Review: Fiji Airways Airbus A350 business class
Lie-flat beds, direct aisle access and a vast movie selection make this the finest way to travel between Australia and Fiji.
By Chris Ashton, August 21 2023
Route
Nadi to Sydney
Aircraft Type
Airbus A350-900
Airline
Fiji Airways
Flight
FJ911
Cabin Class
Business
Seat
19D
Notes
The Good
- Modern business class seat
- Free inflight messaging
The Bad
- Very slow WiFi access
X-Factor
- 2.2-metre lie-flat bed
- Disney and HBO video content
Introduction
Some 2,800kms from the east coast of Australia lies the South Pacific haven of Fiji: an island nation known for its laid back vibes, luxury resorts and astonishing natural beauty. It’s also the home of Oneworld partner Fiji Airways.
The flagship of the airline’s stable is the Airbus A350, of which it has four jetting across the Pacific between its Nadi hub and the likes of Sydney, Vancouver and Auckland. More ports are in the works too.
Lounge
In Nadi, business class passengers and top-tier Oneworld frequent flyers enjoy access to Fiji Airways’ Premier Lounge: home to a well-stocked all-day bar and buffet, kids club and shower facilities, not to mention a wide array of seating choices.
The lounge is positioned in the heart of the terminal, resulting in no natural light or view.
Executive Traveller visited the lounge earlier this year and found it to be an inviting space which keeps the ‘on holiday vibe’ going right up until departure. Read the full review here.
Flight
Fiji Airways jets off daily between Nadi and Sydney, with the non-stop hop taking wing on a Boeing 737 MAX 8 and the Airbus A350-900. Flight time for both is around five hours.
Business class travellers receive a checked baggage allowance of two pieces up to 30kg, plus two carry-on with a combined weight of 14kg. That’s more than enough for most, even with a few kava bowls and bula shirts picked up at duty free before departure.
The feeling of space is enhanced by a lack of overhead bins above the middle seats.
For the A350, it takes waves goodbye to Nadi at 9am, touching down into Sydney at around 11:45am. My flight beats this advertised time by 20 minutes, arriving at 11:25am.
Seat
Onboard are 33 lie-flat business class seats based on the Collins Aerospace Super Diamond platform, each finished in a light cream ‘premium leather’ with grey accents. It’s the same seat as British Airways’ new Club Suite.
Fiji Airways' 'Masi' pattern adorns the headrests and pillows.
Every seat enjoys direct aisle access thanks to a 1-2-1 layout, along with an 18” touchscreen and wired remote, along with a 2.2-metre bed. While the latter isn’t a must-have on this 4 hour 45 minute jaunt, it would come in handy on an overnight to LAX.
An angled 'hump' in the floor of the footwell results in one foot sitting slightly ahead of the other.
The open design is light and bright, though doesn’t provide much in the way of privacy. Those in the central seats can make use of a retractable divider, if not travelling alongside a companion.
Seating position is easily adjusted via a small touchscreen panel.
A wide shelf with two storage compartments on the armrest – one of which houses an AC and two USB outlets – allows you to keep your belongings close at hand yet out of sight. The shelf makes a handy perch for your laptop or drink during meal times.
AC and USB power outlets are hidden within the main compartment.
A thin gap under the pop-up lid means you can close that lid to recover the bench space without ‘pinching’ the AC or USB cables juicing up your laptop, tablet or phone
With the seat in lie-flat mode, there’s plenty of room for most to stretch out without touching the end.
The lie-flat bed would definitely come in handy on a long-range flight.
The footwell space is also large enough to turn or sleep on your side, which is an issue we’ve encountered with some other seats.
Work
One area where the seat excels is as a flexible work space.
It's a sturdy workspace, even during turbulence.
That aforementioned shelf creates a perfect workspace in the cloud, allowing you to have a few devices out at once, while the sturdy tray table itself has three positions:
- folded in half and positioned underneath the screen, acting as a nice cocktail table
- fully opened up and sliding close to you, so you can eat or work
- opened up but extended midway, allowing you to easily get out of your seat
A handle beneath the table allows you to easily adjust its position.
Airways offers three tiers of inflight WiFi:
- Free Chat: 15 minutes only – suitable for messaging apps
- Standard Web: USD$11.95 (AUD$18) for the duration of the flight – suitable for emails, social media and browsing
- Full Web: USD$24.95 (AUD$37.50) for the duration of the flight – suitable for streaming
However, the airline recently confirmed plans to offer free WiFi to business class travellers for the duration of the flight, while extending the free messaging to one hour for all passengers.
Needing to do a little work, I purchase the Standard Web. Speeds are very slow at 0.43Mbps download and 0.19Mbps upload. While that is enough to browse (slowly) or scroll through Facebook, Gmail really struggles to load.
Meal
Once onboard, business guests are greeted with a warm ‘Bula’ and offered a welcome drink of orange juice or a soft and fruity Cattier Brut Icône Champagne.
A supplied menu card details the choice of three mains for today’s breakfast service: scrambled eggs with potato rosti, chocolate pancakes, and spinach parmesan frittata.
Fresh fruit and a yoghurt parfait, plus a sweet raisin roll.
These are accompanied by a parfait of apple and greek yoghurt, cut fruit and the pastry of your choice. Drinks take the form of teas and coffee, juices, soft drinks and beer (Heineken, Fiji Bitter and Fiji Gold), plus eight spirits.
Wines consist of the Cattier Brut Icône Champagne mentioned earlier, plus two whites and reds.
For main, it’s the pancakes with peach compote and maple syrup that catches my eye.
Pancakes are admittedly a little dry and could do with some extra syrup.
It’s not an overly sweet dish, with the chocolate more on the bitter side, but the syrup and fruit balances it nicely.
Snacks such as M&Ms and potato chips are offered througout the flight.
Entertainment & Service
Fiji Airways has recently announced a partnership with Disney and HBO, delivering over 150 movies and television shows via the responsive 18” high-resolution touchscreen.
Swipe to scroll through to an extensive list of movies, music and magazines.
The flight breezes by thanks to a broad mix of recent and classic titles – The Flash and The Super Mario Bros. Movie are my picks – coupled with music from local and international artists, magazines like Top Gear and Rolling Stone, and even a few games.
Entertainment is managed via the touchscreen and a wired remote, hidden within the main armrest storage compartment. I find the remote easiest for controlling volume.
A gap beneath the lid of the storage compartment allows you to keep the remote at hand.
Noise-cancelling headphones drown out the cabin noise (the A350 itself is already exceptionally quiet) allowing the audio to come through clear and undisturbed.
Headphones plug into the main armrest storage compartment.
As always on Fiji Airways, service is a joy. Staff roam the cabin offering assistance and drink top-ups, which is a refreshing change to the game of hide and seek on some airlines.
Verdict
Comfortable, quiet and fitted with all you could need on a sub-five hour flight, Fiji Airways’ A350 business class is leaps and bounds ahead of its stablemates. That includes the Airbus A330 and Boeing 737 MAX 8.
With the A350 now earmarked for flights to and from Melbourne, and rivals sticking with Boeing 737 for the foreseeable, this is arguably the best travel option between Australia and Fiji.
The writer travelled as a guest of Fiji Airways.
UA
30 Jun 2015
Total posts 34
So for all this goodness, Fiji Airways reservations is an issue. I have a business fare MEL/NAN/YVR for December and return in early January. All sectors are A350 and the cost is 50% of QF. The return leg goes via LAX and here starts the issue.
Westjet cancelled the 4pm connector to LAX and so Fiji rescheduled me to an 8am flight which requires a 6am check in. I have advised them that I am in Calgary at that hour and cannot bring that forward. I pointed them to their published connection from Calgary to LAX but they offered only an open jaw so I copied them their own offering and it is getting onto three weeks without a response. About to get pushy.
Why does it matter? If I book YYC/LAX on a separate PNR it is likely Westjet will not interline me, so I have to exit security, pick up bags and then sit in TB for some hours until check-in opens and then go thru the mess that is TB security screening. URggh!
13 May 2020
Total posts 827
don't stuff around with reservations. Email CEO ASAP & tell him EXACTLY what you would like to resolve the matter. Don't tell him your life story. Get straight to the point. If you can't find his email address, I have it, OR it's his 1ST NAME DOT LAST NAME AT FIJIAIRWAYS DOT COM
UA
30 Jun 2015
Total posts 34
Thanks for that idea, have sent off an email and we'll see what happens.
13 May 2020
Total posts 827
might take a few days while it gets passed down the chain, but might take more notice that you are a business class passenger. Perhaps write something here, if get a response in next few days.
13 May 2020
Total posts 827
btw, we fly to USA sometimes 3 or 4 times a year. Our specialist travel agent actually went out & bought 500 tickets during covid at the right price & had quite a bit of flexibility. They told us they are negotiating a much bigger number (3 to 5 times that number) with 3 airlines right now for 2024-5 flights.
23 Aug 2023
Total posts 2
Do you have a good email address to get action from Qantas ? I have a long standing matter where they hit my credit card 3 times for a Business Class Flight to London until it maxed out my credit card. Still no response using their standard complaint process.
13 May 2020
Total posts 827
YES
ajoyce
alanjoyce
at qantas dot come dot au
23 Aug 2023
Total posts 2
Sent my email last week. Given recent developments I guess I should not hold my breath for a response. - although I cheekingly claimed to my wife that my email was what probably what sent poor AJ over the edge : )
Any other suggested emails that might bring a response. The new CEO ?
13 May 2020
Total posts 827
or try ccexec at qantas dot com dot au
UA
30 Jun 2015
Total posts 34
I'll post on the outcome, or lack of.
I fly Mel/Yvr 3-4 times a year (am *A lifetime Gold via UA) and the FJ A350 service is a great option versus transit in Syd or AKL and way better than a transit in SFO or LAX.
UA
30 Jun 2015
Total posts 34
Many thanks regular flyer for the suggestion. I had a response in four hours, then several options in 24 hours and now am booked YVR/NAN/MEL at same price, which is way better than transiting LAX. Ideal solution and just regret that it wasn't proactively offered by FJ.
13 May 2020
Total posts 827
lesson here is don't try to phone a business, put it in writing to CEO or person in charge. They will pass it down the line, BUT keep it brief. No one wants to hear about your life story or very poor sick mother, who'd saved her whole life for something (save that for media if get nowhere). Keep it relevant & short or might not get read.
13 May 2020
Total posts 827
fiji air, now dumping seats ex CBR to USA from $999 rtn, departing in late DEC, early Jan, back in time for kids to go back to school. Some itineraries require night or 2 in Fiji, as CBR/NAN only 3 days a week. NAN/HNL also 3 days a week, but only connects once a week, I think it is. Hope CBR/NAN flights continue. Maybe they might cut back from 3 to 2 flights a week ?
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