From LA or San Francisco you fly through the night on Air New Zealand, the only airline flying into the Cooks. The comfortable 767 stops in the Cooks to let passengers off before continuing on to Auckland, New Zealand.

Air New Zealand began as TEAL, Tasman Empire Airways Ltd., in 1940 and in 1951 the golden age of Pacific island-hopping by air began.  TEAL flew the legendary Coral Route from New Zealand to Fiji, Samoa, Aitutaki in the Cook Islands, and Tahiti.  At first it was just going to be a mail route but when the concept of flying boats linking idyllic, far flung South Seas Isles captured imaginations, the journey became one of the most glamorous, most luxurious passenger routes in the world, with an on board chef, tables clothed in white linen and and passengers dressed in their Sunday best.  No jet lag involved.  When it got dark, the pilot simply set the plane gently down in the lagoon nearest an island and the passengers spent the night in their flying hotel!

The flying boat service ended in late 1960 and the worlds last surviving Solent flying boat is on display at the Museum of Transport & Technology (MOTAT) in Auckland, New Zealand.  When Air New Zealand was TEAL the flying times were Auckland to Fiji in 7 1/2 hours, Fiji to Samoa in 3 hours 45 minutes, Samoa to the Cook Islands in 5 hours and the Cooks to Tahiti in 4 hours.   Today from Los Angeles on Air New Zealand you can be in the Cooks in 9 hours and 45 minutes.  Not as romantic as setting down in a lagoon and spending a night in a hotel but certainly  more efficient!

Todays flights may not be as glamorous, but the seats on Air New Zealand have footrests and wrap-around headrests, and the food  is excellent (real meals - no peanuts!) and of course, some fine New Zealand wines.
 

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