Top Tips for travelling to Tahiti

Ahead of a trip to tropical Tahiti, advice is sought about the destination, and how to get there.

I’m looking at the Qantas offering from Sydney to Tahiti. This consists of a JetConnect flight to Auckland and then an onward QF codeshare to Papeete operated by Air Tahiti Nui.

A couple of questions to anyone who may have done this route recently: Do your bags get checked all the way through? How is transit in Auckland? The layover is pretty tight, 90mins. Is this a safe connection?

Qantas does not fly to Tahiti using its own aircraft. Instead, it flies to Auckland and codeshares with the Air Tahiti Nui flight from Auckland to Papeete (Tahiti). The good news is that the checked bags will be sent all the way through from Sydney to Tahiti. New boarding passes will need to be collected in Auckland, but the airport there is fairly efficient and a ninety minute connection should be adequate.

Bags get checked all the way through. Transit is always tight however TN will hold the AKL-PPT sector for connecting pax as the scheduled arrival time into PPT (2210) doesn’t allow for any intra island connections, so holding the aircraft is no big deal. You will go through a security check in AKL which in my experience rarely takes more than 15 mins.

Apart from the Qantas/Air Tahiti Nui combination, another option for flying to Tahiti is Air New Zealand. Flights are not daily, but the airline offers similarly good service and connections through Auckland from most Australian cities.

Alternatively you can also look for all Air Zealand flights from Australia to Tahiti. NZ has 2 flights per week to Tahiti from Auckland (NZ40/41). They are pretty good IMO. I have done the trip there twice and it is always with AirNZ.

The main international airport is located in Papeete, on Tahiti Island. If spending time on Tahiti Island, our members suggest hiring a car to get around. There are a number of sights on the island worth seeing that would otherwise be inaccessible.

We spent 3 days exploring the main island and did not run out of things to do. Its a nice drive down to Tahiti Iti and there are interesting things to stop off and see including some impressive waterfalls and interesting Marai. If you are staying on the main island, depending on where you are staying, its not all that easy to get around without a car unless you just do tours.

Our well-travelled members suggest exploring beyond Papeete itself. There are a number of other islands nearby, reached either by ferry or a short flight, that are said to be even more beautiful. Moorea is a particularly popular spot, and is not difficult to reach.

Our members offer many more tips, including where to eat, other things to see & do on the islands, practical advice and even an insider tip to potentially save money on flights to Tahiti. Join the discussion HERE.

The editor of Australian Frequent Flyer, Matt's passion for travel has taken him to over 70 countries… with the help of frequent flyer points, of course!
Matt's favourite destinations (so far) are Germany, Brazil & Kazakhstan. His interests include economics, aviation & foreign languages, and he has a soft spot for good food and red wine.

You can connect with Matt by posting on the Australian Frequent Flyer community forum and tagging @AFF Editor.
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