Babs, if Kathy's on the Tuesday flight, then you probably will be too. But coming from NY, you will most likely fly out on Monday and be over-nighted in LA. But maybe not. From Toronto that's always what happens to us--but it may be easier for ATN to get you through from NY in one day, with all the flights available. If so, and if I were you, I would deviate and stay over in LA the night.

Here's the LAX/PPT schedule for that week:

LOS ANGELES (LAX) TO PAPEETE (PPT)
Flight # Days Depart Arrive
TN 1 Thu,Fri,Sat,Sun 1:00PM 6:20PM
TN201 Tue 3:05PM 8:25PM
TN 21 Wed 3:50PM 9:10PM
TN 21 Mon,Tue,Thu,Sat,Sun 4:20PM 9:40PM
TN101 Mon, Wed 11:45PM 5:05AM(+1)

The NY-PPT flight will be in service by then. Here's the schedule, but the timing doesn't look right to me, with the Monday departure:

Flights for the week starting Monday, October 10, 2005
NEW YORK (NYC) TO PAPEETE (PPT)
Flight # Days Depart Arrive
TN3 Mon, Thu, Sat 5:15PM 11:55PM