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When we think about exotic destinations, we often think expensive – both in cash and points. I’m here to tell you that it doesn’t have to be that way. You can save a lot of money without needing a ton of points.
Today, we’re going to look at how to get to French Polynesia with just two credit card welcome bonuses.
French Polynesia is known for some of its iconic islands, such as Tahiti, Bora Bora, and Moorea. Each has its own personality and distinct characteristics, but travelers flock to all three.
You too can enjoy the pristine waters and beaches of French Polynesia with just two cards. We’re going to focus on Moorea and how you can easily get a trip to Moorea with two credit cards.
The Flight Card: The Platinum Card® from American Express
The first step in your two card journey is getting there. To do that, you’re going to want to look at The Platinum Card® from American Express.
The Platinum Card® from American Express
80,000
Membership Rewards® Points
after you spend $8,000 on purchases in your first 6 months of Card Membership.
Annual Fee: $695 Terms Apply. | Rates & Fees.
You may also try using cardmatch to see if you are targeted for special welcome offers.
There are some great perks that come with the card that may help make your trip to French Polynesia even better. But first things first, you’ve got to put that welcome bonus to use!
Flying to French Polynesia with the Amex Platinum
To get to French Polynesia, we are going to use Air Canada’s Aeroplan. Air Canada is a member of Star Alliance which means you can book flights on all airlines in the Star Alliance. For getting to Tahiti (PPT), the main international airport in French Polynesia, we will use Air Canada to book a flight on United.
United flies direct to French Polynesia from their hub in San Francisco (SFO). To know how many points we will need, let’s take a look at the new Aeroplan award chart.
The new Aeroplan award chart prices flights based on the distance between two zones you’re travelling between. San Francisco is in the North America zone whereas Tahiti is in the Pacific Zone.
Using the distance tool at Great Circle Mapper, we see that the flight comes in at 4,188 miles. This falls into the shortest distance of 0-5,000 miles on Aeroplan’s new award chart between North America and the Pacific.
Since United is a partner airline, that means you’ll only need 35,000 points each way in economy. Therefore, your round-trip flights from San Francisco to Tahiti will only cost 70,000 points round-trip in economy.
To help with your journey, you can use your Amex Platinum to get Centurion Lounge access at San Francisco before departing. You may even be able to use the $200 incidental airline credit to cover the cost of seat selections for a seat with more legroom which many people would appreciate on the eight hour flight to Tahiti.
The Card for Your Polynesian Paradise
Now that you’ve used one card to get to French Polynesia, you need another to stay there. Enter the Hilton Honors American Express Aspire Card.
Editors Note: All information about the Hilton Honors American Express Aspire Card has been collected independently by 10xTravel. The Hilton Honors American Express Aspire Card is no longer available through 10xTravel.
You’ll earn one free weekend night award with the card and Hilton Diamond status with the Hilton Honors American Express Aspire Card.
You’ll be putting that free weekend night to good use in Moorea.
With the added bonus of Hilton Diamond status, you’ll be eligible for room upgrades and free breakfast. Food prices in far off destinations like Moorea can be pretty pricey, $25-50 per person isn’t out of the question. Being able to save that expense during your stay will definitely make your wallet happy.
Hilton Honors American Express Aspire Card
175,000
Bonus Points
after you spend $6,000 in the first 6 months. All information about The Hilton Honors American Express Aspire Card has been collected independently by 10xTravel. The Hilton Honors American Express Aspire is no longer available through 10xTravel.
Annual Fee: $550 Terms Apply.
Your Oasis: Hilton Moorea
Hilton Moorea (image courtesy of Hilton Hotels)
The Hilton is located on the island of Moorea, about 10 miles away from the capital of Tahiti.
The resort has a mixture of rooms including the classic Polynesian overwater bungalows as well as rooms on the island.
King Garden Guest Room at Hilton Moorea (image courtesy of Hilton Hotels)
The standard rate is 80,000 points per night for a King Garden Guest Room. Don’t fret if you want a stay in an overwater bungalow, as Hilton Diamond members often report being upgraded to an overwater bungalow. It isn’t guaranteed, but if there’s availability, you should be staying overwater during your time in French Polynesia.
Overwater Bungalow at Hilton Moorea (image courtesy of Hilton Hotels)
You’ll be able to dine at the only overwater restaurant on the island, step out into the water to swim with stingrays and abundant marine life, or relax at the spa.
How to Make It All Work
To make your trip to French Polynesia work with two cards, you’ll transfer 70,000 Membership Rewards to Air Canada Aeroplan to book your round-trip flights on United from San Francisco.
You’ll transfer the remaining 5,000 Membership Rewards to Hilton Hotels. You’ll earn 2,000 Hilton Honors points for every 1,000 Membership Rewards you transfer. You should end up with enough Hilton Honors points to book two nights at 80,000 points per night. Combine this with your free weekend night certificate you earned from the Hilton Honors Aspire card and you’ll get 3 nights in paradise.
Two cards, three nights, one great trip to French Polynesia!
Hilton Honors American Express Aspire Card
175,000
Bonus Points
after you spend $6,000 in the first 6 months. All information about The Hilton Honors American Express Aspire Card has been collected independently by 10xTravel. The Hilton Honors American Express Aspire is no longer available through 10xTravel.
Annual Fee: $550 Terms Apply.
Bonus: Three Card Trip
Let’s face it, for many people 3 nights just isn’t enough in French Polynesia. That’s totally fair! Who wouldn’t want to spend as much time as possible in paradise.
If you want to extend your trip just a little bit longer, you’ll need one more card. For starters, you’ll have the points you earned from the minimum spend towards the welcome offers.
Additionally, the Hilton Honors Aspire card earns 3X points on all purchases, meaning you’ll have some leftover points from what you spent to meet your welcome offer. When you transfer the extra 5,000 Membership Rewards, you’ll have 22,000 more Hilton Points.
To really extend your trip, I’d recommend opening a third card, the Hilton Honors American Express Surpass® Card. Depending on the offer at the time, you may get close to an additional 160,000 Hilton Honors points which would mean you can get 2 extra nights. However, with Hilton status you get the fifth night free, so now you would redeem your points for five nights. Add on the free weekend night and you’ll get 6 nights – doubling your stay in Moorea.
Hilton Honors American Express Surpass® Card
165,000
Hilton Honors Bonus Points
after you spend $3,000 in purchases on the Hilton Honors American Express Surpass® Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership. Offer ends 1/8/2025.
Annual Fee: $150 Terms Apply. | Rates & Fees.
Final Thoughts
Traveling to French Polynesia is on many people’s bucket list. While most look to Bora Bora, Moorea is a solid choice to stretch your points as far as possible.
With just two cards, the American Express Platinum and the Hilton Honors Aspire Card, you can fly and spend 3 nights in paradise. As a little bonus, with a third card you can extend your stay to 6 nights. Because really, who wouldn’t want to spend as much time as possible in paradise?
New to the world of points and miles? The Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card is the best card to start with.
With a bonus of 60,000 bonus points after $4,000 in purchases in your first 3 months from account opening. Plus, get up to $300 in statement credits on Chase Travel℠ purchases within your first year. , 5x points on travel booked through the Chase Travel Portal and 3x points on restaurants, streaming services, and online groceries (excluding Target, Walmart, and wholesale clubs), this card truly cannot be beat for getting started!
after you spend $6,000 in the first 6 months. All information about The Hilton Honors American Express Aspire Card has been collected independently by 10xTravel. The Hilton Honors American Express Aspire is no longer available through 10xTravel.
after you spend $8,000 on purchases in your first 6 months of Card Membership.
after you spend $3,000 in purchases on the Hilton Honors American Express Surpass® Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership. Offer ends 1/8/2025.
Editors Note: Opinions expressed here are author’s alone, not those of any bank, credit card issuer, hotel, airline, or other entity. This content has not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by any of the entities included within the post.
10xTravel is part of an affiliate sales network and receives compensation for sending traffic to partner sites, such as CreditCards.com. This compensation may impact how and where links appear on this site. This site does not include all financial companies or all available financial offers. Terms apply to American Express benefits and offers. Enrollment may be required for select American Express benefits and offers. Visit americanexpress.com to learn more.
Editors Note: Opinions expressed here are author’s alone, not those of any bank, credit card issuer, hotel, airline, or other entity. This content has not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by any of the entities included within the post.
bonus cash back
after you spend $6,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening
Miles
once you spend $4,000 on purchases within 3 months from account opening
bonus points
after $4,000 in purchases in your first 3 months from account opening. Plus, get up to $300 in statement credits on Chase Travel℠ purchases within your first year.
Membership Rewards® Points
after you spend $6,000 on eligible purchases with your new Card within the first 6 months. Plus, receive 20% back in statement credits on eligible purchases made at restaurants worldwide within the first 6 months of Card Membership, up to $100 back. Limited time offer. Offer ends 11/6/24.
