TAHITI HONEYMOON CHEAP
Thursday, July 14th, 2011
Why is flying from Hawaii to Tahiti so expensive (and hard to do)?
Me and my fiance are trying to decide where to honeymoon. Since we live in Hawaii (and don’t want to honeymoon on neighbor islands) we figured Tahiti would be a nice place to honeymoon. It’s fairly close and in the same region, so we thought it would be a cheaper alternative to say, the Carribean or something but looking at Hawaiian Airlines (which is the only airline that I could find that flies directly to Tahiti from Hawaii- without stopping over on the mainland or something) the costs are $1,000+ and there are very few flights. Does anyone know why it’s so expensive and hard to do? Thanks!
Ps. If you have any suggestions on where we should go, then please share them. Thank you!
I think the airlines that serve Papeete get the bulk of their passengers who are originating from the mainland and that explains the few choices and the exorbitant fares that you are given. Seven years ago, before the 9-11, my fare to Tahiti was
about $1000 per person flying from LA. Now it’s about the same price but the fuel surcharge and the security fee is making it close to impossible for me to go there again.
Speaking of fuel surcharge and other misc charges, I recently
booked a trip from London to Amsterdam on BMI. The fare itself was 9 pounds (about 16 dollars?) per person, but the taxes, the security fee and the fuel surcharge came out to be about 90 dollars, making the deal total about $120 per person!
But in my humble opinion, you really ought to go to Tahiti now for your honeymoon before it gets even more expensive in the years to come. You will not have more money to splurge later in Tahiti if you decide to postpone your dream getaway/honeymoon destination. Once you land in Tahiti, you can consider to sacrifice the quality of your lodging, like getting a garden bungalow instead of an overwater one, or save money by staying at one of the homestays and pensions in Tahiti. You can also go to Tahiti on the low season and the hotels there may offer you upon arrival a free upgrade if the room is available and also if you tell them that you are honeymooning on a tight budget.
You might also consider heading toward a major metropolitan city for a taste of a different kind of lifestyle.
How about Auckland? New Zealand? Mexico CIty? The Machu Pichu in Peru? The exchange rates are better and you should get more for your American dollars. Besides, you will be experiencing a whole different type of culture for both of you.
“Paradise at last” Liammichelle’s photos around Papeete, French Polynesia (luxembourg gendarmie)