Air Pacific or Air New Zealand-to or from Fiji?

[canadagal]

For those of you that have already done the PG Fiji cruise how did you find Air Pacific and their 747 planes? If you want to get to Fiji only Air Pacific or Air Zealand actually fly there with others code sharing with them and I would like some feedback on how the in-plane experience was on these older planes.

Pat

[gdlamberth]

Not a direct answer but as a data point; we flew NZ from NAN to LAX and it was truly nice (in coach no less). The NZ configuration is 2-4-2 so if you can reserve early and/or have some status within Star Alliance you might be able to procure an aisle in an exit row. Nice space, individual entertainment screens, and good (not great) food. Trouble is NZ doesn't offer 7 day a week service so they might not be flying the exact day you want to travel. We were somewhat flexible on our return date so we came back a day early and only stayed 6 days post cruise reather than our originally planned 7. Also, booked my miles to my Star Alliance partner (US Air). As I've proferred in other posts (though not all posters have agreed) we thought Fiji was well worth a couple of days pre or post cruise.

 

 

 

 

Greg

[catmommy]

We flew Air Pacific from Fiji, we were on the same trip with Greg. Hi Greg!

 

I did not like Air Pacific, My husband's seat was broken and both our video screens stopped working. It wasn't nearly as nice as ATN from LAX.

 

From Greg has said ANZ seems much nicer.

 

Caroline

[canadagal]

Thanks Caroline and Greg! I looked Air Pacific up on Skytrax and they get negative reviews.....complaints about broken seats, seat back videos that never work and terrible to non existant food. I noted somewhere, I think on their own website that Air Pacific is not getting new planes until 2011. But I wonder if they really mean new or just buying used planes from some other airline as the 747's they now own they bought used from Japan Airlines. Looks like Air New Zealand is the best choice.

Pat

[gdlamberth]

Pat,

Remember NZ only flys 3 days a week (I think LAZ-NAN-LAZ) so you may well have to spend a day or two extra in Fiji.

 

Caroline,

Have you started you diving lessons yet?

[catmommy]

Pat,

Remember NZ only flys 3 days a week (I think LAZ-NAN-LAZ) so you may well have to spend a day or two extra in Fiji.

 

Caroline,

Have you started you diving lessons yet?

 

Hi Greg,

 

Not yet. The summer kind of got away from me and now my little monsters, college students, are back at the end of this week.

 

I basically check out and just work from mid-August through mid-September.

 

But I'm going to start in Oct. Bill and I thinking of doing a quickie to Belize for my check out dives. A friend who is a technical diver says that is probably the closest place with good, calm water, and no language problems. He thinks Mexico is too commercial, and most of Florida sea life is in distress.

 

Caroline