March 27, 2026 • 8 mins
"There’s no denying that Fiji Airways is on a roll, busy spreading its wings across the world. Fiji’s plucky and ambitious national carrier is now a serious, highly competitive airline player in the Pacific, directly connecting Nadi with over 25 international destinations in 15 countries and territories. Its international route network is nearly as comprehensive as Air New Zealand’s, who fly to 29 international destinations in 16 countries."
"Fiji Airways has been showered with accolades of late, including being named an APEX World Class Airline for 2026, thrusting it into the world’s top 10 carriers, alongside the likes of Emirates, Qatar Airways and Singapore Airlines."
Read Mike's full article here.
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Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:07):
You're listening to the Saturday Morning with Jack team podcast
from News Talks.
Speaker 2 (00:11):
A'd be now fair for correspondents. Mike Yardley, Good morning sir,
Good morning Jack. How long till you get to go
to Takaha. For the first time, I noticed you weren't
there in the background as they cut the ribbon yesterday,
as Dan Carter's a lot of one between the posts.
Speaker 3 (00:27):
I poked my head in very briefly. What I think
is just so good about it, Jack, is that it
embodies the intimacy that was probably the only good thing
about Apollo, where you're right up close to the field,
so that experience is absolutely matched at One New Zealand.
So yeah, and that just accentuates the whole experience for people.
Speaker 4 (00:51):
So yeah, it is going to be so special. Yeah.
Speaker 2 (00:54):
The amazing Now we're focusing this morning on an airline
that you reckon is actually going from strength to strength
at the moment, which is pretty rare given the state
of given the state of the world at the moment
you reckon Fiji, Fiji Airways has become a serious competitor
in the Pacific.
Speaker 3 (01:10):
It is a really remarkable story, Jack. Yeah, and given
as you quite rightly say, the turbulence clobbering global aviation
at the moment, it is certainly good to have plenty
of competitive options for trans Pacific travel. So Fijiirways since COVID,
they have been on this major growth path, spreading their
(01:31):
wings far and wide across Asia and North America. They're
sizing up South America. They've been on a roll. In fact,
if you look at the international route network, they now
fly to twenty five destinations in fifteen countries. It's nearly
as comprehensive as their New Zealand's in New Zealand go
twenty nine destinations in sixteen countries.
Speaker 4 (01:53):
So they are like the little airline that could.
Speaker 2 (01:56):
How amazing. So for trans Pacific travel, what key long
haul destinations can they.
Speaker 4 (02:01):
Get you to?
Speaker 3 (02:03):
Yeah, well, if you're flying from Auckland, Wellington or christ
Church to They have positioned themselves as a sharply priced
option for long haul travel, So lots of onward connections
to say Vancouver, La, Dallas, San Francisco, Honolulu, Tokyo, Singapore,
Hong Kong. Then you've got all the South Pacific routes
(02:24):
that they crisscross. I actually had the Prime Minister of
Tuvaro seated next to me on my flight home to
christ Church this week, so you never know who you'll
end up with.
Speaker 2 (02:33):
Amazing, Yeah, okay, interesting, So for people in the three
and christ Jurjen and Wellington. Yeah what yeh, he added appeal.
Speaker 3 (02:43):
Well, with the greatest respect to walking into airport Jack,
flying Fiji avoids the faff entailed and lugging it between
terminals at Auckland for onward connections, and those long haul
flights to North America and Asia from Nandy they are
well timed with the New Zealand flights, so you've got
a very short, very seamless transit to change planes in Nandy.
(03:06):
Only wrinkle I would point out is that I noticed
that the Nandy Departures Lounge is now bursting at the seams.
Speaker 4 (03:12):
You know, they've become like a victim of their own success.
Speaker 3 (03:17):
But there are plans in the works to substantially enlarge
the departures area and facilities which cannot come soon enough.
Speaker 2 (03:23):
And I guess you can give yourself a bit of
a bonus break in Fiji as well.
Speaker 4 (03:26):
Right well, this is the great thing.
Speaker 3 (03:29):
Yeah, regardless where you are in New Zealand, if you
fly Fiji aways say, you know to North America, why
not give yourself two holidays and one So I came
back from Dallas and had a couple of nights mini
break in Fiji on the way home, and I actually
found it a really good way to just shake off
(03:49):
all that jet lag from those big trans specific flights
before you quick hop home.
Speaker 4 (03:54):
Highly recommend it.
Speaker 2 (03:55):
Yeah, how good. I think it's a great way to
approach things. What about the in flight experience? They got
new planes they have.
Speaker 3 (04:03):
Yeah, they're really proud of their supernu big birds so
across the Pacific. Extra wide Body A three fifties are
the workhorses long haul and that's such good aircraft. I've
used them with Kathay and Singapore and what I love
about the A three fifties is they are super quiet.
You don't get that engine noise in the cabin, and
the air quality in the cabin is so much better.
(04:26):
And I certainly could not fault the in flight experience
in economy. The on demand entertainment options are substantial. They've
got in flight Wi Fi. The food and beverage was
really good. Actually, on my way home check I thought
you would like this. I had a hot and fluffy
waffle with berries and custard for breakfast an economy and
(04:48):
it was hot flood it was, and the custard was dreamy.
It was such a good breakfast option. So that that
has stayed with me. I have to say, oh.
Speaker 2 (05:00):
God, did they have premium Economy?
Speaker 3 (05:03):
Well, yeah, good question, because the point here end is
certainly attracting an ongoing surge and demand worldwide, you know,
amongst flyers, Fiji offers business and economy. But interestingly, even
though they don't have a dedicated Premium Economy section, what
they have done is theyre marked a lot of seats
and Economy is what they call bull of space seats, right,
(05:25):
So this gives you a lot more leg room and
seat recline if you want to stretch out, and it's
not as expensive as you'd expect, you know, like if
you upgrade to Premium Economy on another carrier. So you
just choose bull of Space in the seat selection booking process,
and it's a really good, non exorbitant option.
Speaker 2 (05:45):
If you do want to stretch just a little bit
more space. Yeah, no, they could be. Yeah, for those
of us who have abnormally long femurs.
Speaker 1 (05:50):
That could be a very good.
Speaker 2 (05:51):
This is true, Jack, Yes, yes, okay, Well what about
it on a global scale? How would you say that
kind of rate can be to other airlines.
Speaker 3 (05:59):
Yeah, I've been doing a bit of digging and they
certainly are turning a few heads in the airline world.
Speaker 4 (06:04):
Now, I know aviation can be a bit dime a dozen.
Speaker 3 (06:08):
But interestingly Fiji Airways, I know, they were stoked a
few months ago to score what is called an APEX
World Class Airline Award and these are reserved to just
ten global airlines. So they bagged one of these in November.
So that has thrust Fiji into the same company as
their usual gong grabbers like Emirates, Cutter and Singapore Airlines.
(06:32):
And also Fiji Airways won the APEX Global Award for
Best Cabin Service. Now that does not surprise me because
their crew on every flight ialk were just the stars
of the show.
Speaker 4 (06:46):
You know.
Speaker 3 (06:46):
It's that quintessential Fijian hospitality you'll get.
Speaker 4 (06:50):
So I rate them, Jack, I do rate.
Speaker 3 (06:52):
Them, And as I say, I just think it's so
good that we have a number of competitively priced options
to give us across the big Pacific.
Speaker 2 (07:00):
And there are so many just little additional bonuses with that,
like whether it's the Bull of Space or whether it's Christieton,
and the options across the Pacific from the different centers,
those things can end up that the kind of net
effect can be really significant.
Speaker 4 (07:15):
Absolutely.
Speaker 3 (07:16):
Yeah, I just found it quite a stress free way
to get from you know, A to B to C
to D. I actually really enjoyed it, and I didn't
come back feeling you know, jaded, as I often do
on those big Transpacific flights.
Speaker 4 (07:29):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (07:29):
Good, okay, Hey, thank you for that, Mike. We very
much appreciate it. More insights on flying Fiji airways. Mike's
article is up on the Newstalk's He'd Be website, along
with everything from our show. We put everything up there,
so that recipe we shared before ten o'clock this morning,
the salted caramel baked apples, that fantastic sounding dessert is
up on the website. Our film picks, our screen time recommendations,
(07:54):
our book reviews. Everything goes up there. News talks, headb
dot co, dot nzed forward slash Jack.
Speaker 1 (08:00):
For more from Saturday Morning with Jack Tame. Listen live
to Newstalks He'd b from nine am Saturday. We'll follow
the podcast on iHeartRadio,
You're listening to the Saturday Morning with Jack team podcast
from News Talks.
Speaker 2 (00:11):
A'd be now fair for correspondents. Mike Yardley, Good morning sir,
Good morning Jack. How long till you get to go
to Takaha. For the first time, I noticed you weren't
there in the background as they cut the ribbon yesterday,
as Dan Carter's a lot of one between the posts.
Speaker 3 (00:27):
I poked my head in very briefly. What I think
is just so good about it, Jack, is that it
embodies the intimacy that was probably the only good thing
about Apollo, where you're right up close to the field,
so that experience is absolutely matched at One New Zealand.
So yeah, and that just accentuates the whole experience for people.
Speaker 4 (00:51):
So yeah, it is going to be so special. Yeah.
Speaker 2 (00:54):
The amazing Now we're focusing this morning on an airline
that you reckon is actually going from strength to strength
at the moment, which is pretty rare given the state
of given the state of the world at the moment
you reckon Fiji, Fiji Airways has become a serious competitor
in the Pacific.
Speaker 3 (01:10):
It is a really remarkable story, Jack. Yeah, and given
as you quite rightly say, the turbulence clobbering global aviation
at the moment, it is certainly good to have plenty
of competitive options for trans Pacific travel. So Fijiirways since COVID,
they have been on this major growth path, spreading their
(01:31):
wings far and wide across Asia and North America. They're
sizing up South America. They've been on a roll. In fact,
if you look at the international route network, they now
fly to twenty five destinations in fifteen countries. It's nearly
as comprehensive as their New Zealand's in New Zealand go
twenty nine destinations in sixteen countries.
Speaker 4 (01:53):
So they are like the little airline that could.
Speaker 2 (01:56):
How amazing. So for trans Pacific travel, what key long
haul destinations can they.
Speaker 4 (02:01):
Get you to?
Speaker 3 (02:03):
Yeah, well, if you're flying from Auckland, Wellington or christ
Church to They have positioned themselves as a sharply priced
option for long haul travel, So lots of onward connections
to say Vancouver, La, Dallas, San Francisco, Honolulu, Tokyo, Singapore,
Hong Kong. Then you've got all the South Pacific routes
(02:24):
that they crisscross. I actually had the Prime Minister of
Tuvaro seated next to me on my flight home to
christ Church this week, so you never know who you'll
end up with.
Speaker 2 (02:33):
Amazing, Yeah, okay, interesting, So for people in the three
and christ Jurjen and Wellington. Yeah what yeh, he added appeal.
Speaker 3 (02:43):
Well, with the greatest respect to walking into airport Jack,
flying Fiji avoids the faff entailed and lugging it between
terminals at Auckland for onward connections, and those long haul
flights to North America and Asia from Nandy they are
well timed with the New Zealand flights, so you've got
a very short, very seamless transit to change planes in Nandy.
(03:06):
Only wrinkle I would point out is that I noticed
that the Nandy Departures Lounge is now bursting at the seams.
Speaker 4 (03:12):
You know, they've become like a victim of their own success.
Speaker 3 (03:17):
But there are plans in the works to substantially enlarge
the departures area and facilities which cannot come soon enough.
Speaker 2 (03:23):
And I guess you can give yourself a bit of
a bonus break in Fiji as well.
Speaker 4 (03:26):
Right well, this is the great thing.
Speaker 3 (03:29):
Yeah, regardless where you are in New Zealand, if you
fly Fiji aways say, you know to North America, why
not give yourself two holidays and one So I came
back from Dallas and had a couple of nights mini
break in Fiji on the way home, and I actually
found it a really good way to just shake off
(03:49):
all that jet lag from those big trans specific flights
before you quick hop home.
Speaker 4 (03:54):
Highly recommend it.
Speaker 2 (03:55):
Yeah, how good. I think it's a great way to
approach things. What about the in flight experience? They got
new planes they have.
Speaker 3 (04:03):
Yeah, they're really proud of their supernu big birds so
across the Pacific. Extra wide Body A three fifties are
the workhorses long haul and that's such good aircraft. I've
used them with Kathay and Singapore and what I love
about the A three fifties is they are super quiet.
You don't get that engine noise in the cabin, and
the air quality in the cabin is so much better.
(04:26):
And I certainly could not fault the in flight experience
in economy. The on demand entertainment options are substantial. They've
got in flight Wi Fi. The food and beverage was
really good. Actually, on my way home check I thought
you would like this. I had a hot and fluffy
waffle with berries and custard for breakfast an economy and
(04:48):
it was hot flood it was, and the custard was dreamy.
It was such a good breakfast option. So that that
has stayed with me. I have to say, oh.
Speaker 2 (05:00):
God, did they have premium Economy?
Speaker 3 (05:03):
Well, yeah, good question, because the point here end is
certainly attracting an ongoing surge and demand worldwide, you know,
amongst flyers, Fiji offers business and economy. But interestingly, even
though they don't have a dedicated Premium Economy section, what
they have done is theyre marked a lot of seats
and Economy is what they call bull of space seats, right,
(05:25):
So this gives you a lot more leg room and
seat recline if you want to stretch out, and it's
not as expensive as you'd expect, you know, like if
you upgrade to Premium Economy on another carrier. So you
just choose bull of Space in the seat selection booking process,
and it's a really good, non exorbitant option.
Speaker 2 (05:45):
If you do want to stretch just a little bit
more space. Yeah, no, they could be. Yeah, for those
of us who have abnormally long femurs.
Speaker 1 (05:50):
That could be a very good.
Speaker 2 (05:51):
This is true, Jack, Yes, yes, okay, Well what about
it on a global scale? How would you say that
kind of rate can be to other airlines.
Speaker 3 (05:59):
Yeah, I've been doing a bit of digging and they
certainly are turning a few heads in the airline world.
Speaker 4 (06:04):
Now, I know aviation can be a bit dime a dozen.
Speaker 3 (06:08):
But interestingly Fiji Airways, I know, they were stoked a
few months ago to score what is called an APEX
World Class Airline Award and these are reserved to just
ten global airlines. So they bagged one of these in November.
So that has thrust Fiji into the same company as
their usual gong grabbers like Emirates, Cutter and Singapore Airlines.
(06:32):
And also Fiji Airways won the APEX Global Award for
Best Cabin Service. Now that does not surprise me because
their crew on every flight ialk were just the stars
of the show.
Speaker 4 (06:46):
You know.
Speaker 3 (06:46):
It's that quintessential Fijian hospitality you'll get.
Speaker 4 (06:50):
So I rate them, Jack, I do rate.
Speaker 3 (06:52):
Them, And as I say, I just think it's so
good that we have a number of competitively priced options
to give us across the big Pacific.
Speaker 2 (07:00):
And there are so many just little additional bonuses with that,
like whether it's the Bull of Space or whether it's Christieton,
and the options across the Pacific from the different centers,
those things can end up that the kind of net
effect can be really significant.
Speaker 4 (07:15):
Absolutely.
Speaker 3 (07:16):
Yeah, I just found it quite a stress free way
to get from you know, A to B to C
to D. I actually really enjoyed it, and I didn't
come back feeling you know, jaded, as I often do
on those big Transpacific flights.
Speaker 4 (07:29):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (07:29):
Good, okay, Hey, thank you for that, Mike. We very
much appreciate it. More insights on flying Fiji airways. Mike's
article is up on the Newstalk's He'd Be website, along
with everything from our show. We put everything up there,
so that recipe we shared before ten o'clock this morning,
the salted caramel baked apples, that fantastic sounding dessert is
up on the website. Our film picks, our screen time recommendations,
(07:54):
our book reviews. Everything goes up there. News talks, headb
dot co, dot nzed forward slash Jack.
Speaker 1 (08:00):
For more from Saturday Morning with Jack Tame. Listen live
to Newstalks He'd b from nine am Saturday. We'll follow
the podcast on iHeartRadio,
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