Wednesday newsletters at all times characteristic a lodge or flight assessment.
Last autumn, I loved an unimaginable vacation in French Polynesia (Tahiti, Moorea, and Bora Bora). Read my journey stories right here:
Today: Air Tahiti Nui Boeing 787 Dreamliner Business Class from Tahiti to Los Angeles
Last September, I flew with Air Tahi Nui from Charles De Gaulle Airport in Paris to Faa’a International Airport in Tahiti with a stopover in Los Angeles. This is my assessment of the primary leg of my return flight with French Polynesia’s flag provider, a transpacific Business Class journey onboard one of many provider’s Boeing 787-9 Dreamliners which took me from Tahiti to Los Angeles. The airline calls its Business Class “Poerava”; Poerava – a mix of the Tahitian phrases poe and rava – means Black Pearl, a reference to Polynesian tradition. The airline has configured its lie flat Business Class seats in a 2-2-2 format; whereas not a innovative arduous product, this configuration is smart, provided that most individuals touring to French Polynesia are {couples}. Overall, I totally loved my expertise with Air Tahiti Nui, particularly the good tender product (e.g. meals) and the attentive service. With brilliant cabin colours, unique crew uniforms, Tahitian music, and the odor of the Tiare flower, Air Tahiti Nui additionally does a fantastic job of making a Polynesian onboard ambiance.
Have you ever flown with Air Tahiti Nui? If so, what was your expertise? Leave a remark.
- Trip: Papeete (PPT) to Los Angeles (LAX)
- Airline: Air Tahiti Nui
- Aircraft sort: Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner
- Aircraft registration quantity: F-OMUA (named Fakarava)
- On time departure: midnight (sure)
- On time arrival: 10:50 am (sure)
- Miles: 4110 miles (6610 km)
- Flight time: 7 hours and 35 minutes
- Seat: 1A
- Class: Business Class
In this assessment (extra data & pictures beneath my Youtube clip & slideshow):
- Air Tahiti Nui Lounge
- Business Class cabin
- Business Class seat (+ greatest & worst seats)
- Amenities & bedding
- Meals
- Entertainment
- Onboard web
- Other inflight experiences
- My verdict (rating)
1. AIR TAHITI NUI LOUNGE
There’s just one lounge at Fa’a International Airport and it’s open to all passengers flying out of French Polynesia in Business Class. Other passengers may enter the lounge upon fee of a 6000 XPF (55 USD) charge. Operated by Air Tahiti Nui, the lounge is positioned on the primary flooring of the worldwide terminal and is accessed by urgent a hoop button after which the door is opened by a lounge attendant.
The lounge consists of 1, decently sized room, with loads of seats (though it could possibly get crowded at peak hours). Most seat preparations are arrange for {couples} or journey events of 4, whereas there are additionally some high-top seats (a few of them have computer systems) in addition to some cubicles put in alongside a picket, semi-open divider. On the opposite aspect of this divider are some extra seating areas, which really feel extra personal and likewise supply extra comfy chairs. Overall, the decor is trendy, with brilliant white furnishings and a few design parts in turquoise (the model colour of Air Tahiti Nui). Wrap-around home windows supply a pleasant view of the parked plane, the airport apron, and the runway.
A small and fairly primary buffet is positioned on the aspect of the lounge. The restricted choice contains sweets, fruit, packaged snacks, chilly cuts, cheese, soup and a few scorching snacks (e.g. mini pizzas). The drinks are additionally complimentary and embody chilly drinks, juice, espresso, tea, beer, wine, and Champagne.
Facilities on the lounge embody complimentary WiFi, newspapers, magazines and use of desktops.
2. BUSINESS CLASS CABIN
The Business Class cabin onboard the Tahitian Dreamliner options 30 Rockwell Collins Diamond flatbed seats. These seats are configured in 5 rows on a six-abreast (2-2-2) association. Air Tahiti Nui select for a 2-2-2 format within the premium cabin of its new Boeing 787s since most of the airline’s Business Class vacationers are {couples} on their honeymoons or marriage ceremony anniversaries. Unfortunately, this additionally signifies that passengers seated in a window seat is not going to have direct aisle entry, which might be fairly uncomfortable when you find yourself not touring with a accomplice.
All seats face ahead, with the seats on the aspect barely angled in direction of the home windows, away from the aisle. Paired seats are staggered by a few inches (cm); along with a small partition, this creates some privateness in case you’re seated subsequent to a stranger (though the seats and cabin are very open) and on the identical time permits sufficient interplay when you find yourself touring with a companion.
The Business Class cabin encompasses a fantastic, refreshing and unique design, impressed by the spectacular fantastic thing about the islands of Tahiti. The seat’s marine blue materials and tender picket finishes mirror French Polynesia’s pure parts and create a brilliant colour palette that evokes the white sand seashores and turquoise water of the Polynesian lagoons. A Tiare motif is printed within the leather-based headrests of every seat, subtly reinforcing the visible model picture of Air Tahiti Nui. The wall on the again of the cabin can also be adorned by a colourful portray of Polynesian girls, which seems to be like a reprint of a portray of Paul Gaugain, the well-known post-impressist artist who fell in love with French Polynesia.
The Tahitian Dreamliner’s Business Class format is similar one which you additionally discover on different airways, corresponding to KLM’s A330s, Qatar Airlines’ A330s, and Ethiopian Airlines B787s.
3. BUSINESS CLASS SEAT (+ BEST & WORST SEATS)
Air Tahiti Nui’s Business Class seat is nice, though it doesn’t supply a lot privateness and the consolation of the flat-bed will largely depend upon the seat that you just select (extra on that beneath). The tender cushioned seat has a pitch of 78 inches (195 cm), which is outlined because the area between one level on a seat and the identical level on the seat in entrance of it. The seat width is 21 inches (53 cm) – outlined because the area between the arm rests – which is comfy however not among the many widest within the trade.
Each seat options its personal 16 inch HD touchscreen TV, which can be managed by a handset nestled within the armrest. Below the TV monitor is a drawer (which is giant sufficient to retailer a laptop computer) and a footrest (which turns into a part of the flatbed as soon as the seat is totally reclined). The dimension of this footrest is variable: the bulkhead seats in row 1 supply a a lot bigger ottoman as in comparison with the opposite Business Class seats (so be sure that to decide on a seat within the first row in the event you can); additionally, the aisle seats have a bigger foot relaxation in comparison with window seats.
The heart armrest – which is shared between paired seats – encompasses a small shared desk (for drinks & snacks), a management panel for the seat positions, and a distant handset for the inflight leisure system. It additionally holds a reasonably sized fold-out tray desk. Next to the seat, behind the headrest, is a small, considerably troublesome to succeed in storage compartment with a magnetic adaptor for the headphones. Each seat can also be geared up with an ordinary common energy outlet and two USB ports
The seat goes totally flat (180 levels recline), however your sleep consolation would possibly depend upon the seat you select: apart from the bulkhead seats in row 1 (which include giant ottomans), the footrests are fairly slim and this may increasingly considerably hamper a great night time’s relaxation.
What are the greatest Business Class seats
- All seats within the cabin are glorious for these touring with a companion due to the 2-2-2 format.
- The bulkhead seats in row 1 characteristic a a lot bigger footrest as in comparison with all different seats, so these are the seats you wish to fly (and sleep) in, though proximity to the galley and toilet might trigger some gentle noise disturbance every so often.
What are the worst Business Class seats
- The 2-2-2 Business Class format doesn’t make the cabin very engaging for solo vacationers, since you’ll at all times find yourself sitting subsequent to a stranger. There is a small display screen although between adjoining seats that are additionally staggered by a few inches, creating some additional ranges of privateness (albeit not sufficient).
- Window seats don’t supply direct aisle entry.
- The window seats within the 4th row are missing a window and are greatest averted.
Click right here for a seat map of the Tahitian Dreamliner.
4. AMENITIES & BEDDING
Air Tahiti Nui offers the next facilities to its Business Class passengers:
- A Poerava Business consolation package, which comes within the type of a beige toiletry bag. It accommodates merchandise made from recyclable supplies (cornstarch toothbrush, bamboo fiber sock, natural cotton masks) and a spread of beauty merchandise made in Polynesia (face and arms cream arms and a lip balm) from the model “Heiva”.
- A decently sized pillow (adorned with stunning Tahitian motifs)
- A snug, heat and splendid blanket
- Air Tahiti Nui branded noise cancelling headphones, that are of wonderful high quality
5. MEALS
On this in a single day trans-Pacific flight, a light-weight chilly meal was supplied after takeoff and a breakfast previous to touchdown.
The gentle chilly meal was served instantly after takeoff, with all programs supplied without delay on one tray (for the reason that flight took off after midnight, this quick dinner service maximized the time onboard to relaxation). The following gadgets had been served:
- Main dish: tuna tataki, tomato tartar and eggplant caviar maki
- Dessert: white chocolate and lemon entremet
- A choice of superb cheese served with jelly of guava
All dishes tasted glorious and the meals was properly introduced.
Ninety minutes previous to touchdown, whereas approaching the USA West Coast, a breakfast was supplied. I select French toast as a fundamental dish, which was served with roasted pineapple & banana and a pistachio cream sauce.
6. ENTERTAINMENT
Each Business Class seat is supplied with an interactive touchscreen which presents superior HD decision. The inflight leisure options the newest era system from Panasonic, and presents a good (albeit fairly restricted) choice of leisure, with 16 films, 40 music albums, 15 video video games and several other devoted TV exhibits & documentaries channel. A spotlight of the inflight leisure is Tiare TV, a singular channel dedicated to the islands of French Polynesia. Among others, Tiara TV encompasses a documentary about The Brando, one of many world’s most unique personal island resorts and former residence of the late actor Marlon Brando.
7. ONBOARD INTERNET
Air Tahiti Nui presents highspeed Wi-Fi on their 787s. Business Class passengers get a voucher with 10MB of free information (one per flight leg), which doesn’t precisely final a very long time. After these date are used, one of many following packages might be chosen:
- Package MAEVA (10 MB for $9 USD) – Send and obtain emails with some small attachments
- Package IAORA (20 MB for $15 USD) – Send and obtain emails, restricted web looking, add and obtain just a few pictures
- Package FENUA (50 MB for $29 USD) – Send and obtain emails, browse the web, add and obtain pictures
- Package NUI (200 MB for $49 USD) – Send and obtain emails, browse the web, add and obtain pictures, stream audio content material
8. OTHER INFLIGHT EXPERIENCES
# CREW: The service on this flight was glorious (and similar to the service I loved on my earlier flights with the airline). The cabin crew modified from smooth metropolis uniforms to elegant and comfy Tahitian apparel shortly after take-off. The crew’s colourful attire and shirts mirrored the allure, magnificence and heat which are typical of the French Polynesian islands.
# LAVATORY: There are three bathrooms for the 30 Business Class passengers. One is positioned behind the cockpit and two are positioned within the galley between the Business and Premium Economy Class cabin. Calming Tahitian music is performed contained in the bathrooms.
9. MY VERDICT
- Seat consolation (upright): 8/10
- Seat consolation (mattress place): 7/10
- Food (high quality): 8/10
- Food (amount): 8/10
- Inflight leisure : 8/10
- WiFi: 8/10 (however costly)
- Service: 9/10
- Cabin design: 8/10
- Overall expertise: excellent: 8/10
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