Find cheap Fiji Airways flights

Founded decades ago as Air Pacific, Fiji Airways is the flag carrier of the Pacific island nation of Fiji, offering flights from its hub at Nadi to destinations across the South Pacific, New Zealand, Australia, Asia, and the United States.

The airline is also known as a cost-effective alternative for US travelers bound for Australia and New Zealand, offering distinctively Fijian hospitality onboard. The airline is also the primary domestic airline for Fiji, offering flights onboard small aircraft to the nation's many island communities.

Network

Fiji Airways North America gateways include Los Angeles, San Francisco, Dallas/Ft.Worth, Vancouver and Honolulu, with nonstop service to Nadi from each. From Honolulu, the flights operate either nonstop or via Apia, Samoa or Kirimati on specific days of the week, offering the only service from the US to those two nations. Many travelers from the US are traveling beyond Fiji to other destinations in the South Pacific.

The airline is known for offering competitive fares from the US to Australia and New Zealand via Nadi, and the flights are timed for easy connections, or for stopovers in Fiji. It’s also a more direct routing option than via New Zealand if you’re going to the Solomon Islands, Tonga, Vanuatu, Kiribati, or New Caledonia; none of those countries have nonstop flights from the US.

Classes of service

Fiji Airways offers Business Class and Economy Class on most flights onboard the Airbus A350, Airbus A330, Boeing 737, and ATR 72 turboprop flights. Business class on the ATR 72 does not have a marked difference in seating. Business Class on Boeing 737 flights is a recliner-style chair with generous seat pitch, and Business Class on the widebody A330 and A350 are lie flat.

Seats and service – Economy Class

Economy Class seats on Fiji Airways jet aircraft have a pretty standard 31” to 32” inches of seat pitch. The airline also sells Bula Space seats in Economy with up to 34” of pitch. Seats have 5” of recline and Economy seats on all jet flights except those operated by the 737-800 have individual screens. The 737-800 has a main screen video. Bar service is complimentary on all but the shortest flights, when alcohol is not served.

There are a number of add-on upgrades that can give you more space in Economy Class. Once booked, you can check whether these are available for your specific flights on the Fiji Airways website. My Bubble Seat allows you to purchase an open seat next to you for some additional space, while My Island Sleeper Row allows you to purchase the whole row to get some sleep. That option also comes with a mattress topper, larger pillow, extra blanket, and seat belt extension to really stretch out.

Seats and service – Business Class

Flights from North America are operated by the widebody Airbus A350 and Airbus A330 aircraft with lie flat seats. Flights from Honolulu are operated by the Boeing 737-800 or Boeing 737 MAX 8, which have recliner seats in Business. Meals, with several choices of main course, are offered in Business, with nods to Fijian and international culinary stylings and a full bar. One of the main course offerings is typically vegetarian.

Business Class passengers also get amenity kits with Pure Fiji toiletries and access to the Premier Lounge in Nadi or a partner lounge at airports outside Fiji. Priority check-in and security lines are also available in Nadi or at other airports as local regulations allow. On the ATR 72 aircraft, the service is the primary differentiator, as the seats are the same as Economy Class.

Seats and service – International

Flights between Hawai’i and Pacific Rim destinations are divided into two categories for service. Flights to Tahiti, Cook Islands, and American Samoa have onboard service similar to the US West Coast, as these flights are of a similar stage length. Flights to Australia, New Zealand, Japan, and South Korea offer a full international service, with a main meal and a lighter snack, which is complimentary in both cabins. The widebody aircraft used for these flights have the same seating as when they’re flown to the US Mainland. Extra Comfort passengers on International flights receive an amenity kit.

Seat assignments

Standard seat assignments are free on Fiji Airways. Bulkhead seats, exit seats, and forward section seats are all available for an additional fee, separate from the other premium seating options in Economy. If you’re traveling with an infant and want to ensure a seat with an infant bassinet, you must purchase a bulkhead seat and call reservations to reserve the bassinet, otherwise, it’s first-come, first-served at the airport. When booking bulkhead seats, bear in mind they’re frequently booked by passengers with infants.

This isn’t well-advertised, but I’ve noticed that some extra legroom or other preferred seats can typically be grabbed by oneworld elite members during the booking process. These seats also tend to open up for elites free of charge during the check-in process online.

Duty-free sales

Fiji Airways continues to offer duty-free sales onboard, a practice that is quickly waning in popularity on many international airlines. There’s the typical range of alcohol, cosmetics, jewelry and tobacco, but there’s also a selection of Fijian products and Fiji Airways souvenirs. Duty-free items can also be pre-booked before your flight on the Fiji Airways website, including some items only available via preorder.

Loyalty program

Fiji Airways has long operated its own loyalty program but is in the process of transitioning to adopt the American Airlines AAdvantage program as its only frequent flier program, as it works toward full membership in the oneworld alliance. Members of most oneworld alliance member airlines frequent flier programs, including Alaska Airlines, Qantas, Japan Airlines, British Airways, and Cathay Pacific, can already earn and redeem miles on Fiji Airways.

Check-in

Online check-in is available to nearly all passengers departing from all cities, which saves a great deal of time. I’ve never seen a really long line at a Fiji Airways ticket counter, and their bag drop process is pretty efficient, both in Fiji and at other airports.

For passengers departing from Fiji, the airline also operates check-in desks at three resorts on Viti Levu: Sofitel Fiji Resort & Spa, Sheraton Fiji Golf & Beach Resort, and Hilton Fiji Beach Resort & Spa. Passengers can receive boarding passes and check bags, which are transported securely to the airport. However, resort check-in is only available for destinations other than the United States because of required security checks.

Baggage

Fiji Airways has a weight limit of 15 pounds for carry-on bags, but I haven’t seen this consistently enforced, particularly for Business Class and oneworld elite members in the earlier stages of boarding. It’s worth keeping in mind, however, that airport staff can require bags to be checked at the gate if they’re overweight or oversized. They sometimes charge a pretty hefty fee for doing that, so going to the gate with bags beyond the allowance can be a gamble.

Passengers can check one or two bags in without charge, as long as they’re not traveling on the lowest Economy Value fare. The standard max weight per piece of checked luggage is a generous 66 pounds for all passengers, whether traveling in Business or Economy Class. Fiji Airways will not, however, accept bags weighing more than 66 pounds, even for an additional charge. If you have more than 66 pounds in a single bag you may have to repack.

If you’re traveling with a lot of luggage, Fiji Airways will accept up to two additional bags for an additional fee, depending on the routing of your itinerary. Additional bag fees can be prepaid online prior to departure, or paid at the ticket counter during check-in.

Boarding

Like many airlines, Fiji Airways boards by zones, which are printed on boarding passes according to class of service, frequent flier status, and seating location. Passengers with disabilities and families are allowed to preboard. Business Class and oneworld elite members board first, followed by passengers who have purchased premium seating options, and then everyone else in Economy Class.

Staff will typically line up passengers in groups according to their zone number, and in my experience, they’re pretty consistent with checking zone numbers and only allowing passengers to board with their zones. They’re less consistent with monitoring carry-on bag sizes, but it’s not uncommon.

Lounges

Fiji Airways operates the expansive Premier Lounge at Nadi International Airport. Business Class passengers, and oneworld elite members at the Sapphire tier and higher have access, but the airline also sells access to the lounge. It’s particularly nice when you have a long layover between flights at Nadi, for the lounge has lots of comfortable seating and a massive buffet with lots of hot food selections.

The lounge also has private shower suites with Pure Fiji bath products available. It can be worth it if you have a several-hour layover between flights. However, if you have more than, say, six hours between flights, there are a handful of airport hotels in Nadi that offer day-use rates, and that can be a bit more comfortable than spending an entire day in the airport lounge.