5 Frequent Flyer Programs In Oceania You Should Know

There are several nations in

Oceania

that you may not have heard of; while Australia and

New Zealand

quickly come to mind, there are plenty more. Most of these isolated countries have their own flag carrier, connecting them to their family from far and wide.

As airlines look at different ways to attract loyalty, it’s unsurprising that many of these carriers have their own

frequent flyer programs

or loyalty programs where members can accrue miles, earn status, receive free upgrades, additional baggage, or even

airport lounge access

.

Photo: Joe Kunzler | Simple Flying

While many of these airlines offer both long-haul and short-haul services, not all have far-reaching networks and may only operate with

narrowbody

aircraft. Only two of the five on this list serve the United States directly, but some travel as far east as

Asia

. Have you traveled with any of these carriers before?

1

Belama Club

Solomon Airlines

Solomon Airlines is the flag carrier of the South Pacific nation of the Solomon Islands, and its operations are based at Honiara International Airport (HIR). It operates a robust network of domestic services nationwide and additionally serves international routes to Australia, New Zealand, Fiji, Vanuatu, Kiribati, and Papua, New Guinea.

It has a fleet of eight aircraft, a mix of Airbus A320-200, De Havilland Canada DHC-6-300 Twin Otter, DHC-6-300HG Twin Otter, and DHC-8-100 (Dash-8).

Its loyalty program, Belama Club, is a membership program that offers members priority check-in, advance seat selection, and priority baggage, alongside express clearance at

Brisbane Airport

. Members are provided free access to the Belama Lounge in Honiara International Airport. Benefits are only eligible on Solomon Airlines operated services, and terms and conditions are outlined below:

• Joining fee of SBD $300 ($35) plus an annual membership fee
• Non-transferable to other passengers
• Replacement membership cards will incur a SBD $350 ($41)

There are two different tiers you can be a member of, with their inclusions outlined below:

Earlier this year, Solomon Airlines relaunched its connection to New Zealand by providing an add-on flight to its existing Vanuatu operation in the collapse of

Air Vanuatu

. It operates Honiara – Port Vila –

Auckland

once a week. It has also recently reconnected the picturesque Espiritu Santo to Brisbane in northern Vanuatu; read more below:

2

Flying Blue

Aircalin

The French territory of New Caledonia’s flag carrier is

Aircalin

, which operates international services from its Noumea-based hub. From La Tontouta International Airport (NOU), Aircalin usually operates direct services to Auckland, Brisbane, Nadi, Papeete, Port Vila, Singapore, Sydney, Tokyo–Narita (ending September 1, 2024), and Wallis Island; however, many of these have been suspended recently due to

civil unrest

in the territory.

Aircalin has adopted its own version of the Air France-KLM loyalty program

Flying Blue

for frequent fliers to this French paradise. Your miles are applied immediately after travel and can be redeemed throughout the Flying Blue network, which includes many airlines in

SkyTeam

.

Members of Flying Blue have four membership levels:

• Explorer
• Silver (Elite)
• Gold
• Platinum (Elite Plus).

Each tier has different advantages and privileges and is determined by the number of Experience Points (XP) you have earned through recent travel. The table below outlines this in further detail:

Papeete, located in another French collectivity,

French Polynesia

, welcomes Aircalin’s once a week. Departing Noumea on Sundays, the five-hour service could be deemed the longest ‘domestic’

Airbus A330neo

across the Southwest Pacific. Crossing the international date line, the return service departs on the prior Saturday; however, it encounters such headwinds that the flight home usually takes over six hours.

3

Tabua Club

Fiji Airways

Quickly becoming a popular airline of choice for travel to and from North America to the South Pacific,

Fiji Airways

has reborn itself as a wonderful airline to travel with. It’s a modern fleet of aircraft, and friendly smiles from the

Nadi Airport

-based crew welcome passengers from all over the region.

The airline, which used to be known as Air Pacific, now escorts passengers to and from Fiji with a fleet of Airbus A350-900, A330, and Boeing 737 MAX 8 for international passengers. Its subsidiary, Fiji Link, also operates several turbo-props to surrounding islands.

Just recently, Fiji Airways announced its intentions to fully join the oneworld alliance, upgrading from its oneworld Connect status. It will also adopt the

AAdvantage

frequent flier program, complementing the Tabua Club.

The Tabua Club is Fiji Airways’ rewards program, which delivers a personalized travel experience for its frequent fliers. Members can access the airline’s Nadi airport lounge, priority check-in, and boarding, complimentary upgrade credits, and exclusive member specials. Further inclusions below:

Costs for the Tabua club membership vary depending on the club level chosen. To be eligible for Tabua Club Plus status, you must meet the flight credit threshold, as explained below:

All members earn status credits at 0.25 per domestic leg, 1 on the international economy, or 2 on international business class FJ-operated and marketed flights. To achieve Tabua Club Plus, you must achieve 20 flight status credits per membership year. Membership fees are:

• Joining fee of FJ $100 (45)
• Tabua Club classic annual membership fee is $699
• Tabua Club Plus annual membership fee is $599

Fiji Airways is set to adopt the

American Airlines

frequent flier program soon. However, this will enhance the Tabua Club, where passengers will earn AAdvantage miles and still accrue FJ flight credits towards their Tabua Club Plus status.

4

Club Tiare

Air Tahiti Nui

The exotic South Pacific French overseas territory of French Polynesia has long been a honeymoon hotspot, with the pristine beaches of Bora Bora and the scuba diving around the islands of Tahiti. If you’ve visited, you likely may have been flying on

Air Tahiti Nui

, which, for the longest time, had the monopoly on the Tahiti to Los Angeles route. Since then, Delta and United Airlines have served the territory from California. However, loyal followers of the territory flag carrier, Air Tahiti Nui, will be fond of the airline’s South Pacific spirit onboard.

Air Tahiti Nui’s fleet comprises four Boeing 787-9 aircraft, which operate from Papeete’s Fa’a’ā International Airport (PPT) directly to Auckland, Los Angeles, Seattle/Tacoma, and Tokyo–Narita. Those looking to return to mainland France can continue with the airline from Seattle or Los Angeles International Airport to Paris–Charles de Gaulle.

The airline’s loyalty program, Club Tiare, has three tiers and enables its members to start earning from the moment they sign up. After their first trip, they are rewarded with 3,000 miles. The miles you can earn depend on the total distance traveled, booking class, and Club Tiare status. Silver members earn an extra 50% more miles, and for Gold members, that increases to 75%. Let’s look at the benefits below:

Standard earning rates to and from Tahiti include:

5

Kumul Club

Air Niugini

The last loyalty program on the list is for Papua New Guinea’s flag carrier, Air Niugini. Operating a domestic and international network from its base at Port Moresby International Airport (POM), the carrier also owns a regional subsidiary called Link PNG. The airline operates international flights from Port Moresby to Brisbane, Cairns, Hong Kong, Honiara, Koror (resumes October 29), Manila, Nadi, Port Vila, Singapore, Sydney, and Tokyo–Narita (resumes October 29).

Air Niugini’s frequent flier program is Kumul Club, and it rewards members every time they fly or make purchases from its local and international partners. These points lead to free flights and upgrades onboard. The loyalty program also discounts car hire and priority check-in or lounge access. Every time you fly, you earn a ‘Kina’ point, which can be later redeemed towards flights or other rewards. There are three tiers:

• Kumul Club Premium
  • The most elite tier, which offers the most perks for the frequent flier
  • Annual membership costs PGK 2,299 ($580)
  • Access to international and domestic Air Niguini Paradise Lounges

• Kumul Club Domestic
  • Formerly known as Executive Club Silver
  • Catering for frequent domestic travelers. This tier offers benefits to enrich the journey within Papua New Guinea
  • Annual membership cost of PGK $1,599 ($404)
  • Access to domestic Air Niugini Paradise lounges
• Kumul Club Junior
  • Formerly known as the Minors Club
  • Catering to the ‘Kumul teenager,’ this tier is geared towards younger travelers who can enjoy the safety of the airline’s lounges and other benefits similar to those of the Kumul domestic tier.

Those who have traveled on the airline before will know of its aging fleet; however, the airline is set to be reborn with several new aircraft on order, which include the Boeing 787-8 and Airbus A220-200 and 300 variants in the making.