Flight Details
Date: 8 November 2012
Seat: 38H
Aircraft: 747-400

Flight rating

3 planes out of 5

Luggage allowance

Carry on baggage:

One piece x 115 centimetres (45 inches) weight no more than seven kilograms (15lbs)

Checked Baggage:

23 kilograms (50lbs)

Check-in

Online check-in was not an option for this service.

Arriving three hours ahead of the flight, check-in at Terminal C1-9 was fast and easy.

The efficient speed was also due to the sufficient number of staff on duty. The airline had six staff working the counters and the service from counter eight was extremely delightful.

Arriving early also meant I was able to request an aisle seat.

Cabin conditions

Cabin configuration: 3 – 4 – 3

The cabin looked relatively new and clean with only a hint of discolouration due to ageing.

Although the cabin appeared fresh, the same could not be said for the airline’s inflight safety cards, which appeared to have been flicked by a few hundred hands.

The entertainment consul at my seat also showed signs of ageing, with static jumps, making it impossible to enjoy the content available.

Bathroom facilities were kept clean throughout the flight, in fact probably the cleanest lavatories I’ve ever experienced during a flight – thank you Air Pacific!

Seat comfort

Seats were in almost immaculate condition, minus a little discolouration.

There was sufficient amount of legroom and under seat storage, however, seating width felt a little tight than usual – although the pitch was 32.0” and width 17.0”.

There were 430 economy seats with 6” recline.

Onboard catering

The lunch menu included a mini hotdog, pasta, orange juice and two scotch biscuits. The flight did not include alternative food options.

Drinks on-board included the usual soft drinks, alcoholic beverages, tea and coffee.

Cabin staff service

Crew were never without a smile - polite, friendly, efficient and beautifully presented (males included). During the flight, I requested a glass of water and a departure card, both of which were delivered promptly. 

Inflight entertainment

Although a short flight, the airline provided a number of inflight entertainment options, including:

17 inflight movie options on individual screens – my personal recommendations include ‘Edward Scissorhands’, ‘Battleship’ and ‘What to expect when expecting’.

Eight television shows including; The Wiggles for the younger travellers, Modern Family and Glee.

Eight audio channels with music covering contemporary, Fijian and rock.

Five interactive games.

The Fijian Islands magazine for updates on the destination and the airline.

However, the most interesting option on the list of activities was the seat-to-seat calls, in which guests could use the control to call others within the plane.

Ground calls were also available, with rates starting at US$7.50 per minute.

On-time performance

Boarding – 35 minutes late
Taxiing – 20 minutes
Departure – slightly delayed
Arrival – 10 minutes ahead of schedule

Note: Air Pacific ground crew in Sydney worked effortlessly to ensure passengers were boarded on-time for departure despite the 35 minute delay.

e-Travel Blackboard Tip

Use the steps heading up to the aircraft’s upper deck to do step-ups as part of your hourly in-flight exercises. Keep the blood moving and avoid clots.