Condé Nast Traveler - American Samoa

South Pacific: Places & Prices by Ron Hall Published December 2003 1  > First step: Make your choice from remote idylls to sumptuous new resorts. Then make sure to get an agent who knows the territory A sign at the tiny airstrip on the island of Ofu, American Samoa, is painted with popular destinations: TOKYO 4, 190 MILES, L.A. 4, 560 MILES, AUCKLAND 1, 625 MILES, HONOLULU 2, 330 MILES. It serves as a reminder of the huge distances of the South Pacific, compared with the relatively small puddle-hops of the Atlantic. Clearly this is not going to be easy territory, especially if you're budget-minded. An assiduous travel agent should know ways of keeping the costs down, but the key to inexpensive flights is the Polypass. Developed more than ten years ago by Polynesian Airlines, it allows multiple stops on the same bargain-price ticket. Copycat passes are sold by other small national airlines and are available for short triangular routings such as Auckland-Tonga-Samoa-Auckland, as well as more lengthy tours such as Auckland-Apia-Pago Pago-Apia- Sydney-Nadi-Apia-Tonga-Auckland. A judicious mix of long-haul flights and one or more air passes is often all you'll need. But ...