Air Tahiti Nui and partner Alaska Airlines open new access point to French Polynesia from the United States

Air Tahiti Nui and Alaska Airlines are pleased to announce the upcoming opening of a new route connecting the city of Seattle to the island of Tahiti as part of a strategic merger offering the company at the Tiare enhanced access to the North American market.

Requests for approval from the American and Polynesian authorities are in progress, but the partners have already announced the date of 4 October 2022 for a first rotation and the inauguration of a programme set at two weekly frequencies. The marketing of these new direct flights should thus begin next April.

Michel Monvoisin, Chairman and CEO of Air Tahiti Nui, indicates that: “The addition of this service to the frequencies already scheduled at our Los Angeles hub, in non-stop flights and in extension to Paris, brings the total number of flights operated by Air Tahiti Nui to North America in high season with 15 weekly frequencies.”

Mathieu Bechonnet, General Manager of Air Tahiti Nui, also specifies that: “This second route on the West Coast of the United States reinforces the position of Air Tahiti Nui as the spearhead of Polynesian tourism. For this development, Air Tahiti Nui is delighted to be able to count on new partners since it will now be able to rely in Seattle on Alaska Airlines, which is the benchmark airline in a region that is also eager for new destinations.”

A powerful sales network:

“Who hasn’t dreamed of going to Bora Bora one day? We are very happy to welcome Air Tahiti Nui in a partnership associating it with a group of large global companies which will make it possible to better connect the American West Coast to the South Pacific”. It is in these terms that Nat Pieper, Senior Vice President Fleet, Finance and Alliances of Alaska Airlines, welcomes this merger. He adds that “our customers will love this new direct connection to the incredible destination of French Polynesia with a company offering world-class service on board its magnificent Dreamliner 787-9.”

For the first time in the company’s history, Air Tahiti Nui customers will be able to use their Club Tiare miles on the network of its partner Alaska Airlines. They will also be able to earn Club Tiare miles for all travel they take with Alaska Airlines beyond Seattle. Alaska Airlines customers will be able to earn or use their Mileage Plan miles when travelling on Air Tahiti Nui.

A new relationship and a new partner:

Alaska Airlines is the 5th largest US carrier. The company is also one of the most popular in the United States, having obtained the title of the best traditional company for 12 years in a row. It is based in Seattle and offers nearly 1,200 daily flights to 120 North American cities including Canada and Mexico, and further south, Costa Rica or Belize. The company is constantly expanding and is the newest member of the oneworld alliance.

With the upcoming reopening of its Auckland and Tokyo routes, this new service positions Air Tahiti Nui more than ever as the essential partner for Polynesian tourism, in line with the economic development mission entrusted to it by the government. of French Polynesia.

Paris, March 29, 2022