Ultimate Guide to booking Tahiti, Mo’orea, & Bora Bora on Points and Miles
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Editorial Disclosure: Opinions, reviews, analyses & recommendations are the author's alone, and have not been reviewed, endorsed, or approved by any of these entities.
Dreaming of an overwater bungalow in Bora Bora but don’t want to spend thousands of dollars to get there? Good news—you don’t have to! With the right points and miles strategy, you can book your dream vacation to Tahiti, Mo’orea, or Bora Bora and stay in some of the world’s most luxurious resorts for nearly free. In this guide, I’ll break down exactly which credit cards to open, the best points to earn, and the smartest ways to redeem them so you can turn this bucket-list trip into reality—without the sky-high price tag!
An Overview: How many points does it take to travel to French Polynesia?
FLIGHTS start at 25,000 miles one-way per person
A one-way economy flight from the West Coast to Tahiti (PPT) typically costs between 25,000 and 35,000 miles per person, plus taxes.
For a round-trip economy ticket, expect to redeem around 50,000 to 70,000 miles per person. Availability at these rates is generally good. While some programs may offer slightly lower redemptions, this guide focuses on keeping things simple.
Tip: If you're traveling with kids 11 and under, Flying Blue offers a 25% discount on award tickets. My kids flew for just 18,750 miles one way.
For our trip to Tahiti and Mo’orea, we redeemed about 60,000 miles and paid $186 in taxes per person. For my two kids under 11, we used 53,750 miles each plus $186 in taxes. While this may seem like a high mileage cost, especially for larger families who are just starting out, there are plenty of great bonus offers available to help you earn points quickly.
HOTELS booked through Hilton start as low as 80,000 points per room per night (standard rate, Tahiti)
Hilton has award redemption options in Tahiti, Mo’orea, and Bora Bora, making it one of the easiest hotel programs to earn and book with. This makes Hilton a top choice for accommodations in French Polynesia.
Nightly award rates start at 95,000 points in Mo’orea and 120,000 points in Bora Bora.
Hilton also offers a 5th night free on award stays for members with at least Silver status, which you can get automatically with a Hilton credit card.
HOTELS booked through IHG start as low as 68,000 points per room per night (Tahiti, varies greatly)
HOTELS booked through Marriott start as low as 60,000 points per room per night (Bora Bora, varies greatly)
Tip: The best way to book Bora Bora with points is by taking advantage of elevated Hilton welcome offers, especially when they include a free night certificate as a bonus.
A strong alternative is earning Marriott points. With Marriott’s 5th night free on award stays, you could get 5 nights for as little as 245,000 points. If you find availability at the new Westin Bora Bora for 65,000 points or less per night, the best strategy would be opening a Marriott card when it offers 5 free 50K night certificates as a welcome bonus and topping with additional points (up to 15k).
How Much Cash Should I Budget When Using Points?
Budgeting for Additional Costs in French Polynesia
Taxes & Fees – Award flights and hotel stays still come with additional costs:
Taxes on award flights – Varies by airline, but expect around $100–$200 per person for round-trip flights.
Hotel taxes & resort fees – Some properties charge nightly resort fees or taxes, which can add up, even when booking with points.
Food Costs – Dining in French Polynesia is very expensive, but having hotel status can help. Even Hilton Gold status includes free breakfast, which can save a lot. If you eat a late breakfast, you may only need one additional meal per day to cut costs. Expect to pay around $50–$75 per person for dinner. Kids eat free at Hilton Mo’orea.
Upgrades – If you’re hoping to upgrade to an overwater villa, budget around $300 per night in Mo’orea and $500 per night in Bora Bora.
Transfers – Plan for additional costs on transportation:
Taxis in Tahiti – Varies based on location.
Ferry to Mo’orea – Around $15 per person.
Flights to Bora Bora – Expect to pay about $300 per person, plus an additional boat transfer fee to your resort.
Activities & Excursions – Many of the best experiences in French Polynesia come at a cost. Budget for:
Snorkeling & Lagoon Tours – Around $100–$150 per person.
Jet Ski & ATV Rentals – Approximately $200–$300 per person.
Shark & Ray Tours – Typically $100–$150 per person.
Resort Activities – Some may be complimentary, but spa treatments and premium experiences can be pricey.
Step 1: Choosing the Best Credit Cards for Flights to Tahiti
Earn flexible points including American Express Membership Rewards®, Chase Ultimate Rewards®, Capital One Venture Miles®, and Citi ThankYou® Points. These programs allow you to transfer points to airline and hotel partners or redeem them for travel, making them some of the best options for maximizing points. Here are the cards you should consider opening to start earning miles for your trip to Tahiti. Open business cards when you can since they do not count against your 5/24 status. Also, try to get offers when they are elevated!
Other great cards to earn flexible miles include:
Step 2: How to Book Flights to Tahiti with Points
Qantas Airlines offers a great redemption rate when booking flights to Tahiti (PPT) (economy pricing, one-way)
Use your miles to book flights on Qantas flying Air Tahiti for as low as 25,200 miles one-way in economy plus $58 in tax
Search award space on Qantas by creating a free loyalty account or seats.aero, an award search tool
Search LAX and SFO to PPT for the lowest rates, if you add a connector expect to pay around 12,000 miles more
Points that transfer to Qantas
American Express Membership Rewards®
Capital One Venture Miles®
Citi ThankYou® Points
Searching on Qantas.com
Adding a connector from Chicago for 12,000 more miles
Using Alaska Airlines Miles (or American Express Membership Rewards)
Alaska Airlines miles are among the most valuable for booking award flights.
Book Air Tahiti Nui flights with Alaska miles. One-way flights in economy start at just 30,000 miles, and premium economy starts at 40,000, business at 60,000 plus $19
Search and book directly on AlaskaAir.com.
Choose flexible dates and click the calendar view at the top to search a month at a time, select economy or business
If you need more Alaska miles, transfer from American Express to Hawaiian to Alaska
Tip: Alaska allows a free stopover on one-way award tickets (when available), so you can explore another city at no additional cost.
HOT TIP: Remember that since American and Alaska are in the same airline alliance, you can often book the same flight through each loyalty program. For large families, you can book some flights in Alaska and some in American depending on which points you have in each program. American may charge around 40,000 points for the same flight.
Search by calendar to find the best rate
Economy starts at 30k miles one-way, premium at 40k and you can even find business for as low as 60k!
Using the Flying Blue program to fly Air France
All of our favorite flexible points currencies transfer to Flying Blue, making it a great program for award travel. With the added 25% discount for children 11 and under, it can be one of the best options for families looking to maximize their miles.
Points that transfer to Flying Blue:
American Express Membership Rewards®
Chase Ultimate Rewards®
Capital One Venture Miles®
Citi ThankYou® Points
One-way economy award redemptions now start at 30,000 miles per person one way. With the child discount, kids 11 and under would be just 22,500 each. For detailed instructions on how to use the Flying BLue program to book award travel, check out this post, The Best Way for Families to fly to Europe on Points. The screenshot below if from the Air France app, where I do most of my searching for Flying Blue.
Book on Flying Blue for as low as 30,000 Miles
Using the Air Canada Aeroplan program to fly United
Booking on Aeroplan can be a great option for flights to Tahiti (PPT)
Book United flights with flexible miles. One-way flights in economy start at just 35,000 miles, and business at 55,000 plus tax
Search and book directly on Aeroplan.com
Create a free loyalty account to search or search through seats.aero
Points that transfer to Air Canada Aeroplan:
American Express Membership Rewards®
Chase Ultimate Rewards®
Capital One Venture Miles®
Search Aeroplan to book United flights to Tahiti and there are 5 seats in business class!
Other Useful Websites for Flight Searches
These websites are great for identifying potential routes and airlines over a variety of dates:
Seats.aero
PointsYeah
Roametravel
Helpful Tips
Tips for Booking Flights to Tahiti and Bora Bora
Book One-Way Awards If Needed – If you don’t have enough points for a round-trip award, you can use cash book a one-way flight for about half the cost, unlike flights to Europe.
Consider Budget Airlines – The low-cost airline French Bee offers one-way flights to Tahiti starting at $300, which can be a great option for saving on airfare.
Position from the East Coast – If you're flying from the East Coast, consider booking a cheap positioning flight on Southwest or another budget airline to the West Coast to access better award availability and pricing.
Plan for an Overnight in Tahiti – If your flight arrives in Tahiti in the afternoon, you’ll likely need to stay overnight, as most flights to Bora Bora don’t depart after 5 PM. Be sure to check airlines for current flight schedules when planning your itinerary.
Step 3: Best Cards for Hotels
The best hotel cards for Tahiti are cards that earn Hilton or Marriott points. Cards that earn IHG points can be a good option as well.
Here is a complete list of the cards that earn these points. Keep in mind that American Express Membership Rewards® transfers to both Marriott at a 1:1 ratio and to Hilton at a 1:2 ratio.
Hilton Credit Cards (Issued by American Express)
Hilton Honors American Express Card – No annual fee
Hilton Honors American Express Surpass® Card – $150 annual fee
Hilton Honors American Express Aspire® Card – $550 annual fee
Hilton Honors American Express Business Card – $195 annual fee
Marriott Credit Cards
Issued by Chase:
Marriott Bonvoy Bold® Credit Card – No annual fee
Marriott Bonvoy Boundless® Credit Card – $95 annual fee
Marriott Bonvoy Bountiful™ Credit Card – $250 annual fee (mid-tier option)
Disclosure: All information about Marriott Bonvoy Bold® Credit Card, Marriott Bonvoy Boundless® Credit Card, and Marriott Bonvoy Bountiful™ Credit Card has been collected independently by Melissa’s Travel Addiction. Marriott Bonvoy Bold® Credit Card, Marriott Bonvoy Boundless® Credit Card, and Marriott Bonvoy Bountiful™ Credit Card is no longer available through Melissa’s Travel Addiction.
Issued by American Express:
Marriott Bonvoy Bevy™ American Express® Card – $250 annual fee (mid-tier option)
Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant® American Express® Card – $650 annual fee
Marriott Bonvoy Business® American Express® Card – $125 annual fee
Step 4: Best Hotels in French Polynesia to Book with Points
Tahiti
Hilton Tahiti
Starting at 80,000 Hyatt points per night, sleeps 4 in a room
Gold status gives free breakfast
Intercontinental Resort IHG
Starting at 68,000 IHG points per night
Mo’orea
Hilton Mo’orea Resort and Spa
Starting at 95,000 Hilton points per night
Kids eat free and gold status gives you free breakfast
Bora Bora
Conrad Bora Bora Nui
Hilton Property
Starting at 120,000 Hilton points per night
Hilton offers 5th night free when booking on points
The Westin Bora Bora Resort & Spa
Marriott Property (NEW)
Starting at 65,000+ Marriott Bonvoy points per night (if available at this rate)
Eligible for 5th night free when booking with points
The St. Regis Bora Bora
Marriott Property
Starting at 100,000+ Marriott Bonvoy points per night
Eligible for 5th night free when booking with points
InterContinental Bora Bora Le Moana Resort
IHG Property
Starting at 100,000 IHG points per night
InterContinental Bora Bora Resort Thalasso Spa
IHG Property
Starting at 170,000 IHG points per night
Standard rooms are overwater bungalows
How can I book an overwater villa?
Most award bookings will place you in a standard room, but you can often request an upgrade to an overwater villa by emailing the hotel. At Hilton Mo’orea, I was able to confirm and pay for my upgrade immediately after booking. For Bora Bora, upgrades typically become available a few weeks before your stay, and the hotel will email you with options if there’s availability. However, it's always best to reach out to the hotel right after booking to inquire about upgrade possibilities, as policies can change.
What about booking for large families?
Most overwater villas have occupancy limits and typically don’t accommodate five or more guests. At Hilton Mo’orea, they allowed two adults and two children in an overwater villa, while a beach villa could accommodate up to five guests as an upgrade option. In Bora Bora, you’ll likely need to book two rooms to accommodate a larger family. For other hotels, it's best to contact the property directly to confirm their policies and available options for larger groups.
Current Strategy for Flights & Hotels in Bora Bora (3/2/2025)
Flights
Take advantage of the elevated offer on the Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card—some referral offers are currently up to 100,000 miles! Here’s a great strategy:
Open a Venture Card and earn the welcome bonus.
Refer your travel partner (if they’re a new Capital One customer) to the card and earn 20,000 referral miles when they get approved.
They will also earn the welcome bonus, bringing your total to 170,000 miles plus an additional 16,000 miles from meeting minimum spend.
Hotels
Take advantage of elevated Hilton card offers before they end on 4/29/25 to book Bora Bora using Hilton Honors points. Here’s the best approach:
Player 1 (you) opens the Hilton Honors Surpass® Card, earning 130,000 points plus a Free Night Certificate.
Refer Player 2 (your travel partner) to the same card, earning an additional 20,000 Hilton points plus their 130,000 welcome bonus and Free Night Certificate.
After meeting the minimum spend, you’ll have 280,000 Hilton points and 2 Free Night Certificates.
Pro Tip:
Hilton card spending requirements don’t need to be met for six months, so time it strategically. You can open both cards before the offer ends, but you have plenty of time to meet the spend.
Free Night Certificates expire one year after earning them, so plan accordingly.
Total Redemption Potential:
✅ 4 nights in Bora Bora at the standard Hilton redemption rate
✅ 2 round-trip flights using Venture Miles
✅ If you open a second Venture Card, you can use 100,000 miles or 75,000 miles plus the $250 one-time travel credit ($1,000 value) toward flights to Bora Bora or a hotel in Tahiti.
Final Thoughts
A dream trip to Bora Bora and French Polynesia is absolutely within reach using points and miles. By strategically leveraging credit card welcome bonuses, referrals, and flexible rewards programs, you can book free flights and luxury hotel stays with minimal out-of-pocket costs. Whether you're using Venture Miles for flights, Hilton points for overwater villas, or Marriott and IHG rewards for other top properties, planning ahead and maximizing promotions will help you stretch your points even further.
With the right strategy, you can experience paradise for a fraction of the cost—so start earning and planning today!
Advertiser Disclosure: Melissa's Travel Addiction has partnered with CardRatings for our coverage of credit card products. Melissa's Travel Addiction and CardRatings may receive a commission from card issuers.
Editorial Disclosure: Opinions, reviews, analyses & recommendations are the author's alone, and have not been reviewed, endorsed, or approved by any of these entities.
Responses are not provided or commissioned by the bank advertiser. Responses have not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by the bank advertiser. It is not the bank advertiser's responsibility to ensure all posts and/or questions are answered.
