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Founded in 1951, Fiji Airways serves 108 destinations in over 15 countries (including code-share). Destinations include Fiji, Australia, New Zealand, Hong Kong, Singapore, India, Japan, China, Samoa, Tonga, Vanuatu, Solomon Islands, New Caledonia as well as Canada and the US.

We recently boarded their Airbus 330-200 on nonstop flights to/from Vancouver to Fiji’s Nadi International Airport. The airline took delivery of its first A330-200 in 2013 to coincide with a rebranding from Air Pacific back to Fiji Airways (its original name).

[Fiji Airways Business Class amenity kit]

With a 273-passenger capacity (including 24 business class seats), the A330-200 is powered by two Rolls-Royce Trent 700 engines with a range of 13,450 km (8,357 miles). Our journey starts with an evening boarding from Vancouver International Airport, with plenty of bulas as the friendly staff greet passengers.

We’re seated in economy class on this journey and paid extra to sit close to the front of the plane side by side. Seats have a 31-32” pitch with a 6” recline and rows are arranged in a 2-4-2 configuration.

In-seat tech includes 9” monitors with on-demand entertainment and remote, a USB charging port and headsets.

Sustainable bamboo blankets and paper cups in place of plastic are used on board to help minimize the airline’s environmental footprint. The inflight entertainment system includes several newly-released movies and TV shows, as well as music and games. As this is a late evening departure, mood lighting eventually shifts into dusky hues, cueing the body for sleep.

Meals

Once we’ve taken off, the crew begins in-flight service. There’s Fiji Water (of course), plus soft drinks, beers, wines, and spirits. Snacks and Fiji water are available in the rear galley during most of the flight.

[Cheese ravioli, pasta salad, strawberry mousse]

A BBQ chicken wrap, chicken casserole, or cheese ravioli are the options for our dinner. Wine choices include two entry-level wines from Berton Vineyard’s Outback Jack series: Semillon Sauvignon Blanc and Shiraz Cabernet. The meal was on the light side, portion-wise, then again, it was served at 11:30 pm.

About three hours prior to landing, we were served breakfast: a choice of vegetarian curry, cheese omelette or French toast.

Baggage, Arrival

Fiji Airways has strict baggage limits for carry-on as the airline weighs all bags, including carry-ons, at check-in. Each economy class passenger is allowed one checked bag at 30kg (66lbs) and 158cm (62inches) max, and one carry-on bag weighing 7kg (15lbs).

[Breakfast on the return flight to Vancouver]

Fiji Airways’ friendly flight crew and live Fijian music in the arrivals hall made the long-haul journey a pleasant experience overall.

Our round-trip flights from Vancouver to Nadi International were provided by Fiji Airways for the purpose of experiencing their onboard service. Opinions, as always, remain our own.