

With New Zealand being so far away from everything, we don’t have very many options for airlines to get out into the big wide world. Even harder is finding a cheap flight to anywhere! But now, Fiji Airways is emerging as an awesome cheap, quality airline which serves as a gateway to Asia and America for Australia and New Zealand.

Honestly, I was very impressed by the experience we had with Fiji Airways. So, here is my Fiji Airways review for those considering using this airline to see what to expect.

Fiji Airways Service review

The service offered with Fiji Airways was really great. Most of the staff members were so friendly and helpful. We (Felipe especially) were a bit hungry after our meal a few times, and when we asked for more snacks they were more than happy to bring us what was still left. Actually, at one point they brought about 5 chocolate pies in one go – so I think we finished off their leftovers! It is really great to have an airline that is willing to oblige your requests – and always with a smile!

Fiji Airways Food Review

We marked the vegetarian option for our in-flight meals, and were happy to see that the special meals were distributed first, meaning we always ate first. But we soon realised that even without telling them that we are vegetarian, we still would have probably been okay. This is because they offer one meat and one vegetarian option for their meals – every single flight!

I always get really hungry on flights, so it was really good to be one of the first ones to be served. And the food was always good (not just because I was hungry!). With the exception of the breakfast we had once, it was always the same vegetable and rice combo with a nice sauce. I believe they give everyone who indicates dietary requirements the same meal because it appears to be not only vegetarian, but also vegan and gluten-free. That can mean that you miss out on some of the good snacks they put with the meal, but you can always ask them to bring you one later.

If you have requested a special meal and then see other people getting served before you, alert the staff immediately so there’s no chance you miss out on your meal.

On another note – Fiji Airways has a food service even on the short-haul flights, like between Auckland and Nadi. Maybe it’s not so budget after all!

Fiji as a destination

While Fiji Airways don’t exclusively fly to Fiji, they clearly aim to increase tourism in Fiji. If you are planning to visit Fiji, I would recommend considering an extended stopover in Fiji on the way to somewhere else. This will mean you get to experience another destination as well. It’s also a lot cheaper than buying two flights individually.

Fiji as a stopover

Fiji Airways flights to Asia all – unsurprisingly – make stopovers in Fiji. Because Fiji Airways do not fly to most destinations every day, these stopovers range in length from a few hours to a few days.

If you do have a longer stopover in Fiji, think of it as an awesome opportunity to see another place! It’s a cheap and stress-free way to add another destination to your trip. That’s how we saw it, and in-fact, for our trip to Japan, we called Fiji Airways before we booked and requested for our stopover length to be extended from 1 day to 4 days. That is how we ended up getting to see more of Fiji! There was absolutely no extra cost from Fiji Airways to do that.

Even if your stopover is not long, there’s no way you can’t enjoy relaxing in some gorgeously warm weather in a resort by the pool. It’s the perfect place to unwind before or after spending time in a fast-paced city like Tokyo or Hong Kong.

If you’re staying for a night or more in Fiji, consider the Anchorage Beach Resort. This is a good, affordable hotel near Nadi airport which also has its own port for day trips out to other islands. Read my full review here.

Fiji Airways value for money

Fiji Airways often have really good sales on from Australia and New Zealand for flights to Tokyo, Hong Kong, and Singapore especially. I’ve seen them doing less than $600 return for these Asian cities, well undercutting other airlines that usually do these routes for well over $1000 return. Fiji Airways also offer direct flights from Fiji to many cities in North America and other pacific island nations.

It’s important to note that Fiji Airways don’t seem to be well represented on flight searching services such as Skyscanner, so it’s a good idea to check their website if you want to find a good deal to any of these places.

Fiji Airways Flying Times

The flight time between Auckland and Nadi is only about 3 hours, so a very short and easy flight. From there, we went to Tokyo, which took 8-9 hours. Flying directly to Tokyo takes about 10 and a half hours, so we really didn’t add much to our total flying time at all!

Issues with fiji airways

We had two minor hiccups with our Fiji Airways experience, which I thought would only be fair to share here.

The first one was that our first flight was delayed by about 2 hours. While this didn’t bother us very much because our flight was arriving early morning anyway, there wasn’t any communication about the delay to passengers, so I can see how some people could have been annoyed.

The other issue we had was on our final flight from Nadi to Auckland. We had emailed the airline in advance to advise we require vegetarian meals, and so far this had been running smoothly on every flight. But on this flight, we didn’t get served our food first like we usually did, and when the regular food service finally got to us they had “run out” of vegetarian meals. They were miraculously able to retrieve two vegetarian meals when they realised they had been the ones to make a mistake.

These two things were at worst minor inconveniences and mistakes which can be expected with any airline, so I don’t regard them as major problems and they didn’t take away from my overall positive experience of Fiji Airways.

Conclusion to this Fiji Airways review: My Recommendation

I was not expecting anything from Fiji Airways as this was the first time I have flown with them. In saying that, they definitely exceeded my expectations.

They provided a really good service , both onboard and offboard. Their contact centre is free to call (from New Zealand) and they are easy to communicate with. And yes, if you were wondering, Fijians have an exceptional level of English so you won’t have any problem.

, both onboard and offboard. Their contact centre is free to call (from New Zealand) and they are easy to communicate with. And yes, if you were wondering, Fijians have an exceptional level of English so you won’t have any problem. The food was really nice (and yes, I enjoyed being served first as a vegetarian).

was really nice (and yes, I enjoyed being served first as a vegetarian). But of course, the most important thing for most people is the price . When Fiji Airways have sales, they really offer the best deal around for getting from Australia and New Zealand to Asia. I’m not too sure about their prices to North America and the other islands, but it is definitely a good option to check out as well!

. When Fiji Airways have sales, they really offer the best deal around for getting from Australia and New Zealand to Asia. I’m not too sure about their prices to North America and the other islands, but it is definitely a good option to check out as well! Also, the fact that the stopover is in Fiji is an advantage because it gives you the chance to visit a beautiful island nation on the way to wherever you are going.

So to sum up my Fiji Airways review, Fiji Airways is an affordable, reliable airline. My experience with them was great and I definitely recommend them. Don’t be afraid to try Fiji Airways just because it is an airline from a developing nation. Their flight service is definitely up to standard. We used them on all our flights between New Zealand, Fiji, and Japan (and back again) and it was a great choice for an unforgettable trip. We would definitely use them again.

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This review was completely independent and I haven’t been compensated by Fiji Airways in any way. All opinions are my own.

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