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Old Dec 13, 2017, 6:16 am
FlyerTalk Forums Expert How-Tos and Guides
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Related thread inOceania (Australia, New Zealand & the South Pacific) forum
Any COVID updates for French Polynesia/Tahiti?
United Airlines Launches Inaugural Flight Between San Francisco and Tahiti, Announces it will Extend to Year-Round Service

United launches the only nonstop service to the Islands of Tahiti by a U.S. carrier from the mainland United States


SAN FRANCISCO, Oct. 30, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- United Airlines today started the only nonstop service by a U.S. carrier to the Islands of Tahiti. The airline launched its first flight between San Francisco and Pape'ete, the capital of Tahiti. As part of its inaugural celebration, United also announced it is extending its Tahiti schedule to year-round service from San Francisco.

"We are thrilled to extend this exciting flight to a year-round schedule," said Janet Lamkin. "For Californians and our customers connecting through San Francisco, this route offers an escape to a little corner of paradise."

United's newest international flight offers customers a convenient gateway to the islands of French Polynesia including Mo'orea, Bora Bora, the Marquesas and Rangiroa. Starting today, United's service to Tahiti departs San Francisco International Airport on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Sundays. Beginning March 30, 2019, United will begin year-round service on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays. United will operate the route with Boeing 787 Dreamliner aircraft throughout the year. Tickets are available for purchase on united.com.
Flight City Pair Depart Arrive
UA 115 San Francisco - Tahiti 2:45 p.m. 9:25 p.m.
UA 114 Tahiti - San Francisco 11:45 p.m. 9:50 a.m. next day

United and United Express operate more than 250 daily flights between San Francisco and 90 destinations throughout North America, Latin America, Asia, Europe and the Caribbean. From San Francisco, United will continue to operate nonstop seasonal summer service to Zurich in 2019 and recently announced it will be the only U.S. carrier to offer daily, year-round nonstop service to Amsterdam beginning March 30, 2019.

Originally Posted by JOSECONLSCREW28
It's SFO-PPT 788 starts October 30 2018.


United Airlines adds the South Pacific's Most Stunning Tropical Paradise to its Growing List of New Routes

Tahiti becomes the 13th international route announced by the airline in 2017
United's new nonstop flight from SFO to Tahiti connects customers to beautiful beaches, overwater bungalows, coral atolls and forested volcanoes

SAN FRANCISCO, Dec. 13, 2017 -- United Airlines (UAL), the leading carrier in the San Francisco Bay Area, today announced it will begin service between San Francisco and Pape'ete, the capital of Tahiti, the South Pacific's gateway to more than 118 islands in French Polynesia including Bora Bora, Moorea, the Marquesas and Raiatea. United is the only U.S. carrier offering nonstop service to Tahiti from the mainland United States. Tickets are now available for purchase.

"We are excited to announce Tahiti as our 13th new international route this year, and we are even more thrilled about offering our customers a whole new world of vacation opportunities," said Patrick Quayle, United's vice president of International Network. "We know our customers want more destinations to choose from to escape the winter weather, and we look forward to being the airline that connects them to this corner of paradise.

"United's service from San Francisco will connect customers to the South Pacific's most pristine waters, white sand beaches, stunning turquoise lagoons, coral atolls and volcanic mountain peaks. Visitors to the islands experience a tropical paradise and countless spaces to relax and reconnect in natural beauty and authentic French Polynesian island culture.

United will operate nonstop service, three times weekly with Boeing 787 Dreamliner aircraft between its San Francisco hub and Fa'a'ā International Airport (PPT), beginning Oct. 30, 2018, through March 28, 2019, subject to government approval.
Winter 2018 schedule – Subject to government approval
UA 115 SFO – PPT Tues/Thurs/Sun 2:45 p.m. - 9:25 p.m
UA 114 PPT – SFO Tues/Thurs/Sun 11:45 p.m. - 9:50 a.m. next day
*Flight Times Subject to Change

United's Long History Connecting Customers to the Pacific Islands
United's love affair with the Pacific islands started more than 70 years ago and continues today. It began in 1947 with United's first flight across the Pacific from San Francisco to Honolulu, making the Hawaiian Islands an easily accessible destination for tourism and business. Today, United offers more flights between the mainland and the Hawaiian Islands than any other U.S. carrier.

In 1968, United expanded its Pacific network linking the Hawaiian Islands, the Marshall Islands, Micronesia and Guam. Today, nearly half a century later, United's Island Hopper - Flight 155 - departs Guam in the morning and makes a series of five, one-hour flights to the islands of Chuuk, Pohnpei, Kosrae; Kwajalein and Majuro. In addition to the airline's popular Island Hopper service, United connects customers from Guam to other island destinations including Palau, Yap and the Philippines.

In 1986, United began nonstop service from its West Coast hubs in the U.S. to Sydney and Melbourne, Australia. Today, United is the largest U.S. carrier to serve Australia, offering the most seats to Sydney and Melbourne with its daily nonstop service from San Francisco and Los Angeles.Building its powerful Pacific network, last year United began nonstop service from San Francisco to Auckland, New Zealand, becoming the largest mainland U.S. carrier to serve the City of Sails.

United's San Francisco Hub
United and United Express operate more than 250 daily flights between San Francisco and 90 destinations throughout North America, Latin America, Asia, Europe and the Caribbean. Beginning in June 2018, United will start nonstop seasonal summer service between San Francisco and Zurich.
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Old Nov 7, 2018, 4:25 pm
  #241  
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Originally Posted by theNjR
How soon do you think they'll go LAX-PPT direct? Would save us the stop over at SFO
It would be very unusual for UA to add a flight to a second hub before they even have daily service from the first hub. If they were to add LAX service, I wouldn't expect it to be announced for at least a year, and I'd expect them to go daily on the SFO flight first.
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Old Nov 7, 2018, 4:29 pm
  #242  
 
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Originally Posted by jsloan
It would be very unusual for UA to add a flight to a second hub before they even have daily service from the first hub. If they were to add LAX service, I wouldn't expect it to be announced for at least a year, and I'd expect them to go daily on the SFO flight first.
And then cancel the LAX flight and go double-daily from SFO.
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Old Nov 7, 2018, 7:54 pm
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Originally Posted by milepig
This would have been the UA SFO flight on the 6th I suspect. The seat map shows that it went out fairly light in economy.
Er what? The TN PPT-LAX flight on 11/4 was delayed until 11/6 and TN passengers were rebooked on the 11/4 UA PPT-SFO, filling it 100%.
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Old Nov 7, 2018, 9:01 pm
  #244  
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Originally Posted by rob_flies_ua
Er what? The TN PPT-LAX flight on 11/4 was delayed until 11/6 and TN passengers were rebooked on the 11/4 UA PPT-SFO, filling it 100%.
Sorry. Your post on the 5th about busy rebooking (present tense) would have been after the UA flight on the 4th had departed, unless there’s some time zone thing happening.
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Old Nov 7, 2018, 9:27 pm
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Originally Posted by milepig


Sorry. Your post on the 5th about busy rebooking (present tense) would have been after the UA flight on the 4th had departed, unless there’s some time zone thing happening.
Ah, I see, there was indeed a timezone thing happening It was still Nov 4th in Papeete (and everywhere from Denver to the dateline, I guess) when I posted.
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Old Nov 8, 2018, 4:09 am
  #246  
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Just for comparison, TPG has a review of the competing French Bee flight, which has 3-4-3 seating in a 350

French Bee Premium Economy
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Old Nov 8, 2018, 8:55 am
  #247  
 
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Originally Posted by jsloan
It would be very unusual for UA to add a flight to a second hub before they even have daily service from the first hub. If they were to add LAX service, I wouldn't expect it to be announced for at least a year, and I'd expect them to go daily on the SFO flight first.
i think this is just a leisure vs. business market thing. United will have a lot more long haul aircraft next winter compared to this winter, considering the current utilization rate, it is not a stretch for them to announce something like this. Just utilization flying, better than doing nothing. There are not many places you can fly profitably in winter.

maybe LAX route can fly on the other days that SFO flight doesn't operate, therefore making PPT daily from somewhere in U.S.. It can even have the reverse schedule compared to SFO (late night departure, morning return). It seems lately United is having some difficulty finding appropriate long haul international routes for LAX. I am just saying PPT looks like a workable route for LAX.
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Old Nov 8, 2018, 9:42 am
  #248  
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Originally Posted by amtrakusa
i think this is just a leisure vs. business market thing. United will have a lot more long haul aircraft next winter compared to this winter, considering the current utilization rate, it is not a stretch for them to announce something like this.
Not "a lot" more -- most fleet additions are replacing planes that are being retired. In fact, since the Polaris modifications will still be going on next winter, they may not have any more at all.

Originally Posted by amtrakusa
Just utilization flying, better than doing nothing. There are not many places you can fly profitably in winter.
UA would rather idle airplanes than lose money flying them.

Originally Posted by amtrakusa
maybe LAX route can fly on the other days that SFO flight doesn't operate, therefore making PPT daily from somewhere in U.S.. It can even have the reverse schedule compared to SFO (late night departure, morning return). It seems lately United is having some difficulty finding appropriate long haul international routes for LAX. I am just saying PPT looks like a workable route for LAX.
I can't think of a single route where UA operates like this. It's not impossible, but I don't see the motive. UA is much stronger out of SFO than they are out of LAX, and there are already about ten weekly flights on that route between TN and AF. If they're going to add more flights, they'll do it from SFO.
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Old Nov 8, 2018, 10:04 am
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Originally Posted by Kacee
Just for comparison, TPG has a review of the competing French Bee flight, which has 3-4-3 seating in a 350

French Bee Premium Economy
That read fairly dreadful and probably will only have fliers from France on the route......
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Old Nov 8, 2018, 10:05 am
  #250  
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Originally Posted by amtrakusa
maybe LAX route can fly on the other days that SFO flight doesn't operate, therefore making PPT daily from somewhere in U.S.. It can even have the reverse schedule compared to SFO (late night departure, morning return). It seems lately United is having some difficulty finding appropriate long haul international routes for LAX. I am just saying PPT looks like a workable route for LAX.
I think that flights that aren't daily have a built in disadvantage. Anyone who starts their search by looking for a specific day (I guess most) will be told there is no flight on that route if they choose an off day. I've had this many times and need to remember to check alternate days before giving up.
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Old Nov 8, 2018, 10:12 am
  #251  
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Originally Posted by milepig
I think that flights that aren't daily have a built in disadvantage. Anyone who starts their search by looking for a specific day (I guess most) will be told there is no flight on that route if they choose an off day. I've had this many times and need to remember to check alternate days before giving up.
That would at least be mitigated somewhat if they went to the schedule amtrakusa proposed, where the flight operated out of LAX on the days it didn't operate out of SFO. Someone doing the search would get a connection through the other hub as opposed to 'no results found." But, in general, I agree; less-than-daily service is a niche product, which is why I think the flight will either be made daily or will eventually be cancelled.
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Old Nov 8, 2018, 10:32 am
  #252  
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Originally Posted by jsloan
That would at least be mitigated somewhat if they went to the schedule amtrakusa proposed, where the flight operated out of LAX on the days it didn't operate out of SFO. Someone doing the search would get a connection through the other hub as opposed to 'no results found." But, in general, I agree; less-than-daily service is a niche product, which is why I think the flight will either be made daily or will eventually be cancelled.
Could also be solved if the crack UA technology team wrote in code so that the returned message would be "this route is not offered on a daily basis" or even better "this route in operated at Tue, Thu and Sat."
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Old Nov 8, 2018, 10:42 am
  #253  
 
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Originally Posted by milepig
I think that flights that aren't daily have a built in disadvantage. Anyone who starts their search by looking for a specific day (I guess most) will be told there is no flight on that route if they choose an off day. I've had this many times and need to remember to check alternate days before giving up.
except people plan this type of vacation half a year out. at this point, it is easy to shift a day left or right and get the right "price". or even just plan your vacation according to UA's schedule if you are a UA loyalist.
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Old Nov 8, 2018, 10:46 am
  #254  
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Originally Posted by amtrakusa
except people plan this type of vacation half a year out. at this point, it is easy to shift a day left or right and get the right "price". or even just plan your vacation according to UA's schedule if you are a UA loyalist.
People who plan vacations half a year out aren't always the typical FT-type traveler. They go to Orbitz or flgihts.google or whatever, and don't see the UA flight and just move on. "A day left or right" also doesn't work when you're hoping to connect directly to a cruise, for example. Even if you have the luxury of spending a couple extra days it doesn't mean you want to.
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Old Nov 8, 2018, 10:50 am
  #255  
 
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Originally Posted by jsloan

I can't think of a single route where UA operates like this. It's not impossible, but I don't see the motive. UA is much stronger out of SFO than they are out of LAX, and there are already about ten weekly flights on that route between TN and AF. If they're going to add more flights, they'll do it from SFO.
1. AF is rumored to get out of this route anyway. there is an opportunity here.
2. UA needs to show commitment to LAX, this is an inexpensive way for UA to show some love to LA. and it will make money, at least in winter, relative to anything else it can fly.
3. UA scheduling and network team have changed a lot. It is literally not the same people running the show anymore. UA used to do things one way and one way only. There are schedules where UA has literally not touched in 20 years. now it seems like everything is being reconsidered, everything can be changed. I expect a more flexible network, a more seasonal network, a more opportunistic network, a network with more DOW flying, a network with more destinations where people will pay top dollars but UA traditionally has avoided.
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