Fiji Airways is welcoming fully vaccinated tourists onboard today for the first time in 20 months, with the first Aussie tourists set to touch down in Fijian Paradise at 11.25am (Fiji time) from Sydney, to a big bula welcome and celebration from the local community.
Paradise is open to make our holiday dreams a reality once again, and Karryon’s very own Matt Leedham is in the air and looking forward to touching down in beautiful Fiji.
From today, Fiji Airways will operate 14 flights a week from Sydney (twice a day) to one of the highest vaccinated tourist destinations in the world, utilising the airline’s new state-of-the-art Airbus A350-900 and energy-efficient Boeing 737 MAX 8.
Daily flights from Melbourne also launch today, with the first Victorians departing at 11.55pm (AEDT) today and waking up in the beautiful 333 islands of Fiji on the morning of 2nd December.
Daily Brisbane flights will commence once Queensland allows holidaying Australians to return to the state without hotel quarantine.
“Today is a very special day as we welcome back our Aussie friends after 20 long months,” said Fiji Airways Managing Director & CEO Andre Viljoen.
“We have been working hard since March last year to prepare for this moment and ensure our guests have the safest and most enjoyable travel experience possible.
“We have incorporated an award-winning new Travel Ready safety programme, new in-flight entertainment for travellers of all ages and new seat selection options to enhance comfort for long-haul and mid-haul flights.”
“The safety of our customers and staff will always be our highest priority. Our entire workforce is fully vaccinated, our new Travel Ready programme is dedicated to medical safety and wellness, and Fiji Airways is the only airline in the Australia-Pacific region to achieve a Skytrax 5-Star COVID Safety rating as well as the highest Hospital Grade “Diamond” certification by APEX Health and Safety,” Mr Viljoen continued.
“A key part of our Travel Ready programme is having medically-qualified Customer Wellness Champions for medical guidance and assistance onboard every international flight, making us the only airline in the Australasia-Pacific region to do so. This is how seriously we take the wellbeing of our customers and staff.”
The new and improved Fiji Airways experience…
Fiji Airways says it has utilised this time to launch a suite of new products and benefits to enhance the customer experience for its guests from 1st December, including increased baggage allowance from 23kg to 30kg for economy class passengers on all international flights.
For selected long-haul and medium-haul flights, economy class passengers will be able to purchase the My Island sleeper product to stretch out and relax over an entire row. The new My Island option includes extra amenities made up of a business class size pillow, mattress topper, additional blanket and an extension seat belt to help foster the best possible sleep in economy class.
Travellers with Fiji Airways can also enjoy free access to digital reading platform PressReader, with more than 7,000 international newspapers and magazines available to download directly on their own device.
Fiji Airways is the first airline in the Asia Pacific region to offer this service and guests are able to read and download their favourite titles 96 hours prior to departure, until 24 hours after the flight.
The airline says its onboard dining has also been given a re-haul with the appointment of renowned Fijian-New Zealand Chef Richard Cross to oversee all catering functions across the airline, including its award-winning Fiji Airways Premier Lounge at Nadi International Airport.
Along with it, Fiji Airways says it has introduced a specially selected suite of highly-rated wines, including America’s number one luxury cabernet sauvignon varietal from Justin Wines. The new onboard wine range comes from renowned wine regions of Australia, New Zealand, France and America.
Fiji Airways has also focused on new ways to entertain its younger passengers onboard with the launch of Our Ocean, Our Life. The complimentary in-flight activity pack and book series, for passengers aged 2-12 years old, is dedicated to educating the future generation on the importance of preserving and protecting Fiji’s fragile marine environment, in a fun and engaging way.
The carrier has also released a fun and engaging new eco-focused safety video that guests will watch prior to taking off on all its flights.
Fiji’s national carrier said it has been preparing its fully vaccinated crew for the resumption of flights at the new state-of-the-art Fiji Airways Aviation Academy, the first of its kind in the South Pacific islands.
“We have been able to provide our pilots, engineers and flight attendants with the best possible training to prepare them for this day and a busy season ahead using the Fiji Airways Aviation Academy (FJAA), our new fully integrated training centre in Nadi with two full flight simulators.” says Mr Viljoen.
90% of the adult population in Fiji are fully vaccinated.
Travellers entering Fiji must be fully vaccinated and produce evidence of a negative RT-PCR test taken no more than 72 hours prior to departure.
Entry conditions into Fiji include a pre-booked itinerary with Care Fiji Commitment (CFC) approved accommodation and transfers for the first three nights, proof of travel insurance that will cover covid-19 related medical expenses, and a rapid Antigen Test 48 hours after arrival in Fiji at the resort.
Click here or visit your local travel agent for more information.
As of 27th November, Australian travellers returning to NSW and VIC from overseas (not a country of concern) will need to self-isolate at home upon return for 72 hours.
For more information on travel requirements for travellers returning to Australia please click here for NSW residents and here for Victorian residents.
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