Playing the airline game - how far in advance to book

Our flights will be starting for sale this Friday. How far in advance do you usually book for Tahiti Nui Airline? Were you relatively happy with the price paid?

If you are cashing in mileage do it as soon as possible. Why are you not using the air package from the PG? You get air, transfers, day room in and out and the ability to stay on the ship longer!

We don't have miles to use. We are comparing all options including through cruise line. Our plans are to come in 2 nights early.

Are transfers and day rooms included in price if you book air through PG?

Are transfers and day rooms included in price if you book air through PG?

Yes they are. Just keep in mind that if you want to go early, but don't want to book a hotel through PG Cruises, you will pay a deviation fee if you choose their air package. And you would probably lose your arrival transfer.

If you're flying ATN coach, it's usually worth it to do it through PG, despite the deviation fee, since you get to stay on the ship longer on debarking day, and you get taken to a hotel for the afternoon until it's time to go to the airport for your flight home.

Can we pick our flight if we pay the deviation fee? We definitely want to go early. How late do they let you stay on the ship?

Can we pick our flight if we pay the deviation fee? We definitely want to go early. How late do they let you stay on the ship?

There's not much choice of flights. And it's not that great arriving earlier, since that means basically around dawn, although not much choice since both flights are fairly close I believe. On disembarkation day you have to vacate your rooms early I believe, but can stay onboard until after lunch. Then you are bussed to a dayroom until about 6 p.m.

(We will be doing Air France because we like Premium Economy--they arrive at 5:30 a.m.!)

You can pick your flight but remember there are only 2 flights a day.

The ship will not let you board until 3:30 pm. You can leave your luggage at the dock and roam around until it is time to board. A taxi from the IC will cost about $25 one way. Unless you are looking for business class or some other airline, I think you can't beat their air package for all that you get. It also includes a tour of the island.

We usually fly coach and sometimes upgrade at LAX for a last minute business class seat.

Let us know what you decide.

Check out an app called Hopper. I used it to book mine and haven't seen a lower price since. You plug in your dates and it will "watch" the flights for you, then tell you the best time to purchase. I've used it twice now and got the lowest both times.

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Unless PG has changed their policy they will not allow you to,leave your luggage on the pier prior to embarking at 3:00 pm. If you don't take their air then you don't have transport from the airport when you arrive, you don't have the day room and transport when you leave and they ask you to leave the ship at around 9:00 am.

They do not enforce the 9:00 am time. You can leave with the last group at around noon after having an early lunch. You then need to rent a car or take a tour or arrange your own day room if you are not taking their air. They will credit you about $1500-$1700 if you don't take their air.

Compare what you can arrange yourself. If you have you have to get to LAX it might be less expensive to do this yourself.

I am a little confused. Do I get transfers, day room, etc if I book air through PG even if I don't book hotel through them? We are planning to stay at IC two nights precruise at a much better rate than PG.

If you take the PG air then you get some added "things" from PG. Without an air deviation fee your flight will arrive either very early (5:00 am) in the morning of your cruise or late at night (11:00 pm). If you arrive on the early flight they will provide transport to the IC where you will have a day room for your use as well as lunch. In the afternoon they bus you to the ship. If you arrive late at night they bus you directly from the airport to the ship.

At the end of your cruise you have a choice, all included. Either take the bus they provide to the IC at about noon and you have a day room to use until about 6:00 pm or take a bus tour with a few stops on the island and then you arrive at the IC for your day room at about 3:00 pm. The bus tour also leaves the ship at about noon. Neither of these options includes food so you can eat lunch on the ship before you leave and buy food at the IC for dinner (pricey).

If you take their air credit and book your own flights you don't get these "extras". We book ourselves and find it is fine but we have been able to also get award seats on the flights.

If you consider booking your own air compare prices on Air Tahiti Nui, American and Qantas. American and Qantas code share with Air Tahiti Nui but sometimes one is less costly than the other. You can also look at the Air France flights out of LAX (not every day) or the Hawaiian Air flights outs of HNL (Saturday only). Lastly, consider staying on Moorea precruise vs. on Tahiti (the Hilton is great).

I am a little confused. Do I get transfers, day room, etc if I book air through PG even if I don't book hotel through them? We are planning to stay at IC two nights precruise at a much better rate than PG.

If you deviate to come in to Tahiti early, I believe you would lose the dayroom and the transfer to the ship. But retain the post-cruise perks. Unless you did a post-cruise stay on your own, in which case you'd lose those perks, but could probably stay on the ship later on the last day. I think.

If you deviate to come in to Tahiti early, I believe you would lose the dayroom and the transfer to the ship. But retain the post-cruise perks. Unless you did a post-cruise stay on your own, in which case you'd lose those perks, but could probably stay on the ship later on the last day. I think.

If she uses PG air but books her own hotel pre cruise she will have to pay the deviation charge ...I think $100 but not sure. She will also have to pay for her transfer to the ship.

She would still get the day room on the way back and transfers etc.

Official rule is you have to leave by 9 or 10 am the last day if you have booked your own air as you and I did in 2014.

I think unless you are using air mileage, the PG air package is the best option. You can still opt for a different date to leave by paying $100 per person. Once we opted for an earlier arrival date and ws told we would not get the transfers. However, when we received our documents, there was the coupon for a transfer. We went up to one of the operators and ask him to take us to the port. He agreed since he was taking another party to a hotel.

Let us know what you decided to do.

Oh, if you book entirely on your own, YOU are on your own if there are travel problems(strikes, mechanic issues, etc.)

Yeah, but you're stuck travelling in Economy, and barring a last-minute cheap upgrade, Business Class is really expensive. If you're lucky enough and healthy enough to be able to endure coach, then it's a great deal.

Yeah, but you're stuck travelling in Economy, and barring a last-minute cheap upgrade, Business Class is really expensive. If you're lucky enough and healthy enough to be able to endure coach, then it's a great deal.

I think for us it's an age thing. When we were younger we were quite happy to fly coach. But two things have happened over the years....coach seats have gotten more uncomfortable and we have become older!

I guess I sill see what fares are booking on our own. We have $1700 credit each on cruise if we don't get air through PG.

I think for us it's an age thing. When we were younger we were quite happy to fly coach. But two things have happened over the years....coach seats have gotten more uncomfortable and we have become older!

And broader in the beam. Yes, that's what I was trying to say, Emdee. Our first three PG trips were done in coach, our fourth in Business (Regent offered deals on Biz upgrades), and our fifth in Premium Economy.

If she uses PG air but books her own hotel pre cruise she will have to pay the deviation charge ...I think $100 but not sure. She will also have to pay for her transfer to the ship.

She would still get the day room on the way back and transfers etc.

 

Official rule is you have to leave by 9 or 10 am the last day if you have booked your own air as you and I did in 2014.

Agree that the official rule it off by 9 or 10 the last day if you book your own air but that is not enforced and if you ask they will even tell you it is fine to stay on board. When we have booked our own air, for one trip, we walked over to the market, came back and ate lunch, and then left at about 11:30. No issues to remain on the ship until the last group leave at about noon.

I guess I sill see what fares are booking on our own. We have $1700 credit each on cruise if we don't get air through PG.

Sorry if I have asked this before.

Where do you live???

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Hi,

We live in East Windsor, better known as exit 8. Plans for the trip are coming along nicely. I am thinking about renting a car for one of our days in Tahiti and taking a tour the other day. Our last day after the cruise I have tentatively booked a room at Tiare Tahiti basically to store our luggage (4 of us) and have a place to relax if we want. It looked very conviently located. Are there any don't misses" on our trip? We are taking 10 day Society Island cruise.

Marsha

Hi,

We live in East Windsor, better known as exit 8. Plans for the trip are coming along nicely. I am thinking about renting a car for one of our days in Tahiti and taking a tour the other day. Our last day after the cruise I have tentatively booked a room at Tiare Tahiti basically to store our luggage (4 of us) and have a place to relax if we want. It looked very conviently located. Are there any don't misses" on our trip? We are taking 10 day Society Island cruise.

Marsha

Consider flying to Hawaii first, spending a night in Honolulu then Hawaiian Airlines to Papeete. They only fly Saturday so would have to do a few days pre or post depending on your cruise dates. Consistently it's cheaper flying this way from Newark (United) or JFK (Hawaiian - I did this two years ago) than flying ATN or AF from LAX. I never looked at AA from Philly.

My PG air credit was actually more than my flights and a night in Waikiki was better than a night at LAX!

Only drawback is the wait time in Honolulu on your way back home if you don't want to spend another night there.

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Consider flying to Hawaii first, spending a night in Honolulu then Hawaiian Airlines to Papeete. They only fly Saturday so would have to do a few days pre or post depending on your cruise dates. Consistently it's cheaper flying this way from Newark (United) or JFK (Hawaiian - I did this two years ago) than flying ATN or AF from LAX. I never looked at AA from Philly.

My PG air credit was actually more than my flights and a night in Waikiki was better than a night at LAX!

Only drawback is the wait time in Honolulu on your way back home if you don't want to spend another night there.

 

 

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The best thing to do on the return in HNL is book a room. If you can get late check out its quite comfortable.however, because of the extra flying time and hotels the price does increase and has no value unless you can get a flatbed business flight which we did. Now Air France has flatbed business so I doubt we would ever go via Hawaii unless we plan to stay for a week or so there.. Would consider this after DH retires. Will look at alternatives to getting away in the winter months then.