Air Tahiti Nui 787-9 Economy Class Review: LAX to Papeete

I was excited to try Air Tahiti Nui, a new local airline on my list operating just four 787 Dreamliners. It made the trip to Tahiti feel more special in a way. But the most important question is simple: is Air Tahiti Nui Moana Economy comfortable enough for 8 hours?

I flew on Air Tahiti Nui flight TN7 from Los Angeles to Papeete in seat 26B. The cultural details and friendly crew made the flight memorable, but the seat felt very tight, one of our seats did not recline, and the WiFi was extremely expensive. The experience was more mixed than I expected.

In this report, I cover the complete flight, including our difficult lounge visit at LAX, boarding, the seat, entertainment, current WiFi prices, both meals, service, and arrival in Tahiti.

How I Booked This Flight

I booked a one way trip from Miami to Papeete via Los Angeles with American Airlines and Air Tahiti Nui. The complete itinerary cost 40,000 AAdvantage miles + $5.60 per passenger.

The cash fare for the same American and Air Tahiti Nui itinerary was $3,371 per passenger, or $6,742 for both of us.

The comparable Economy cash itinerary was $6,742 for both passengers.

This Air Tahiti Nui flight was the second segment of the AAdvantage booking, after our American Airlines 787 flight from Miami to Los Angeles. American allows members to redeem AAdvantage miles on Air Tahiti Nui.

Transit at LAX

Our American Airlines flight arrived early, so we had more than 4 hours before the flight to Papeete. After a quick visit to the outdoor terrace, we headed to the Tom Bradley International Terminal and then to the American Express Centurion Lounge.

To our surprise, the lounge was full. We had to scan a QR code and join the Centurion Lounge digital waitlist. We looked for another lounge option, including the Virgin Atlantic Clubhouse, but none of the alternatives available through our memberships made sense at that time.

After about 30 minutes, we received a message saying that we could enter the Centurion Lounge. The lounge was so crowded that I could barely take a picture inside. We struggled to find seats, it felt hot and noisy, and there were many passengers waiting for food. Some areas were reserved for Centurion Card members.

This was not a lounge I would recommend for relaxing before a flight. For us, it was still the most practical option while flying Economy Class with an eligible American Express card.

Boarding

We left the lounge closer to boarding time. Gate 221 was far away, and the walk took us roughly 25 minutes. The gate screen showed flight TN7 to Papeete departing at 4:20 pm and on time.

The gate area was crowded when we arrived. The agents were trying to organize passengers into groups, but the different lines extended into the main walkway.

We had boarding passes printed in Miami, but an agent asked us to go to the desk and receive Air Tahiti Nui boarding passes. They checked our travel documents, printed the new passes, and then allowed us to board.

The aircraft looked beautiful as we walked toward it. The cabin was colorful and had several local design details, including bright pillows, turquoise seats, soft lighting, and Polynesian artwork on the bulkheads. We also passed the Mānava Premium cabin on the way to our seats.

The atmosphere during boarding was less pleasant. The cabin smelled bad, felt warm, and became noisy as it filled. I could not find an individual air vent above my seat, which made the heat more noticeable.

Air Tahiti Nui 787 Economy Seat: Is It Comfortable for 8 Hours?

Our assigned seats were 26B and 26C, a middle seat and an aisle seat at the back of the first Economy cabin. Air Tahiti Nui has 232 Moana Economy seats in a 3 3 3 layout on the 787-9.

According to the airline’s official Moana Economy cabin guide, the seats have 79 centimeters, or 31 inches, between rows and recline by 15 centimeters, or 5.9 inches. Those numbers are normal for a 787 Economy cabin, but the space felt very tight during this flight.

When the passenger in front of me reclined, it became difficult to leave my seat unless I also reclined. The fixed entertainment screen also became harder to see from a comfortable angle.

Each seat had a pillow, blanket, and packaged earphones. The pillow and blanket were useful and matched the colorful cabin design. Air Tahiti Nui says that socks and a sleep mask are available on request, but I was not offered them and did not ask for them.

My tray table was sticky and dirty, so I cleaned it myself with a wet towel. The table opened in two stages and was large enough for the meal tray, but the limited space made it difficult to use a laptop.

My travel partner’s seat would not recline. We told a flight attendant, who offered her another seat farther back. We moved during the flight, which gave us a little more space, but a broken recline on an 8 hour flight was still disappointing.

A Tahitian Welcome on Board

One of my favorite parts of the flight came after boarding. The crew handed each passenger a fresh tiare flower and invited us to wear it, just as the crew did.

It was a simple detail, but it made the flight feel connected to Tahiti before we arrived. This is one of the things Air Tahiti Nui does better than a typical international Economy flight.

IFE, Headphones, and WiFi

The entertainment system was good enough for the flight. Air Tahiti Nui uses a Panasonic eX3 system with an 11.8 inch touchscreen in Moana Economy. The screen was responsive, and the selection included recent movies, TV shows, music, games, and a moving map.

I especially liked the section with information about Tahiti and the neighboring islands. It included ideas for places to visit and facts about local wildlife. The system also made it easy to change the text size and other accessibility settings.

The main weakness was the position of the screen. It is attached to the seat in front and I could not adjust the angle enough. When that seat was reclined, the screen was much harder to see.

The packaged earphones were very basic and sounded poor. I would bring my own wired headphones for this flight.

Using the Air Tahiti Nui Entertainment App

You can download the Air Tahiti Nui entertainment app and pair your phone with the seatback screen. The setup was straightforward. I entered the flight information in the app, opened the pairing page on the screen, and used the temporary code.

Once connected, the phone worked as a remote for the entertainment system. I had read that the feature could also help with personal Bluetooth headphones, but I could not make mine work.

Air Tahiti Nui WiFi Prices

WiFi was available, but the data limits were small and the prices were very high. These were the packages displayed on my flight:

The $8 plan was intended mainly for messaging. I did not think any of these plans offered good value. Prices and packages can change, so the screenshots below show exactly what was offered on TN7 during my trip.

Takeoff

Boarding was completed on time, but there was traffic at LAX. It took about 20 minutes from pushback until we were in the air.

The takeoff was smooth. We had clear views of the wing and the bright afternoon sky as we left Los Angeles. Soon after takeoff, the crew handed out visitor forms for our arrival in French Polynesia.

Dinner

The first meal was a full dinner. The choices were chicken with coconut rice or pasta. I chose the chicken.

The tray also included pasta salad, bread, cheese, a piece of plantain, and coconut cake for dessert. The food was fine for Economy Class. It was not memorable, but there was enough to eat and I liked the coconut cake. Coffee and tea were offered after the meal.

Lavatories and Galley

The lavatories near the rear of the cabin were easy to access and were located beside the middle galley. They felt clean and fresh each time I used them. They were standard 787 lavatories with no special amenities beyond soap.

During the Flight

I spent most of the flight watching movies and trying to nap. Sleeping was difficult because of the tight space. Working on a laptop would also have been difficult once the passenger in front reclined. A tablet or small device would fit much better.

The cabin became quieter after dinner. The lighting changed during the flight, and we continued west across the Pacific with daylight outside for much of the journey.

Prearrival Meal

About 1 hour and 45 minutes before landing, the crew served a second light meal. It was a warm pork sandwich with applesauce, plus a choice of drinks. Coffee and tea were also available.

This was a simple meal, but the timing worked well and it was useful before a late evening arrival in Papeete.

Arrival in Papeete

The landing in Tahiti was smooth. It was completely dark outside, and we could not see much until we were close to the island.

Instead of a jet bridge, we left the aircraft using a mobile ramp with several levels. This allowed us to walk close to the engine and see the size of the 787 from the ground. It was a memorable way to arrive in French Polynesia.

Immigration was quick for us. The line for EU passports was long, while the non EU line we used was almost empty.

Final Verdict: Is Air Tahiti Nui 787-9 Economy Class Worth It?

Air Tahiti Nui Economy gets you to Tahiti on a modern aircraft, and the airline adds local details that make the trip feel different. The crew was friendly, the tiare flower was a nice welcome, the entertainment system worked well, and both meals were decent.

The main problem was comfort. The 31 inch seat pitch felt tight for 8 hours, especially when the seat in front reclined. One of our seats did not recline, the cabin was warm and smelly during boarding, the included earphones were poor, and the WiFi plans were far too expensive for the amount of data provided.

Would I pay the $3,371 cash fare that we found for the complete Miami to Papeete itinerary? No. I would compare Air France and other options first. At 40,000 AAdvantage miles + $5.60 per passenger, however, the trip offered very good value and I would make the same redemption again if award availability were limited.

This was not one of my most comfortable Economy flights, but it was an interesting and distinctly Tahitian way to reach French Polynesia. I would fly Air Tahiti Nui Economy again for the right mileage price, but I would test the seat recline immediately and prepare to stay offline.