With my business class seat, I was granted to access to the American Airlines Flagship Lounge, where a Piper-Heidsieck champagne stand greeted me by the entrance, along with an impressive chef-driven buffet—including a red miso and Tonkotsu broth bar, house-made sushi, and paneer tikka masala, with craft-your-own Texas margarita and Bloody Mary stations to boot.
It was time to board the flight that departs at 10:50 on Tuesdays. Thursdays. and Saturdays. The brightly-lit, softly purple business cabin made me feel like I was already in Fiji. The cheerful flight attendant Doted on me in the local “bula”, welcoming spirit by asking me the correct pronunciation of my first name. As I heard the lyrics of “Stars Over Fiji” in Fijian music, it lulled into a relaxed state. The amenity kit was emblazoned in traditional Fijian patterns. Inside, I found socks, an eyemask, a dental kit, pens, and Teaology body cream.
The private alcove on my Airbus A350 900 XWB was a cozy fit for my 5’6″ frame. My window seat The seat was positioned diagonally to give me plenty of room for my legs, but just enough space to allow me to lie on my side. The adjustable armrest on the aisle side opened into a storage compartment, which held a bottle water and headphones. A pillow and blanket were contained in an eco-friendly bag. The window-side compartment had two other compartments, one for storage, and the other with electronic outlets. (One traditional electrical plug, two USB-As).
The menu card was placed at my seat. I ordered a grilled prawn as an appetizer (other options included harissa hummus, pea watercress, or Reuben sandwich), followed by Fijian barbecue chicken. Desserts included pineapple and mango, ice-cream, or tropical fruit.
Soon after the flight, a variety of dry snacks was served. An attendant also handed out a card containing a redemption code. free onboard Wi-FiA perk for business travelers. Though I was able to log on quickly—and even load up some video clips of SNL as it aired—the further we got into the Pacific Ocean, the spottier the service became.
I ate the delicious chicken sauce and the large appetizer in my sleepy stupor. In the end, my heavy eyeslids won out and I fell asleep through the sorbet. When I woke, the flight was only four hours away.
I spent the last few hours heeding my physical therapist’s advice to walk as much as possible, enjoying the coconut-scented bathroom soap and lotion and browsing the snack basket, with a standard selection of Sun Chips, Oreos and M&Ms. I also channel-hopped its entertainment system, which had a list of movies and TV shows that was delightfully curated. Wonka, Inception. You’ve Got a Mail Plus Bollywood, Asian Cinema and Lailai Kids’ World. A selected a couple of short videos that introduced Fiji. One was about the Sigatoka River SafariA chance encounter between a local Fijian and an Australian in 1991 led to the creation of, a tour company.
