Flight Review: Air Tahiti PPT-BOB

When most people venture to the South Pacific, they end up having to fly into Papeete, Tahiti. It is the largest international access point to the amazing archipelago of French Polynesia and connects to San Francisco and Los Angeles on the West Coast of the US. It has direct flights from Auckland and other cities as well.

From there, most people have to take a short connecting flight on Air Tahiti to the smaller airport of their choice. I wanted to capture the experience of this short flight for anyone flying to islands such as Huahine, Bora Bora or Moorea. 

On my way to check out the St. Regis Bora Bora Resort, as well as the Conrad Bora Bora Nui, I flew on Air Tahiti for the first time, and this was my experience. 

This article is part of my Trip Report: Winter Holidays in French Polynesia that includes:

• Lounge Review: Delta’s New LAX SkyClub
• Inaugural Flight Celebrations on Delta LAX to Tahiti
• Flight Review: Delta Economy LAX-PPT
• Hotel Review: Hilton Tahiti Resort
• Room Review: Hilton Tahiti King Residence Suite
• Flight Review: Air Tahiti PPT-BOB 
• Hotel Review: St Regis Bora Bora Resort
• Hotel Transfer: Chartering a Private Boat in Bora Bora!
• Hotel Review: Conrad Bora Bora Nui Resort
• Room Review: Conrad Bora Bora Nui Deluxe Overwater Villa with Pool
• Day of Departure in Moorea: My Thoughts

Airport Experience

Since we were flying domestically and did not have to worry about customs, we arrived at the airport just about one and a half hours before our scheduled departure time, although, looking back, we could have easily arrived 30 minutes later. 

While we already had our boarding passes, thanks to online check in, we still needed to check out suitcases. We were traveling with carry-ons, but due to the nature of the small ATR propeller aircraft, we needed to check our bags. 

When we went to the counter to check our bags, we gave the agent our suitcases, which were easily under the weight limit of 23 kg about 50 pounds), so we thought that there would be no issue. But, apparently she had an issue with our backpacks since they were “too heavy” and weighed more than 5 kg or 11 pounds. 

She proceeded to instruct us to either take things out of our backpack until under the allowed weight or to check our backpacks. Since I was traveling with camera equipment and other tech, I had no such interest in letting it out of my site. 

She wanted me to put my laptop and camera in my suitcase that I was checking, but the instruction to put batteries in checked luggage is a hazard to the plane, passengers and crew. If an issue were to arise, any fire on board would be a lot easier to extinguish by the crew. 

Rather, I ended up taking many things out of my backpack until it was under 5 kg, so she was happy, and then proceeded to put the items back in the backpack and carry them on.

There is no difference if the additional weight on the plane is in my checked luggage or carried on board, hence it was a much safer decision than what she had suggested. 

After being checkin, we went through security and waited at the gate until our flight was called. We boarded via tarmac, which is always fun, before making our way to Bora Bora. 

The ATR-72 propeller aircraft is arranged in a 2-2 configuration. The optimal seat on this plane is in the back of the plane and on the left side while traveling to Bora Bora, but on the right side when traveling from Bora Bora.

Flight

Since boarding and disembarking is from the back of the aircraft, this allows you to be one of the first people off of the plane. 

After taxiing and taking off, the flight attendant came around with pineapple juice roughly 15 minutes into the flight. Then, making a quick round to pick up the paper cups, we only had another 25 minutes before landing. 

I wanted to catch up on some articles during this short flight but ultimately the tray table was a little too small for my computer. Rather, I opted to enjoy the flight and stare out the window for the passing islands. 

The descent into Bora Bora was the highlight due to the amazing view of overwater bungalows from the sky (minus the clouds). 

Booking

Prices on Air Tahiti are pretty constant and typically hover around the ~$400 range for the round trip flight from Papeete, Tahiti (PPT) to Bora Bora (BOB). This is where a trip to French Polynesia can get expensive. 

Unfortunately, you cannot book Air Tahiti flights with any miles. The best bet to book these flights inexpensively is with fixed value currencies such as Capital One Miles to ‘wipe’ away the purchase.

Luckily, I had a $300 travel credit from the Capital One Venture X card. These flights showed up through the Capital One Travel portal. Using the credit, I was able to buy our tickets for just about $500. While this was still a lot, surely better than $800. 

The Last Point

The flight to Bora Bora was easy and took just over two hours from start to finish. While the prices are high, there is really not much of a way to get around them if you are headed to Bora Bora. I wish that I did not have to deal with the check-in backpack headache, but on other flights with Air Tahiti, we didn’t re-encounter this issue. 

Overall, I would be happy to fly with them again if I was back in French Polynesia on my way to tropical paradise.