Flying from Nadi to Auckland with Fiji Airways

Boarding a Fiji Airways 777 at Auckland Airport. Photo / Winston Aldworth

Stephanie Holmes flies Fiji Airways FJ413 from Nadi to Auckland.

The plane: Boeing 737-700

Class: Business

Price: From $1353 return.

Flight time: 2 hours 40 minute

On time: We pushed back from the gate 10 minutes early and the flight was 25 minutes shorter than scheduled. This was very much appreciated seeing as it was a Sunday night 8.30pm departure and due to land at 12.35am Monday morning, and I had to be at work just hours later that day. As it was, we landed before midnight and I was home just before 1am.

Luggage: Up to two pieces of cabin baggage weighing 7kg each, or one piece weighing 14kg, plus 40kg of checked luggage.

How full: Of the eight Business Class seats, five were full. There appeared to be empty seats in Economy too.

Fellow passengers: Aside from me, a couple of Fijian businessmen and a Kiwi couple returning home from holidays.

My seat: 1C, with leg and foot rest and 18-inch recline. It was roomy and comfortable and gave a good amount of personal space between me and the man in 1A.

Entertainment: Business Class passengers are given an iPad loaded with movies, TV shows and music. I was very impressed with the movie selection — there were more than 20 to choose from, and at least five I wanted to watch. I chose Stronger, about Boston bombing victim Jeff Bauman and his recovery. I was glad the lights were dimmed, as I had a bit of a weep at the end. I felt bad for the Economy passengers who had to endure episodes of the Big Bang Theory on the drop-down screens.

Service: Excellent — attentive and caring.

Food and drink: Things got off to a good start with a coconut rum and apple juice cocktail before take-off, which helped ease my pain about my holiday being over. Dinner was a choice of grilled spiced wahoo, beef, or pasta with blue-cheese sauce, followed by semolina cake ora cheese plate. I had the wahoo and it was tender and full of flavour. No room for dessert, as I'd gone a bit hard on the buffet in the excellent Fiji Airways lounge before boarding.

Toilets: Pretty standard airline toilets, apart from the luxurious Pure Fiji white ginger lily handwash and body lotion. The lighting was pretty severe and made me realise my last hours on Beachcomber Island had burned me to a crisp and I now resembled a leather handbag.

Airport experience: Excellent — the departures hall at Nadi's international terminal felt spacious and peaceful, even when three flights were leaving at about the same time. Security and immigration was fast and easy for me — some American travellers were not having the same luck and were being questioned about the contents of their hand luggage and one guy was even led to the private room with a security officer.

Would I fly again? Yes please. Fiji Airways' Business Class offering is great.

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