This full-service airline has budget prices (if you avoid the bag fee)

2 months ago 15

Craig Platt

January 13, 2026 — 5:00am

The airline: Fiji Airways

Route Melbourne to Nadi, flight Fj934
Frequency Nine a week
Aircraft Airbus A350-900
Class Economy, seat 64D (aisle)
Flight time 4 hours, 10 minutes (we depart 20 minutes behind schedule)

Fiji Airways flies Airbus A350s from Melbourne to Nadi.

Checking in

It’s not overly busy at Melbourne Airport on a Sunday lunchtime, but there’s a bit of a queue at the check-in desk. However, I spent about 15 minutes checking myself and my family in online before heading to the airport, which means we can go to the bag-drop line which has no queue, so we’re checked in and on our way in no time. There’s a bit of confusion at our gate, 11A, which is down an escalator. I watch dozens of passengers heading down there but when we decide to go down ourselves, we discover they’re all being sent back up again via a lift. When boarding does open it’s separated into zones, which avoids the rush of “gate lice” lining up to get on first (people who try to enter before their zone has been called are turned away). We’re at the back of the plane so are among the first to board.

Baggage

One bag up to seven kilograms plus one personal item for carry-on. No checked luggage is included in the cheapest (“Lite”) economy fare (adding a checked bag costs $250 on this route), one checked bag up to 30 kilograms for the next level up, a “Value” economy fare. Hot tip: booking through Qantas with Frequent Flyer points means one checked bag is included.

Loyalty scheme

Rather than its own loyalty scheme, Fiji Airways has adopted AAdvantage, the American Airlines program, as its own, with full benefits from its flights flowing through to the AAdvantage program. Fiji Airways is also a member of Oneworld and has a partnership with Qantas, though you’ll earn half as many points flying Fiji Airways (about 450 points for a discount economy fare) than you would Qantas or Jetstar. I was able to book Classic Rewards seats using Qantas Frequent Flyer points through the Qantas website (about 38,000 points plus taxes, return).

The seat

The economy class cabin.

The economy cabin seats are in a 3-3-3 layout, with 31 inches (79 centimetres) of legroom and 18 inches (46 centimetres) wide. Despite the tight seats, the legroom feels reasonably comfortable for my 185-centimetre frame until the passenger in front of me fully reclines his seat just 20 minutes after take-off and keeps it reclined for the entire journey, including during meals. He is balancing a toddler in his lap for much of the trip, so I don’t raise objections.

Entertainment + tech

The entertainment screens are good, the headphones less so.

There’s a good selection of films and TV shows on board, including some quite recent releases. The touchscreen is clear and crisp, although the supplied headphones don’t work particularly well – mine require constant fiddling in the socket to get sound and my daughter’s stop working midway through the flight. There’s a USB port for charging devices. Wi-Fi is available for $US7.95 ($12) for browsing or $US14.95 ($22.60) for high-speed (streaming etc).

Service

This flight delivers solid service.

Hot towels are provided at the start of the journey. We’re at the back of the plane so it’s expected the meals will take a while to arrive. We’re pleased to find that the kids’ meals come first, along with activity packs free of charge. Our meals take quite a while and for some reason the cart seems to stop two rows in front of us for an interminable length of time (I haven’t had lunch, so I am famished). Overall service is solid.

Food

The delights of a full-service flight – fish and prawn curry with noodles.

I opt for the fish and prawn curry with noodles which is passable, but I’d eat anything at this stage. It comes with a bread roll, small salad and a piece of cheesecake. Drinks, including alcohol, are complimentary. There’s a bottle of that national icon, Fiji Water, at every seat. As someone who has flown budget carriers a lot recently, it’s a nice reminder of what a full-service airline actually delivers.

Sustainability

The airline subscribes to the Fijian philosophy of maroroya (“to look after”) and has committed to net-zero emissions by 2050. Its current priorities include fleet modernisation, sustainable fuel development, renewable energy sourcing and waste reduction.*

One more thing

Fiji Airways has been kicking goals recently, becoming a fully fledged member of the Oneworld alliance and expanding its routes into the US, making it a handy stopover spot for flights to LA or Dallas. This also means you’re probably more likely to hear American accents at the country’s resorts now than in the past (we certainly hear a few during our stay). It’s excellent news for Fiji.

The price

From about $640 for Lite economy return.**

The verdict

Australian tourist numbers to Fiji are booming and the country’s airline delivers a solid, full-service offering at a price comparable to budget rivals (particularly if you can avoid that checked baggage fee).

Our rating out of five

★★★★

The writer flew at his own expense using Qantas Frequent Flyer points.

*For more information about air travel and sustainability, see iata.org

**Fares are based on those available for travel three months from the time of publication and subject to change.

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Craig Platt is the digital editor of Traveller and has had responsibility for the travel content on the Sydney Morning Herald, The Age, Brisbane Times and WAtoday digital products since 2007. He has worked in journalism for more than 25 years. Craig has a strong interest in aviation and airlines, as well as wildlife tourism and (increasingly) family travel. He has visited every continent, including once visiting six of the seven in a single year (he missed Africa).