Flights to Samoa: book cheap plane tickets

Samoa is open to international tourism

Samoa has lifted all travel restrictions — all passport holders can now enter the country, regardless of their vaccination status. Foreign travelers are not required to quarantine or to present a negative PCR test result on arrival. Travel insurance is not required, however, it is recommended.

Visa to Samoa is not required if you intend to stay for up to 60 days (90 days for EU citizens). Visitors should have a confirmed return or onward ticket, a copy of a bank statement, and hold a passport valid for at least 6 months.



Arriving in Samoa

  • If you are flying to Samoa from abroad, you will most likely land at one of its biggest international airportsits main international airportFaleolo International Airport APW located 35km from Apia, the capital city in the northern coast of the Upolu island. After arrival you will need to clear immigration and customs: simply follow the signs and have you passport ready.

    There are airport shuttles available that serve Samoa’s major resorts and hotels. They can be booked before arrival or organized at the airport after clearing the customs. Taxis that serve the guests arriving at the airport cost around ST$60-80 ($21-28) for a around 50-minutes ride to Apia center. Taxis in Samoa are not metered, so do agree a price beforehand
    .

    These are also the best (and the cheapest) airports to fly into Samoa. As they are used by many airlines serving the same routes, the competition for passengers is fierce – with decreased airfare as a result.
  • Once in Samoa, take advantage of frequent intercity flights operated by domestic airlines such as Samoa Airways and Talofa Airways. Those in-country carriers typically offer lower fares, operate from smaller airports located closer to city centers (you save on ground transportation), and provide flexible schedules – with a wide range of departure times.
  • Planning to explore the region? Popular destinations near Samoa can be easily reached with regional low-cost carriers (LCCs) by the likes of Samoa Airways and Talofa Airways. If you have a layover in Samoa and plan to fly only a short distance to one of its neighboring countries, these budget airlines are an excellent way to save money. However, the “no-frills” carrier may not provide free checked baggage allowance, complimentary food, in-flight entertainment systems, and fast customer support. You may not even get to choose your seats, unless you pay extra.

Airports of Samoa

Best airports to fly into Samoa: Faleolo International Airport (APW) in Apia, Asau Airport (AAU) in Asai, Savai'i, Lalomalava Airport (LAV) in Lalomalava, and Maota Airport (MXS) in Salelologa
Samoa has only three active airports, including one main international airport – Faleolo International Airport APW in Apia. 99% of tourists who visit Samoa arrive at Faleolo airport, mostly on direct flights from Australia, New Zealand, Fiji and American Samoa.
Things to know before flying to Samoa
Airlines flying to SamoaAir New Zealand, Fiji Airways, Hawaiian Airlines, Qantas, Samoa Airways, Singapore Airlines, Virgin Australia
Airlines of SamoaSamoa Airways, Talofa Airways
Main airports in SamoaFaleolo International Airport (APW) — Apia, Upolu
Asau Airport (AAU) — Asai, Savai'i
Lalomalava Airport (LAV) — Lalomalava, Savai'i
Maota Airport (MXS) — Salelologa, Savai'i
Regular price (roundtrip)✈ €1200 – €1800 (from Europe)
✈ $900 – $1200 (from USA)
Flight hacks 40% — 80% off regular fare
Airline discountsDiscounted airline tickets to Samoa (student/family/seniors/military)

Low-cost flights from Samoa

Stay ahead of the game. Fly to popular destinations at a fraction of the regular fare.

The cheapest time to fly to Samoa

The best time to find cheap flights to Samoa tends to be during the low season – February to March. It’s the country’s rainy season and also an off-peak tourism season when Samoa receives the heaviest rainfall and significantly fewer visitors. Everything – including airline tickets – is cheaper.

Flights and accommodation are the most expensive between July and September thanks to the favorable weather conditions — with sunny days and low levels of humidity the country sees an influx of tourists. Book your flights well in advance to avoid inflated last-minute fares.

Samoa vs American Samoa

Samoa (formerly Western Samoa) is an independent country that consists of 10 islands on the west side of the archipelago. The eastern islands became overseas territories of the United States in 1904 and today are known as American Samoa, with the capital city of Pago Pago. Samoa is more geared to tourism and it has many more flight options than American Samoa.

Two main Samoan islands are Upolu (home to the country’s capital city of Apia and main airport Faleolo International Airport) and Savai’i (with a smaller population of just 50,000 and two local airports: Asau Airport and Maota Airport). In the Apolima Strait between Upolu and Savai’i you’ll find two other islands — Manono and Apolima — they have only tiny populations concentrated in small villages. The remaining 6 islands — Fanuatapu, Namua, Nu’ulopa, Nu’ulua, Nu’usafe’e and Nu’utele — are all uninhabited and can only be reached by private boat.

Know your time zone

When checking flights and airport transfer times, ensure you know the local time zones. The departure/arrival times on your plane ticket and boarding pass are based on the time zone of the departure/arrival airport – this also applies to the connecting (layover) airports.

Samoa has an east-west extension of just 1.1 degrees of longitude, and this corresponds to about 120 kilometers. It has only one time zone – West Samoa Time (WST) or Samoa Standard Time (SST), which is GMT/UTC+13 time zone. There are no daylight saving time clock changes.

Samoa is one hour ahead of New Zealand, and 2 hours ahead of Sydney.

Book flights on airnewzealand.co.nz

When booking Air New Zealand flights, always use its website located at the co.nz domain – irrespective of where you are based.

It’s surprising, but often flights listed at airnewzealand.co.nz are much cheaper than on the .com, .eu, .co.uk and com.sg sites (sometimes you can save 50% of the ticket price or more).

Next tips

Flights to Samoa from United States and Canada

  • There are no direct flights from the US or Canada to Samoa. However, most major hubs in Asia have non-stop flights to Samoa, as do some larger airports in the Middle East – your journey will have at least one stop. There are no direct flights from the mainland US or Canada to Samoa. However, Fiji Airways and Hawaiian Airlines operate direct flights from Hawaii (Honolulu) to Samoa (Apia). If you are flying from one of the major American cities to Samoa, your journey will have at least one stop.
  • Samoa is well-served via one-stop flights from North America. Flights to Samoa with one layover depart from most major North American airports, including Atlanta ATL, Dallas DFW, Denver DEN, Chicago ORD, Los Angeles LAX, Las Vegas DFW, Miami MIA, Seattle SEA, Houston IAH, New York JFK, and San Francisco SFO in the United States and Toronto YYZ, Vancouver YVR, Calgary LAS, and Montreal YUL in Canada.
  • The best airlines to fly to Samoa from the US and Canada are: Air New Zealand, Fiji Airways, Hawaiian Airlines, Qantas, and Singapore Airlines,. They are top full-service carriers, offering exceptional customer service, in-flight comfort, a generous checked baggage allowance, and reliable customer support channels – all included in the ticket price.

Samoa from US & Canada.
Ticket prices in March 2024.

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Long waiting times when calling the helpline?

Social media is usually a faster way to reach the airline when a problem arises. Use Twitter or Facebook Messenger to contact the airline customer service and get a response and solution within minutes (see detailed guides for Air New Zealand, Qantas, Virgin Australia, Jetstar, and others.

When it comes to Twitter there’s one more trick to get in touch with the airline faster: mention the airline in a tweet about your issue (add “@airline_handle”, for example: “@FlySamoaAirways” if contacting national carrier Samoa Airways). The social media team will often notice it immediately, ask you for a direct message, and respond privately.

South Pacific time travel (the international date line)

The international date line (IDL) is an imaginary line on the Earth’s surface that stretches from the North Pole to the South Pole, running through the middle of the Pacific Ocean. It roughly follows a 180-degree longitude and defines the border between one day and the next.

Pacific islands: international date line
International date line crossing the Pacific Ocean

IDL is not a straight line, though. It zig-zags back and forth across the Pacific Ocean, so it is not always at the same longitude. Starting from the north, it passes west of the Hawaiian Islands and east of the Marshall Islands. As it moves further south, it reaches the Pacific island nation of Kiribati and makes a major deviation east to encompass the Kiribati and Line Islands. Then it passes between Samoa and American Samoa, keeping the former west and the latter east of the IDL. It then stays parallel to the meridian, keeping to the east of the line so that Fiji, Tonga, and New Zealand are all west of the IDL.

When you cross the ID westward, you gain a day, and if you are traveling eastward, you lose a day. It may seem like you are moving forward or backward in time, but obviously, you’re just adjusting to a different time zone.

Book your flights in the local currency

Airfares that a flight search engine or airline website quotes you often vary depending on where you book from. Try to spoof your location and currency so that it looks like you’re booking the flight from the same country it departs from. For example, if you are in the US and booking a leg of your trip from Dubai to Singapore, set the country on the airline website to UAE and the currency to Emirati dirham (AED).

This simple trick doesn’t work every time (not all websites set prices the same way), but it can sometimes save you significant money.

Next tips

Flights to Samoa from UK, Germany, France, Netherlands and other countries in Europe

  • There are no direct flights from Europe to Samoa — you’ll need to get a connecting flight from elsewhere in the Middle East or in Asia.
  • Airlines that frequently fly from the UK, Germany, France, and other European countries to Samoa include Air New Zealand, Fiji Airways, Qantas, and Virgin Australia.
  • Consider departure airports in neighboring countries to increase your chance of spotting the best deal. Especially look for large airports that serve as hubs for multiple airlines. For example, if you live in Western Europe, check air tickets to Samoa from Amsterdam, Frankfurt, London, Madrid, Paris, and Rome. Leverage frequent promotions from European budget carriers like RyanAir, EasyJet, and Eurowings to reach a major hub; from there, take a cheaper long-haul flight to your final destination, potentially saving hundreds of euros.
  • These major European airports are excellent departure points for trips to Samoa: London LHR and Manchester MAN in the United Kingdom, Frankfurt FRA and Munich MUC in Germany, Paris CDG and Nice NCE in France, Amsterdam AMS in the Netherlands, Madrid MAD and Barcelona BCN in Spain, Rome FCO and Milano MXP in Italy, Brussels BRU in Belgium, Copenhagen OSL in Denmark, Oslo OSL in Norway, Stockholm ARN in Sweden, Zurich ZRH in Switzerland, Lisbon LIS in Portugal, Vienna VIE in Austria, Warsaw WAW in Poland, Prague PRG in the Czech Republic, and Dublin DUB in Ireland.

Samoa from Europe.Flight schedule and ticket prices.

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Check different departure airports

Consider neighboring cities when choosing the departure airport – especially look for larger cities with airports that serve as hubs for multiple airlines.

For example, if you live in West Europe, check prices for flights departing from Paris, London, Amsterdam, Frankfurt, Rome, or Vienna. In 9 out of 10 cases, the cheapest flight to Samoa will depart from one of these hubs, and it may be €500 less or more than your first choice. Yes, you may have to fly a few hundred kilometers to this hub, but low-cost airlines like EasyJet, RyanAir, or WizzAir will happily take you there for €50 – €100.

Use a similar tactic if you depart from the US or another region. It’s one of the best ways to save hundreds on trips.

Book flights from many departure airports
By entering more than one departure city in the flight search engine (at the top of this page), you can quickly find the airport with the cheapest flights to your destination

Last-minute flights to Samoa. The real cost of convenience.

Last-minute flights are often touted as a great way to save money, but the reality is far from it. Booking last-minute flights to Samoa almost always never works out.

Based on years of research, the airlines know what people are willing to pay for specific flights and dates. To make the most money, they will sell their cheapest fares first and then increase the prices right before the flight to take advantage of these travelers who are willing to pay the premium price for late booking.

Occasionally, airlines can offer last-minute deals to fill the remaining seats, but these are for unusual times and unpopular places. Popular destinations and dates tend to sell out quickly.

Planning ahead is key to securing a good deal on your flight. Last-minute flight deals are hard to come by, so as soon as you have a tentative travel timeline, book your flight. The earlier you book, the more likely you are to save money. If you are looking for a good deal, the best time to book your flight to Samoa is 2-8 months before the takeoff.

Airlines of Samoa

Samoa’s national flag carrier is Samoa Airways (formerly Polynesian Airlines), based at Faleolo International Airport near Apia. Currently, it operates short-haul domestic flights within the country and international flights to Australia (Brisbane, Sydney), New Zealand (Auckland), the Cook Islands, and French Polynesia.

The other Samoan airline is Talofa Airways — a small carrier that offers flights to a handful of regional destinations, including Apia in Samoa, Pago Pago in American Samoa, and Nuku’alofa in Tonga.

Flights to Samoa from Australia and New Zealand

  • Australia and New Zealand offer robust flight networks to key APAC locations, Samoa included. While domestic carriers like Qantas, Jetstar Airways, Virgin Australia, and Air New Zealand provide solid options, several major international airlines also serve these routes. These include ANA, Cathay Pacific, EmiratesGaruda Indonesia, Japan Airlines, Korean Air, Malaysia Airlines, Philippine Airlines, Qatar Airways, Singapore Airlines, and Thai Airways — expanding your choices for travel between Australasia and Asia.

    There are no direct flights from Australia or New Zealand to Samoa. You’ll need a layover in one of the major hubs in Asia.
    Thanks to its location in the central South Pacific Ocean (roughly halfway between New Zealand and Hawaii), Samoa has many options for direct flights to from Australia and New Zealand. Weekly non-stop flights connect Sydney, Brisbane, Melbourne, Auckland, and Christchurch with Faleolo International Airport in Apia, the capital city of Samoa, and you can fly with Air New Zealand, Fiji Airways, Qantas, Samoa Airways, or Virgin Australia. During the peak tourist season (between June and September), airlines usually put on more flights to meet higher demand. However, it's best to book your flights well in advance to avoid higher prices.
  • Airlines have different pricing strategies for different routes. A flight to Samoa could be significantly cheaper from Sydney than from Melbourne, depending on airline partnerships, demand, and even time of year. Compare fares from different international airports in Australia: Sydney SYD, Brisbane BNE, Melbourne MEL, Perth PER, Adelaide ADL, Cairns CNS, Gold Coast OOL, Canberra CBR, Darwin DRW, Hobart HBA, Alice Springs ASP, and in New Zealand: Auckland AKL, Wellington WLG, Christchurch CHC, Queenstown ZQN, Dunedin DUD, and Hamilton HLZ.
  • If you’re looking to save, consider flying from Australia or New Zealand to a primary Asian hub, then catch a connecting flight to Samoa with a regional budget airline such as Samoa Airways and Talofa Airways.

    For the initial leg of your trip, full-service airlines such as Qantas or Virgin Atlantic offer premium comfort and exceptional service, albeit at a premium price. However, many Asian airlines, including budget carriers, operate out of Australia and frequently feature sales and promotions. For instance, AirAsia runs deals to Jakarta, Kuala Lumpur, and Singapore; Cebu Pacific to Manila; Scoot to Singapore; VietJet Air to Ho Chi Minh City; Jetstar to Seoul, Singapore, and Tokyo; Bamboo Airways to Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City, Beijing; Batik Air to Jakarta and Singapore.

Australia & New Zealand to Samoa.Flight ticket prices today.

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Booking group flights to Samoa

Flights are cheaper when purchased in bulk rather than as individual tickets. Booking group flights to Samoa can be a cost-effective option for a school trip, family reunion, or corporate group traveling to a conference.

To qualify for the special group rate, the group must usually have at least 10 passengers. Discounts depend on the airline, group size, and travel dates, and typically range from 5% to 20% off the regular airfare.

Airlines and flight search websites typically limit automatic group bookings to 10 passengers. This limit reflects the complexity of managing larger groups, which require personalized service and more time to coordinate. To get the price quote for your group, you’ll need to contact the airline or a travel agent directly.

Most airlines have a group booking form or phone number (see examples at Emirates and Qantas). Fill out the form, and the airline will come back to you with the proposed group rate. If your group is large and a scheduled flight cannot accommodate everyone, the airline may offer you a charter flight.

Additionally, there are various perks that your group may be eligible for:

  • free seats (complimentary tickets for every 10 or 20 passengers that book together)
  • free checked baggage allowance
  • dedicated group check-in counter at the airport
  • cabin crew who speak your group’s language
  • flexible booking terms (that allow changes without fees)

Booking group flights to Samoa is similar to booking individual flights. The main difference is that you’ll need to provide personal information for all passengers, and the airline may request additional details, such as meal preferences or accommodations for disabled travelers. A deposit – typically 10-50% of the total cost – may be required to secure the booking. However, some airlines offer deferred payment options where you can secure a reservation with a booking fee and pay the balance later.

If you’re open to different airlines or want more personalized service, a travel agent may be a better choice. Travel agents may have access to discounted group rates to Samoa and can help with logistics and scheduling.

“Hot seats” on long-haul flights

Those days seat selection is considered an optional, extra paid service – seats with extra legroom (front and exit rows) are usually priced higher. However, if you’re about to take a long-haul flight to Samoa, those “hot seats” are worth considering – expect to pay $50-$100, which is much less than upgrading to Premium Economy.

If you want to choose your seats, do this early (ideally during the booking) for a more extensive selection of available options.

Booking hot seats (preffered seats with extra legroom) on plane
Choosing a hot seat during the flight booking process is usually worth it. For a reasonable price, you will get more room to stretch your legs, as well as a wider seat pitch.
Next tips

Flights to Samoa from Bali, Bangkok, Delhi, Dubai, Hong Kong, Jakarta, Kuala Lumpur, Manila, Singapore, Seoul, Tokyo, and other major hubs in Asia

  • Asia is probably the best continent for short-haul and mid-haul flying. The sheer scale of this most populous region on Earth is reflected in the type of aircraft operating many shorter routes: intra-Asia flyers benefit from comfortable, wide-bodied aircraft by the likes of Boeing 777, 787 or Airbus A350, A330, and A380. When booking your flight to Samoa look for these bigger planes as they will almost always give you the best experience in every cabin, including better seat pitches, higher ceilings, and larger overhead bin space.
  • Asia is also home to most of the world’s best airlines. There are only ten airlines that received the prestigious 5-star mark of quality from Skytrax, and all of them are from Asia: ANA, Asiana Airlines, Cathay Pacific, EVA Air, Garuda Indonesia, Japan Airlines, Korean Air, Qatar Airways, Singapore Airlines. Choosing one of these airlines for your trip to Samoa will guarantee a pleasant journey – delicious meals served during the flight, great in-flight entertainment, and above-average airline customer service.
  • Asia is extremely well served by low-cost regional airlines. If you are visiting Samoa and want to see several other countries on a tight budget, they often have great sales with rock-bottom prices, while still offering a relatively comfortable flight experience. Among the best Asian budget airlines you can book without hesitation are AirAsiaCebu Pacific, Citilink, FlyDubai, Indigo, Jetstar Airways, Scoot, SpiceJet. The cons? Being no-frills airlines they may not provide free baggage allowance, inflight meals, or onboard entertainment. The departure times may also be quite inconvenient as they try to save money by flying at off-peak hours.
  • Most major Asian airports have convenient and frequent flights to Samoa — including Changi (Singapore), Dubai (UAE), Hong Kong (China), Incheon (Seoul, South Korea), Indira Gandhi (New Delhi, India), KLIA (Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia), Narita (Tokyo, Japan), Denpasar (Bali, Indonesia), Soekarno–Hatta (Jakarta, Indonesia), Ninoy Aquino (Manila, Philippines), Suvarnabhumi (Bangkok, Thailand), Taoyuan (Taipei, Taiwan), and others.

Samoa from major Asian airports.Flight prices in March 2024.

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Lost luggage prevention: Essential tips

Every year, airlines handle millions of bags and a small percentage never make it to their final destinations. Avoid lost luggage nightmares on your trip to Samoa by removing old tags from previous flights on your suitcases – they can confuse baggage handlers and conveyor belt scanners. It’s also a good idea to label your luggage with your name, address, and phone number (both inside and outside the case) and attach a GPS-tracker device like Apple AirTag or Samsung SmartTag.

For peace of mind, consider purchasing travel insurance to cover the full value of your luggage, as airline liability usually doesn’t reflect the actual value of the baggage content.

“Book Flights Now, Pay Later” — is it worth it?

Booking a flight and paying for it later has recently become a popular trend in the travel industry, with many airlines offering delayed payment plans. They will allow you to make flight reservation to Samoa now and then pay the bill in installments. But should you take advantage?

Book Now Pay Later (BNPL) plans are essentially short-term personal loans. By partnering with financial companies such as Affirm, Afterpay, PayPal Credit, Fly Now Pay Later, and Uplift, airlines can offer their loan services on the checkout page. When you book the flight with the BNPL option, the company pays the airline, and you repay the loan in installments over a set period (usually up to 24 months), with a set interest rate.

BNPL providers have varying terms and fees. Some may offer interest-free loans but have fees for late payments and require forced autoplay on your bank account, while others may have high annual percentage rates (up to 30-40% APR). There may also be transaction fees, down payment requirements, and many companies even run a credit check on the traveler.

Fly now pay later - delayed payments for flight reservations
Fly Now Pay Later works with numerous popular travel brands to provide delayed payment options

Among the airlines that offer a “fly now, pay later” option are American Airlines, Delta Air Lines, Emirates, Qatar Airways, Qantas, Turkish Airlines, United Airlines, Alaska Airlines, British Airways, KLM, Lufthansa, Southwest, and Virgin Atlantic.

Is BNPL financing worth it? If paid off on time, interest-free delayed payment on your flight ticket to Samoa can be a great way to free up your cash flow. However, there may be safer alternatives available – such as taking advantage of an introductory 0% interest offer on a credit card or using flight price “freezing” services like Hopper.

Proof of onward travel – a simple hack

Travelers who go on long trips often don’t have a set itinerary and fly on one-way tickets. The problem? For many APAC countries, proof of onward travel is a legal requirement. If you arrive at the airport without an onward ticket (from Samoa to another country), you’ll either be forced to buy one online or forbidden from boarding the plane altogether.

The cheapest solution? Renting an onward ticket! Use the websites such as OneWayFly or OnwardTicket to get a flight reservation for a limited amount of time (usually 2 to 14 days). They work by actually booking you on a real flight out of Samoa and giving you a confirmable flight reservation with a PNR (Passenger Name Record) under your name. After the time limit, your spot on the flight is automatically canceled. Such “temporary tickets” tend to cost anywhere from $10 to $20.

Confirmed flight ticket reservation
Proof of onward travel: confirmed flight ticket reservation (source: OnwardTicket)