Flying from Auckland to Nadi aboard Fiji Airways

Fiji Airways.

Sam Shead flies aboard Fiji Airways flight FJ410 from Auckland to Nadi.

The plane: A spacious Airbus A330-200.

Class: Economy. The seating was a 2-3-2 configuration and my seat in 23E felt fairly new and comfortable.

Price: $246 — seems reasonable for a three-hour flight to paradise.

Fellow passengers: Mostly tourists, with a smattering of Fijians.

How full: Oversold, according to the man at the check-in desk. There were seven free seats in business when we checked in but they had been sold by the time we reached the gate.

Entertainment: There was a good selection of movies, including The Greatest Showman and the new Blade Runner. I watched the quirky fantasy The Shape of Water on a screen that was just about big enough to make out what was going on.

The service: The cabin crew were prompt and friendly.

Food and drink: After a fruity glass of Wolf Blass cabernet sauvignon, I opted for the mysterious "chicken". It turned out to be a tasty chicken curry and rice accompanied by a nice little pudding pot and some cheese on crackers. I would have appreciated a slightly more elaborate description from the cabin crew member who served me, but heigh-ho, it tasted good.

The toilets: Fine. But not a patch on the toilets just after security in Auckland airport. I love those taps with the built-in Dyson hand dryers.

Luggage: 23kg check-in baggage allowance and a 7kg carry-on.

The airport experience: Smooth. We grabbed a coffee at The Market Porter cafe in the departure lounge and made use of the free airport Wi-Fi before breezing through security.

The bottom line: My first Fiji Airways experience turned out to be a pleasant flight that surpassed my expectations.