Direct Paris/Papeete flight with Air France: here's what you need to know if you want to go to Polynesia

I just flew from Milan to Papeete, Polynesia., aboard Air France, one of two French airlines that fly from Europe to this remote archipelago in the Pacific Ocean.

Since there is not much information about this flight in the Italian language, I answer the pricipal questions I received via social after talking about our trip.

Do you need a passport to go to Polynesia?

French Polynesia is an overseas territory of France: part of the French Republic politically and institutionally, but Does not belong to the European Union as a metropolitan territory. For this reason it can have its own local currency while remaining under French sovereignty.

So technically you could visit it with the European ID card; the problem is. flights to Tahiti, where the international airport is located, make a technical stopover in the United States. Consequently, it is mandatory to have passport e visa or ESTA.

Upon entry, Polynesia does not require a real "arrival card," only a kind of statistical survey.

Different discussion for those who does not have an EU passport: then you need the same visa needed to enter the EU.

Is it a Fifth Freedom route?

Technically no, in fact yes. A flight under fifth freedom is such if it takes off and lands outside the nation to which the company belongs, so Polynesia being a French territory does not qualify as such.

Flight AF28 connects Paris to Tahiti with a stopover in Los Angeles. It is the same concept as the Dubai/New York flight via Milan Malpensa. There are passengers who travel the entire route, others who get off in LA, and new ones who board to PPT, but in fact you take off from Paris and land in France, So it is (almost) a "domestic" flight.

This means that it is possible to "break" the journey, but only by purchasing two separate tickets, because technically there is no stopover.

The peculiarity is that the crew, excluding the pilots, consists of personnel operating solely on this route and on no other AF flights.

How does the stopover work?

Air France flies from CDG to PPT via Los Angeles, while Frenchbee flies from ORY also to PPT but via San Francisco. In both cases, passengers once they arrive in the U.S, Must disembark with all their belongings.

For Air France, the following exists in Los Angeles. a dedicated path just for passengers in transit to Tahiti: a uniqueness in the American landscape.

The procedure is identical to that at JFK or other airports, with the difference that you don't get out of the sterile area and, after immigration and security, you find yourself directly in the terminal.

There is no need to worry about the checked baggage, which is not to be picked up (which is normally the case when flying to the U.S. with a stopover).

Should I worry about the coincidence?

The answer is obviously no. You arrive and you leave with the same plane, from the same terminal and same gate: only the crew changes. This means that. if the first flight is delayed, there is no risk of missing the second flight.

Immigration is quick: there are only passengers from the same flight continuing to PPT, so in ten minutes at most you are in the terminal.

Business travelers or those with Flying Blue (or SkyTeam) status. even has time to pop into the lounge., take a shower, have something to eat or relax while waiting for the flight.

How long is the journey?

Considering the connection from Italy, the total time is unlikely to be less than the 25 hours. The figure varies according to the wait in Paris to board the A350-900.

In our case: departure from Milan Linate at 3 p.m. on Sunday and arrival in Papeete at 6 a.m. on Monday, when it was about 6 p.m. in Italy. In total about 26 hours of travel.

With which aircraft does Air France fly to Polynesia?

Air France operates the route with the A350-900, its flagship, outfitted with the latest version of business class, premium economy and economy.

Unfortunately, the La Première cabin is not offered; otherwise, in addition to a provincial apartment price, it would truly be a dream (for those who can afford it).

Can I book it with points?

The answer is yes. It is a "hard" ticket, but bookable with the right strategy and a lot of perseverance.

I was able to find 3 seats in business from Italy to PPT at an illegal price, but in economy you can often find more humane fares. The best advice is. break the journey and buy two separate tickets, because it is complicated to find the entire itinerary in one go. You can also take advantage of flying to LAX (or California) with many other carriers.

In business, an A/R never falls below the 5/7 thousand, and at certain times exceeds 10. The economy is almost always above the 1.000€, subject to exceptions.

Do other companies fly there?

Not many companies fly to Papeete, of the two French ones I mentioned then there is obviously Air Tahiti Nui, which, however, has suspended his connection on Paris. Emirates, Qatar or Turkish do not fly there, but neither do Singapore Airlines and Japanese carriers.

Then there are some (non-daily) connections from San Francisco with United, Auckland with Air New Zealand and Nadi with Air Calin, and finally seasonally there are flights from Hawaiian and a few other companies.

In conclusion

It is the longest "domestic" route in the world: if it were not for the U.S. law requiring disembarkation, one could fly with ID and zero stress.

I don't know if I will ever do something like this again, or yes - maybe I will fly soon São Paulo to China via New Zealand.

PS if you want to read my review, or watch the video, it will come out during the Christmas vacations.