I spent a couple of hours in the Air Tahiti Nui Lounge at Fa’a’ā International Airport in Tahiti (PPT) before my Air Tahiti Nui flight to LA and found the lounge both comfortable and functional, though I wish I had gone out for dinner before arriving.
Air Tahiti Nui Lounge Review – Tahiti (PPT)
PPT has but one lounge.
Hours + Access + Location
This is a premium cabin lounge for Air Tahiti Nui and other premium cabin passengers (like Delta Air Lines and United Airlines business class passengers). Air Tahiti Nui passengers in economy or premium economy can also purchase access for 6000 XPF (about 54 USD). This lounge does not accept Priority Pass (it once did).
It is located past security and passport control, upstairs on the second floor. There are no set hours for the lounge, since PPT is not a very busy airport, but it opens 3.5 hours before the first flight and closes after the last flight departs.
Seating
As you enter the lounge, turn right and there is ample seating available: a mix of couches and chairs, with a long divider between the dining and seating area that doubles as desk space.
The lounge was beginning to fill up when we arrived and got quite crowded at one point, but there were enough chairs for every guest. It makes sense why Priority Pass members are no longer given access: there would not have been enough room.
Restrooms + Shower
Restrooms are available inside the lounge, as well as a single shower suite. However, the shower was “out of order” so I did not get a look inside.
Food + Drink
For a flagship lounge in a hub airport, I thought the food and beverage choices were too limited. Then again, it could have been far worse and I should not have come hungry.
Selections included:
- peanuts
- crackers
- instant ramen noodles
- yogurt
- cookies
- open-face sandwiches
- charcuterie
- “croque monsieur”
- “croque madame pizza”
- whole fruit
The two warm items were lukewarm and nothing was healthy except perhaps the apple…but it held me over.
You might want to eat in L’Aviation before proceeding to this lounge if you are hungry.
Beverages were self-serve and included:
- water
- soft drinks
- juice
- milk
- coffee
- tea
- alcohol
- beer
- wine
- spirits
I did not see any Champagne or even sparkling wine.
Smoking Lounge
As you enter the lounge, if you turn left from the front desk instead of right there is a fairly large semi-enclosed smoking area. This is the only place beyond security where you can smoke (there are no public smoking areas beyond the curb).
Business Center
A desktop computer with printer facilities is available.
CONCLUSION
I appreciated the Air Tahiti Sui lounge in PPT as a far better alternative to sitting in the gate area…it made waiting for our late-evening flight much more pleasant. Even so, when I return to Tahiti I will get a hotel room instead and then show up for my flight much closer to boarding time. I do not recommend that you arrive at this lounge hungry, though the food and beverage selection was by no means bad.
One amusing side story. Our flight was delayed and by the time boarded was called, I had fallen asleep sitting up in a chair. Heidi nudged me and like a jackrabbit I rushed out of the lounge and onto the plane so I could get pictures of the cabin. Somehow I still managed to be first onboard…the next segment will be the flight review home. Oh, the life of a travel blogger. Stay tuned.
@Matthew, no wonder you put all those items in quotation marks. The hot items certainly don’t look like what they’re supposed to be…
For a flagship lounge, it kind of reminds me of the Hawaiian Plumeria lounge at HNL, but slightly better. I guess they figure that they don’t need to try hard since they’re the only option?
Were you not flying in Business Class on TN? In 2019 there was a “secret” menu for TN biz class passengers where they had like steak and fish made to order on the menu. Think I was told when we entered the lounge and gave our boarding pass…..
Not any longer.
No shirtless pic in this post?? disappointing lol 🙂