AIR TAHITI NUI review : 22 July 2008 : by Philip Doyle

Customer Rating : 5/5

I was seated in 41k and the seat next to me was empty too, new Airbus A340 SYD-PPT. Excellent cabin crew. Decked out in traditional Tahitian dress. Very courteous and attentive. Lots of drinks in- flight. Amazing IFE. Very comfortable flight. Air Tahiti Nui even give all passengers a Tiare de Tahiti flowern. Second flight PPT-LAX on A340 also but this aircraft was a little older. Still excellent service. Cannot wait to fly them again. A very exotic experience.

AIR TAHITI NUI review : 16 July 2008 : by M Vasavada

Customer Rating : 4/5

Our best compliments to Air Tahiti Nui - me and my wife travelled to the US and had a very pleasant flight and experienced courteous staff, great food (and me being vegetarian makes it harder!). Overall a very satisfying experience. We came across customer friendly staff when I called reservations with a query when we were in the US. Best wishes to all staff at Air Tahiti Nui.

AIR TAHITI NUI review : 21 June 2008 : by Michael Mouat

Customer Rating : 4/5

A340 Business Class. There are two experiences when flying to and from Papeete from LAX. The first one is far superior with very good food, fairly modern craft, well organized flight crew. The return flight is often done on older craft, the meal service adequate at best, and everything managed by a crew who, while not hostile, weren't too careful about their job. I suppose much of this can be rationalized by the fact that the cost is one third of a comparable class to Europe. Even so, the airport lounge at Papeete has all the charm of a bus depot in Middle America with almost no food available.

AIR TAHITI NUI review : 13 June 2008 : by T Hentunen

Customer Rating : 5/5

AKL-PPT in economy. Great surprise. Extremely pleasant flight all in all. Great IFE and fine selection of foods and drinks. Very nice service with a unique Tahitian twist. Would recommend to everyone!

AIR TAHITI NUI review : 21 May 2008 : by D Mauro

Customer Rating : 5/5

JFK-PPT-JFK Economy. It was so refreshing to have delicious food, goody bags, a nice cabin, and helpful flight attendants. Flying this airline was actually part of the experience of visiting French Polynesia.

AIR TAHITI NUI review : 27 April 2008 : by R Villa

Customer Rating : 3/5

LAX-PPT-SYD in Economy Class. My wife and I love the inflight service of this airline. They continuously feed you and give you drink. The individual TVs were great as well. Warning on the newer A340s, the seats seem harder and more uncomfortable. In addition, unfortunately, flight reliability is an issue. Our flight from PPT-SYD was delayed 1.5 hrs which is really difficult for a flight regularly scheduled for 2am. PPT-LAX was cancelled and we were rebooked to another flight 1.5 hours later. Not a big deal, but no one communicated it to us. We discovered the cancellation when new boarding passes were handed out in PPT. Others on our flights were scrambling at LAX to try to catch connecting flights. The lesson in all this is to overnight in PPT on the way back to LAX from SYD.

Air Tahiti Nui review by John Everatt

9 March 2008  Customer Trip Rating :

I and on behalf of my wife thank the cabin crew and flight deck crew for an excellent and courteous flight from Los Angeles/Papeete and return in February. The flight deck crew were communicative and informative and cabin crew attentive and caring in a discreet manner with a polite attitude. Thank you Air Tahiti Nui.

Air Tahiti Nui review by Sandra Lefebvre

24 January 2008  Customer Trip Rating :

CDG to LAX and it's always a pleasure to take this wonderful airline. Cabin crew are nice and take care of you so well when you need some helps. I did 6 round trip in Economy class and one in business class. Both are very nice and I always had a so great trip.

Air Tahiti Nui review by Chris Matthews

17 January 2008  Customer Trip Rating :

LAX-PPT Business Class. Nice service by cabin crew . Old style Business Class seat with ample recline and foot rest. Interior was with a French Polynesian feel (blue and Flowery). Nice amenity pack which I still use today. Food served individual style with presentation using your surname. Young cabin crew and the Male Flight Attendant that was serving me seemed a little nervous. Check in at LAX was OK , premium tagged bag. Lounge was First Class Lounge at LAX which uses multiple airlines due the extension of that service at the airport. Not a bad service at all. PPT-LAX Economy Class, seating was smaller and more compact with minimal leg room. Food served in a rushed fashion as the flight was full (apparently it always is). Only a fish dish available, minimal beverages offered. Could do with some improvement. However the cabin crew were very pleasant. Check in was uncomplicated at PPT.

Air Tahiti Nui review by Jo Wright

13 January 2008  Customer Trip Rating :

Despite the changes to our flight schedule just after booking in May which involuntarily extended our trip by 5 days and further changes just days before our early December departure - including a change in airline JFK-LAX sector - we would fly ATN again. We found the service on both the ground and in the air to be excellent. The crew were constantly present in the cabin with offers of water and outside of the regular meal service, buffet of drinks/snacks were set up in the galleys for you to help yourself. The aircraft were very clean - we noticed that the crew ensured the toilets were clean and restocked with towels etc - and we found the seats to be comfortable with decent leg room. The atmosphere on the aircraft during all 4 sectors we flew was one of complete serenity. I think what won us over is the opportunity to break that horrendous 15+ hour SYD-LAX sector in half with a stopover, if only for a night, in PPT. This made all the difference, particularly for my partner who does not fly very well. ATN was a delightful and refreshing change from Qantas.

Air Tahiti Nui review by D Parkinen

27 December 2007  Customer Trip Rating :

LAX-PPT-SYD Poerava First. Boarding in Lax seemed to be confusing. No pre-boarding for First or Business class passengers. Onboard the first class cabin was private and clean. Non-alcoholic beverages served with a smile. Excellent food service on board was served buffet style. Upon arrival in PPT I was informed my flight to Sydney was cancelled due to an upcoming air strike in PPT. We were then placed on the AKL flight. After a short 4 hour layover in AKL we finally flew to Sydney with another excellent breakfast buffet service with smiling flight attendants. Our baggage did not make it to Sydney. Due to the strike it was sent back to LAX. Qantas does the baggage service for ATN in Sydney which took 3 days to get to me. Overall, superb inflight services, ground handling and service needs severe improvement.

Air Tahiti Nui review by N Reifer

7 December 2007  Customer Trip Rating :

Tahiti to Los Angeles on in business class. Flight left late and boarding was very poorly organized. Business class seats are very uncomfortable. When seats are fully reclined it is almost impossible to get out from a window seat even if you are a very small person. Food was not up to international business class average. When we got to LAX we were parked in a very remote gate and it took over 1 hour to get luggage. I would not fly this airline again.

Air Tahiti Nui review by Janine Knapping

16 November 2007  Customer Trip Rating :

AKL-PPT-JFK / LAX-PPT-AKL. Economy Class. First time travellers with Air Tahiti Nui. 2 adults & 2 children (17 & 6yrs). We had a very enjoyable experience with Air Tahiti Nui. Check-in & transit stops at both ends a breeze. Flight attendants very courteous, helpful and gave everyone a tiare flower. My 6 yr old got a cute little back pack filled with goodies. Amenity kits were packed full of goodies such as earphones, socks, eyeshades, eye plugs & a hand wipe a lot more than you get from ANZ. A blanket & pillow was also available. Inflight Entertainment was great, lots of variety, games for the kids and recent movies. Both aircraft were clean and looked in good condition. There wasn't much leg room in economy but this is standard in most planes. We purchased our well priced ($1616 return) tickets through an internet "Summer Special" direct with Air Tahiti, AKL. Our first stop- over in Tahiti was for 45mins and our return home stop-over for 2 hrs which was nice to stretch our legs and purchase some Tahitian rum. All in all we had a great experience flying with ATN and would love to fly with you again! Well done and keep up the fabulous service.

Air Tahiti Nui review by M Herbert

12 November 2007  Customer Trip Rating :

I was looking forward to flying them based on the customer recommendations on this site. However, their lack of interest in helping in a crisis (a "moment of truth" for a customer) means I will always take my business elsewhere. I met other passengers who had experienced similar appalling service.

Air Tahiti Nui review by K Lee

26 October 2007  Customer Trip Rating :

Every year, I go with my dance troupe to Tahiti via LAX. Air Tahiti Nui has outstanding service from check-in, gate situating, to inflight, to ground handling! Always accomodating and very pleasant.

Air Tahiti Nui review by Brett Watson

9 October 2007  Customer Trip Rating :

PPT-AKL Club Poerava Business Class. A good experience. PPT lounge fine with basic snacks and drinks. Boarded on time with warm and friendly welcome. Pre-flight drinks offered. Flight delayed by 45 mins due to some passengers not boarding on time. Business seats not lie flat but comfortable with good recline, although seat in front comes very close when reclined. No meal offered after take off due to late night departure with decent snack bar available instead. Crew constantly checking on those passengers that were awake to see if they wanted drinks or snacks. Breakfast offered two hours before arrival was of a good standard and served individually, depending on choice. Overall a good experience with great FA's and service.

Air Tahiti Nui review by John Edwards

5 October 2007  Customer Trip Rating :

LAX-JFK. This was a continuing economy class flight from PPT after a stopover in LAX. The flight on this sector was empty. I counted about 40 passengers in economy. From the passenger point of view, this was great, especially in an A340 because it almost felt like I had the plane to myself. Even for a short hop across the US, amenity kits were distributed which included ear phones, eyeshades, ear plugs, socks, a towelette. Even a tiare flower was given to each passenger, a personal touch that makes this airline really special. Flight attendants, gracious and very good looking. One thing that set this flight apart was the outstanding quality of the meal. I had chicken, which was recommended, and it was cooked to perfection. Crispy skin on the outside and tender, juicy, meat inside. What a surprise to have it in the air.

Air Tahiti Nui review by Andrew Powell

13 August 2007  Customer Trip Rating :

SYD-LAX NYC-SYD Class Economy. Well, what an excellent surprise for an extremely well priced ticket. Flight attendants were friendly, attentive & courteous. Food & drinks were regular (attendants around with water continually). Great work Air Tahiti Nui - other airlines should take a leaf from your training book.

Air Tahiti Nui review by L Reinstein

12 July 2007  Customer Trip Rating :

LAX-PPT-LAX Club Poerava Business Class. A very good experience. Outbound - use of LAX interim first class lounge at Tom Bradley terminal, instead of satellite biz class lounge was pleasing. Excellent five course lunch service from serving carts, followed by light, tasty cold snack before landing. Although not state-of-art, the business class seats are comfortable with a huge recline (which made for a nice rest, but if you're not in the first row, a person's head is nearly in your lap). Video monitors play current movies on a cycle, not VOD, so I didn't bother. Return - PPT VIP lounge is basic but welcome and air- conditioned. Overnight food service was shorter and not as of high a quality as on outbound flight (perhaps due to PPT catering levels?). Cold supper before bed was bland and breakfast in three courses sounded grand, but was quite ordinary (though three choices of hot dishes was great to see). Excellent champagne and French wine list though. A few little gripes. After reading all of the reviews below, I was surprised to discover that the cabin crew, although very professional, were definitely cold. The exception was an older gentlemen purser on the outbound flight who was as welcoming and knowledgeable as any maitre'd at a Parisian restaurant. Also, they have a few consistency problems (e.g., flowers handed out on return, not outbound), some lavs had special biz class products, others didn't, etc. But all in all, a nice product for a small airline, for which they should be proud.

Air Tahiti Nui review by Jo Wright

11 July 2007  Customer Trip Rating : n/a

Like T Brown we fly SYD/LAX/NYC regularly and usually on Qantas. We looked for another option this year for various reasons, mainly our disenchantment with QF. Also, like T Brown, we have had our ATN flights changed which will significantly add to the cost of our trip so we thought we should look for another option. After stumbling on this forum and reading the feedback from others who have flown with ATN, we are going to stay with them - we will just have to somehow endure that extra day by the pool in Papeete and the three extra days in NYC. Life is tough sometimes!

Air Tahiti Nui review by T Brown

6 July 2007  Customer Trip Rating :

As a frequent traveler between Sydney and Los Angeles for the last 5 years I've always used either United Airlines or Qantas but decided to give Air Tahiti Nui a chance. Having had so many problems with the airline making flight changes before even taking the flight I've become discouraged, but after reading the comments on this site I am looking forward to experiencing their service. Thanks everyone for your comments and looking forward to reading more! Passenger input is most helpful!

Air Tahiti Nui review by A Jane

25 June 2007  Customer Trip Rating :

Moana (economy) Syd-JFK return. What a lovely airline and one on which I felt welcome and not an imposition. Quite new A340-300 were extremely smooth and quiet. IFE system is not on demand but I find you anticipate using this much more than you actually do during the long flights. The movies that were on offer were contemporary and more than adequate. All passengers regardless of class are presented with a frangipane flower, onboard kits, menu selections and on approaching Australia, moisturiser to freshen up. FAs are so gentle and polite. You knew when they said "enjoy your meal" they actually meant it. And I did. Water was consistently available, as were sandwiches from the back of the plane if hungry between meals. The seats are 2-4-2 layout with me on window and no one next to me in both directions allowing extra space to spread and no clumsy and disruptive pole vaults over cramped passengers.

Air Tahiti Nui review by Bill Atkins

13 May 2007  Customer Trip Rating :

AKL-PPT Business Class - a pleasant experience. Bright clean plane and friendly attentive service. Nice selection of food and wines. Only minuses are seat layout, which means if the person in front has their seat fully reclined they are virtually on top of you (or in your meal) and constant flight attendant traffic up to First Class section.

Air Tahiti Nui review by Graeme Hawkins

10 May 2007  Customer Trip Rating :

Sydney to Papeete Moana (coach) Class - could not fault this airline. The aircraft was less than two years old and sparkled. FA's were extremely pleasant and no request too much trouble. The meals were airline meals but of better quality than most I have had in other economy lately. The drink and water service was frequent and call bells answered very quickly. I will definitely fly ATN again and am looking at using them for my next trip to the USA. Qantas wanted to charge me an extra AU$480 to fly ATN through their code share arrangement - fairly typical of Qantas lack of customer focus these days.

Air Tahiti Nui review by Greg Chandler

26 April 2007  Customer Trip Rating :

Recently flew LAX-CDG roundtrip in Poevara First, using American FF miles. Both flights were excellent, fresh cabin and attentive FAs. The first cabin is partitioned and fully curtained; seats are the older lie- flats. Nice colour scheme. Ground personnel in LAX a bit tatty however as one might expect it was far better organized and delineated at CDG. First lounge at CDG is Cathay Pacific's, shared also with Business Class. Ten pax using the lounge that morning. Food and inflight services were above-average First fare. Champagne memorable and readily served.

Air Tahiti Nui review by Joan Lovell

20 April 2007   Customer Trip Rating : n/a

Los Angeles to Papeete return. Without doubt this is the best experience of flying we have enjoyed. The cabin crew are so colourful with their lovely dresses or smart suits, and smiling. Airbus A340 smooth and quiet and seat pitch gave me lots of leg room in economy.

Air Tahiti Nui review by Barbara Lewis

3 March 2007

The service in Business Class on Air Tahiti is the best I have experienced in over 25 years. The flight attendants were extremely gracious and helpful. The food was gourmet quality and bountiful. My husband and I flew from Sydney to New York on February 23, 2007 and were surprised that no one to whom we mentioned Air Tahiti Nui either in Sydney or New York had heard of it. We hope that the good word about this airline gets around, since it deserves to be successful.

Air Tahiti Nui review by L Sakellarides

19 February 2007

JFK-PPT return. Five companions and I recently returned from Tahiti, and I am pleased to report that Air Tahiti Nui is the best airline I have ever used. The planes were immaculate inside and out. The service was impeccable. Both flights we took were less than 1/4 full, so once we reached cruising altitude everyone had plenty of room to spread out and sleep.

Air Tahiti Nui review by Matt Rennie

1 February 2007

SYD-PPT-JFK return in Economy (Moana) with a stopover in beautiful Tahiti on the way home. Airbus 340 very quiet, with nice Pacific blue coloured interiors. IFE (personal screens - not VOD) provided a good mix of current and older films. Meal portions and quality good - topped off with free flowing French wines and champagne (in Y class). As others have said, FAs are friendly and appear to enjoy their jobs. Experienced a 2 hour delay out of JFK ("mechanical issue") and 1 hour delay out of PPT, but was kept updated. Great work Air Tahiti Nui - a good way to travel the long distance between Sydney and New York!

Air Tahiti Nui review by Ben Hamilton

9 January 2007

SYD-PPT-JFK return. ATN has won two fans with the quality of their service and the condition of the aircraft. A big difference to Australia's national carrier and others! We also took advantage of the very good stopover deals in Tahiti on the way home. Would recommend ATN to anyone looking for an economical and well-timed way to get to the US from Australia (or vice-versa).

Air Tahiti Nui review by Martin Thomas

3 January 2007

AKL-PPT-JFK then LAX-PPT-AKL in First Class. Spectacular service on all flights. Superb wines and excellent, if very traditional cuisine. Lovely new aircraft, great seats. All staff great with children. Flight departure times are sometimes a little strange out of PPT but the possibility of avoiding LAX entry requirements and flying straight to JFK is appealing. I found the ground staff at AKL airport less amiable than the in flight staff - perhaps because it seems that a generic NZ staff now handle all those departures, whereas last year First and Business passengers were able to check in at the Qantas premium area. Other small points would be that the lounge in PPT is very average, and the selection of magazines and reading material could be more comprehensive on board. The First cabin, seating just six in a row, is the closest thing to having a private aircraft, if privacy, luxury and service are priorities for your travel. Business Class may not have flat beds, but recline is good, and the delightful service makes up for any shortfall in sleeping comfort. We will continue flying Air Tahiti Nui. They are an excellent airline.

Air Tahiti Nui review by N Edwards

20 December 2006

CDG-LAX - overall a very good flight. 2 hot meals plus midflight snacks of ice cream and sandwiches offered. Flight attendants came through the cabin with water periodically. 7 movies. Clean plane. This airline is a gem.

Air Tahiti Nui review by Raymond Goodrich

27 September 2006

LAX-PPT-LAX in First for our one month stay in Polynesia. This reminds us of transatlantic flying in the 70's where the FAs cared, service was superior and the food was gourmet. Fast forward to this century and add the technology of IFE and flat beds - makes you want to fly all the time. The outbound flight was late in departure due to passenger & baggage reconciliation. But we made up the delay in flight. This aircraft was also their newest as other writers have commented. On the return we left early with all passengers were on board. On this flight we did not enjoy the meal since we chose to make ourselves comfortable the airline provided pyjamas, flat beds and great sleep. What a contrast to our connecting AA flight from IAD-LAX-IAD (see American Airline review). Maruru Air Tahiti Nui for a job well done and being such a great ambassador for your beautiful country!

Air Tahiti Nui review by C Barz

22 August 2006

NY to PPT. Stayed 2 days. One hour delay on departure but arrived on time. No announcements made. Sat in economy. Had empty seat next to me thankfully. IFE was good. 7 movies and games to choose from. 2 meals were served. Standard plane food. Found out when leaving PPT that they were delayed about 2 hours.No announcements again and no help for anyone who had connecting flights in SYD like I did. On return home from SYD to NY, the stopover at PPT was easy and the flight was waiting to load which was great, however don't ask inflight staff for any info. Gave out wrong info anytime asked about ground info. Overall I liked the flights, inflight staff courteous, IFE good and seats were okay. A little cramped but for someone who is 5'10" I did okay. Don't book the back of the plane. Always filled up first.

Air Tahiti Nui review by Pat Marwick

30 July 2006

LAX to PPT return. Were at front of the line for both check-ins as we wanted to upgrade to Business. $700 each to upgrade LAX/PPT and $600 PPT/LAX. Very attractive planes, bright colours, very friendly and courteous staff, good food. Only slight annoyance like other passengers, IFE offers films with set starting times, so you can miss chunks of the movie if you stop to eat (American offers individual DVD players where you can 'pause' if the flight attendant brings food etc). Just a small niggle, but in general a very comfortable flight to a wonderful place - French Polynesia is gorgeous. Would fly ATN again anytime.

Air Tahiti Nui review by Tony Gerber

18 July 2006

Flew LAX-PPT-AKL in economy in late May 06. Yes, this airline is one of the better ones around, and definitely a nice change from QF across the Pacific. Service was fine; on both sectors I scored an empty seat next to me; and food was as good as it gets on an airplane in Y class (which is not saying much). Both flights departed and arrived on-time. I can't get quite as enthusiastic as other correspondents about this airline, but certainly there's a lot to like. Only two grumbles. The IFE is a bit basic compared to AVOD systems found on other airlines, and matching the printed information from the in-flight magazine with the interactive menu on the screen was mildly frustrating or amusing, depending on your frame of mind. On the PPT-AKL sector which departed at 1:40am, breakfast was served immediately after departure, with no further food service offered. In other words, we had a middle-of-the-night breakfast, and arrived in AKL a tad famished. The printed menu had promised a snack meal after take-off and breakfast prior to arrival in AKL. Considering the shortish duration of the sector, maybe it was not such an unreasonable plan, but I would have preferred to stick to the menu. Nevertheless, would fly with them again, especially from SYD/AKL to JFK, since a couple of hours in the sticky humid PPT transit lounge is infinitely preferable to the transit/security two-step at LAX one endures with QF.

Air Tahiti Nui review by Goran Stojanovski

5 July 2006

I used Air Tahiti on a family holiday from Sydney to Los Angeles. Overall this is a great airline. The decor of the aircraft is excellent, service of flight attendants equally good. The flight from SYD to PPT was less that half full with plenty of seats to choose or spread across and sleep. PPT to LAX was full, but again service was great. LAX to PPT was a full flight but PPT to SYD had a total of 127 PAX on their A340 . The only thing that I could complain about is that the flights to PPT no children meals were provided, despite making the request directly through the Air Tahiti office. On the positive side, the Flight Attendants ensured that the return flight was correct by taking it upon themselves to ensure the requests was correctly made. Other point of issue is PPT Airport. Very difficult with children as there is no A/C and is very hot and humid. Even a midnight flight in PPT was very sticky and uncomfortable. I will use Air Tahiti Nui again.

Air Tahiti Nui review by T McNeill

1 July 2006

LAX-PPT-AKL-PPT in economy and PPT-JFK in business. Very impressed with this airline. Modern fleet of Airbus 340-300s which provide for a smooth and quiet flight. Very nice bright interiors with good in flight entertainment. 340-300s are well suited for the long hauls (PPT-JFK was 12 hours). Very professional and courteous flight attendants. Food and service excellent in both economy and business. Economy never more than two thirds full. Business experience was my first on international, but I must say that I believe it to be first rate. Very comfortable large seats with plenty of leg room and multicourse hot meals served on china. Good quality wines and champagne served. I would choose this airline for future travel and recommend it for others.

Air Tahiti Nui review by M Brenner

1 July 2006

JFK-PPT-JFK Economy. Terrific airline. Best I've flown in years. Extremely courteous, highly trained and professional flight attendants. Decent food -2 hot meals and French wine that flows freely at no charge. Flight attendants actually change clothes after takeoff to a more comfortable yet Tahitian style outfit better suited for serving passengers over this long flight. Airbus plane was immaculate and quiet. IFE was lots of fun. Snacks available throughout the flight. FA constantly came around with water to help keep you hydrated. I've never seen service like this in economy class. Would fly again in a heartbeat. Worth every penny.

Air Tahiti Nui review by Philip Doyle

24 June 2006

I flew SYD-PPT-LAX with a couple of days in Tahiti and Mo'orea. This is the best airline I have ever flown. They could not represent the beautiful islands of French Polynesia more appropriately with the very best in modern airbus equipment, latest IFE, beautiful and friendly cabin crew and all in all a very memorable flying experience - and I was in economy. I will vote for this airline in the next Skytrax survey and recommend them whenever I get the chance.