View Full Version : AirNZ flights to PPT
ScienceDoc
29th Sep 2003, 03:52
Hi, aplogies if this is the wrong place for this:
Being booked on an NZ flight from LAX to PPT (Papete on Tahiti) with final destination Moorea I am really wondering, why Air NZ choosed such strange and uncoordinated arrival and departure times:
NZ 0053 arrives at PPT at 2h25m am. It departs PPT at 5am. So if your destination is not on the island of Tahiti but e.g. Morrea (like in mY case) you are pretty lost, because in any way you get a transfer and hotel problem.
So my questions are:
* Why are the departure and arrival times that strange?
* Is there any short term accomodation available on Tahiti for people waiting for their departure or transfer?
Thanks, ScienceDoc.
seacue
29th Sep 2003, 08:38
I think you will find that LAX->PPT is not considered a major service by ANZ. They are trying to serve LAX -> AKL at convenient times and just happen to stop at PPT.
Decades ago my BOAC flight from LAX to SYD stopped at HNL in the middle of the night and we saw the sun come up while on the ground a Fiji. VC-10s had to make a couple of stops.
The way-points don't seem to be a major scheduling consideration in transpacific flights.
ScienceDoc
29th Sep 2003, 15:42
They are trying to serve LAX -> AKL at convenient times and just happen to stop at PPT.
In my understanding this flight is determined to serve Tahiti and Rarotonga from LAX and AKL. As the NZ 001 flight from LAX to AKL is departing around the same time at LAX I don't think that anyone will take the 767 flight with stops at PPT and RAR to get to AKL.
FlyingRabbit
2nd Oct 2003, 21:06
I took this flight a couple of years ago and had that same problem. Ended up booking a room at a nearby Sofitel and got to Moorea later in the day. Did the same on my way back.
Wonderful place anyway, have fun there.
FR
ScienceDoc
3rd Oct 2003, 23:19
Will be ending up the same I assume. ;-)
But I am still thinking that this is a strange setup...
The timings are set up to intrgrate with the schedule in LAX and AKL (hubs). The theory is that you can fly from LHR to PPT with only a few hours in LAX. You can also fly PPT - SYD with only a few hours in AKL.
Its not really for people traveling LAX-AKL as there are 2 daily direct flights and a third direct about 3 times per week.
Its not only PPT that has these early times. Most of Air NZ's island flights arrive in or depart in the wee hours. i.e. TBU, APW, RAR and NAN..
ScienceDoc
7th Oct 2003, 05:19
The theory is that you can fly from LHR to PPT with only a few hours in LAX.
An do customers appreciate this or would they rather prefer taking a shower at LAX and arriving at PPT at 6 am rather than 3 am?
In my experience arriving at RAR in the middle of the night is not a problem, because people are transfered to their resorts. But if you arrive at PPT in the middle of the night and want to transfer to another french island things seem not to be this easy.