• SiewchAdelaide | 2025Traveler
    DQ-FAE at the gate at HNL.
    My curry and fruit snack at the Sakura Lounge.The Sakura Lounge at HNL.DQ-FAE at the gate at HNL.DQ-FAE at the gate at HNL.My exit row seats on FJ852.My exit row seats on FJ852.The legroom at my exit row seat on FJ852.My exit row seats on FJ852.The cabin ambience on FJ852.The vegetarian meal option on FJ852.The flight path for FJ852 as captured on FlightRadar24.

    Honolulu to Apia

    November 6 in the United States ⋅ ☁️ 24 °C

    Fiji Airways FJ852 | HNL/APW
    Economy Class
    Boeing 737 MAX8 | DQ-FAE Island of Koro
    ATD/2230 | ATA/0335+2
    Sakura Lounge

    I had a few use-it-or-lost-it vacation days remaining for this year. When I looked at my options, I found a business class award ticket from Melbourne to Honolulu, and I also found that Fiji Air had decent one-way fares from Honolulu to Australia. I asked my friend Trixie if she wanted to hang out with me in Melbourne but she suggested another eating trip to Adelaide. I couldn’t resist, so here I am on my sixth trip there. Truth be told I would have preferred to spend one additional day in Australia, but Fiji Airways doesn’t fly daily to Honolulu, and the other options were rather pricy.

    This was my first time flying on Fiji Airways. The ground experience was a mixed bag. I managed to check in online, but I could not enter my known traveler number to secure TSA Precheck, and their system would not allow me to select an exit row. So, I had to go to the checkin counter to get this fixed. The checkin staff didn’t proactively offer lounge entry, but I had few issues getting into the Sakura Lounge for a quick snack before they closed. When the lounge closed at 10pm, I made my way to the gate to find that boarding was already underway even though scheduled departure was still 50 minutes away. The half empty flight boarded quickly and I was delighted to find I had three seats to myself. The flight departed 20 minutes early.

    The inflight experience on board Fiji Airways was warm and pleasant, and they offered a vegetarian option for each meal. After scarfing down my stir fried vegetable and tofu supper, I stretched out and had a decent sleep on this five hour leg to Samoa.    Read more