Air Tahiti Nui 787 News

[Tahitianbigkahuna]

15 minutes ago, 57redbird said:

We're just starting to research a PG cruise -- what is the consensus on buying your own air or using the PG air option?   We're from the Seattle area so we'd probably have to fly to LA on our own or does PG offer a connector as an option at an additonal (reasonable) cost?

 

TIA you all in advance!

 

Air can be booked for less occasionally on your own but remember if you use PG you get the flight, meet and greet, transfers and a place to hang while you wait to board and when you leave. So  ..... the question is best answered if you want the cheapest or the easiest. For the first timer to FP and or the PG easiest is often the best way 😉

Edited July 19, 2019 by Tahitianbigkahuna

[JIMinNC]

We booked our RT air on our own, but since we bought a pre-cruise package from Paul Gauguin, we still got the transfers from airport to hotel and hotel to the pier. It was simple. We booked our post-cruise on our own since we wanted the Hilton Moorea and PG didn’t offer that property in their packages, so we were on our own once we got off the ship. 

 

So if you are planning a pre and/or post hotel package through PG, you can book your own air and still get the transfers. 

[Tahitianbigkahuna]

My point was that once you add the cost of airfare, transfers and day rooms you might as well purchase the whole thing from PG.

 

Officially you can not book a day room at the IC if you book independently, it must be booked through the PG.  

[MrRandal]

But you can book a day room at the IC through PG, even if you book your own air. And that includes the meet and greet and transfers. We're flying Premium Economy on Air France for about $1800 less than what PE on ATN would have been. That's not an everyday fare, but was available on certain dates when we booked.

 

[SWFLAOK]

On 7/20/2019 at 2:48 PM, MrRandal said:

But you can book a day room at the IC through PG, even if you book your own air. And that includes the meet and greet and transfers. We're flying Premium Economy on Air France for about $1800 less than what PE on ATN would have been. That's not an everyday fare, but was available on certain dates when we booked.

 

Where did you find information on booking a day room through IC without booking their airfare? Anyone can stay at the IC for a fee for day use, but there's no day room, and no transfers. Transfers are based on when the flights that they arrange come in, so if you're on a different flight, I see no reason that they would give you a private transfer. I'm not sure what meet and greet you're referring to. We haven't seen one of those our hotel and have only booked our airfare through PG.

[MrRandal]

Sorry, my answer was not clear. We do not have a "Day Room", we have a Pre Cruise package with "One night with morning arrival". We get in on AF at 5:25 am, we will be picked up "meet and greet" at the airport and transferred to the IC. We have immediate access to our room, which we will keep until check out the following day. We will then be transported to the PG.

Sorry for the confusion.

[JIMinNC]

2 hours ago, SWFLAOK said:

Where did you find information on booking a day room through IC without booking their airfare? Anyone can stay at the IC for a fee for day use, but there's no day room, and no transfers. Transfers are based on when the flights that they arrange come in, so if you're on a different flight, I see no reason that they would give you a private transfer. I'm not sure what meet and greet you're referring to. We haven't seen one of those our hotel and have only booked our airfare through PG.

 

I'm not sure if PG offers a package that's just a day-room specifically, but if you book ANY offered pre- or post-cruise hotel package from PG, they will provide transfers even if you do not book your airfare through PG. You just give them your flight arrival/departure information and, as long as you have bought a pre- or post- hotel package, you are transported just like the people who actually bought the air fare from PG. We did our own air fare last month, but booked a two-night pre-cruise package at the IC Tahiti and all transfers were included and they were waiting for us at the airport when our flight landed. We did our own thing on the back end, so no PG transfer, but had we booked a post cruise hotel through PG, they would have provided transfers to hotel and then to airport. What I don't know is if they offer a package that's just a day room and doesn't include an overnight.

[SWFLAOK]

22 hours ago, MrRandal said:

Sorry, my answer was not clear. We do not have a "Day Room", we have a Pre Cruise package with "One night with morning arrival". We get in on AF at 5:25 am, we will be picked up "meet and greet" at the airport and transferred to the IC. We have immediate access to our room, which we will keep until check out the following day. We will then be transported to the PG.

Sorry for the confusion.

Thanks for the clarification. It's the Pre Cruise package that includes the day room and transfers to the hotel. I think the only way you get a day room that doesn't include an overnight is the day you disembark in the morning,  and have to wait for the 11PM to midnight flight that they have booked for you to return to LAX. After our first cruise on PG, we have always booked Pre and Post Cruise hotel packages.

[Tahitianbigkahuna]

34 minutes ago, SWFLAOK said:

Thanks for the clarification. It's the Pre Cruise package that includes the day room and transfers to the hotel. I think the only way you get a day room that doesn't include an overnight is the day you disembark in the morning,  and have to wait for the 11PM to midnight flight that they have booked for you to return to LAX. After our first cruise on PG, we have always booked Pre and Post Cruise hotel packages.

This is correct .... you can not get a day room at the IC for the day you arrive and boarding later in the day. You can get a day room with or without air but only through PG, not directly. 

[Hutchinj]

Just to confirm, we booked our own airfare through our TA and did receive a $3400 airfare credit from PG which allowed us to upgrade our seats to Premium Economy as we got a better deal than thru PG. Your credit may vary but that's what we got.

 

I agree that booking thru PG can make things easy with the addition of transfers and day room options if that suits your itinerary. But for us, we arrive PPT at zero-dark-thirty (via ATN redeye) and immediately jump on the ferry to Moorea for early check-in at the Hilton Moorea, a resort not offered via PG's IC hotel properties.

 

If we can't get a late checkout from our post-cruise resort at the St Regis in Bora Bora, we may well take advantage of the IC Tahiti's Transit Program if they still offer it then.

 

[MrRandal]

I'm not certain you can get a day room after a non PG Hotel post stay. We stayed at the ICH Thallasso after our last cruise, and PG handled everything, transfers from hotel to Bora Bora airport, flight, pick up at airport Day room at the ICH Tahiti until we were transferred to airport. And we were able to do so using non PG booked air. However, for our trip this Oct, we are staying at the Hilton Moorea post cruise, and we are making all of our transfer arrangements ourselves.  

[Hutchinj]

I was under the impression the IC Tahiti's "Transit Packages" (see below) were available to all guests, regardless of where you stayed the night before.

 

You may be right, of course, or this may no longer be offered. But no matter... if we have to spend a few more hours on the beach in Bora Bora, we'll suffer through. 🙂

 

Edited August 6, 2019 by Hutchinj

[Tahitianbigkahuna]

Day rooms can only be obtained from PG or your TA can purchase through PG and only for a post cruise day. The rate differs depending if you purchased the air/sea or cruise only.

Edited August 6, 2019 by Tahitianbigkahuna

[Hutchinj]

12 minutes ago, Tahitianbigkahuna said:

Day rooms can only be obtained from PG or your TA can purchase through PG and only for a post cruise day. The rate differs depending if you purchased the air/sea or cruise only.

 

That makes a lot of sense. Thanks again, as usual, TBK. Always appreciate your insight and experience!