When Fiji Airways found a third of Aussie travellers skip in-flight meals in favour of some extra shut-eye, the airline decided to debut a new dining experience.
The Fijian carrier’s new ‘Dine on the Ground’ option offers passengers a gourmet, pre-flight meal so that they can maximise their sleep-time in the sky.
Business Class and Premier guests taking a morning or late evening flight out of Nadi will now be invited to enjoy breakfast or dinner at the Fiji Airways Premier Lounge before boarding.
For breakfast, there will be a choice of barista-made coffee, made-to-order breakfast items, a full bakery and a wide selection of fresh fruit juices.
For dinner, signature dishes designed by Fiji Airways executive in-house and guest chefs will be served.
Meals are complemented by signature cocktails, mocktails, a full-service bar and the ‘Fiji Bean Cart’.
Onboard, guests will still have access to a light brunch or supper, such as fruit bowls, gourmet panini, fresh salads, tapas and soups.
However, by dining pre-flight, onboard meals better reflect the time of day and allow guests more time for rest and relaxation.
Health and Wellness expert Mark Bunn believes the initiative has the potential to knock hours off jet-lag, especially for Aussie passengers travelling long-haul to places such as the US.
“Most of us find it hard enough to sleep on flights but eating large meals onboard will only make that worse due to bloating and indigestion, he said
“The movement and irregular nature of travel makes it much harder to digest food properly. Try to eat a decent meal a good 1-2 hours before travelling.” he said.
“Once on the flight, eat very lightly. By dining on the ground before take-off, you’re giving your body enough time to digest the food – meaning you’ll be more comfortable and more likely to sleep”.
