Originally Posted by
stealthmidget
The agent said she doesn't see the availability I see, and said getting to PPT is near impossible with miles.... Has anyone successfully booked this trip before? The award search engine is (obviously) useless here.
I booked a US-Australia award itin last year using NW WorldPerks miles and there was a good deal of availability on Air Tahiti Nui (TN). With relative ease we scored three business class seats SYD-PPT-LAX with a Tahiti stopover. (The itin eventually blew up when TN pulled out of Sydney, and we ended up coming home via ICN instead, but that's not your issue.)
The NW international partner desk used to have very good agents who knew how to scan for TN inventory and get you to Tahiti. I suspect availability has not changed much, but you're running into DL agents who don't know what they're doing or don't care. Obviously the DL award engine is about as useful as a chocolate teapot in this as in most cases, but you can see Air Tahiti Nui award inventory in all classes on ExpertFlyer.
I do agree that AF inventory is much more difficult to see / book.