I hope this post is OK for this board. We are flying ATN from JFK direct to Papeete, Tahiti and return direct after our PG Cruise direct to JFK. We were advised by our TA to call the airline to select our seats (Business) and give frequent flyer numbers. I have visited the ATN web site and called a number listed for the East Coast USA in NYC but I cannot get to anyone who does the seat selections. I read here on the net (Seat Guru & SeatExpert etc. that ATN only gives seat assingments at the gate and that you cannot pre seclect seats prior to check in at the airport. Is this true? We flew ATN in 1999 and I think we had our seat assignments prior to our day of departure. Can anyone help? TA has not yet responded to my inquiery this evening and I am hoping that someone in this great group can point me in the right direction or at least clarify what the policy is with ATN.
MJ
MJCareyFGF@aol.com

Tika,

Last year I booked with Brown and Keene and know that I had a preassigned seat before I received my cruise documents.

I ended up changing my flight to an earlier one the same day, received a new seat assignment, and then called the airline myself to change that seat assignment. This was still some time before my cruise. There were a number of us on this cruise, so I know you will get some ideas of how to proceed. I think in paid business you will not have any problems.

I called this number:

Reservations & Tickets:
Tel: Toll Free (877) 824-4846
Mon - Fri: 6:00am - 5:30pm PST
Sat & Sun: 8:30am - 5:00PM PST
Ticket Office closed Weekends.

And you may have to call more than once. I think it took me three times trying the same number to find someone willing to help.

You can reserve your seats prior to checking in. Air Tahiti Nui has limited hours, and their reservation agents aren't the friendliest, but just keep calling and you can get what you want. Check out the seats on seatguru.com to be sure you know what you want.

Suzanne & Laura thanks!!!!!!!!!!!!I went to seatguru.com earlier today and again after reading this post and Air Tahiti Nui is not listed. Am I looking in the wrong place?????????? I will try the toll free number in the AM. I have everything confirmed here on paper and will let you know how I do tomorrow.
Your replys are much appreciated!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Tika. Quite a few airlines are not on the web sites like Seat Guru and others so that is not surprising. However, I do believe that they have a seating map on their own website so you can seat the seating arrangements. It is two on each side and then four (I think) in the middle. You need to do your seat assignments by the old fashioned way, phone Air Tahiti directly. Then you should have no problem getting your seat assignments. At times Regent will just have a "block" of seats with no names on the manifest. If they tell you that you are not on the plane this is the reason why, just wait a few weeks and call back.

Tika, sorry, you are right and Air Tahiti Nui is not on seatguru.com. Air France is, though, and their seating chart for the Airbus 340 is similar to Air Tahiti Nui's. Two on each side, and then four in the middle, except for the back four rows, where there are just three in the middle. The airline's hours are from 6 am central to 5:30. Good luck!

Tika:

Here's the seat map for the ATN aircraft...



Fixed?

No, still too small....oh well...

We have booked on ATN twice, both times using award miles through American Airlines. We were able to reserve specific seats very early by calling ATN's 800 reservations number. So keep trying, it is possible. The funny thing is that for all 4 flights we've booked, they have always assigned us the same exact seats - 16AB! Those are decent seats so we are happy with that. Good luck!

Dena

Thanks everyone. I am still trying to get through to ATN!!!!!!!!!!!! Does anyone have the New York toll free number? I have been calling the number listed on the web site for the East Coast Directry in NYC 212-922-1860 and only get recordings and then directed to the web site.
Help :>)!

I realize that Robert's seat map is a bit too tiny to read. From the enlarged map of the A340-330 we got in 2004 the seating is as follows: There is just 1 row in first class with seats AB DE KL. There are 4 rows in business class with the same letters, also in a 2 2 2 configuration. Rows 10 - 27 are the 2 4 2 configuration with AB DEFG KL. Row 28 has only AB KL. Row 30 has only DEFG. Rows 31 - 42 are AB DEFG KL. Rows 43 - 45 are 2 3 2 and row 46 has 3 seats in the center.

We were able to get through to ATN's toll free number prior to our trip to change our seats from KL on the starboard side to AB on the port side (With arthritis in my right knee I like to be able to extend it towards the aisle.) On our second trip we were assigned AB in the first place.

Their number is 877-824-4846.

Hallelujah!!!!!!!!! I was able to finally get through by calling the ATN-Tahiti Tourism Office in NYC and just leaving a voice mail. My called was returned within 15 minutes by a Rep who directed me to an extension where she said I would speak to a live human being. Sure enough I got through and spoke to a young lady and gave her our information she connected me to "Fabrizio", who had all our information on record and our seat assignment and ticket numbers etc. Amen!
Thanks again all for your help! Ngaire we cruised with you on the Navigator .......rough seas Path of the Vikings .....your stateroom right next door to us!
MJ & Tom N.J.

We are booked to leave for Tahiti 10-31 for a 3 day precruise on Tikenau. Called TahitiNui to try to change our seat assignments on the return trip. Agent told me that Tahitinui holds 20% of the seats until shortly before flight time and that I should try to change my seats then.
Is this consistent with what others have heard?

When we went to FP on ATN thru RSSC we were not able to get seat assignment until we checked in at LAX. I tried several times to do it by phone and was told that the seat assignment was done at check-in.

The two times we went (Feb. 2003 and Feb. 2006), using RSSC air, we had our seat assignments on ATN months before we flew. The only issue was trying to secure an upgrade to BC at LAX for the flight to PPT; we were unsuccessful.

-----------

Eugene

In 7/06 we had seat assignments ahead. We were unable to change the return seats however until we were in PPT...and then they were rude and eventually the lovely Lani at the excursion desk on PG was able to do it for us.
Carol

SeatGuru doesn't have Air Tahiti seat map,
but Seat Expert does

http://www.seatexpert.com/_AirTahiti_Airbus_340_300_3_class.html

Thanks for all the information.
I called ATN today and was able to get a suitable seat assignment on the way out at least.

Does anyone have up to date info on the Duty Free situation for Air Tahiti Nui from LAX? How about liquids in carry ons on the inter island flights? 34 more days so we are staring to plan.

you are going to love tikihau, we were there
right after the resort opened in 2002 (i think)
you will never see water quite like this anywhere else....

Air Tahiti Nui