How to fly to Bora Bora from Toronto?
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Mar 2013
Programs: Aeroplan, Amex AeroPlat
Posts: 977
How to fly to Bora Bora from Toronto?
Planning our next trip but can’t seem to get a good route from Toronto to Bora Bora with two stops, either cash or redemption.
Any advices? We need three economy seats round trip. Have lots Aeroplan, Avios and some Alaska Miles. Willing to pay cash too for portion of the trip.
Any advices? We need three economy seats round trip. Have lots Aeroplan, Avios and some Alaska Miles. Willing to pay cash too for portion of the trip.
#2
Join Date: Jan 2016
Location: YYZ
Programs: FOTSG Tangerine Ex E35k (AC)
Posts: 5,612
My first thought was google flights. Shocked nothing came up. Googled it:
To get Bora Bora flights you must first fly into French Polynesia's Faa'a International Airport, at Papeete, on the main island of Tahiti. Air New Zealand, Air Tahiti Nui, Air France, LAN and Hawaiian Airlines all fly into Tahiti. From Papeete, Air Tahiti flies to 47 island air-strips.
At least NZ is *A ... not sure on the rest, AF is OW though. I suggest looking for YYZ PPT on your dates and filter by alliance. Ones I picked had no *A even through revenue.
Likely need to be flexible with dates if you want to use points here. Points might get you to Oceanic or South America then you might want to stay over before a revenue flight.
At least NZ is *A ... not sure on the rest, AF is OW though. I suggest looking for YYZ PPT on your dates and filter by alliance. Ones I picked had no *A even through revenue.
Likely need to be flexible with dates if you want to use points here. Points might get you to Oceanic or South America then you might want to stay over before a revenue flight.
#5
Join Date: Dec 2010
Location: LHR
Programs: Accor PLT,Thai Silver, HH Dia, SPG Titanium (LT Gold), Aegean Gold, BA Silver
Posts: 5,114
Points to LAX or SFO
Air Tahiti is an option, although you can book with American I would think point availability would be scarce, returns are $881
https://www.google.com/flights/?f=0#search;f=LAX;t=PPT;d=2018-06-16;r=2018-07-04;sel=LAXPPT0TN7,PPTLAX0TN8
https://www.google.com/flights/?f=0#search;f=SFO;t=PPT;d=2018-06-03;r=2018-06-09;sel=SFOPPT0BF710
Air Tahiti is an option, although you can book with American I would think point availability would be scarce, returns are $881
https://www.google.com/flights/?f=0#search;f=LAX;t=PPT;d=2018-06-16;r=2018-07-04;sel=LAXPPT0TN7,PPTLAX0TN8
https://www.google.com/flights/?f=0#search;f=SFO;t=PPT;d=2018-06-03;r=2018-06-09;sel=SFOPPT0BF710
#6
Join Date: Jan 2016
Location: YYZ
Programs: FOTSG Tangerine Ex E35k (AC)
Posts: 5,612
Some good options above, thanks for the correction. What are everyone’s thought on half points half revenue though... Can one try and get the PNRs combined?
I’d be worried about misconnecting into a revenue flight. Also I think YYZ SFO AKL PPT BOB is too many stops. The SFO PPT helps but still need the 5h flight to get to SFO first of course, although should be a ton of Y award space there.
If you do want to go via AKL American seemed to have good YYZ AKL available via Avios (I’ve been looking) In Y a way out, It’s a nice LAX conx 20h route. There was even J availability albeit at Flex so crazy points.
I’d be worried about misconnecting into a revenue flight. Also I think YYZ SFO AKL PPT BOB is too many stops. The SFO PPT helps but still need the 5h flight to get to SFO first of course, although should be a ton of Y award space there.
If you do want to go via AKL American seemed to have good YYZ AKL available via Avios (I’ve been looking) In Y a way out, It’s a nice LAX conx 20h route. There was even J availability albeit at Flex so crazy points.
Last edited by jc94; Apr 27, 2018 at 5:39 pm
#7
Original Poster
Join Date: Mar 2013
Programs: Aeroplan, Amex AeroPlat
Posts: 977
Coming from YYZ, routing thru Auckland is too much for us as we have a toddler... YYZ LAX PPT BOB is likely good, we will use Aeroplan for YYZ LAX and Alask miles for LAX PPT, and pay cash for PPT to BOB.
#8
Join Date: Feb 2015
Posts: 188
There is no easy way to get to BOB. Even once you get there, you then have to take a boat to any hotel you’re staying at. The view from the PPT-BOB flight is amazing though. We usually leave about 3 hours between arriving at PPT, and leaving to BOB. If AF and Air Tahiti arrive at the same time, customs can be a nightmare.
#9
Join Date: Sep 2016
Programs: Altitude SE, Hilton Gold, Marriott Silver
Posts: 31
fly United through SFO to PPT. Then take the Air Tahiti puddle jumper.
We flew Air Tahiti Nui last fall to Bora Bora for a sailing trip and it was a mess. Delayed both ways, lost bags both ways. Ancient Air France planes with ash trays still in the seats. Delayed 36+ hours coming back into LAX. Just a total nightmare. If you can do the Air France flights maybe worth it from LAX. Or consider Hawaiian Airlines flies from HNL. Might be worth looking at as well.
We flew Air Tahiti Nui last fall to Bora Bora for a sailing trip and it was a mess. Delayed both ways, lost bags both ways. Ancient Air France planes with ash trays still in the seats. Delayed 36+ hours coming back into LAX. Just a total nightmare. If you can do the Air France flights maybe worth it from LAX. Or consider Hawaiian Airlines flies from HNL. Might be worth looking at as well.
#10
Suspended
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Posts: 1,516
if you can get United awards with your Aeroplan miles you will avoid the scam fees. I dont think UA flys daily to PPT, so check what days they fly and then use those dates for Aeroplan. Aeroplan also blocks United awards so look from a united account also and call Aeroplan as needed.
#11
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Apr 2001
Location: MEL CHC
Posts: 20,920
Other threads on essentially the same topic: meeting to PPT on an awards
It is not easy
UA forum 28 Apr 2018
NYC / Tahiti / New Zealand - Feb 2019
BA forum 30 Apr 2018
And another thread today on getting USA PPT, albeit with Oneworld BA avios:- Avios redemption LAX-PPT
It is not easy
UA forum 28 Apr 2018
NYC / Tahiti / New Zealand - Feb 2019
BA forum 30 Apr 2018
And another thread today on getting USA PPT, albeit with Oneworld BA avios:- Avios redemption LAX-PPT
#12
Join Date: Feb 2015
Posts: 188
fly United through SFO to PPT. Then take the Air Tahiti puddle jumper.
We flew Air Tahiti Nui last fall to Bora Bora for a sailing trip and it was a mess. Delayed both ways, lost bags both ways. Ancient Air France planes with ash trays still in the seats. Delayed 36+ hours coming back into LAX. Just a total nightmare. If you can do the Air France flights maybe worth it from LAX. Or consider Hawaiian Airlines flies from HNL. Might be worth looking at as well.
We flew Air Tahiti Nui last fall to Bora Bora for a sailing trip and it was a mess. Delayed both ways, lost bags both ways. Ancient Air France planes with ash trays still in the seats. Delayed 36+ hours coming back into LAX. Just a total nightmare. If you can do the Air France flights maybe worth it from LAX. Or consider Hawaiian Airlines flies from HNL. Might be worth looking at as well.
#13
Join Date: Jun 2004
Location: I'm From Here
Programs: AC*SE & MM/*Wood Gold/HHonors Diamond/Marriott Silver/AirMiles Gold
Posts: 4,554
I did this a few years ago
IKK'ed YYZ-LAX for the morning flight
We spent the day in LAX
then, using my Amex points via Delta I was able to grab 2 J rewards on Air Tahiti Nui.
It cost me probably about $800 in YQ on the DL ticket.
11/10 would do it again. Although, I would say skip Bora Bora as there are better places down there to go to
IKK'ed YYZ-LAX for the morning flight
We spent the day in LAX
then, using my Amex points via Delta I was able to grab 2 J rewards on Air Tahiti Nui.
It cost me probably about $800 in YQ on the DL ticket.
11/10 would do it again. Although, I would say skip Bora Bora as there are better places down there to go to
#15
Join Date: Oct 2010
Location: YOW
Programs: TK*S, SPG Gold
Posts: 714
I did this a few years ago. YOW-YYZ-LAX-PPT (this last leg on Air Tahiti Nui). Then an overnight in PPT until early morning, when we took Air Tahiti to BOB.
Air Tahiti Nui was pretty brutal for a tall person, but I know they're in the process of replacing their A340s.
We went in November and there was some sort of big canoe race between the islands. Air Tahiti check-in took forever due to the amount of stuff people were checking.
Word of advice, if staying overnight, don't stay at the Tahiti Airport Motel. It's right next to the airport but I wouldn't advise walking there!
Air Tahiti Nui was pretty brutal for a tall person, but I know they're in the process of replacing their A340s.
We went in November and there was some sort of big canoe race between the islands. Air Tahiti check-in took forever due to the amount of stuff people were checking.
Word of advice, if staying overnight, don't stay at the Tahiti Airport Motel. It's right next to the airport but I wouldn't advise walking there!