How much does it cost to fly to the Pacific?

Most of us in Aotearoa, New Zealand, are steadily returning to work or school, bronzed and beach-barmed, with some people not ready to say goodbye to the holidays just yet.

For Aucklanders, our next little break is anniversary weekend, and the organised among us would have already submitted their long weekend leave requests.

Now, if you’re anything like me and live for a spontaneous weekend getaway, I thought I’d check out how much a quick trip to our Pacific neighbours would cost.

Quick? Yes. Cheap? Definitely not.

Then again, spontaneity often really means escaping obligations to enjoy some “me time” without hearing, “Alu fai sou feau!” (Do some chores!).

So, where are we going?

Full disclosure: Some planning had to go into this. I compared flights across three websites - Air New Zealand, Fiji Airways, and the flight comparison agency Sky Scanner.

As of Thursday 9 January, here are the cheapest prices for a return economy flight from Auckland to various Pacific Island countries for one adult, departing Friday 24 January and returning on 27 January 2025.

Number one on the list by far is Tonga. Whether you land in Nuku’alofa or Fua’amotu, it won’t cost more than $800, with Fiji Airways offering a round trip for $586.

Air NZ has a limited deal where a one-way ticket to Nadi, Fiji, costs $285. However, Fiji Airways has round trips tip the $900 mark, an additional few hundred dollars is needed for flights to districts such as Savusavu or Labasa.

Popular holiday destinations like Rarotonga and Aitutaki range from $825 to over $2000, including one check-in bag.

Sāmoa or Tahiti would set you back about $1000, and for an extra $500, you could head to Honolulu, Hawai’i.

Photo/Air New Zealand

What about the smaller islands?

Niue, one of the world’s smallest countries, offers flight options that feel like a lottery.

Unfortunately and unsurprisingly, no flights are available for Friday, 24 January. There is one for the next day, but you’d have to take some extra time off because you won’t be back for a week.

The same goes for Rotuma, where the cheapest departure flight is midweek from Christchurch at $603 and about $2360 to return.

Air New Zealand doesn’t offer direct flights to Vanuatu, Tuvalu, or Papua New Guinea. You’d have a stopover in either Fiji or Australia, and prices could reach up to $1300.

Tuvalu is one of the hardest island nations to reach. It’s the least visited country in the world and is sinking. A ticket is almost $3000 and involves flying from Auckland to Nadi, then Suva, before finally touching down in Funafuti - some 22 hours after takeoff.

*Note all costs are in NZD, and flight availability and prices are subject to change. For the most up-to-date information, please visit the respective airline websites or contact a travel agency.

Should I stay or should I go?

After researching and comparing flight prices, I truly gained perspective on the lengths our people go to to connect with their homelands across the Moana.

For our small island communities who’ve migrated to Aotearoa, it isn’t a simple “short trip home”.

Perhaps, for the next holiday destination through the region, we can all spare a spontaneous thought for our loved ones near and far, who may never travel the seas again, and feel thriving populations walk their shores once more.