Papeete Airport

❎ Unverified | Arrival: VIP lounge is small but the personal welcome is way to discover polyesian culture. Customs procedures and lugage delivery is appreciated while drinking a fruit juice in conditionned air (temperaure was 28+C at 11:00pm). Departure: you have to arrive 3 hrs before take off in order to minimize queing time (polynesian quickness) in outside air cooled by old fans. One shop and one bar in international area.

Incompetent and rude staff in duty free at Papeete Airport. Refused to give perfume in a sealed bag when travelling through the U.S and U.K. Giving out wrong information regarding what can be taken through is one thing, then to have an attitude and be rude is another. Absolutely horrendous service.

We arrived at Papeete Airport after a very long journey involving three airports prior to our destination airport. We descended the aircraft steps, walked to the terminal passing the welcoming Tahitian band on the way in. We called a greeting to them who greeted us in return. We waited at a barrier (for EU citizens) to pass through immigration, only second in line, and waited until the staff were ready. Passport handed over and through quickly to the baggage reclaim area. Out of the arrivals very quickly and over to the car rental desk where we were dealt with in an efficient, but, leisurely and friendly fashion. No problems. On the return journey, we had more time to assess the airport. There were fans in the domestic area which were welcome. It is unfortunate that there are none in the international area because it was very sticky and hot in the late evening. Because the check in desks were not open, we could not access the Business Lounge, so we went back to the cooler domestic end and changed into our travel clothing - this was a mistake because when we returned to international and still had a lengthy wait, we were far too hot. Fortunately, we had the sense to already have bottled water with us. It is a wee bit chaotic, but, I've got to say that passengers don't help sometimes by scrabbling to almost every desk that looks like it might be opening. Despite what it says on the signs, some folks will stand in any queue. It's not just the airport which is a bit disorganised. There was a wee bit of confusion at check in with our tickets involving three different airlines, which might have been resolved a bit more quickly had the check in lady asked us about our journey, but, she went off and sorted it out without fuss. There are few facilities in the airport and there are relatively few international flights. It is obvious that ground staff are brought in when necessary, areas are not manned unnecessarily. It is less noticeable in larger international airports with far more facilities. There is a significant lack of seating and, with landside being open-air, fans in the international area would be beneficial. When security finally opened, we made our way to the Business Lounge. For the size of the airport, the lounge was very comfortable. The amount of food provided was adequate considering ours would be the last flight of the night, in fact, the last flight out of Tahiti in 2015. There were plenty of beverages available. The fact that there are only two restrooms, one each male and female shouldn't really be much of an issue with so few international flights. I note negative comments here about Papeete Airport, but, having suffered the crowds and incredible number of security checks in London Heathrow and Los Angeles (inc an incredibly poor business lounge operated by LAX) before and afterwards, I can assure you the small inconveniences of Papeete Airport seem trivial. The staff were all pleasant and appreciate the same in return. This is Tahiti, chill.

When you land at PPT, the first thing you will notice is that there is no jet bridge. You will disembark the aircraft by stairs. It is a very short walk from tarmac to the terminal where you will go through immigration. As you are standing in line, you will notice Tahitians dressed in beautiful tropical attire, playing musical instruments, and singing songs. The immigration officer was very courteous. Baggage claim, currency, exchange, and ground transportation were all smooth. While returning back, the most memorable moment at PPT was when the security personnel said, "Please visit us soon." This was the first time someone working at an airport asked us to visit their city again. The dining options are slim after clearing security, and you can expect long lines in the morning hours to grab a bite. I stood in line for 30 minutes to grab blueberry muffins, Turkey sandwich, and Juice for my family.

Terrible both coming and going. The immigration queue on arrival was terrible-we were fifth in line for the non- resident entry point and again and again the porters brought up families with children and people in wheelchairs and cut them in line ahead of us. We waited over 45 minutes being fifth in the line for a one minute process! Just before us a person cut into the line and then the immigration officer spent five minutes arguing with them before sending them away. Ridiculous! At least there were taxis waiting as we walked out. On the return we waited 30 minutes for the counter (Air France) to open only to find yet another problem with our tickets that took 45 minutes to resolve-and then we were lied to by a supervisor about it when he acted like he was doing us a favor just by giving us the seats we had ticketed a year prior. The flight was delayed and there was no place to sit other than a hot humid non-air-conditioned open air space right by the smoking area a few feet away. There was only one snack bar with limited offerings and too many children who were not being properly supervised by their parents. It was like a 3rd world country. One of the many reasons I'd never venture to this part of the world again. It's simply not worth the hassle bad attitude and disorganization.

One of the most disorganized airports I have ever been through including 3rd word countries. Most non customer oriented airport I have ever seen. 1) Our flight arrived 1/2 an hour early but had to wait 1 hr to go through Immigration. 2) No air conditioning in airport. 3) Flight check-in starts 3 hrs before flight time but departure immigration only opens 2 hrs before so you have to stand in line sweating profusely in between. Never have stood in so many lines for so long at any other airport in the world. They constantly ask to see your passport and boarding pass. 5 times from check-in to getting on airplane. They also check and weigh your carry-on twice. The only AC is in the duty free shop and the VIP lounge. For a country that relies so much on tourism one would think that they treat travelers better!

It took an hour and 20 minutes of standing in line to go through Passport Control. The staff were pleasant but consumer satisfaction is not a high priority.

Our recent trip to Tahiti getting through customs was very slow as the computer scanners used by customs to record the passport details of each traveler were not working and each passport had to be manually photocopied. Manual copying was disconcerting in this modern age of heightened personal security and safety in travel. Should you be heading for Papeete airport as a visitor from anywhere other than Europe take some snacks and water for your wait in a lengthy queue in a very warm hall.

I have used the Business lounge in Papeete for 20 something years and have survived. It is not perfect but I consider it part of the travel experience and it has a certain charm which is unique to this part of the world. Just enjoy the difference! I will be there again in 3 weeks and it is an essential part of the trip.

Papeete Business Lounge is definitely substandard! If they are going to have late night / early morning departures then they need to ensure facilities are stocked. When you do find the lounge (poor signage) what awaits you is only two shared toilets for the whole lounge!!!! The food is inadequate and clean up of cups etc just not to par. The icing on the cake was the 3week old english speaking paper.