Check-in: Smooth. The airport was relatively busy, but the Fiji Airways check-in had only a short queue and the ground staff member who checked us in was fast and efficient.
Flight time: 2 hours 33 minutes, which seems remarkably fast. And is just another reason why you could quite legitimately visit Fiji for a weekend away.
On time: Yes.
Seat: 29A - a window seat just behind the wing, giving a good view of the Fiji Airways logo on the wingtip. Nathan was wedged into 29B, the middle seat, next to a young Fijian man. The seat width is just 17 inches (43cm), which made for an uncomfortable flight for him. Me? I leant against the window and had a lovely half-hour nap.
Fellow passengers: Mostly Fijians returning home, with a bunch of Kiwi and international holidaymakers thrown in for good measure. It was a mostly full flight, with only the odd spare seat . I suppose the time of day - 1.50pm on a Friday - isn't the most popular time for holidaymakers, who are likely to get an early-morning flight to make the most of their trip. For us, it was a great time to fly - an easy drive to Auckland airport, with hardly any traffic congestion.
Food & drink: My pre-ordered vegetarian meal was filling and quite tasty - a tomato, spinach and pumpkin lasagne with carrots and courgettes, a bread roll on the side and - somewhat strangely - a packet of peanuts and raisins for dessert. Nathan's chicken curry was "fine", and his Mrs Higgins chocolate fudge brownie appeared to go down a treat.
There was only one meal option for the meat eaters, which made for a speedy service.
The bar service only offered beer, wine and soft drinks - no spirit.
Entertainment: It's been a long time since I've been on an international flight that didn't have a personal TV screen, and it was a bit of a shock (perhaps I've just been spoilt?). The drop-down screens played The Big Year, a not-very-good Steve Martin/Jack Black/Owen Wilson/Angelica Huston comedy about bird-watching. No wonder I fell asleep.
Toilets: Fine, nothing to write home about.
Service: Mostly great, although one cabin crew member was a little terse with some of the non-English speaking passengers, getting quite shirty when they didn't move their bags completely under the seat in front.
Would I fly again: Yes. It was a good service and felt good to support Fiji's national carrier when breezing into the country for a weekend away.
