Old Dec 13, 2017, 6:16 am
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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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UA SFO-PPT 787-8 Experiences, QA, .....

Old Dec 12, 2017, 8:28 pm
  #31  
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I vote SFO-DEL to compete with AI.

PPT is not a money maker that UA needs right now I think.

Just guesses.
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Old Dec 12, 2017, 8:39 pm
  #32  
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Originally Posted by EWR764
SFO-PPT was rumored a few weeks ago, and I think thats what we will see. Stay tuned for LAX.
I think you've called it.
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Old Dec 12, 2017, 8:43 pm
  #33  
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Originally Posted by HkCaGu
I lived on GUM. I know cabotage, US version, w.r.t. Asian carriers.
I live near LAX. Two French carriers fly people CDG-PPT. That's why I want to know whether UA can do it.
Yeah OZ got in a mess of trouble for selling through tickets.

But if you apply that logic to separate tix, virtually all flag carriers violate US cabotage laws ever day. E.g., SFO-FRA-JFK on LH.
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Old Dec 12, 2017, 9:03 pm
  #34  
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Please let it be SFO-BKK, SFO-DXB, SFO-NAN, SFO-GUM.
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Old Dec 12, 2017, 9:07 pm
  #35  
 
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My wild guess is LAX-CHC with the NZ JV and feeding connecting domestic/Australian pax through CHC.
Taipei likes this.
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Old Dec 12, 2017, 9:13 pm
  #36  
 
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Originally Posted by N830MH
Please let it be SFO-BKK, SFO-DXB, SFO-NAN, SFO-GUM.
SFO-GUM would actually make sense with regards to feeding onward connections...not really sure that there is capacity to warrant it. Who knows?
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Old Dec 12, 2017, 9:30 pm
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Originally Posted by HkCaGu
Given that UA already flies SFO-CDG, how is French/EU law regarding cabotage?
Under US-EU Open Skies, UA would be permitted to carry pax from the EU (not just CDG) to PPT over SFO.

The complicating factor, as it is with the existing CDG-LAX-PPT flights, is that transit pax must clear US customs on the intermediate stop, despite CDG-PPT being technically a domestic route. Geography is such that there really are no other, more favorable routing options.
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Old Dec 12, 2017, 9:44 pm
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Originally Posted by PsiFighter37
SFO-GUM would actually make sense with regards to feeding onward connections...not really sure that there is capacity to warrant it. Who knows?
Well only SFO-GUM-MNL would make sense. HKG and PVG already have nonstops to CONUS. However, they just announced cuts on GUM-MNL not long ago. Unless they were going to make the 787 go SFO-GUM-MNL.
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Old Dec 12, 2017, 9:48 pm
  #39  
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Please let it be SFO-PPT. *alliance access is virtually non-existent. I'll be booking my pix on the day they go on offer.
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Old Dec 12, 2017, 10:06 pm
  #40  
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Originally Posted by EWR764
Under US-EU Open Skies, UA would be permitted to carry pax from the EU (not just CDG) to PPT over SFO.

The complicating factor, as it is with the existing CDG-LAX-PPT flights, is that transit pax must clear US customs on the intermediate stop, despite CDG-PPT being technically a domestic route. Geography is such that there really are no other, more favorable routing options.
Correct. It is cabotage, but it is legal per the agreement.

IAH already has the pilot program to allow I-I connections without going through customs. I wonder if SFO could join that program as well; not just to serve CDG-PPT traffic, which is a fairly small niche, but to ease Asia-Canada/Mexico flights. Also, AKL-SFO-Europe; for anything else to Europe, though, it makes more sense to cross Asia. Anyway, I like the idea. I can't imagine US airports ever building secure areas for I-I transit passengers, but I could see the I-I skip-customs program expanding.

Originally Posted by HkCaGu
Well only SFO-GUM-MNL would make sense. HKG and PVG already have nonstops to CONUS. However, they just announced cuts on GUM-MNL not long ago. Unless they were going to make the 787 go SFO-GUM-MNL.
I can't see SFO-GUM making sense, as much as I like the idea. How much premium cabin traffic can there really be to GUM on a daily basis? GUM-HNL is an important route at both ends, but it's not premium-heavy (hence the Hawaiian configuration 772 they use). If you add SFO-GUM, that kills quite a bit of your connecting demand and you end up with two daily birds lightly loaded up front. Then, you end up having to cut frequency on HNL-GUM to compensate, and you create a mess for yourself.

Besides, they already own the GUM market. DL pulled out of its flight, leaving UA with 100% of domestic GUM traffic. So, unless they have this huge pent-up demand, I can't see why they'd double capacity.

Also, the saber rattling can't be good for GUM travel. Oh, and, it's not an international route.
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Old Dec 12, 2017, 10:12 pm
  #41  
 
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My first choice is for SFO-PPT. My second choice is for SFO-BKK!
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Old Dec 12, 2017, 10:25 pm
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Originally Posted by jsloan
I can't imagine US airports ever building secure areas for I-I transit passengers, but I could see the I-I skip-customs program expanding.
IAH-E and EWR C-3 were built with sterile transit lounges, but these were never used after the sterile transit/TWOV program was scrapped post-9/11. Reportedly, the EWR space will be redeveloped into a United Club, but Im not sure of the status of the IAH facility. I believe other such facilities exist in the US, but CO was a strong proponent of international-to-international transit over its hubs, hence the investment.
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Old Dec 12, 2017, 10:35 pm
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It's SFO-PPT 788 starts October 30 2018.
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Old Dec 12, 2017, 10:38 pm
  #44  
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Originally Posted by jsloan
.... IAH already has the pilot program to allow I-I connections without going through customs. ....
Beleive with ITI you still have to enter the USA, go thru immigration and customs (& make a customs declaration), but you don't need to retrieve and then recheck your luggage.
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Old Dec 12, 2017, 11:04 pm
  #45  
 
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Originally Posted by WineCountryUA
Beleive with ITI you still have to enter the USA, go thru immigration and customs (& make a customs declaration), but you don't need to retrieve and then recheck your luggage.
Correct. Anything you're carrying as hand baggage enters the US and is subject to Customs inspection (done by the CBP officer at Onestop immigration). Checked bags are moved to the onward flight and are hence deemed as not entering the US.

I believe NZ has something similar for its AKL-LAX-LHR connections at LAX, though they're segregated from general pax and have to use a "holding area".
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