Advice please: Air NZ AKL - PPT Why can't I buy a ticket on the web?
Mar 13, 2012, 6:01 pm
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Oct 2010
Location: YVR - Vancouver, with most winter weekends in Whistler.
Programs: Aeroplan 35K, Alaska MVP, Marriott Titanium / Lifetime Platinum, Hertz President's Circle
Posts: 4,609
Advice please: Air NZ AKL - PPT Why can't I buy a ticket on the web?
Hello,
Like everyone else, I am trying to get to PPT the cheapest way possible since I'm coming from Canada.
I seem to have missed out on the Star Alliance Reward seats for Oct 2012 and not really sure if it is worth traveling during rainy season of Nov / Dec. My initial plan was to buy a paid ticket North America - SYD, AKL and then take a Star Alliance reward to PPT.
The Air New Zealand website won't let me book a paid ticket AKL-PPT, even if I change the country to New Zealand or Australia. I can't even buy a YVR,SFO,LAX-AKL-PPT ticket.
ITA Software will price out an ticket for about $650 USD AKL-PPT, but then the restrictions say this:
Sales restrictions
TICKETS MUST BE ISSUED ON NZ AND MAY ONLY BE SOLD IN
VANUATU/NORFOLK ISLAND/COOK ISLANDS/NIUE/NEW CALEDONIA/NEW
ZEALAND/AUSTRALIA/TONGA/FIJI/SAMOA. SALE IS RESTRICTED TO
SPECIFIC AGENTS.
EXTENSION OF TICKET VALIDITY IS NOT PERMITTED.
NOTE -
MUST BE ISSUED ON NZ TICKET STOCK .... which does me no good in North America.
I realize I can go through RAR, but the RAR-PPT ticket on Air Tahiti is about 600 euro. Ouch. I'd rather spend the money on a nicer hotel.
Advice or suggestions on ticketing or rainy season travel? The idea was to find an over water hotel for a honeymoon experience.
I was shying away from Air Tahiti Nui since I wanted some miles but it seems that Air NZ are making it complicated.
Like everyone else, I am trying to get to PPT the cheapest way possible since I'm coming from Canada.
I seem to have missed out on the Star Alliance Reward seats for Oct 2012 and not really sure if it is worth traveling during rainy season of Nov / Dec. My initial plan was to buy a paid ticket North America - SYD, AKL and then take a Star Alliance reward to PPT.
The Air New Zealand website won't let me book a paid ticket AKL-PPT, even if I change the country to New Zealand or Australia. I can't even buy a YVR,SFO,LAX-AKL-PPT ticket.
ITA Software will price out an ticket for about $650 USD AKL-PPT, but then the restrictions say this:
Sales restrictions
TICKETS MUST BE ISSUED ON NZ AND MAY ONLY BE SOLD IN
VANUATU/NORFOLK ISLAND/COOK ISLANDS/NIUE/NEW CALEDONIA/NEW
ZEALAND/AUSTRALIA/TONGA/FIJI/SAMOA. SALE IS RESTRICTED TO
SPECIFIC AGENTS.
EXTENSION OF TICKET VALIDITY IS NOT PERMITTED.
NOTE -
MUST BE ISSUED ON NZ TICKET STOCK .... which does me no good in North America.
I realize I can go through RAR, but the RAR-PPT ticket on Air Tahiti is about 600 euro. Ouch. I'd rather spend the money on a nicer hotel.
Advice or suggestions on ticketing or rainy season travel? The idea was to find an over water hotel for a honeymoon experience.
I was shying away from Air Tahiti Nui since I wanted some miles but it seems that Air NZ are making it complicated.
Mar 13, 2012, 6:41 pm
#2
Join Date: Jul 2009
Programs: QF Gold
Posts: 1,242
So you've gone to www.airnz.co.nz, put in AKL and PPT, put in your chosen dates and then checked the "3 days either side" box? Perhaps there aren't flights on the exact dates you're searching for?
Mar 13, 2012, 6:47 pm
#3
Join Date: May 2006
Location: Wellington
Programs: QFWP (LTSG), NZ (Jade), TG ROP (Forgotten), OZ (Silver), AA (Cardboard), EK (Lowest of the Low)
Posts: 4,669
So you've gone to www.airnz.co.nz, put in AKL and PPT, put in your chosen dates and then checked the "3 days either side" box? Perhaps there aren't flights on the exact dates you're searching for?
Not a daily service and with the troubles the Air Tahiti Nui is in I suggest you do not book the codeshare.
Rainy season? Well it all depends upon what you want to do in Tahiti, but I suggest you do not spend too much time on Tahiti but other islands.
PM DCF as he is the resident expert on NZ and Tahiti....
Mar 14, 2012, 1:21 am
#5
Join Date: Apr 2004
Location: Belgrade, Serbia
Programs: Etihad Guest
Posts: 1,549
You definitely can do it on airnz.co.nz.
Just bear in mind that the NZ-operated services are:
AKL-PPT (Mon, Fri)
PPT-AKL (Sun, Fri).
Do go before it gets wet!
And with your affiliations, you're probably looking at Le Meridien Bora Bora or St Regis Bora Bora. Le M will sell you a standard overwater bungalow for 40,000 CFP/night, or a premium one (not visible to other rooms) for 46,000 CFP, which equates to US$400-460 per night. But you have to book directly with them. There are a number of Starwood specials - it's run as part of Starwood Hawaii, so they usually honour the 35% off Rack Plus Fifth Night Free promotion which runs every day, every year with Starwood Hawaii. St Regis also honour that, and have exquisite rooms, but even after that promotion is applied it will still set you back $800 per night.
Alternatively, if you don't want to pay to fly to Bora Bora, check out Sofitel Moorea at the Accor website - they will sell you a Deluxe Overwater bungalow with breakfast and dinner daily for US$600 per night, which is good value there.
Just bear in mind that the NZ-operated services are:
AKL-PPT (Mon, Fri)
PPT-AKL (Sun, Fri).
Do go before it gets wet!
And with your affiliations, you're probably looking at Le Meridien Bora Bora or St Regis Bora Bora. Le M will sell you a standard overwater bungalow for 40,000 CFP/night, or a premium one (not visible to other rooms) for 46,000 CFP, which equates to US$400-460 per night. But you have to book directly with them. There are a number of Starwood specials - it's run as part of Starwood Hawaii, so they usually honour the 35% off Rack Plus Fifth Night Free promotion which runs every day, every year with Starwood Hawaii. St Regis also honour that, and have exquisite rooms, but even after that promotion is applied it will still set you back $800 per night.
Alternatively, if you don't want to pay to fly to Bora Bora, check out Sofitel Moorea at the Accor website - they will sell you a Deluxe Overwater bungalow with breakfast and dinner daily for US$600 per night, which is good value there.
Last edited by DCF; Mar 14, 2012 at 1:28 am
Mar 14, 2012, 7:20 pm
#6
Original Poster
Join Date: Oct 2010
Location: YVR - Vancouver, with most winter weekends in Whistler.
Programs: Aeroplan 35K, Alaska MVP, Marriott Titanium / Lifetime Platinum, Hertz President's Circle
Posts: 4,609
So you've gone to www.airnz.co.nz, put in AKL and PPT, put in your chosen dates and then checked the "3 days either side" box? Perhaps there aren't flights on the exact dates you're searching for?
AKL-PPT Outbound Fri only
PPT-AKL Inbound Sun only.
Perhaps this is because all I saw on the Star Alliance Reward Availability (Y) at about 180 days, or maybe this is because it's all they offered??
I can adjust to the cost of the accommodation sticker shock but I think I have missed the opportunity to get there on rewards. The cost of two tickets would be $1900 + $720 = $2625 USD with no point accumulation in my FFP (Aeroplan). It seems that you could get to almost any point in the world for that amount of money.
It's also disappointing that I can't seem to book YVR-AKL-PPT on NZ metal and get a free stopover in AKL (or similar). Maybe I should just save up some AAdvantage points and try to get there from LAX on Air Tahiti Nui instead...
A mini rant there but thank you all for your advices.
Mar 14, 2012, 9:55 pm
#8
Join Date: May 2006
Location: Wellington
Programs: QFWP (LTSG), NZ (Jade), TG ROP (Forgotten), OZ (Silver), AA (Cardboard), EK (Lowest of the Low)
Posts: 4,669
Regarding strikes. I was "stuck" in PPT for 6 days due to the strikes in 2010. Oh my what a problem of being stuck in a 5 star resort covered by travel insurance
Mrs Blackcloud and I loved it
Mar 16, 2012, 10:19 pm
#9
Join Date: Apr 2004
Location: Belgrade, Serbia
Programs: Etihad Guest
Posts: 1,549
With all due respect, Star Alliance frequent flyers in North America had already missed the opportunity to go to PPT on points when Air NZ pulled out of the LAX-PPT sector.
Additionally, I cannot emphasise strongly enough that French Polynesia is great if you're on a big budget, but is a lousy destination if money is tight. If money is tight and you want a near-Tahiti experience, go to Rarotonga and split your time between Muri Beach and Aitutaki - it's the second best beach vacation on earth after Moorea and Bora Bora.
Aitutaki has two hotels comparable with your overwater experience. The Aitutaki Lagoon Resort offers precisely that, while the Pacific Resort Aitutaki has superb beachfront bungalows.
If I were going from Canada I would probably choose one of the following two options:
1) use points/miles to fly YVR-LAX-RAR on Air New Zealand, and do the Raro/Aitutaki combo.
2) use points/miles to fly to Auckland, and then buy a paid ticket to Tahiti on Air NZ metal. Business Class costs NZ$2958 return, which is quite good value, and Economy class is currently NZ$770 in a subclass which won't earn AC miles.
Additionally, I cannot emphasise strongly enough that French Polynesia is great if you're on a big budget, but is a lousy destination if money is tight. If money is tight and you want a near-Tahiti experience, go to Rarotonga and split your time between Muri Beach and Aitutaki - it's the second best beach vacation on earth after Moorea and Bora Bora.
Aitutaki has two hotels comparable with your overwater experience. The Aitutaki Lagoon Resort offers precisely that, while the Pacific Resort Aitutaki has superb beachfront bungalows.
If I were going from Canada I would probably choose one of the following two options:
1) use points/miles to fly YVR-LAX-RAR on Air New Zealand, and do the Raro/Aitutaki combo.
2) use points/miles to fly to Auckland, and then buy a paid ticket to Tahiti on Air NZ metal. Business Class costs NZ$2958 return, which is quite good value, and Economy class is currently NZ$770 in a subclass which won't earn AC miles.
Mar 19, 2012, 7:16 pm
#10
Original Poster
Join Date: Oct 2010
Location: YVR - Vancouver, with most winter weekends in Whistler.
Programs: Aeroplan 35K, Alaska MVP, Marriott Titanium / Lifetime Platinum, Hertz President's Circle
Posts: 4,609
With all due respect, Star Alliance frequent flyers in North America had already missed the opportunity to go to PPT on points when Air NZ pulled out of the LAX-PPT sector.
Additionally, I cannot emphasise strongly enough that French Polynesia is great if you're on a big budget, but is a lousy destination if money is tight. If money is tight and you want a near-Tahiti experience, go to Rarotonga and split your time between Muri Beach and Aitutaki - it's the second best beach vacation on earth after Moorea and Bora Bora.
Aitutaki has two hotels comparable with your overwater experience. The Aitutaki Lagoon Resort offers precisely that, while the Pacific Resort Aitutaki has superb beachfront bungalows.
If I were going from Canada I would probably choose one of the following two options:
1) use points/miles to fly YVR-LAX-RAR on Air New Zealand, and do the Raro/Aitutaki combo.
2) use points/miles to fly to Auckland, and then buy a paid ticket to Tahiti on Air NZ metal. Business Class costs NZ$2958 return, which is quite good value, and Economy class is currently NZ$770 in a subclass which won't earn AC miles.
Additionally, I cannot emphasise strongly enough that French Polynesia is great if you're on a big budget, but is a lousy destination if money is tight. If money is tight and you want a near-Tahiti experience, go to Rarotonga and split your time between Muri Beach and Aitutaki - it's the second best beach vacation on earth after Moorea and Bora Bora.
Aitutaki has two hotels comparable with your overwater experience. The Aitutaki Lagoon Resort offers precisely that, while the Pacific Resort Aitutaki has superb beachfront bungalows.
If I were going from Canada I would probably choose one of the following two options:
1) use points/miles to fly YVR-LAX-RAR on Air New Zealand, and do the Raro/Aitutaki combo.
2) use points/miles to fly to Auckland, and then buy a paid ticket to Tahiti on Air NZ metal. Business Class costs NZ$2958 return, which is quite good value, and Economy class is currently NZ$770 in a subclass which won't earn AC miles.
I'll have to investigate your RAR suggestions. Thank you.