In the second installment of Wednesday Route Highlight, we will be taking a look at Air Tahiti Nui’s fifth freedom flight between Los Angeles (LAX) and Paris (CDG). As always, if you have any suggestions for a specific route that I should highlight, feel free to leave it below in the comments.
Without further ado…
Air Tahiti Nui’s flight between LAX and CDG (4x weekly) is a continuation of its flight from Tahiti (PPT) to LAX. This route is one of the French Polynesian carrier’s premier flights, and connects its only destinations in North America Europe. Heck, all of the airline’s routes are premiere… Because the only operates four of them.
Yes. You read that right. Air Tahiti Nui operates only four direct flights to the following cities: Los Angeles, Paris, Tokyo, and Auckland. The airline’s fleet consists of 5 Airbus A340-300 aircraft that operate the entirety of their routes. According to Seatguru, the aircraft is outfitted in a two class configuration consisting of 30 angle-flat business class seats and 264 standard economy class seats. If you’re interested in learning more about the in-cabin experience, check out Ben Schlappig’s (always fantastic) review of his flight between LAX and CDG in business class.
At the tail end, Air Tahiti Nui outfits its A340’s in a standard 2-4-2 configuration. It honestly looks pretty good for economy class, as the cabin sports fresh colors, new slimline seats, and personal entertainment for all customers. Just make sure to grab a spot on either side of the plane where there are only 2 seats. That sounds much more appealing than being in the stuck in the 4 across middle section.
Why Would People Choose to Fly Air Tahiti Nui in Business Class Between Los Angeles and Paris?
Different strokes for different folks I guess. Well, its a bit more complicated than that. Presently, the only airlines flying between the two cities are:
- Norwegian
- Air France
- Air Tahiti Nui
- XL Airways France (seasonal)
Norwegian operates their 787’s between the two cities, which top out at a premium economy style recliner seat with little amenities or luxury (standard for an long haul LCC). Similarly, XL Airways’ “premium galaxie” (business class) on the airline’s A330 also consists of recliner seats.
Meanwhile, Air France operates a variety of products on the route as a result of their aircraft variance between the two cities (A380’s and B777’s). AF’s A380 sports an outdated angle flat business class product in a 2-2-2 configuration. This leaves some customers without direct aisle access (pretty sub-par for an airline of this magnitude)
Although if your smart enough to choose the right flight when booking, you could end up in AF’s retrofitted 777-200 business class cabin consisting of reverse herringbone seats in a 1-2-1 configuration. This allows customers direct aisle access from every seat, and affords about as much privacy as you could ask for in business class (excluding Qatar’s Q Suites and Delta’s new A350 Delta One which both feature sliding doors).
As we can see, Air Tahiti Nui offers that 2nd best business class product out of the four airlines flying between LAX and CDG. While Air France no doubt commands the business travel between the two cities, I surmise that Air Tahiti Nui can still capitalize in the market. The airline can transport leisure travelers traveling to/from Paris on vacation, and still remain one of the best ways to get to the island paradise of Tahiti. I wouldn’t be surprised if Air Tahiti Nui picks up a handful of corporate travelers too.
To the Point!
Air Tahiti Nui’s flight between Los Angeles and Paris is a unique way to travel between North America and Europe. The hard product isn’t earth shatteringly good, but the aircraft interiors look fresh and bright. If you are looking to try something new and get a taste of the island life… without actually going to the island, give them a try. It’s not as hard to book as you may think, considering Air Tahiti Nui partners with American Airline’s AAdvantage.
It doesn’t hurt that they are trading in their 5 A340-300’s for 4 of these bad-boys starting 2019.
That’s the end of the blog. I’m off to find an excuse to visit Paris for a week in 2019…
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