Flying Blue has just unlocked Air Tahiti awards, and it’s always great to see more options to use your hard-earned miles.

French Polynesia is expensive

Let’s start with the obvious: French Polynesia (like many island paradises) is expensive. I know this because I’m in the middle of planning travel to French Polynesia. Any opportunity to help save on cash is welcome, especially if it doesn’t come with a loss of anything else. And that’s why I’m welcoming of the Air Tahiti awards news this week.

For those unaware, French Polynesia is a chain of islands in the Southern Hemisphere that tends to be popular with honeymooners. Some of the more famous islands include Tahiti, Moorea, and Bora Bora. But if you’re looking to fly to French Polynesia, you’ll first need to land at Tahiti and then transfer from there on a separate airline to your final destination. The carriers that fly internationally to Tahiti are not the same ones that fly domestically. This is an important distinction between Air Tahiti Nui and Air Tahiti, which are not the same.

Within French Polynesia, you’ll find two airlines. Most domestic flights are operated by Air Tahiti, though they also tend to be more expensive. Your other option is Air Moana, which suffers a bit more from operational delays but is also less expensive. Some end up ignoring Air Moana altogether given the complications.

You could also skip the flight and instead take a ferry, which is likely best if you’re looking to go to Moorea from Tahiti. So keep it in mind that flying is not the only method of getting around here.

And I’ve also heard that booking domestic flights within French Polynesia is cheaper if you do it from within the country. As of yet, I can’t confirm that and I’ve been unsuccessful in finding a credible VPN based there.

Air France Flying Blue opens up Air Tahiti awards

With that all in mind, let’s talk about the news regarding awards for Air Tahiti. Prior to this, there was no way to book Air Tahiti using airline miles.

So what will it cost you? The price will vary with the route, with longer routes getting a higher price. Let’s take a look at four routes.

Flying between Bora Bora and Tahiti will cost you 15,000 Air France Flying Blue miles + $21.60.

If you take the short 15 minute flight between Moorea and Tahiti–the same route I said to take the ferry–you’ll pay 6,000 miles + $28.40.

Or if you want to fly between Huahine and Tahiti, the 40-minute flight will cost 11,000 miles + $34.70. Huahine, by the way, heavily inspired Disney’s Moana along with other islands in the region.

And the 45-minute Raiatea to Tahiti flight will cost you 12,000 miles + $22.80.

Are these Air Tahiti awards worth it?

I’m sure what everyone wants to know is if you should book your Air Tahiti flights with points. There will be some who have excessive points and will use points no matter what. But what if that’s not you?

Let’s look at what Air Tahiti charges for that Bora Bora to Tahiti flight.

At current exchange rates, 23,671 XPF is about $225 US. Using your 15,000 miles (and $21.60) to replace $225 US means each point is worth 1.4 cents each. It’s not a fantastic deal, but not terrible.

What about the other end of the spectrum? The short flight between Tahiti and Moorea also runs a cheaper cash price.

Using today’s currency rates, 8,801 XPF = $83.62. Back off the $28.40 needed for the award flight, and those 6,000 miles give you a value of 0.9 cents each. Not great.

You’ll want to play around with cash rates for your dates to make sure you’re getting good value from your miles.

The nuance of Air Tahiti’s multi-island passes

I would be remiss if I didn’t mention that if you intend to visit several islands on your trip, you might want to grab a multi-island pass. There are multiple options for these passes depending on the islands you’re looking to visit. But let’s take the example of the airports used above.

The Discovery Pass allows for visiting two islands of the following: Moorea, Huahine, Raiatea, and Bora Bora. Air Tahiti charges between 400€ and 461€ per adult for what will amount to three flights to get between the islands. This is cheaper than buying each fare individually with cash.

Taking this all in, if you’re looking to jump around to different islands, check if the multi-island pass works for you. This will be a better deal than using points. But if you’re only looking to visit one island (or if the pass doesn’t work for you), consider looking at the points price.

Remember, it’s better to have the option to use points than not having it at all.

Will you use your Air France Flying Blue miles towards Air Tahiti awards?

Suggested reading:

• Why You Need to Collect Air France Miles
• Review: Air France Business Class Lounge CDG Terminal 2E Hall K
• Review: Air France 777-300 Business Class CDG-LAX