The Best Ways To Fly to the South Pacific With Points & Miles [Step-by-Step]

- UPDATED: December 6, 2021 |

Travel /
Airlines

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The South Pacific is the epitome of a bucket-list island escape. With some of the most secluded territories, unspoiled nature, and laid-back lifestyles in the world, the region is without a doubt one of the most spectacular places to visit.

It’s also one of the more difficult parts of the world to reach. In this article, however, we’ll show you how to fly to the South Pacific in style — using your points and miles, of course.

Let’s get started!

Table of contents

Nonstop Flights Between the U.S. and the South Pacific
Best Programs To Use To Book Flights to the South Pacific
Final Thoughts

Table of Contents

Nonstop Flights Between the U.S. and the South Pacific
Best Programs To Use To Book Flights to the South Pacific
Final Thoughts

Nonstop Flights Between the U.S. and the South Pacific

Let’s get the bad news out of the way first: it’s pretty difficult to book nonstop flights between the U.S. and the South Pacific.

It’s slightly easier if you’re originating in Hawaii, but if you’re traveling from the continental U.S., your only shot is from the West Coast.

Note that the South Pacific also includes Australia and New Zealand. For the best ways to fly to those 2 countries using points and miles, check out our dedicated articles.

In today’s article, we won’t be focusing on Australia and New Zealand, but rather on remote island territories including Fiji and French Polynesia.

Here are all of the foreign airlines offering nonstop flights between the mainland U.S. and the South Pacific:

Air France
- Los Angeles (LAX) – Tahiti (PPT)
Air New Zealand
- Los Angeles (LAX) – Rarotonga (RAR)
Air Tahiti Nui
- Los Angeles (LAX) – Tahiti (PPT)
- San Francisco (SFO) – Tahiti (PPT)
Fiji Airways
- Honolulu (HNL) – Nadi (NAN)
- Los Angeles (LAX) – Nadi (NAN)
- San Francisco (SFO) – Nadi (NAN)
French Bee
- San Francisco (SFO) – Tahiti (PPT)

There’s just 1 airline offering nonstop flights to the South Pacific:

United Airlines
- San Francisco (SFO) – Tahiti (PPT)

Bottom Line: In this guide, we’ll show you how to book the nonstop flights above, but we’ll also discuss how you can fly to other parts of the South Pacific if you’re open to 1-stop itineraries.

Best Programs To Use To Book Flights to the South Pacific

On a high level, if your goal is to make the most of your time in the South Pacific, you should consider booking nonstop flights using points.

Nonstop flights will be more difficult to find, mostly because there aren’t a whole lot of options bookable using airline partner currencies.

But if your travel plans aren’t flexible, you may have no choice but to book a connecting flight. But don’t worry — we’ll show you the most comfortable (and best value) options available!

ANA Mileage Club

Air New Zealand Business dining — You can try the Air New Zealand 787 Dreamliner business class product en route to the South Pacific. Image Credit: Air New Zealand

Our favorite option to fly to the South Pacific with points and miles is ANA Mileage Club, the loyalty program of All Nippon Airways of Japan.

This program enables you to book Star Alliance flights easily thanks to excellent round-trip prices. ANA miles are pretty easy to earn, too!

ANA Mileage Club doesn’t allow one-way award bookings, so you’ll need to find availability for a round-trip ticket that works for you before attempting to book with ANA miles.

And if you’re flying to the South Pacific, the 2 airlines to fly are Air New Zealand and United.

ANA typically passes on fuel surcharges for most of its partners, but you won’t run into this issue here because Air New Zealand doesn’t levy any to begin with, which is great news!

Mileage Club also allows a free stopover and an open jaw, which is very useful if you’d like to see New Zealand before continuing on to the South Pacific.

Here’s the award chart for round-trip flights between the U.S. and Oceania/Micronesia:

Cabin Class	ANA Mileage Cost (Round-Trip)	Air New Zealand Taxes and Fees
Economy	75,000	~$120
Business	120,000	~$120

If you originate in Hawaii, it’s a bit cheaper:

Cabin Class	ANA Mileage Cost (Round-Trip)	Air New Zealand Taxes and Fees
Economy	55,000	~$11 to $120
Business	85,000	~$11 to $120

Remember, New Zealand falls under the Oceania/Micronesia zone, which means you can add a free stopover in Auckland before flying to your final destination, which basically means a free flight. All you have to do is find award space!

Here are some incredible redemptions we love using ANA miles:

Houston (IAH) – Auckland (AKL) – Nadi (NAN) with a stopover in Auckland in Air New Zealand business class for 120,000 ANA miles + ~$120 in taxes and fees
Los Angeles (LAX) – Rarotonga (RAR) with a stopover in Auckland and an open jaw in Sydney in Air New Zealand business class for 120,000 ANA miles + ~$120 in taxes and fees
San Francisco (SFO) – Auckland (AKL) – Niue (IUE) with a stopover in Auckland in Air New Zealand business class for 120,000 ANA miles + ~$120 in taxes and fees

Because of the complex nature of these bookings, we recommend using United’s search engine. ANA’s search engine can probably get you what you need, but it’ll be inefficient process-wise.

Follow these steps to maximize your success:

Go to United’s website.
On the homepage, check off the box that says Book with miles.
Search for each segment individually.
Once you find an available Saver-level award flight, write down the flight details.
Repeat until you have constructed an itinerary.
Visit ANA’s U.S. website. Click Award Booking in the main search box on the homepage.
Log into your ANA Mileage Club account.
Fill in the search details with the flight information from steps 4 and 5 to reconfirm the itinerary online.
- If you’re not able to pull up the flight details online, you’ll want to call ANA Mileage Club at 800-235-9262 to complete your booking.
Complete the booking online by redeeming ANA miles and using a credit card to pay for taxes and fees.

Earning ANA Mileage Club Miles

ANA miles are pretty easy to earn through credit card spending, thanks to 2 handy transfer partnerships from American Express Membership Rewards and Marriott Bonvoy.

Amex transfers at a 1:1 ratio in 3 business days, while Marriott Bonvoy points transfer at a 3:1 ratio in around 7 business days.

And, for every 60,000 Marriott Bonvoy points you transfer to ANA Mileage Club in a single transaction, you’ll get a bonus of 5,000 ANA miles.

Recommended American Express Cards

CREDIT CARD	CARD INFO & BENEFITS
New 100k Welcome Offer The Platinum Card® from American Express Learn More (at Amex's secure site)	Earn ~~60,000~~ 100,000 Membership Rewards® Points after you spend $6,000 on purchases on the Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership. Plus, earn 10x points on eligible purchases on the Card at restaurants worldwide and when you Shop Small in the U.S., on up to $25,000 in combined purchases, during your first 6 months of Card Membership. Earn 5X Membership Rewards® Points for flights booked directly with airlines or with American Express Travel up to $500,000 on these purchases per calendar year and earn 5X Membership Rewards® Points on prepaid hotels booked with American Express Travel. $200 Hotel Credit: Get $200 back in statement credits each year on prepaid Fine Hotels + Resorts® or The Hotel Collection bookings with American Express Travel when you pay with your Platinum Card®. $240 Digital Entertainment Credit: Get up to $20 in statement credits each month when you pay for eligible purchases with the Platinum Card® at your choice of one or more of the following providers: Peacock, Audible, SiriusXM, and The New York Times. Enrollment required. $200 Airline Fee Credit: Get up to $200 in statement credits per calendar year in baggage fees and more at one qualifying airline. $200 Uber Cash: Enjoy Uber VIP status and up to $200 in Uber savings on rides or eats orders in the US annually. Uber Cash and Uber VIP status available to Basic Card Member only. $300 Equinox Credit: Get up to $25 back each month on select Equinox memberships when you pay with your Platinum Card®. Enrollment required. $179 CLEAR® Credit: Use your Card and get up to $179 back per year on your CLEAR® membership. Good to Excellent Credit Recommended (670-850) Annual Fee: $695 Terms Apply. For rates and fees of the Amex Platinum card, click here. $2,200
New Welcome Offer American Express® Gold Card Learn More (at Amex's secure site)	Rose Gold is here to stay. Card Members can choose between a Gold or Rose Gold Card. Earn 60,000 Membership Rewards® Points after you spend $4,000 on eligible purchases with your new Card within the first 6 months. Earn 4x Membership Rewards® Points at Restaurants, including takeout and delivery, and earn 4x Membership Rewards® points at U.S. supermarkets (on up to $25,000 per calendar year in purchases, then 1x). Earn 3x Membership Rewards® points on flights booked directly with airlines or on amextravel.com. $120 Uber Cash on Gold: Add your Gold Card to your Uber account and each month automatically get $10 in Uber Cash for Uber Eats orders or Uber rides in the U.S., totaling up to $120 per year. $120 Dining Credit: Earn up to a total of $10 in statement credits monthly when you pay with the Gold Card at Grubhub, Seamless, The Cheesecake Factory, Ruth’s Chris Steak House, Boxed, and participating Shake Shack locations. This can be an annual savings of up to $120. Enrollment required. No Foreign Transaction Fees. Good to Excellent Credit Recommended (670-840) Annual Fee: $250 Terms Apply. For rates and fees of the Amex Gold Card, click here. $1,320
The Business Platinum Card® from American Express Learn More (at Amex's secure site)	Welcome Offer: Earn 120,000 Membership Rewards® points after you spend $15,000 on eligible purchases with your Card within the first 3 months of Card Membership. Plus, 0% Intro APR for 12 months from the date of the account opening on purchases eligible for Pay Over Time. After that, your APR will be 14.24% to 22.24% based on your credit worthiness and other factors as determined at the time of account opening. Get 5X Membership Rewards® points on flights and prepaid hotels on amextravel.com, and 1X points for each dollar you spend on eligible purchases. Earn 1.5X points on eligible purchases at U.S. construction material & hardware suppliers, electronic goods retailers and software & cloud system providers, and shipping providers, as well as on purchases of $5,000 or more everywhere else, on up to $2 million of these purchases per calendar year. Unlock over $1,000 in value per year for statement credits on select purchases with your Card, including up to $400 with Dell Technologies, up to $360 with Indeed, up to $150 with Adobe and up to $120 on wireless telephone purchases. Enrollment required. $200 Airline Fee Credit: Get up to $200 in statement credits per calendar year toward baggage fees and more at one qualifying airline. $179 CLEAR® Credit: Use your Card and get up to $179 back per year on your CLEAR® membership. The American Express Global Lounge Collection® can provide an escape at the airport. With more than 1,400 airport lounges across 140 countries and counting, you have more lounge location options than any other credit card on the market as of 9/2021. Good to Excellent Credit Recommended (670-850) Annual Fee: $695 Terms Apply. For rates and fees of the Amex Business Platinum card, click here. $2,640
American Express® Business Gold Card Learn More (at Amex's secure site)	Welcome Offer: Earn 70,000 Membership Rewards® points after you spend $10,000 on eligible purchases with the Business Gold Card within the first 3 months of Card Membership.*  MORE REWARDS: Get 4x Membership Rewards® points on the 2 select categories where your business spent the most each month. 1x is earned for other purchases.  4x points apply to the first $150,000 in combined purchases from these 2 categories each calendar year.* AIRLINE BONUS: Get 25% points back after you use points for all or part of an eligible flight booked with Amex Travel, up to 250,000 points back per calendar year.*  PAY OVER TIME OPTION: Decide whether you want to pay eligible purchases in full each month—or pay over time with interest.* Good to Excellent Credit Recommended (670-840) Annual Fee: $295 Terms Apply. For rates and fees of the Amex Business Gold card, click here. $1,540*

Alaska Airlines Mileage Plan

Fiji Airways Airbus A350 Business Class Cabin from Front — Fiji Airways business class can be booked with Alaska Airlines miles. Image Credit: Greg Stone

Alaska Airlines’ frequent flyer program is called Alaska Airlines Mileage Plan, but the attractiveness of this program extends far beyond the limited network of Alaska Airlines.

In fact, the best ways to redeem Alaska Airlines miles are for aspirational flights internationally, such as Cathay Pacific first and business class, Japan Airlines first and business class, and more.

One of Alaska’s most unique airline partners is Fiji Airways. It’s a very useful partner for flights to the South Pacific because the airline offers nonstop connectivity between that region and the mainland U.S.

Also, if you happen to be in the mood for a stopover, you can add 1 for free, even on one-way flights (provided you find award space for each segment first).

Fiji Airways business class flights are a bit more difficult to find, especially if you’re looking for a flight with more than 2 award seats. On average, expect the year-long calendar to have 3 to 4 dates with 2 or more business class seats on any of its U.S. routes.

Here are some great example redemptions you can make:

Honolulu (HNL) – Nadi (NAN) – Apia (APW) one-way in Fiji Airways business class with a stopover in Nadi for 55,000 Alaska Airlines miles + ~$19 in taxes and fees
Honolulu (HNL) – Nadi (NAN) – Tarawa (TRW) one-way in Fiji Airways business class with a stopover in Nadi for 55,000 Alaska Airlines miles + ~$19 in taxes and fees
Los Angeles (LAX) – Nadi (NAN) – Nuku’alofa (TBU) one-way in Fiji Airways business class with a stopover in Nadi for 55,000 Alaska Airlines miles + ~$19 in taxes and fees
Los Angeles (LAX) – Nadi (NAN) – Vava’u (VAV) one-way in Fiji Airways business class with a stopover in Nadi for 55,000 Alaska Airlines miles + ~$19 in taxes and fees
San Francisco (SFO) – Nadi (NAN) one-way in Fiji Airways business class for 55,000 Alaska Airlines miles + ~$19 in taxes and fees
San Francisco (SFO) – Nadi (NAN) – Kiritimati (CXI) one-way in Fiji Airways business class with a stopover in Nadi for 55,000 Alaska Airlines miles + ~$19 in taxes and fees
San Francisco (SFO) – Nadi (NAN) – Port Vila (VLI) one-way in Fiji Airways business class with a stopover in Nadi for 55,000 Alaska Airlines miles + ~$19 in taxes and fees

As you can see, with a short layover or stopover in Fiji, you can visit some off-the-beaten-path destinations like Samoa, Solomon Islands, Vanuatu, Kiribati, and Tonga.

Best of all, it’s easy to add your free stopover! Follow these steps:

Visit Alaska Airlines’ website.
On the homepage, check off the box that says Use miles in the search box.
Enter the departure and arrival airports, travel date(s), number of passengers, and click Find Flights.
- Toggle One-way if you’re booking a one-way flight.
Find viable options for the flights you want to book.
Complete the booking, redeem your Alaska Airlines miles, and use a credit card for taxes and fees.
- If you’re booking a stopover, find award space for each segment and then call Alaska Airlines Mileage Plan at 800-654-5669 to book the flight over the phone.

Earning Alaska Airlines Miles

Alaska Airlines miles are more difficult to earn than ANA miles, which is somewhat of a testament to how valuable they can be.

Specifically, Marriott Bonvoy is its only transfer partner. Bonvoy points transfer at a 3:1 ratio, though you’ll get a bonus of 5,000 Alaska miles when you transfer 60,000 Marriott Bonvoy points at once to Alaska Airlines Mileage Plan. Marriott Bonvoy takes around 4 business days to transfer to Alaska Airlines.

Also, Bank of America offers co-branded Alaska Airlines credit cards, giving you an opportunity to earn miles directly through credit card purchases.

Finally, you can buy Alaska Airlines miles during mileage sales with bonuses of up to 60%. You can generally buy up to 60,000 miles per transaction and 150,000 miles per calendar year.

Recommended Marriott Bonvoy Cards

CREDIT CARD	CARD INFO
Marriott Bonvoy Bold® Credit Card Learn More (at Chase's secure site)	Earn 30,000 Bonus Points after you spend $1,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening. Earn up to 14x total Bonvoy points per $1 spent at over 7,000 hotels participating in Marriott Bonvoy® with the Marriott Bonvoy Bold® Card. 2x Bonvoy points for every $1 spent on other travel purchases (from airfare to taxis and trains). 1x point for every $1 spent on all other purchases. Receive 15 Elite Night Credits annually, qualifying you for Silver Elite Status. Restrictions apply. No Foreign Transaction Fees. Earn unlimited Marriott Bonvoy points and get Free Night Stays faster. Good to Excellent Credit Recommended (670-850) Annual Fee: $0 $210
Marriott Bonvoy Boundless® Credit Card Learn More (at Chase's secure site)	Earn 3 Free Nights (each night valued up to 50,000 points) after qualifying purchases + 10X total points on eligible purchases in select categories. 1 Free Night Award (valued up to 35,000 points) every year after account anniversary. Earn up to 17x total Bonvoy points per $1 spent at over 7,000 hotels participating in Marriott Bonvoy® with the Marriott Bonvoy Boundless® Card. 2x Bonvoy points for every $1 spent on all other purchases. Automatic Silver Elite Status each account anniversary year. Path to Gold Status when you spend $35,000 on purchases each account year. 15 Elite Night Credits each calendar year. No Foreign Transaction Fees. Earn unlimited Marriott Bonvoy points and get Free Night Stays faster. Good to Excellent Credit Recommended (670-850) Annual Fee: $95 $1,050
Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant™ American Express® Card Learn More (at Amex's secure site)	Earn 75,000 Marriott Bonvoy bonus points after you use your new Card to make $3,000 in purchases within the first 3 months. Plus, earn up to $200 in Statement Credits for eligible purchases at U.S. Restaurants within the first 6 months of Card Membership. Enjoy up to $300 in statement credits each year of Card Membership for eligible purchases at hotels participating in the Marriott Bonvoy™ program. Earn 6 Marriott Bonvoy points for each dollar of eligible purchases at hotels participating in the Marriott Bonvoy™ program. 3 points at U.S. restaurants and on flights booked directly with airlines. 2 points on all other eligible purchases. Receive 1 free Night Award every year after your Card account anniversary. Award can be used for one night (redemption level at or under 50,000 Marriott Bonvoy Points) at a participating hotel. Certain hotels have resort fees. Enjoy unlimited airport lounge visits when you enroll in Priority Pass™ Select membership. No Foreign Transaction Fees. Good to Excellent Credit Recommended (670-840) Annual Fee: $450 Terms Apply. For rates and fees of the Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant card, click here. $525
Marriott Bonvoy Business™ American Express® Card Learn More (at Amex's secure site)	Welcome Offer: Earn 75,000 bonus Marriott Bonvoy points after you use your new Card to make $3,000 in eligible purchases within the first 3 months of Card Membership. Plus, earn up to $150 back in statement credits on eligible purchases made on your new Card within the first 3 months of Card Membership. 6x points at hotels participating in the Marriott Bonvoy™ program. 4x points at U.S. restaurants, at U.S. gas stations, on wireless telephone services purchased directly from U.S. service providers and on U.S. purchases for shipping. 2x points on all other eligible purchases. Receive 1 Free Night Award every year after your Card account anniversary. Plus, earn an additional Free Night Award after you spend $60K in purchases on your Card in a calendar year. Awards can be used for one night (redemption level at or under 35,000 Marriott Bonvoy points) at hotels participating in the Marriott Bonvoy™ program. Certain hotels have resort fees. Enjoy complimentary Marriott Bonvoy Silver Elite status with your Card. Plus, earn Gold Elite status after making $35,000 in eligible purchases on your Card in a calendar year. Good to Excellent Credit Recommended (670-840) Annual fee: $125 Terms Apply. For rates and fees of the Marriott Bonvoy Business Card, click here. $525

Cathay Pacific Asia Miles

Qantas Airbus A330 Business Class Window Seat — Qantas business class is a comfortable way to fly to the South Pacific. Image Credit: Greg Stone

Another great loyalty program we’ll be discussing is Cathay Pacific Asia Miles.

The Asia Miles program is useful because it allows travelers to access award availability on Oneworld flights with an abundance of transfer partners.

This is in contrast with other options like Japan Airlines Mileage Bank or American Airlines AAdvantage, both of which don’t have transfer partnerships like Asia Miles does.

In any case, booking flights using Asia Miles is straightforward — the 2 carriers we’ll focus on here are Fiji Airways and Australian-based Qantas.

Here are some great example redemptions you can book:

Dallas (DFW) – Sydney (SYD) – Norfolk Island (NLK) one-way in Qantas business class for 90,000 Asia Miles + ~$26 in taxes and fees
Los Angeles (LAX) – Nadi (NAN) – Kadavu Island (KDV) one-way in Qantas business class for 75,000 Asia Miles + ~$88 in taxes and fees
San Francisco (SFO) – Nadi (NAN) – Savusavu (SVU) one-way in Qantas business class for 75,000 Asia Miles + ~$88 in taxes and fees

In general, you can’t combine Qantas and Fiji Airways into a simple flight itinerary, so just keep that in mind.

Here are the next steps:

Go to Asia Miles’ flight award website.
You’ll see a search box. Fill in the search details, select the airline, and click Search.
You’ll be prompted to log in to your Asia Miles account.
Find the award availability you want to book, and complete the booking by using your Asia Miles and a credit card for taxes and fees.
- If you’re booking a connecting flight, the online search engine isn’t 100% reliable. To get around this, you can call Asia Miles at 866-892-2598 to complete your reservation.

Earning Cathay Pacific Asia Miles

Cathay Pacific has 1:1 transfer partnerships with American Express Membership Rewards, Brex Rewards, Citi ThankYou Rewards, and Capital One Miles.

Additionally, it has a 3:1 transfer partnership with Marriott Bonvoy. When you transfer 60,000 Marriott Bonvoy points to Asia Miles all at once, you’ll also get a bonus of 5,000 extra Asia Miles.

Transfers to Asia Miles from Amex take up to 1 business day, while Brex and Citi take around 1 business day. Capital One takes up to 2 business days, and Marriott may take up to 5 business days.

Cathay Pacific also works with Synchrony Bank in the U.S. to offer a co-branded credit card that earns miles directly.

Recommended Citi Cards

CREDIT CARD	CARD INFO
Citi Premier® Card Learn More (at our partner's secure site)	Earn 60,000 bonus ThankYou® Points after you spend $4,000 in purchases within the first 3 months of account opening. Earn 3 Points per $1 spent at Restaurants, Supermarkets, Gas Stations, Air Travel and Hotels. Earn 1 Point per $1 spent on all other purchases. Annual Hotel Savings Benefit 60,000 Points are redeemable for $600 in gift cards when redeemed at thankyou.com No expiration and no limit to the amount of points you can earn with this card No Foreign Transaction Fees on purchases Good to Excellent Credit Recommended (670-850) Annual Fee: $95 $960
Citi Rewards+® Card Learn More (at our partner's secure site)	Earn 20,000 bonus points after you spend $1,500 in purchases with your card within 3 months of account opening; redeemable for $200 in gift cards at thankyou.com 0% Intro APR on balance transfers for 15 months from date of first transfer and on purchases from date of account opening. After that, the variable APR will be 13.49% – 23.49%, based on your creditworthiness. There is an intro balance transfer fee of 3% of each transfer (minimum $5) completed within the first 4 months of account opening. After that, your fee will be 5% of each transfer (minimum $5). The Citi Rewards+® Card – the only credit card that automatically rounds up to the nearest 10 points on every purchase – with no cap. Earn 2X ThankYou® Points at Supermarkets and Gas Stations for the first $6,000 per year and then 1X Points thereafter. Plus, earn 1X ThankYou® Points on All Other Purchases. The standard variable APR for Citi Flex Plan is 13.49% – 23.49%, based on your creditworthiness. Citi Flex Plan offers are made available at Citi’s discretion. Good to Excellent Credit Recommended (670-840) Annual Fee: $0 $320

CREDIT CARD

CARD INFO

Citi Premier® Card

Learn More

(at our partner's secure site)

Earn 60,000 bonus ThankYou® Points after you spend $4,000 in purchases within the first 3 months of account opening.
Earn 3 Points per $1 spent at Restaurants, Supermarkets, Gas Stations, Air Travel and Hotels.
Earn 1 Point per $1 spent on all other purchases.
Annual Hotel Savings Benefit
60,000 Points are redeemable for $600 in gift cards when redeemed at thankyou.com
No expiration and no limit to the amount of points you can earn with this card
No Foreign Transaction Fees on purchases
Good to Excellent Credit Recommended (670-850)
Annual Fee: $95

$960

Citi Rewards+® Card

Learn More

(at our partner's secure site)

Earn 20,000 bonus points after you spend $1,500 in purchases with your card within 3 months of account opening; redeemable for $200 in gift cards at thankyou.com
0% Intro APR on balance transfers for 15 months from date of first transfer and on purchases from date of account opening. After that, the variable APR will be 13.49% – 23.49%, based on your creditworthiness. There is an intro balance transfer fee of 3% of each transfer (minimum $5) completed within the first 4 months of account opening. After that, your fee will be 5% of each transfer (minimum $5).
The Citi Rewards+® Card – the only credit card that automatically rounds up to the nearest 10 points on every purchase – with no cap.
Earn 2X ThankYou® Points at Supermarkets and Gas Stations for the first $6,000 per year and then 1X Points thereafter. Plus, earn 1X ThankYou® Points on All Other Purchases.
The standard variable APR for Citi Flex Plan is 13.49% – 23.49%, based on your creditworthiness. Citi Flex Plan offers are made available at Citi’s discretion.
Good to Excellent Credit Recommended (670-840)
Annual Fee: $0

$320

American Airlines AAdvantage

Air Tahiti Nui Business Class. Image Credit: Air Tahiti Nui

American Airlines AAdvantage is a useful partner that gets you access to Air Tahiti Nui (to Tahiti or Auckland via Tahiti) and Japan Airlines (to Guam via Tokyo).

Although Air Tahiti Nui isn’t a member of the Oneworld alliance, its individual partnership with American AAdvantage creates redemption opportunities that are worth spotlighting.

Air Tahiti Nui will get you to Pape’ete in Tahiti (PPT), which is famous as being the gateway to Bora Bora, a bucket-list destination for many.

Hot Tip: Check out our complete guide on flying to Bora Bora with points and miles!

This airline offers a comfortable, nonstop ride with lie-flat seats, friendly service, and good food in business class.

Here’s how much a one-way flight will cost when using AAdvantage miles between the U.S. and the South Pacific:

Cabin Class	AAdvantage Miles Cost (One-Way)	Air Tahiti Nui Taxes and Fees
Economy	40,000	~$6
Premium Economy	65,000	~$6
Business	80,000	~$6

Here are some great example redemptions you can make:

Honolulu (HNL) – Tahiti (PPT) one-way in Air Tahiti Nui business class for 80,000 American Airlines miles + ~$6 in taxes and fees
Honolulu (HNL) – Tahiti (PPT) – Auckland (AKL) one-way in Air Tahiti Nui business class for 80,000 American Airlines miles + ~$6 in taxes and fees
Los Angeles (LAX) – Tahiti (PPT) one-way in Air Tahiti Nui business class for 80,000 American Airlines miles + ~$6 in taxes and fees
Los Angeles (LAX) – Tahiti (PPT) – Auckland (AKL) one-way in Air Tahiti Nui business class for 80,000 American Airlines miles + ~$6 in taxes and fees
New York (JFK) – Tokyo (HND) – Guam (GUM) one-way in Japan Airlines business class for 80,000 American Airlines miles + ~$16 in taxes and fees

If you’re ready to make a booking, follow these steps:

Visit American Airlines’ website.
Check off the box on the homepage’s screen that says Redeem miles.
Select One-way or Round-trip.
Fill in the search details, and click Search.
Find your desired flight, use your AAdvantage miles, and pay for taxes and fees with a credit card.

Earning American Airlines AAdvantage Miles

American Airlines AAdvantage has just 1 transfer partner in Marriott Bonvoy.

Marriott Bonvoy points transfer to American Airlines at a 3:1 ratio with a bonus of 5,000 AAdvantage miles when you transfer 60,000 Marriott Bonvoy points to American Airlines at once, and transfers take 2 business days to complete.

Both Citi and Barclays have American Airlines AAdvantage co-branded credit cards that enable you to earn miles directly from your credit card spending.

Air Canada Aeroplan

Air New Zealand 787 Business Class — You can book Air New Zealand business class using Air Canada Aeroplan points. Image Credit: Air New Zealand

Air Canada Aeroplan is one of the most valuable frequent flyer programs around.

Remember, Air Canada is part of the Star Alliance, which means you can book Star Alliance award travel with Aeroplan points.

In addition, Aeroplan allows stopovers for just 5,000 extra points, even for one-way flights. All you need to do is find award availability for each segment and book over the phone.

Also, Aeroplan does not pass on any fuel surcharges, keeping your out-of-pocket costs as low as possible.

The best partner to leverage is Air New Zealand. Aeroplan uses a distance-based award chart for flights between the U.S. and the Pacific region (including the South Pacific).

Here’s the award chart:

Distance (Miles)	Operated By	Points Required (Economy)	Points Required (Premium Economy)	Points Required (Business Class)	Points Required (First Class)
0 to 5,000	Air Canada	35,000 to 65,000	45,000 to 120,000	55,000 to 150,000	90,000 to 200,000
0 to 5,000	Partner Airlines	35,000	N/A	55,000	90,000
5,001 to 7,500	Air Canada	45,000 to 80,000	60,000 to 140,000	75,000 to 175,000	110,000 to 250,000
5,001 to 7,500	Partner Airlines	50,000	N/A	75,000	110,000
7,501 to 11,000	Air Canada	50,000 to 90,000	70,000 to 160,000	85,000 to 200,000	130,000 to 300,000
7,501 to 11,000	Partner Airlines	60,000	N/A	85,000	130,000
11,001+	Air Canada	65,000 to 110,000	80,000 to 180,000	105,000 to 250,000	140,000 to 350,000
11,001+	Partner Airlines	75,000	N/A	105,000	140,000

Putting all of this together, here are some great flight redemptions you can make with Aeroplan points:

Chicago (ORD) – Auckland (AKL) – Tahiti (PPT) one-way in Air New Zealand business class with a stopover in Auckland for 90,000 Aeroplan points + ~$41 in taxes and fees
Houston (IAH) – Auckland (AKL) – Nadi (NAN) one-way in Air New Zealand business class with a stopover in Auckland for 90,000 Aeroplan points + ~$41 in taxes and fees
Los Angeles (LAX) – Rarotonga (RAR) one-way in Air New Zealand business class for 55,000 Aeroplan points + ~$41 in taxes and fees
San Francisco (SFO) – Auckland (AKL) – Apia (APW) one-way in Air New Zealand business class with a stopover in Auckland for 90,000 Aeroplan points + ~$41 in taxes and fees

Although Aeroplan’s website is accurate and easy-to-use, we actually recommend doing your searches on United’s website first. After finding award space, you can book your ticket online with Aeroplan. If you’re adding a stopover, you’ll need to call to book your ticket.

Follow these steps to book your ticket:

Go to United.com and perform your desired award search. Do a separate search for each segment.
Write down the details of the flights you found award space on.
Go to Aeroplan’s website.
In the top-right corner, you’ll see a button that says Sign In. Click it, enter your Aeroplan account details, and log in.
Perform the same flight search for step 2.
Use your Aeroplan points and use a credit card to pay for taxes and fees.
- If you wish to add a stopover, call Aeroplan at 800-361-5373 and book your ticket over the phone.

Earning Air Canada Aeroplan Points

Air Canada Aeroplan has transfer partnerships with numerous programs including Chase Ultimate Rewards, Amex Membership Rewards, Capital One Miles, and Marriott Bonvoy.

Chase, Amex, and Capital One all transfer almost instantly at a 1:1 ratio, while Marriott Bonvoy points transfer in 5 business days at a 3:1 ratio.

Plus, you’ll get a bonus of 5,000 Aeroplan points when you transfer 60,000 Bonvoy Marriott points to Aeroplan in a single transaction.

Recommended Chase Cards

CREDIT CARD	CARD INFO
Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card Learn More (at Chase's secure site)	Earn 60,000 bonus points after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening. That’s $750 when you redeem through Chase Ultimate Rewards®. Enjoy benefits such as a $50 annual Ultimate Rewards Hotel Credit, 5x on travel purchased through Chase Ultimate Rewards®, 3x on dining and 2x on all other travel purchases, plus more. Get 25% more value when you redeem for airfare, hotels, car rentals and cruises through Chase Ultimate Rewards®. For example, 60,000 points are worth $750 toward travel. With Pay Yourself Back^SM, your points are worth 25% more during the current offer when you redeem them for statement credits against existing purchases in select, rotating categories. Get unlimited deliveries with a $0 delivery fee and reduced service fees on eligible orders over $12 for a minimum of one year with DashPass, DoorDash’s subscription service. Activate by 03/31/22. Count on Trip Cancellation/Interruption Insurance, Auto Rental Collision Damage Waiver, Lost Luggage Insurance and more. Good to Excellent Credit Recommended (670-850) Annual Fee: $95 $1,200 Must Reads: For more info on the Chase Sapphire Preferred, see our thoughts on its benefits and travel insurance coverage, which includes primary car rental insurance. Take a look at our full review to see why it’s one of our favorite cards.
Chase Sapphire Reserve® Learn More (at Chase's secure site)	Earn 50,000 bonus points after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening. That’s $750 toward travel when you redeem through Chase Ultimate Rewards® $300 Annual Travel Credit as reimbursement for travel purchases charged to your card each account anniversary year Earn 5x total points on air travel and 10x total points on hotels and car rentals when you purchase travel through Chase Ultimate Rewards® immediately after the first $300 is spent on travel purchases annually. Earn 3x points on other travel and dining & 1 point per $1 spent on all other purchases Get 50% more value when you redeem your points for travel through Chase Ultimate Rewards^®. For example, 50,000 points are worth $750 toward travel With Pay Yourself Back^SM, your points are worth 50% more during the current offer when you redeem them for statement credits against existing purchases in select, rotating categories 1:1 point transfer to leading airline and hotel loyalty programs Access to 1,300+ airport lounges worldwide after an easy, one-time enrollment in Priority Pass™ Select and up to $100 application fee credit for Global Entry or TSA PreCheck® Count on Trip Cancellation/Interruption Insurance, Auto Rental Collision Damage Waiver, Lost Luggage Insurance and more Excellent Credit Recommended (740-850) Annual Fee: $550 $1,000 Must Reads: For more on the Chase Sapphire Reserve, see our thoughts on its benefits, global airport lounge access, and travel insurance protection. Take a look here for our full review.
Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card Learn More (at Chase's secure site)	Earn 100,000 bonus points after you spend $15,000 on purchases in the first 3 months. Earn 3 points per $1 on the first $150,000 spent in combined purchases on travel, shipping purchases, internet, cable and phone services, advertising purchases made with social media sites and search engines each account anniversary year Earn 1 point per $1 on all other purchases—with no limit to the amount you can earn 25% more value when redeeming points through Ultimate Rewards® travel Good to Excellent Credit Recommended (670-850) Annual Fee: $95 $2,000 Must Reads: For more info on the Ink Business Preferred, see our guided on its benefits and our full review. This is our favorite Chase business credit card.

United Airlines MileagePlus

United Polaris interior from rear IFEs — United Polaris class can be found on select long-haul routes! Image Credit: United Airlines

United Airlines is one of the most important airlines for flights to the South Pacific. In addition to having a hub in Guam, it has some other niche flights within the region, including the legendary “Island Hopper” flights that touch the Marshall Islands, the Federated States of Micronesia, and Guam. The airline also flies to Saipan and Palau.

These flights are typically only bookable for United MileagePlus members in premium cabins, as partner-level award availability is sparse.

United’s online search engine is the industry standard for versatility and capabilities, so the booking process is streamlined.

Keep in mind that United’s award pricing structure is confusing, but it’s an example of “what you see is what you get” because of its dynamic award pricing system.

The mileage price you pay will vary depending on the dates you travel, but if you can find Saver awards, these are the lowest prices you’ll pay when redeeming United miles.

Here are some of our favorite redemptions you can make:

Honolulu (HNL) – Guam (GUM) – Chuuk (TKK) one-way in United Airlines economy from 27,500 United miles + ~$13 in taxes and fees
Honolulu (HNL) – Guam (GUM) – Koror (ROR) one-way in United Airlines business class from 63,300 United miles + ~$132 in taxes and fees
Honolulu (HNL) – Guam (GUM) – Saipan (SPN) one-way in United Airlines first class from 47,600 United miles + ~$18 in taxes and fees
Honolulu (HNL) – Guam (GUM) – Yap (YAP) one-way in United Airlines economy class from 27,500 United miles + ~$13 in taxes and fees
Honolulu (HNL) – Marshall Islands (MAJ) – Kwajalein (KWA) – Kosrae (KSA) – Pohnpei (PNI) – Chuuk (TKK) – Guam (GUM) one-way in United Airlines economy from 27,500 United miles + ~$13 in taxes and fees
San Francisco (SFO) – Tahiti (PPT) one-way in United Polaris business class from 90,000 United miles + ~$6 in taxes and fees

You’ll notice that almost all of the above redemptions start in Hawaii. The explanation for this is pretty simple: United offers flights to the South Pacific through its Honolulu and/or Guam hubs, and Saver-level flights connecting to Hawaii from the mainland U.S. are nearly impossible to add-on to these award tickets.

Follow these steps to book your flights using United miles:

Go to United Airlines’ homepage.
Click the checkbox that says Book with miles.
Enter the search details and click Find flights.
Choose your flights.
Ticket the reservation by redeeming United miles and paying for taxes and fees with a credit card.

Earning United MileagePlus Miles

United MileagePlus is a transfer partner of the Chase Ultimate Rewards and Marriott Bonvoy programs.

Chase transfers instantly at a 1:1 ratio, while Marriott Bonvoy points transfer in 3 business days at a 3:1.1 ratio.

For every 60,000 Marriott Bonvoy points you transfer to United, you’ll get an extra bonus of 5,500 United miles! That means when you transfer 60,000 Marriott Bonvoy points at once to United, you’ll end up with 27,500 United miles.

You can also earn United miles from any of its Chase co-branded credit cards, but using Chase Ultimate Rewards credit cards is generally better because of the Ultimate Rewards program’s more useful bonus categories and flexibility.

Recommended United Cards

CREDIT CARD	BENEFITS & INFO
United℠ Explorer Card Learn More (at Chase's secure site)	Earn 60,000 bonus miles after you spend $3,000 on purchases in the first 3 months your account is open. Earn 2 miles per $1 spent on dining, hotel stays, and United purchases Up to $100 Global Entry or TSA PreCheck® fee Credit 25% back on United inflight purchases Check your first bag for free (a savings of up to $140 per roundtrip) when you use your card to purchase your ticket Enjoy priority boarding privileges and visit the United Club℠ with 2 one-time passes each year for your anniversary Earn 2 miles per $1 spent on dining including eligible delivery services Good to Excellent Credit Recommended (670-850) Annual Fee: $0 intro for the first year, then $95. $960
United℠ Business Card Learn More (at Chase's secure site)	Earn up to 150,000 bonus miles Earn 75,000 miles after you spend $5,000 on purchases in the first 3 months your account is open. Earn an additional 75,000 miles after you spend $20,000 total in the first 6 months. Receive a 5,000-mile “better together” bonus each anniversary when you have both the United℠ Business Card and a personal United credit card. Earn 2 miles per $1 spent on United purchases, dining (including eligible delivery services), at gas stations, office supply stores, and on local transit and commuting Earn 1 mile per $1 spent on all other purchases. Plus, employee cards at no additional cost – miles earned from their purchases accrue in your account so you can earn rewards faster. Enjoy a free first checked bag – a savings of up to $140 per roundtrip (terms apply), 2 United Club℠ one-time passes per year, and priority boarding privileges. Get unlimited deliveries with a $0 delivery fee and reduced service fees on eligible orders over $12 for one year with DashPass, DoorDash’s membership service. Activate by 3/20/22. $100 United travel credit after 7 United flight purchases of $100 or more each anniversary year. Good to Excellent Credit Recommended (670-850) Annual Fee: $99 $1,950
United Club℠ Infinite Card Learn More (at Chase's secure site)	Earn 100,000 Bonus Miles Earn 4 miles per $1 spent on United purchases including tickets, Economy Plus, inflight food, beverages and Wi-Fi, and other United charges Earn 2 miles per $1 spent on all other travel Earn 2 miles per $1 spent on dining including eligible delivery services Earn 1 mile per $1 spent on all other purchases Up to $100 Global Entry or TSA PreCheck^® fee credit Free first and second checked bags – a savings of up to $320 per roundtrip. Terms Apply 25% back as a statement credit on purchases of food, beverages and Wi-Fi on board United-operated flights when you pay with your Club Infinite Card. Excellent Credit Recommended (740-850) Annual Fee: $525 $1,600
United Gateway℠ Card Learn More (at Chase's secure site)	Earn 20,000 bonus miles Earn 2 miles per $1 spent on United purchases, at gas stations and on local transit and commuting Earn 2 miles per $1 spent on United purchases Earn 2 miles per $1 spent at gas stations Earn 2 miles per $1 spent on local transit and commuting Earn 1 mile per $1 spent on all other purchases Good to Excellent Credit Recommended (670-850) Annual Fee: $0 $320
United Quest^SM Card Learn More (at Chase's secure site)	Earn 80,000 bonus miles after you spend $5,000 on purchases in the first 3 months your account is open Earn 3x miles on United® purchases, 2x miles on dining, select streaming services & all other travel, 1x on all other purchases Earn 3x miles on United purchases Earn 2x miles on dining and select streaming services Earn 2x miles on all other travel Earn 1x mile on all other purchases Each year, receive a $125 credit on United® purchases and two 5K-mile anniversary award flight credits. Terms apply. Good to Excellent Credit Recommended (670-850) Annual Fee: $250

Avianca LifeMiles

air-new-zealand-business-class — Try Air New Zealand in business class on your next flight to the South Pacific. Image Credit: Air New Zealand

The last program we’ll talk about is one that is near and dear to our hearts: Avianca LifeMiles.

This program allows you to easily earn miles and then use them for Star Alliance award travel with no fuel surcharges. And, on top of it all, it offers good redemption rates.

We recommend using LifeMiles for Air New Zealand business class flights, simply because United’s Saver-level business class flights are nearly impossible to book with partner miles.

Unfortunately, Avianca LifeMiles does not allow complimentary stopovers, which makes this a great option for those who want to get to through final destination as quickly as possible and don’t care to make a stop on the way.

Hot Tip: Even though Avianca LifeMiles has a set of great redemption prices, remember the program charges up to $200 for cancellations and $150 for changes!

If this all sounds good to you, your redemption to the South Pacific will be governed by this award chart:

Cabin Class	Avianca LifeMiles Cost (One-Way)	Taxes and Fees
Economy	40,000	~$62
Business	80,000	~$62

Here are some routes to consider booking:

Chicago (ORD) – Auckland (AKL) – Nadi (NAN) one-way in Air New Zealand business class for 80,000 Avianca LifeMiles + ~$62 in taxes and fees
Houston (IAH) – Auckland (AKL) – Tahiti (PPT) one-way in Air New Zealand business class for 80,000 Avianca LifeMiles + ~$62 in taxes and fees
Los Angeles (LAX) – Rarotonga (RAR) one-way in Air New Zealand business class for 80,000 Avianca LifeMiles + ~$62 in taxes and fees
San Francisco (SFO) – Auckland – Apia (APW) one-way in Air New Zealand business class for 80,000 Avianca LifeMiles + ~$62 in taxes and fees

Follow these steps to book your Avianca LifeMiles flight online:

Visit LifeMiles’ website.
In the top-right corner, you’ll see a small, circular flag icon. Click that and change the website language to English.
Log-in to your LifeMiles account in the top-right corner.
On the homepage, click Fly.
In the airline dropdown box, select Air New Zealand.
Enter the flight departure and arrival airports, as well as the number of passengers and cabin class.
Click Find Flights, and select your desired travel dates.
Select the flight option you wish to book, redeem your LifeMiles and furnish a credit card to pay for taxes and fees.

Earning Avianca LifeMiles

Avianca LifeMiles is one of the easiest currencies to earn, thanks to transfer partnerships with Amex Membership Rewards, Brex Rewards, Capital One Miles, Citi ThankYou Rewards, and Marriott Bonvoy.

Amex, Brex, Capital One, and Citi transfer at a 1:1 ratio, and Marriott Bonvoy points transfer at a 3:1 ratio with a bonus of 5,000 LifeMiles when you transfer 60,000 Marriott Bonvoy points in 1 transaction.

Amex, Brex, Capital One, and Citi transfer instantly, while Marriott takes around 1 business day.

Avianca has also partnered with Banco Popular to offer co-branded credit cards that earn LifeMiles.

Finally, LifeMiles can often be purchased with a bonus of up to 200%, making it possible to effectively buy miles for around 1 cent apiece!

Recommended Capital One Cards

Credit Card	Benefits & Info
Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card Learn More (at our partner's secure site)	Enjoy a one-time bonus of 60,000 miles once you spend $3,000 on purchases within 3 months from account opening, equal to $600 in travel Earn unlimited 2x miles on every purchase, every day Miles won't expire for the life of the account and there's no limit to how many you can earn Receive up to a $100 credit for Global Entry or TSA PreCheck® Earn 5x miles on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel, where you'll get our best prices on thousands of trip options Use your miles to get reimbursed for any travel purchase—or redeem by booking a trip through Capital One Travel Transfer your miles to your choice of 15+ travel loyalty programs No foreign transaction fees Good to Excellent Credit Recommended (670-840) Annual Fee: $95 Must Reads: For more info on the CapOne Venture card, see our thoughts on its benefits and our full review.
Capital One VentureOne Rewards Credit Card Learn More (at our partner's secure site)	Earn a bonus of 20,000 miles once you spend $500 on purchases within 3 months from account opening, equal to $200 in travel Earn unlimited 1.25x miles on every purchase, every day Miles won't expire for the life of the account and there's no limit to how many you can earn Earn 5x miles on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel, where you'll get our best prices on thousands of trip options Use your miles to get reimbursed for any travel purchase—or redeem by booking a trip through Capital One Travel Transfer your miles to your choice of 15+ travel loyalty programs Enjoy 0% intro APR on purchases and balance transfers for 15 months; 14.99% - 24.99% variable APR after that No foreign transaction fees Good to Excellent Credit Recommended (670-840) Annual Fee: $0 Must Reads: For more info on the VentureOne Card, see our thoughts on its benefits and our full review.
Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card Learn More (at Capital One's secure site)	Earn 100,000 bonus miles once you spend $10,000 on purchases within the first 6 months from account opening. Receive up to $300 in statement credits when booking through Capital One Travel. Get 10,000 bonus miles (equal to $100 towards travel) every year, starting on your first anniversary. Earn unlimited 10x miles on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel and 5x miles on flights booked through Capital One Travel, plus unlimited 2x miles on all other purchases. No foreign transaction fees. Add cardholders to your account for no fee — they can enjoy benefits and you will earn rewards on every dollar they spend. Good to Excellent Credit Recommended (670-840) Annual Fee: $395 Must Reads: If you're looking for more information about the CapOne Venture X Card, explore our full review.

Final Thoughts

Flying to the South Pacific was a bit simpler back in the pre-pandemic era. Today, it’s still possible to get superb value with your points and miles, but your options are generally more limited.

Whether you choose to fly Fiji Airways to Nadi (NAN), Air Tahiti Nui to Tahiti (PPT), United Airlines to Guam (GUM), Air New Zealand to Rarotonga (RAR), or any points beyond, you can use your points and miles to get you to some of the world’s most remote — and spectacular — places for a fraction of the typical out-of-pocket cost.

The information regarding the Capital One Venture Rewards Card, Capital One VentureOne Rewards Credit Card, and Capital One Venture X Card was independently collected by Upgraded Points and not provided nor reviewed by the issuer.

For rates and fees of The Platinum Card® from American Express, click here.
For rates and fees of the American Express® Gold Card, click here.
For rates and fees of The Business Platinum Card® from American Express, click here.
For rates and fees of the American Express® Business Gold Card, click here.
For rates and fees of the Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant™ American Express® Card, click here.
For rates and fees of the Marriott Bonvoy Business™ American Express® Card, click here.

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The Best Ways To Fly to the South Pacific With Points & Miles [Step-by-Step]

Nonstop Flights Between the U.S. and the South Pacific