Review Tahiti Nui lounge, Papeete's only lounge has a one-of-a-kind view
Papeete Airport is not huge, not many international carriers land at Tahiti Faa'a, but for those passengers flying [...]
Oneworld
PPT
Papeete airport is not huge, not many international carriers land at Tahiti Faa'a, but for those passengers flying to the mainland, read New Zealand, the United States, and Japan-these are the only international destinations connected with PPT-a lounge must be there.
In this article:
Although I admit it, the open-air bar in the middle of the terminal has a charm that might even convince people to stay on the ground floor without worrying about climbing the stairs to enter the lounge.
Location
This is a very unique airport. Half of it is open air, the domestic flight area is so small that you only enter when your flight starts boarding.
The international area, on the other hand, is half open-air, has no air conditioning, and has a small lounge which is located on the upper floor.
Access
No Priority Pass, entry here by invitation only, or better if you travel business class with Air Tahiti Nui, Air France, United, Air Calin or Air New Zealand, which are the five carriers that fly from this airport. Only FrenchBee passengers are left out.
In our case, we entered because of the status, but we also lucked out because from the age of 12, children no longer get in for free and are considered adults for all intents and purposes.
The hall
It is not big, but it is beautiful bright and given the traffic at this airport, we would not need much more square meters.
The view of the runway is absolutely wow, not least because we are talking about an airport that has no fingers, no connections to planes-no, here you always board from the ladder, and if you leave on an A350 or Dreamliner the climb is steep.
So here is the view of the parking area is really close and uncluttered.
The room spreads along the stained-glass window.
On the opposite side we have the small buffet area and near the reception also a smoking room, although on the ground floor, open air, you can smoke on the lawn overlooking planes.
There are seats of various kinds and even an area with more comfortable chairs in case you get stuck here, assuming you can get stuck in a terminal that has two flights leaving in the morning and two the next night.
Amenities-wise, excluding bathrooms and Wi-Fi, it does not offer much else.
Food & Beverage
The feeling is that half of the offer was Air France's catering leftovers., which could also fit: reducing waste and optimizing resources.
The gastronomic offerings as a whole Is not enough, there was nothing hot, unless you heat up instant noodles in the microwave, and the cold one is pretty average, or below.
More than sufficient beverage offerings, although a coffee machine with powdered milk just cannot be seen in 2025.
In conclusion
There are airports where you simply have no choice and it's bad enough that at least there is a lounge. Of course it doesn't open the door to anyone unless they have status, and so it would be logical to find a better proposal, but we are not in LHR: we cannot demand the moon.
Pro
- The view
Against
- Gastronomic offerings can be improved