A hint of French perfume

THE local tour company insists I must be picked up at the lamentably early hour of 4am from the Radisson Plaza Papeete for a transfer to the airport.

Air Tahiti Nui believes in putting as much on meal trays as possible.

THE local tour company insists I must be picked up at the lamentably early hour of 4am from the Radisson Plaza Papeete for a transfer to the airport.

The flight to Auckland will leave at 6.30am, 30 minutes early, I am told. I am sceptical and argue that even if that is the case, the original pick-up time was 4.50am so, logically, I still have 20 minutes up my pyjama sleeve. I lose.

No one at the airport - from Air Tahiti Nui check-in clerks to the premium lounge supervisor - knows about the supposed change to the departure. "Planes are rarely early," I am told, eyebrows raised at madame's madness. Quite.

So one could say I am in a scratchy mood. (I have to all but break into the airport lounge; staff are not yet on deck.) We leave at the (always) appointed time of 7am and the sky is already blue and cloudless, another gorgeous day in the French Polynesian capital.

Smartly after take-off, the crew change from their blue-green uniforms into flowered shirts and loose shifts for the breakfast service so there is rather a festive mood to proceedings and it reminds me of the old Qantas services to Fiji when crew wore bright bula shirts and flowers behind their ears. Such a holiday mood works better, of course, on inbound flights to tropical destinations but in this case it is a nice au revoir to French Polynesia.

Like many smaller airlines, Air Tahiti Nui believes in putting as much on the meal tray as possible, but rather this all-in approach than not enough variety. There's a choice of omelet with broccoli, button mushrooms and honeyed tomatoes, or a quiche with tomato and breast of duck brochette, or crepes with apple compote and caramelised apples. There's no cereal, which would have been a lighter choice for such an early start but, this being French aerial territory, there's a good selection of pastries, bread and small pots of yoghurt.

Coffee is drinkable and no one would blink if you chose Jacquart Brut Mosaique champagne on the side - the wine list promises it offers "flavours of pear". Fruit for breakfast: c'est parfait.

Possibly not a morning tipple, but Air Tahiti Nui also offers Tahitian dark rum on its spirits list and crew will happily splash cassis into champagne to make a kir royale. The wine list offers a selection of three reds and three whites, all French, and a local drop, Vin Tahiti Rose Domaine Dominique Auroy 2009 from the island of Rangiroa in the heart of the Tuamotu archipelago of French Polynesia. Auroy is a local winemaker who has been producing very good wine in a coral atoll setting of high humidity, salty air and tricky limestone soil since 2002. If you are in the Tuamotus, you can tour the winery with its greenhouse tunnels to protect vines and boxes of grapes piled up in boats.

Air Tahiti Nui's entertainment system is limited but the business-class cabin has lift-out screens in the armrests of the wide seats (no lie-flat beds). Crew are attentive at all times, offering bottled water and responding swiftly to call buttons. A chap sitting next to a woman with a crying baby in a business-class seat is discreetly moved up to first class.

Brickbats: It is a shame Air Tahiti Nui no longer flies from Sydney direct to Papeete but the dog's-leg journey via Auckland (code-shared with Qantas) has at least the plus point of duty-free shopping in New Zealand. There are buyers five-deep at counters at Auckland airport, such is the parlous state of the local currency and the bargains to be had.

Bouquets: The 5hr 20m flight passes without a hitch; duty-free catalogue includes black pearls and well-priced French perfume and make-up.

About My Last Flight is an occasional column written by T&I staff.