Airline review: Fiji Airways, Airbus A350 economy class, Sydney to Nadi

DURATION

Only three hours and 30 minutes thanks to favourable winds. We take off 25 minutes late but still get to Nadi International Airport right on time.

FREQUENCY

Fiji Airways is operating twice daily flights from Sydney to Fiji. It operates five flights a week from Melbourne and three flights a week from Brisbane to Nadi.

HEALTH

All passengers on international flights operated by Fiji Airways must show proof of vaccination (with some exceptions for children and medical exemptions) plus proof of a negative pre-departure Rapid Antigen Test, travel insurance, and a pre-booked post-arrival RAT.

CHECK-IN

Fiji Airways advises passengers to arrive at least three hours early for your flight.

THE SEAT

The main economy class cabin is in a 3-3-3 configuration, seats have an 80 centimetre pitch with a six degree recline. I'm 185 centimetres tall, but even sitting at the window my legs don't feel cramped, and I can still watch TV comfortably when the passenger in front reclined as far as he could.

BAGGAGE

From December 2021, the airline increased standard baggage allowance from 23 kilograms to 30 kilograms for economy class passengers on all international flights. You're allowed one item of hand luggage weighing a maximum of seven kilograms.

ENTERTAINMENT

Each seat has a 30 centimetre monitor with a USB port and in-seat power. There's a pretty decent selection of Hollywood and international movies, including new releases. There are plenty of new-release TV series too, and old classics like Modern Family and Arrested Development. There's more than enough to keep you occupied for the short flight. What I liked too was the free access to digital reading platform, PressReader, which has more than 7000 international newspapers and magazines available to read (Fiji Airways is the first airline in Asia Pacific to offer it).

SERVICE

You're heading to the land of big smiles so don't expect airline staff with attitude. Staff are happy from the moment I get on and their smiles don't slip for a second (yes, they have masks on but you don't need to see a Fijian's mouth to know they're smiling - they smile with their whole face), even when I spill coffee all over myself and my seat and they all zero in to help clean it up.

FOOD

Fiji's cuisine differs from most of the South Pacific thanks to the fact almost 40 per cent of its population originally hail from India. That unique Fijian-Indian mix is on display on my plate, with a delicious take on chicken masala that's dominated by coconut cream. Fiji Airways recently appointed highly awarded Fijian-New Zealand chef Richard Cross to oversee its menu, they've also just introduced a new selection of highly rated wines from America, France, Australia and New Zealand.

ONE MORE THING

Fiji Airways have introduced a complimentary in-flight activity pack and book series called Our Ocean, Our Life for passengers from two to 12 years old. It's designed to educate on the importance of protecting Fiji's fragile marine environment. It's a good idea to keep kids occupied considering this flight often looks like a creche service.

THE VERDICT

I eat a tasty lunch, watch a decent late-release movie, then I arrive on time in Nadi for 10 days of sitting on a South Pacific beach – do you hear me complaining?

OUR RATING OUT OF FIVE

★★★★

Craig Tansley travelled courtesy of Fiji Tourism

See also: Why Fiji's now our No.1 destination (and why it beats Bali)

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