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Conrad Bora Bora {PYF} (formerly Hilton)

Conrad Bora Bora {PYF} (formerly Hilton)

Old Apr 29, 2021, 1:09 pm
  #91  
 
Join Date: Dec 2018
Posts: 31
I know it's pure speculation but do people think the vaccine requirement will drop once enough of the local population gets vaccinated or is it likely to stay for the long term? I find it hard to believe that it won't eventually switch to an either be vaccinated or have a Covid test 72 hours prior. I could be wrong but the current restrictions seem far to extreme to maintain for a prolonged period of time...
collin_mcclellan1 is offline  
Old Apr 29, 2021, 2:53 pm
  #92  
 
Join Date: Jul 2016
Posts: 222
Originally Posted by lily23
Does anyone know if the Conrad offers on site testing for return to the US? I saw the testing site at the airport will reopen as of May 1st, but not sure how long it will take, whether it will require another overnight near PPT to await test results, etc. Thank you!
The Conrad does not offer any type of COVID-19 return testing. In addition, I have searched high and low throughout all of Bora Bora (all of the resorts and in the settled areas of Viatape, Matira, and Fa'anui) and nowhere offers testing on the island of Bora Bora but for government sponsored testing programs for locals which are not even available on request.

The only option for departure testing is at the Papette International airport on main island Tahiti. The operating hours were from 11am to 6pm in early February but now they are saying tests will be provided from 3pm to 7pm on any date there is an evening departure for to the United States (TN via LAX and UA via SFO). The airport tests are antigen tests (which are accepted by U.S. CDC for entry to the states and provide instant results). I went through the process in early February (just before the shutdown) and the way it worked is that you couldn't get into the International departure hall until after you submitted a test and the machine indicated negative. Interestingly there were a number of false positives in which the first test was positive and then a few minutes later a second test was administered and would come back negative and the passenger was allowed to proceed to the departure gate.

So the question is what about the early morning Air France and French Bee flights to the U.S.? The French Bee flights have been cancelled until early June for a while and as of yesterday Air France just cancelled all of their flights to the U.S. also through June 1st. How this whole reopening goes over the month of May I think will dictate what happens with whether or not Air France or French Bee resume in June.

FYI: The self administered PCR tests that tourists take on day four of their visit are all sent to Papette for processing and only positives are notified.
FleyeSkyHigh is offline  
Old Apr 29, 2021, 3:25 pm
  #93  
 
Join Date: Sep 2012
Location: SEA, YVR
Programs: Alaska MVPG, Flying Blue Gold, BA Silver, Hilton Diamond, Hyatt Globalist
Posts: 561
Originally Posted by FleyeSkyHigh
The Conrad does not offer any type of COVID-19 return testing. In addition, I have searched high and low throughout all of Bora Bora (all of the resorts and in the settled areas of Viatape, Matira, and Fa'anui) and nowhere offers testing on the island of Bora Bora but for government sponsored testing programs for locals which are not even available on request.

The only option for departure testing is at the Papette International airport on main island Tahiti. The operating hours were from 11am to 6pm in early February but now they are saying tests will be provided from 3pm to 7pm on any date there is an evening departure for to the United States (TN via LAX and UA via SFO). The airport tests are antigen tests (which are accepted by U.S. CDC for entry to the states and provide instant results). I went through the process in early February (just before the shutdown) and the way it worked is that you couldn't get into the International departure hall until after you submitted a test and the machine indicated negative. Interestingly there were a number of false positives in which the first test was positive and then a few minutes later a second test was administered and would come back negative and the passenger was allowed to proceed to the departure gate.

So the question is what about the early morning Air France and French Bee flights to the U.S.? The French Bee flights have been cancelled until early June for a while and as of yesterday Air France just cancelled all of their flights to the U.S. also through June 1st. How this whole reopening goes over the month of May I think will dictate what happens with whether or not Air France or French Bee resume in June.

FYI: The self administered PCR tests that tourists take on day four of their visit are all sent to Papette for processing and only positives are notified.
Thank you for the very detailed answer! My trip is planned for June so I guess might be worth waiting a week or so after the May 1st reopening and see what the experience is like....
lily23 is offline  
Old Apr 29, 2021, 6:52 pm
  #94  
 
Join Date: Jun 2016
Posts: 2,242
Originally Posted by collin_mcclellan1
I know it's pure speculation but do people think the vaccine requirement will drop once enough of the local population gets vaccinated or is it likely to stay for the long term? I find it hard to believe that it won't eventually switch to an either be vaccinated or have a Covid test 72 hours prior. I could be wrong but the current restrictions seem far to extreme to maintain for a prolonged period of time...
FP literally just about to begin a policy of requiring PCR test and vaccination record, rather than just PCR test as it is for the past year. i am not sure if there were covid cases brought in by foreign tourists in the past year to the island that prompted them to do that, but if that's the suspect, then there's even fewer reasons for them to revert back to either / or policy anytime soon.
gnomey is offline  
Old Apr 30, 2021, 1:06 pm
  #95  
 
Join Date: May 2005
Posts: 1,337
Just canceled Hilton Moorea for May 19-22 due to AF flight on May 18 getting canceled.
MileageGoblin is offline  
Old Apr 30, 2021, 1:56 pm
  #96  
 
Join Date: Aug 2017
Location: SAN
Posts: 1,302
Originally Posted by MileageGoblin
Just canceled Hilton Moorea for May 19-22 due to AF flight on May 18 getting canceled.
Sorry to hear about the AF cancel. I understand they canceled all PPT flights through May. Anyone had their June flights canceled yet?

​​​​​​​TD
Traveler Dave is offline  
Old Apr 30, 2021, 2:30 pm
  #97  
 
Join Date: Jul 2016
Posts: 222
Originally Posted by Traveler Dave
Sorry to hear about the AF cancel. I understand they canceled all PPT flights through May. Anyone had their June flights canceled yet?

TD
June flights are still on the books but Air France has both business as well as operational challenges if they are going to try and operate via LAX for June 1st.

Although it would be relatively easy for them just to do the LAX to PPT and back rotation they would normally not do so for a multitude of reasons (maintenance, crew, ground ops, ect). So for them to operate LAX to PPT they actually then have to operate twice as many CDG-LAX which puts them way over capacity between Paris and Los Angeles. So there is little business upside for them to operate to Tahiti just for the U.S. market. That said break even (as opposed to at a loss) is usually reason enough for an airline to operate these days (esp for AF for which the French government owns more than 15% of the total share). Also, if they operate LAX-PPT solely for the U.S. market an argument could be made that it would be operating a fifth freedom route which is another whole can of worms especially as it pertains to their agreements with Delta. The next issue is operations.... Air France would have to significantly change their ground operations in Papeete to support compliance of COVD-19 US entrance testing requirements among other nuances. Air France will have to make a decision by May 10th for their flights scheduled for June 1st. I am not optimistic.

If French Polynesia is reopened to French tourists then I definitely think they will operate. If not, I think it's a less than 50% chance they run PPT-LAX flights by start of June. If the U.S. drops the COVID-19 testing requirement for entry or if the U.S. removes the ban on European passengers entering/transiting I think the changes might slightly increase.
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FleyeSkyHigh is offline  
Old Apr 30, 2021, 8:53 pm
  #98  
 
Join Date: Sep 2012
Location: SEA, YVR
Programs: Alaska MVPG, Flying Blue Gold, BA Silver, Hilton Diamond, Hyatt Globalist
Posts: 561
Originally Posted by FleyeSkyHigh
. Air France will have to make a decision by May 10th for their flights scheduled for June 1st. I am not optimistic.

If French Polynesia is reopened to French tourists then I definitely think they will operate. If not, I think it's a less than 50% chance they run PPT-LAX flights by start of June. If the U.S. drops the COVID-19 testing requirement for entry or if the U.S. removes the ban on European passengers entering/transiting I think the changes might slightly increase.
Of course I finally snagged AF biz class awards for the LAX-PPT route and now there's a high probability the route will be canceled =( will be watching the May 10th date very closely to see if I need to cancel my 5 nights
lily23 is offline  
Old May 4, 2021, 11:32 am
  #99  
 
Join Date: Feb 2015
Location: JFK
Posts: 192
Saw that the resort livestreamed welcoming their first guests yesterday - glad to see it's open again!
pzpa is offline  
Old May 4, 2021, 2:27 pm
  #100  
 
Join Date: Jul 2016
Posts: 222
Originally Posted by lily23
Of course I finally snagged AF biz class awards for the LAX-PPT route and now there's a high probability the route will be canceled =( will be watching the May 10th date very closely to see if I need to cancel my 5 nights
I know you probably do not want to hear this but I believe AF just decided to cancel LAX-PPT and PPT-LAX through mid-June. They are going to route their flights through Canada for those days.
FleyeSkyHigh is offline  
Old May 4, 2021, 9:58 pm
  #101  
 
Join Date: Aug 2017
Location: SAN
Posts: 1,302
Originally Posted by FleyeSkyHigh
I know you probably do not want to hear this but I believe AF just decided to cancel LAX-PPT and PPT-LAX through mid-June. They are going to route their flights through Canada for those days.
Can I ask where you heard this? Have a June 15th flight LAX-PPT. Still shows active.

Thanks
TD
Traveler Dave is offline  
Old May 4, 2021, 10:57 pm
  #102  
 
Join Date: Jul 2016
Posts: 222
Originally Posted by Traveler Dave
Can I ask where you heard this? Have a June 15th flight LAX-PPT. Still shows active.

Thanks
TD
I should have been more specific. They (AF) are only cancelling (or avoiding LAX) up until June 13th. It's actually rather interesting that they made the decision earlier than we would have expected. But the deciding factor still seems to be the U.S. ban on foreigners transiting through LAX (coupled with other operational challenges I referenced before). The most interesting piece is that at least for the first week of June the Air France LAX-PPT flights were filling up well (over 85% business class booked and over 60% W and Y booked with mostly U.S. originating passengers). Notice I used the word 'booked' as opposed to 'sold.'

I think the way the company is looking at it these days is that despite the high bookings most of it was old revenue (ie passengers that have been cancelled and had re-booked using old ticket credit accumulated since the start of the pandemic). So they really are not making new revenue and to cancel and reduce frequency by re-routing via Vancouver (out of necessity to operate once or twice a week back to the Metropolis ie AF065/066) they are not really losing any new revenue yet they are saving operational costs by scaling back. Albeit they are not beginning to dig out of the backlog hole of travel credit either which isn't going away. Poor business in my eyes but I believe the reason they don't add a dedicated LAX-PPT-LAX rotation is that it would be operationally challenging and they have a lot of planes still stored right now.

FYI: AF bookings are MUCH lighter for the mid-June time frame so sadly I would not count on your LAX-PPT AF076 on June 15th operating unless something major changes (FP opens to the French AND the U.S. allows foreign tourists to enter/transit). That said, if you have miles to burn on AA or DL take a look at TN111 for the same date. It's wide open right now in J (only two seats booked), PE and Y and mileage awards available in all classes.
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FleyeSkyHigh is offline  
Old May 5, 2021, 9:39 am
  #103  
 
Join Date: Sep 2012
Location: SEA, YVR
Programs: Alaska MVPG, Flying Blue Gold, BA Silver, Hilton Diamond, Hyatt Globalist
Posts: 561
Originally Posted by FleyeSkyHigh
I know you probably do not want to hear this but I believe AF just decided to cancel LAX-PPT and PPT-LAX through mid-June. They are going to route their flights through Canada for those days.
I definitely didn't want to hear that but thank you for the heads up! I don't see the LAX-PPT on the schedule anymore but I also don't see the flight routing through canada - I think historically it was CDG-YVR-PPT?

sooo looks like i'll be giving up my June 7-12 booking if anyone wants to jump on those nights! I also saw June 2-6 is available on the calendar.

will try again later this year...will be another adventure trying to line up the nights and flights
lily23 is offline  
Old May 5, 2021, 2:17 pm
  #104  
 
Join Date: Jul 2016
Posts: 222
Originally Posted by lily23
I definitely didn't want to hear that but thank you for the heads up! I don't see the LAX-PPT on the schedule anymore but I also don't see the flight routing through canada - I think historically it was CDG-YVR-PPT?

sooo looks like i'll be giving up my June 7-12 booking if anyone wants to jump on those nights! I also saw June 2-6 is available on the calendar.

will try again later this year...will be another adventure trying to line up the nights and flights
They did put the CDG-YVR-PPT (AF074) and return (AF075) back on the schedule but only once a week for the first two weeks in June. Saturdays will be CDG-YVR-PPT and Sundays will be PPT-YVR-CDG. Basically they will just be cargo flights with a few passengers.
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FleyeSkyHigh is offline  
Old May 7, 2021, 4:25 pm
  #105  
 
Join Date: Jun 2020
Posts: 65
I saw some mention upthread about having the hotel change the dates on an award booking
I am quite certain they have the ability to do that (although maybe only a manager would know how)
as i helped someone do this at the waldorf maldives when he needed another night after his stay but it wasn't available on points for standard rewards so he booked a random date and switched it to the date he needed.
I also have done this myself at a W in Florida
So although both data points happened on property during the stay it still proves its technically possible . The challenge would be getting them to do it beforehand .
I was thinking they may be more inclined if you already paid for some kind of upgraded room but if anyone has any other ideas I'd love to hear
masterdave1 is offline  

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