unfortunately, American's only transferable point partner is Marriott Bonvoy, and those points transfer at just a 3:1 ratio (plus a 5,000-mile bonus for every 60,000 points you transfer). In addition, our tests found that these transfers can take up to 48 hours to process. That being said, American does allow you to hold award reservations for up to five days, so you could grab the award space and then make a plan to pick up enough miles to lock in the ticket.

Bottom line

Tahiti is considered by many to be a dream destination, but for award travelers looking to redeem miles to fly in business class, it frequently remains just that: a dream. That's not the case today, as we're seeing wide-open business-class award availability for two passengers. If you're looking to plan a honeymoon, special anniversary trip or just a getaway with a loved one, I'd recommend booking these sooner rather than later, as this availability won't last.

For more information on Tahiti, be sure to check out the following guides:

Featured photo by Brian Biros / The Points Guy

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  • Intro Offer

    As High As 100,000 points. Find Out Your Offer.

  • Annual Fee

    $325

  • Recommended Credit

    Excellent to Good

Why We Chose It

There’s a lot to love about the Amex Gold. It’s a fan favorite thanks to its fantastic bonus-earning rates at restaurants worldwide and at U.S. supermarkets. If you’re hitting the skies soon, you’ll also earn bonus Membership Rewards points on travel. Paired with up to $120 in Uber Cash annually (for U.S. Uber rides or Uber Eats orders, card must be added to Uber app and you can redeem with any Amex card), up to $120 in annual dining statement credits to be used with eligible partners, an up to $84 Dunkin’ credit each year at U.S. Dunkin Donuts and an up to $100 Resy credit annually, there’s no reason that foodies shouldn’t add the Amex Gold to their wallet. These benefits alone are worth more than $400, which offsets the $325 annual fee on the Amex Gold card. Enrollment is required for select benefits. (Partner offer)

Pros

  • 4 points per dollar spent on dining at restaurants worldwide and U.S. supermarkets (on the first $50,000 in purchases per calendar year; then 1 point per dollar spent thereafter and $25,000 in purchases per calendar year; then 1 point per dollar spent thereafter, respectively)
  • 3 points per dollar spent on flights booked directly with the airline or with amextravel.com
  • Packed with credits foodies will enjoy
  • Solid welcome bonus

Cons

  • Not as useful for those living outside the U.S.
  • Some may have trouble using Uber and other dining credits
  • You may be eligible for as high as 100,000 Membership Rewards® Points after you spend $6,000 in eligible purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership. Welcome offers vary and you may not be eligible for an offer. Apply to know if you’re approved and find out your exact welcome offer amount – all with no credit score impact. If you’re approved and choose to accept the Card, your score may be impacted.
  • Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on purchases at restaurants worldwide, on up to $50,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
  • Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent at US supermarkets, on up to $25,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
  • Earn 3X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on flights booked directly with airlines or on AmexTravel.com.
  • Earn 2X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on prepaid hotels and other eligible purchases booked on AmexTravel.com.
  • Earn 1X Membership Rewards® point per dollar spent on all other eligible purchases.
  • $120 Uber Cash on Gold: Add your Gold Card to your Uber account and get $10 in Uber Cash each month to use on orders and rides in the U.S. when you select an American Express Card for your transaction. That’s up to $120 Uber Cash annually. Plus, after using your Uber Cash, use your Card to earn 4X Membership Rewards® points for Uber Eats purchases made with restaurants or U.S. supermarkets. Point caps and terms apply.
  • $84 Dunkin' Credit: With the $84 Dunkin' Credit, you can earn up to $7 in monthly statement credits after you enroll and pay with the American Express® Gold Card at U.S. Dunkin' locations. Enrollment is required to receive this benefit.
  • $100 Resy Credit: Get up to $100 in statement credits each calendar year after you pay with the American Express® Gold Card to dine at U.S. Resy restaurants or make other eligible Resy purchases. That's up to $50 in statement credits semi-annually. Enrollment required.
  • $120 Dining Credit: Satisfy your cravings, sweet or savory, with the $120 Dining Credit. Earn up to $10 in statement credits monthly when you pay with the American Express® Gold Card at Grubhub, The Cheesecake Factory, Goldbelly, Wine.com, and Five Guys. Enrollment required.
  • Explore over 1,000 upscale hotels worldwide with The Hotel Collection and receive a $100 credit towards eligible charges* with every booking of two nights or more through AmexTravel.com. *Eligible charges vary by property.
  • No Foreign Transaction Fees.
  • Annual Fee is $325.
  • Terms Apply.