American AAdvantage has a tough time booking award travel in business class at the saver level, especially for international travel. Transatlantic business class, when it’s available, usually means British Airways and big fuel surcharges.
However right now there’s really good business class saver award inventory on one of their lesser-known partners. And even better it’s for a West Coast departure to Europe, which is even harder to get.
Air Tahiti Nui has good award space for two passengers in business class flying Los Angeles – Paris Charles de Gaulle in March, April, July, August, and December at a cost of 57,500 American AAdvantage miles apiece as noted by Straight to the Points.
For instance on the American AAdvantage award calendar for non-stop business flights on this route.
As a quirk the AA.com website may not show these flights even when they’re available (and even when they’re flagged on the calendar above). However I’ve verified that telephone agents can see and book the space when you call.
Bear in mind that Air Tahiti Nui’s business class is rather antiquated – very similar to United’s fully flat ‘old’ business class that’s being replaced by Polaris (legacy Continental ‘Diamond’ seats).
Air Tahiti Nui uses the Star Alliance business class lounge in Los Angeles. And this route is the continuation of its Papeete (Tahiti) – Los Angeles service, connecting French Polynesia to France. A unique way to travel between the U.S. and Europe for sure and a good use of AAdvantage miles.
I flew this route business class a couple times years ago when the aircraft was an A340 (I think). The seats were nearly lay flat and you didn’t want to have the window seat. Certainly, things have improved. Thanks for the reminder about the route.
@ Gary — I am shocked you weren’t aware of this already. This has been around for weeks.
Parisians are rude and inhospitable. I would not advise travel to Paris.
The Embassy of Japan in Paris maintains a hotline for culture- and shell-shocked Japanese tourists who face the reality of Paris being a s-hole country. Not because of the architecture — that is charming, I will give you as much. It’s Parisians whose cultural standards of behavior were adapted from the depths of the underworld. Horrible, horrible people.
Oh no! Antiquated seats!
The horror!
Here’s what The Atlantic‘s Chelsea Fagan wrote about Paris in 2011.
@Peonyis: please share your thoughts on the American public if you think Paris is a s-hole country. Pretty rough to be tossing stones from that ditch that has been dug.
Pauline Harris and Simon Kuper for Financial Times in 2009:
Commenter “Ray” said:
My reply: The American public are very diverse. Can you be more specific? Paris is one city. America is fifty states and countless cities.
Mea culpa: I typed “s-hole country” in a prior comment that should have read “s-hole city.” I do not paint the rest of France with the same brush, although that is not to say the people of Nice are particularly nice, either. I am focused on Paris in the present discussion because the topic of this blog post is redeeming AA miles to Paris.
I have travelled to Paris several times over the past 7 years, don’t speak French, and have never been treated rudely. Paris has now become one of my favorite cities, despite everyone warning me about the rudeness of Parisians. However, I also don’t eat or act like the typical American – we take our time, we eat late, we praise their broken English, usual order the most unusual French thing on the menu, and chitchat instead of just being about whatever business is at hand. I have been treated far ruder in NYC just today than any French person would dare, and there are plenty of nice New Yorkers as well. Go in with a chip on your shoulder and you’re going to get what you expected.
Big Booty . . . I mean Peonyis . . . is wrong. Parisians are gone in August. Go then.
I agree with C_M, New Yorkers are the rudest in the world
I understand the NYer need to be aggressive when in New York, but they need to turn it off when not on home turf, but it’s baked into their software, so I guess some can’t.
It has been my observation that when observing badly behaving Americans while abroad, they are usually from NY. Not always, Texans can be bad too, but as my brother once ironically observed on a bus in Germany with a tour group from NY in his best fake NY accent “That’s the problem with foreign countries – they’re full of foreigners!”
@C_M: as a European resident I can confirm “ugly Americans” aren’t from a specific region. And they are becoming more obnoxious. I guess it is in their DNA and can’t turn it off either
I traveled round trip on air Tahiti Nui in mid Dec 2021. The plane was 787-9, nice and clean, efficient flight attendants even friendly and lie flat seats. Food was delicious. They even served fois gras appetizer on flight from Paris. My expectations were greatly exceeded.
When most people visit Paris they are tourists with no chance of interacting with locals. Paris is mostly full of visitors from other countries.
Even ending up in a one star restaurant without reservation, we were treated with polite and respectful treatment.
French rudeness would only be issue if one was a resident and experienced it.
@Peoynis
Don’t get your problem. I lived in France for 3 and a half years. I loved it. Can’t remember any problems. Recently returned from Paris and Nice. Had no problems. Rumors about Paris are just that. Try learning some French, it just might help, but if you are that upset with Paris, Nice or France, don’t go there, try another country. The rudest people I’ve met are fellow Americans. Too bad entitled crybaby!
Called American Airlines regarding September 17 LAX-CDG. On the Calendar it says there are 57.5K business class seats, but when you call, they say there are none….