Flying SFO-PPT on My 42nd Birthday
My 16th Territory

February 5, 2019

TAHITI ISLAND, French Polynesia – It’s my 42nd birthday and lucky me, I flew in United Airlines Polaris Business Class from San Francisco (SFO) to Papeete (PPT) – the newest international route flown by United. Thrice-weekly service began Oct. 30, 2018, and United is the only U.S. airline to fly here from the mainland United States.

This is my 16th inhabited territory and Place #146 on my quest to visit all 234 countries, territories, and de-facto nations.

My birthday started at 8 a.m. at the Park Pointe SFO Hotel (read my review here). Mom and I flew yesterday from Orlando (MCO) out to San Francisco to spend the night before our connection to Tahiti. Our shuttle back to the airport departed at 10:43.

Check-in went quickly in the International Terminal. We then enjoyed the renovated United Club in Terminal G. This used to be the Global First Class Lounge before United ended international First Class service last fall. The old United Club in Terminal G was transformed into the Polaris Lounge, and the Global First Class Lounge then was turned into a United Club.

The newly renovated United Club is in a nice space. Standard food and beverage offerings are available, with the glaring exception of a bar. You can’t get a cocktail in this lounge because United failed to install a staffed bar during the rehab. Self-serve beer and wine are available – but I don’t drink either of those, preferring spirits. This is the only United Club I’ve been in that lacks a bar where cocktails are available.

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We anxiously monitored the Polaris Business Class upgrade list, but as departure drew closer it became certain we would be cleared. The perfect birthday present for me! At Gate G97, we received our boarding passes for Seats 3D&E on United Flight 115, a Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner.

This was Mom’s first flight on a Dreamliner, which United launched in November 2012 (I was on the inaugural flight from IAH to ORD).

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Our seats are in the last row of the front Polaris cabin – there’s another three rows after the second door). The 787-8 features the old Continental Airlines BusinessFirst Class seats in a 2-2-2 configuration. We got a pair in the middle. Would have preferred a window/aisle, but can’t complain too loudly!

Flight 115 pushed back from the gate two minutes early at 1:58 p.m. and we were in the air at 2:21. The time change to Tahiti is two hours backward, so we reset our watches to 12:21 p.m. FTP (GMT-10; the same timezone as Hawaii).

The lunch service began with a bowl of mixed nuts.

The appetizer was a delicious Thai-style lemon-grass shrimp and green papaya salad, served on the same tray as a small salad served with Balsamic Vinaigrette dressing and bread.

For the main course, I ate the spicy chicken dish: Thai-style coconut-ginger broth with udon noodles. I’ve had this dish on several Polaris flights recently – it appears to be a popular entree that has been holding its place on the Polaris menu worldwide. Other choices were seared beef short rib, miso-glazed salmon filet, and Cacio e Pepe ravioli.

For dessert, I took all three options: a “signature sundae,” chocolate/caramel brownie “sweet treat,” and a grapes-and-cheese plate with crackers. I set aside the latter for later in the flight.

I watched some Tahiti videos on my phone, then reclined my seat into flat-bed mode at 3:52 p.m. for a nap. Didn’t realize how tired I was. The next thing I knew, it was 7:00 as Mom woke me up for the dinner service.

Two choices were offered: Portobello mushroom and caramelized onion ravioli as well as a seasonal salad with grilled salmon. I found both choices odd since ravioli and salmon were on the lunch menu. Why offer the same items for dinner?

No flight attendant took my dinner order, and I was presented with a ravioli plate. But I don’t eat mushrooms, so I asked for the salmon salad. I was surprised when a tray was placed in front of me with two small salads – the same ones served for lunch – and no salmon. I asked a flight attendant what happened to the salmon and she replied not enough were loaded. Fortunately I wasn’t all that hungry, so it wasn’t a big deal.

Before we knew it, the 8½-hour flight came to an end.

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We touched down at 8:20 at PPT and arrived six minutes later (14 minutes early). PPT has no jetways, so we walked down airstairs and into the arrivals hall.

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A group of three musicians played to welcome us to French Polynesia.

There’s some beautiful artwork displayed as we you wait in line to clear immigration.

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The baggage-claim hall also has some cool statues.

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I withdrew 30,000 Pacific francs ($284.61). The Pacific franc is the currency used here plus in the French island territories of New Caledonia as well as Wallis & Futuna. The machine spit out three PF10,000 notes. I rolled my eyes. Three bills worth $95? That’s what’s dispensed from the ATM? Ridiculous to not receive smaller denominations.

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Next I picked up our rental SUV from Avis. It was a short walk out of the terminal to the parking lot, and we headed out at 9:27. The drive to our rental villa on Tahiti Iti (Small Tahiti) took exactly one hour. I found my name on the front door of Villa Hinano, part of Mitirapa Villas, a four-home property in Afaahiti.

Mom and I will spend four days here on Tahiti, then Feb. 10 we board Oceania Marina for a 12-night cruise to seven other islands in French Polynesia.

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