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 (Tahiti, Mo’orea, or Bora Bora)

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.

1. 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.

2) Hotels booked through IHG start as low as 68,000 points per room per night (Tahiti varies greatly).

3) 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?

• 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:

• Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card
• Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card
• Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card
• Ink Business Cash® Credit Card
• Ink Business Unlimited® Credit Card

If you’re ready to apply for a card, head to my best offers page.

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 for 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

Using Alaska Airlines Miles

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
• 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.

Using the Flying Blue program to fly Air France

All of our favorite flexible points currencies can be transferred 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 is from the Air France app, where I do most of my searching for Flying Blue.

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®

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

1. Book One-Way Awards If Needed – If you don’t have enough points for a round-trip award, you can use cash to book a one-way flight for about half the cost, unlike flights to Europe.
2. 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.
3. 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.
4. 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)

1. Hilton Honors American Express Card – No annual fee
2. Hilton Honors American Express Surpass® Card – $150 annual fee
3. Hilton Honors American Express Aspire® Card – $550 annual fee
4. Hilton Honors American Express Business Card – $195 annual fee

Marriott Credit Cards

Issued by Chase:

1. Marriott Bonvoy Bold® Credit Card – No annual fee
2. Marriott Bonvoy Boundless® Credit Card – $95 annual fee
3. 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:

1. Marriott Bonvoy Bevy™ American Express® Card – $250 annual fee (mid-tier option)
2. Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant® American Express® Card – $650 annual fee
3. 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 in Mo’orea or Bora Bora?

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.

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!

Related Posts:

How to Book Economy Flights to Europe for as Low as 10k Points (With a 30% Bonus)

Ultimate Guide to Vacationing with your Family in Japan using Points and Miles

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