Airline review: Air Tahiti Nui Airlines economy class

Economy. Seat 17B

DURATION

We must have Oro, the God of Tahiti on our side, we take off 10 minutes early and land 25 minutes before we're due, well before the scheduled five hours and 50 minutes.

FREQUENCY

Three times a week – every Monday, Wednesday and Saturday.

THE SEAT

The A340-300 has a 2-4-2 cabin configuration in economy, making it ideal for Tahiti's significant honeymoon market. Seats have a pitch of 32 inches (81 centimetres) and recline to a comfortable 118 degrees.

BAGGAGE

Passengers are permitted one piece of checked baggage up to 23 kilograms and one piece of hand luggage up to 10 kilograms with one personal item weighing no more than three kilograms.

COMFORT

I'm always a fan of the 2-4-2 configuration in economy class; it seems to provide more space and less clutter. The special colour palette of Air Tahiti Nui cabins – with native flowers and vegetation and all the different shades of blue you'll see in Tahiti – seems to make the cabin more spacious too.

ENTERTAINMENT

Each seat comes with a high-resolution 23-centimetre screen and on-board entertainment system featuring a selection of recent-release movies, TV programs and music CDs. There's also an amenity kit with games for children. I'm glad the flight's less than six hours long – the movie selection hardly rivals Qantas' or Emirates'.

SERVICE

This is always where Air Tahiti Nui shines. Cabin crew are dressed immaculately and smell of coconut oil and Tahiti's national flower, Taire. If there's a friendlier cabin crew anywhere above Earth, I'm yet to find it. If you weren't upset already to be leaving Tahiti, you will be now.

FOOD

Breakfast is served less than an hour after take-off, while Air Tahiti Nui blends Polynesian and French culinary influences on other meals, breakfast is a fairly standard affair of eggs, sausages and tomatoes, but it's not bad. Its French connection is sorely lacking in the coffee department.

ONE MORE THING

If ever a flight was judged on smell, Air Tahiti Nui would win every time. Instead of the dank, vaguely musty smell of other airlines, you get all the flower scents of French Polynesia. Close your eyes and you might already be in the forests of Tahiti.

THE VERDICT

There are airlines with better food, and more movies and TV programs, but it's the cabin crew who make each flight with Air Tahiti Nui memorable. They could have their own TV show (hey, there's an idea for you, Mark Burnett).

Tested by Craig Tansley, who travelled with the assistance of Air Tahiti Nui and Tahiti Tourism.