The nonstop flight of 605 miles aboard a Boeing 737 MAX 8 airplane from Nadi to Port Vila was my first time as a passenger with Fiji Airways in the economy class cabin — and it was the only flight which I have taken that was operated by the airline.
My First Time As a Passenger With Fiji Airways — and The Verdict Is…
Fiji Airways is the official flag carrier of Fiji. It serves 25 destinations in 14 countries and territories in Asia, Australia, and North America from its main hub airport at Nadi International Airport and its secondary hub airport at Nausori International Airport, with ten additional airports within Fiji. The airline was founded in 1947 — although service did not officially commence until Saturday, September 1, 1951.
The amount of pitch between rows of seats in the economy class cabin — which is the distance between the back of your seat and the back of the seat in front of you — is 32 inches; and the width of each seat is 17.2 inches, as disclosed at the official Internet web site of Fiji Airways. Each seat reclines up to five inches. The head rests of the leather seats were separate and adjustable. I had no complaints about the leg room, as I did not feel restricted or confined in my seat, which was reasonably comfortable.
Each seat is equipped with an in-flight entertainment system with a 10 inch monitor, a Universal Serial Bus Type A power port, and entertainment on demand — which included movies, television programs, games, and even a moving flight map — as well as a tray table.
Inside the seat pocket was a safety information card for the airplane — as well as a set of headphones in a clear plastic bag with the words FIJI AIRWAYS ENTERTAINMENT NETWORK ELECTRONIC HEADSET printed on it.
The overhead control unit was equipped with adjustable air vents. The activation of the reading lights required reaching up to the overhead control unit.
Passengers who were seated in the economy class cabin were served water prior to departure from the gate, which I thought was a nice touch.
Not long after the airplane departed from Nadi, a meal and beverage service was provided to passengers during the flight of one hour and 45 minutes.
The box contained chopped roasted chicken with penne rigate pasta, corn, fresh tomatoes, green peppers, and slivers of raw red onions. The meal was served at slightly cooler than room temperature, which was perfect and actually quite tasty.
Sustainability is an important policy of Fiji Airways. Bamboo cutlery was provided in a sealed paper package. Printed on the front of the box are the words:
Food For Thought This packaging removes 2 tonnes of plastic onboard, and saves over 0.5 million litres of water a year.
A coffee service followed the meal service — complete with Fiji Sugar.
162 seats were in the economy class cabin aboard the Boeing 737 MAX 8 airplane. Plenty of room was available in the overhead storage bins.
The lavatory was generally clean.
The Boeing 737 MAX 8 airplane is almost 6.5 years old at the time this article was written.
Final Boarding Call
Traveling as a passenger with Fiji Airways was a pleasant experience overall, as virtually everything pertaining to this flight went well. I would certainly consider flying as a passenger on Fiji Airways in the future — especially as I intend to visit other destinations in the South Pacific region…
…and to the gentleman who approached me as I was taking photographs of the airplane from inside of the terminal at the gate and later checked our tickets as we boarded the aircraft: this article is for you — and thank you for a pleasant boarding experience.
All photographs ©2025 by Brian Cohen.
