Review: Air Tahiti Nui Business Class Los Angeles to Papeete

To get from North America to French Polynesia on our pre-honeymoon adventure, my partner Jessy and I flew from Los Angeles to Papeete in Air Tahiti Nui business class. For those who aren’t familiar, Air Tahiti Nui is the national carrier of French Polynesia.

While Air Tahiti Nui isn’t a member of an airline alliance, the airline partners with American Airlines AAdvantage and also became available for redemptions with Alaska Mileage Plan as of June 2022.

Ever since the product became more accessible to book with points, I’d been keen to give it a look myself, and this Bora Bora adventure was the perfect opportunity.

Air Tahiti Nui Business Class – Booking

Securing a direct flight from North America to French Polynesia poses a unique challenge, particularly when seeking premium cabin options using miles. However, with careful and advanced planning, we were able to book two seats in business class successfully.

In our case, we used 80,000 American Airlines AAdvantage miles per person to secure business class seats with Air Tahiti Nui for the journey from Los Angeles to Papeete. It’s also possible to book this flight for 60,000 Alaska miles one-way.

Both American and Alaska’s pricing applies on this route to Los Angeles, as well as the airline’s secondary US route to Seattle. 

It’s worth noting that award availability on this specific route can be quite limited. Nonetheless, I had diligently made the reservation nearly a year in advance, allowing us to secure the desired seats for our trip.

Air Tahiti Nui Business Class – Ground Experience

Unfortunately, Air Tahiti Nui doesn’t participate in TSA Pre-Check, which meant that we were unable to use the expedited Pre-Check line at LAX even though we held NEXUS cards. Instead, we joined the regular queue for security screening.

After this, we made our way to the Star Alliance Lounge Los Angeles, where Air Tahiti Nui business class passengers are granted access.

Located on the sixth floor of the airside concourse at Tom Bradley International Terminal, the lounge spans an impressive 18,000 square feet.

During our visit, the lounge was bustling with activity, despite its sprawling size – something I’ve found almost every time I’ve visited this lounge.

It’s an attractive spot with a…