AIR PACIFIC review : 24 June 2008 : by L Mishant

Customer Rating : 4/5

A good airline although there ageing fleet is a big concern, but they seem to be handling the conditions well. Staff were helpful and efficient with the service. They attended my calls and provided me with my needs. I think their economy class seats were good and were not cramped.

AIR PACIFIC review : 18 June 2008 : by James Allen

Customer Rating : 4/5

The seats were comfortable, the staff very attentive and polite. If you have survived flying on any US carrier, you'll be fine - this is a step up from any US carrier, however, it isn't a Singapore Airlines or a Qantas. The service is with a smile. We had just flown LAX to NAN on Air New Zealand. As the Air New Zealand flight attendant put it "we flew an old duck". No personal tv's. I would well and truly recommend Air Pacific.

AIR PACIFIC review : 7 June 2008 : by C Hampton

Customer Rating : 3/5

LAX-NAN Business Class. For a non flat seat it is very wide and we slept well. The configuration of the seats however is weird. The toiletry bag was the worst I have ever seen. No face mask or ear plugs. The staff was average, nothing special and made noticeable mistakes in during the food service. The food was below par and something you would expect in coach class finish out in the plain was worn and out dated. This flight is what you suspect of an island airline that has no competition and therefore no need to improve.

Air Pacific review - by Benjamin Carrol

27 March 2008  Customer Trip Rating :

NAN-LAX. The interior on this plane really needs a re-fit. The seats are tattered and food trays loose. The seating is very cramped, especially if you have to sit upstairs on the 747. Air Pacific have very bland meals (sandwiches or fish curry) and no bread roll. I have been told this airline is quite reasonable from Australia where the trip is 3 hours, however from LAX go with Air New Zealand.

Air Pacific review - by Jonas Erikson

16 March 2008  Customer Trip Rating :

This has to be the worst airline ever. We were originally scheduled to go on Air New Zealand from Nadi, Fiji to LA, USA. Due to weather conditions the NZ plane was grounded and we had to fly Air Pacific two days later. On the 10 hour flight, we were stuck next to a massive giant who took up half of my girlfriend's seat. We tried to get the air crews attention to have a glass of water, despite waving, asking politely every staff member passing down the aisle, we did not get any serving for the duration of 90 minutes. Poor service right there. However, the tipping point was the fact that the overflowing man consumed a total of three inflight meals and had a staggering 5 Fiji beer cans on his breakfast table before landing in LA. Incompetent, unhelpful and unfriendly staff.

Air Pacific review - by Tim Howard

12 March 2008  Customer Trip Rating :

Air Pacific had the only daylight flight Honolulu to Vancouver so that was the reason for flying them. Business Class had ample seating room and the food was okay, but sparse. The problem is that their planes need refitting. The interiors are tired and a little shabby. My original seat was broken was broken and my next seat had limited leg support. I would fly them again, but only if they refit their interiors. The flight itself was on time and professional.

Air Pacific review - by M Heinze

7 March 2008  Customer Trip Rating :

Nadi - Savusavu (SVU) return. Following an uneventful flight from AUK to NAN on Air New Zealand, we made a connecting flight on Air Pacific to Savusavu. Confusion was the rule at the check-in counter, no tickets were issued, extra baggage fees were charged to many passengers with little seeming consistency, the credit card machine was not working, the in-terminal Western Union counter was out of Fijian money, and almost no carry-on luggage could be accommodated on the tiny plane. Not one of the passengers on our late morning flight arrived in Savusavu with their luggage. Although we waited in town for 5+ hours based on assurances from the airline that our bags 'were on the next flight,' they didn't arrive till after the weather forced us to leave at 5:00 p.m. for the 20+ mile trip to the island where we were staying. Air Pacific made no attempt to deliver our luggage. We had no clothes than those we arrived in and no dive equipment. Late on day 3 of an 8-day dive, our bags were delivered by a local with a boat at the cost of $250 USD. Complaints filed in person and using the official 'form' for this purpose brought no response from AP, nor did email follow-up when stateside, nor did calls and letters from the resort operator. We heard Air Fiji is a better option. It could hardly be worse.

Air Pacific review - by James Wallace

8 January 2008  Customer Trip Rating :

LAX to Nadi return. Booked the ticket 11 months in advance and paid $980.00 which is a great price for the holiday. A hot meal after take-off and hot breakfast before landing provided. Towels provided as were individual tv monitors, blankets, pillows. Sparkling wine with breakfast - a nice touch. Customs and immigrations were quick but I did wait awhile for my bag - almost gave up. Leaving, the flight was delayed 17 hours due to mechanical problems, I found out at the airport after going through security and immigration, but they provided a hotel and breakfast/lunch vouchers. Air Pacific offers 32 inches of legroom in economy compared to Qantas 31 inches. I would fly them again.

Air Pacific review - by D Bowyer

4 January 2008  Customer Trip Rating :

We were due to fly Air Pacific SYD-LAX via Nadi on the 17th December. We received a text on the Sat prior stating that our layover in Nadi would be extended to 8hrs due to operational issues. Without any notice we turned up at Sydney Airport to find out that our flight was cancelled. There was no communication from Air Pacific to the customers except there was a whiteboard with an explanation on it. This was an xmas holiday that I did not want to miss out on, so I quick talked my way onto a direct service QF flight. My husband and toddler were looked after by the staff on the QF flight despite the fact that we had a toddler on our laps the entire way. The return trip however was not as good. Air Pacific managed to get their planes back up into the air and our flight leaving LAX was on time. The leg into Nadi was smooth until we had to reboard after the 4hr lay over. The boarding announcement was made and all parents (which there was a lot of) made their way and we were kept standing for an extra 20mins before we were able to board. once on the plane, we were endured another 30mins on the tarmac in intense heat and humidity without explanation. The flight staff - to their credit began to hand out towels and ice for the children on board. We decided to fly to Air Pacific due to the cost compared to a United and QF to the US. However after this episode, I would rather pay the extra $$$ and get a service that is decent. I wouldn't call the Air Pacific 747 decent. I am not one to judge an airline, I am happy if it gets me there on time. I am surprised that Air NZ, QF and AU Jetstar would assign their names to this horrible airline!

Air Pacific review - by K Hast

4 December 2007  Customer Trip Rating :

Nadi-Brisbane-Los Angeles. As far as international flights go, these were the worst I've ever experienced. Every single flight was delayed. Nadi to Brisbane delayed 7 hours, for a total of a 13 hour layover - and all my husband and I got was a $60 meal voucher ($30 USD) to use at the one place in the entire airport to get food (and it was disgusting). Before going through security, they forced me to check my carry on bag saying it was too heavy, even though I had carried it on the flight from Los Angeles. I specifically did not check ANY luggage on this trip because I did not want the hassle. I find it ridiculous that I can carry it on one flight and not another solely due to the power trip issues of the person working the security gate. Because of the delay getting to Brisbane, we missed our connecting flight to Cairns and had to get a hotel for the night - at our own expense. And as a result of getting to Cairns a day late, a reef trip we had booked had to be shortened from 3 days to 2 - again, the airline was "not responsible" so we just had to "deal" with all of the inconveniences and added expenses they caused us to have. On our return flight, the flight from Brisbane left over an hour late, and they never updated the departure boards to notify us of such, telling us we would "board at any minute" so we stuck by the gate twiddling our thumbs when we could have been at least amusing ourselves by shopping. The flight from Nadi to Los Angeles was delayed by 3 hours- for a total of an 8 hour layover. This time, fortunately, they gave us a hotel room. They told us to wait outside for a hotel shuttle that never came. We ended up getting a taxi- at our own expense (fortunately it was cheap). The hotel was the one positive aspect of the experience. It was surprisingly nice, and dinner was included with our voucher. By the time they got around to serving "dinner," it was about 3:30am Fiji time - they left the lights on in the plane until almost 5, then woke everyone up with a loud announcement for breakfast at 7:30am (Fiji Time). So, we were allowed about 2.5 hours of undisturbed sleep on a 9 hour red-eye flight. Inexcusable. My seat was literally falling apart. The seat cover was coming off, exposing the worn-out styrofoam- like material underneath. The armrests have ashtrays in them, if that gives you a clue as to how old they are! The in-seat video function would only work for 10 minutes at a time, after which the volume would shut off, followed by the video, then I would have to struggle trying to restart it again. Half the channels didn't work at all. It is more than worth paying an extra couple hundred dollars to fly Air New Zealand or Qantas.

Air Pacific review - by T Keprieli-Kunou

4 December 2007  Customer Trip Rating :

Service is great. Some of the seats and tv monitors need adjustments. For example, one of the seats I sat on on a recent trip could not retain its full upright position, tv shows on the monitor was hard to view due to it's limited swivel range, and the limited space available when the passenger in front of me reclines his/her seat. Some of its 747-400 needs an overhaul on its interior (worn out carpet, for example).

Air Pacific review - by D Lightbody

26 October 2007  Customer Trip Rating :

Economy Melbourne - Nadi return on 767-300. First flight an overnight 11.25pm departure with a warm supper and single drinks service before landing at Nadi at 6am. Return on the same plane with a full bar pre dinner followed up by drinks with dinner. The entertainment system is not the most modern but there were no issues or complaints, and was similar to any Qantas in terms of flight experience. Seat recline was only about 6 degrees but I am reluctant to use it anyway as I usually have a disgruntled passenger who objects to any recline into their area.

Air Pacific review - by S Blackburn

21 September 2007  Customer Trip Rating :

AKL-NAN and NAN-LAX, both in business. First flight on a 737 with business roughly equal to Qantas trans-Tasman. On the 747 to LAX, there is scope for larger meals and crew could be more visible during the flight. However there is a generosity of spirit from all staff, summed up best by the staff in the lounge at Nadi who spontaneously bought cushions and blanket for my wife when she felt poorly. On that note, the lounge is certainly their weakest aspect - it felt and looked tired with stained ceiling and carpet. It must be the only lounge they have any influence over and it's a shame they haven't done anything to make it feel more uniquely Fiji - as it's tucked away at the back of the airport with no view, it could have been anywhere.

Air Pacific review - by H Ofsoski

9 August 2007  Customer Trip Rating :

Brisbane - Nadi J Class on a QF 767 with an Air Pacific crew - food more than reasonable, inflight entertainment satisfactory and flight attendants welcoming and attentive. A week later I flew the Nadi - Auckland route on the 747 (J Class) again. My IFE didn't work properly but this was not an issue, as the flight was only 3 hours. I would encourage people to try Air Pacific as I found the flights friendly, laid back and an overall good experience.

Air Pacific review - by K Smallfield

28 April 2007  Customer Trip Rating :

NAN-NRT uses aging B767-300 and needs -updates. Rarely working audio system, screen too invisible, poor headrest, seats poor recline, pitch too small, no personal screen etc. Seats of B767-300 could be OK for short haul flights (ie AKL) but is a torture for the long haul (ie NRT). Quality of the food deteriorates flight by flight. Nevertheless, crews are helpful and down to earth attitude with smile and very attentive. Atmosphere in the aircraft is as though at home. Particularly they are helpful when travelling with children.

Air Pacific review - by Dickson Cheung

26 April 2007   Customer Trip Rating : n/a

SYD-NAN code share with QF, then -NAN-LAX code share with AA, QF & NZ, ie 4 flights in one operation. All in economy class. Plane an ex SQ 747-400. Things working well apart from the APU, interior began to show its age, some panels at the back of plane held together by adhesive tapes. Inflight service top notch, FAs professional. IFE update. However, Air Pacific never feeds its passengers well. All meals of meagre portions. On SYD/NAN sector no blankets available. Asked for seat at upper deck, given, but cabin luggage could not be taken upstairs for overhead locker too small. Luggage left downstairs, where anyone could have access to. Overall, a very impressive service in considering the size of such a small island nation. If meal portions improved, it can compete with a 4 star carrier. At present, I would give it 3 stars.

Air Pacific review - by J Runciman

12 April 2007   Customer Trip Rating : n/a

Air Pacific is without a doubt the worst airline I have ever had to deal with. First flight from Nadi to Sydney, passengers were stuck on a hot plane for 4 hours while we watched the ground crew fix a hydraulics problem with a hacksaw. My last flight from Nadi to Honolulu saw us stuck on Christmas Island (which has to be the most remote place in the world) for three days without any explanation from the airline except that we had a cracked windscreen and no idea how long it would take (rumours circulated that it would be a few hours, three days, two weeks). To make a long story short, subsequently my new husband and I missed our honeymoon in Hawaii and we weren't even reimbursed by the airline for all the costs we incurred because of their extreme incompetence. This was 7 months ago and we are still trying to get a response from the airline but they won't even answer our emails or calls anymore. An absolute disgrace of an airline.

Air Pacific review - by Janish Nandan

19 February 2007

Auckland to Nadi, Nadi to Syd, crew were very cheerful and happy on both ways. Flight from Auckland was good, food was served warm and was tasty. We requested a special meal through Qantas for my wife, but this was not offered to us. When we questioned the flight crew, we were told that they were cooking some and it will be given to us shortly. Flight from Nadi to Syd was delayed for 90 mins due to a tech problem. Overall the flight was very good even though, we had some bad weather the pilot managed to fly the plane without too much turbulence. Food was a delight and drinks was provided when requested. I choose to fly Air Pacific over Virgin Blue.

Air Pacific review - by Paul Singh

13 February 2007

747-400 Sydney to Nadi. Very hospitable cabin crew. The aircraft looked a bit outdated and aged. All in all good choice for a short flight and the fact Virgin Blue tickets are about same and you have to buy everything on the plane to eat or drink and Air Pacific has it all free.

Air Pacific review - by J Lee

1 February 2007

Honolulu to Nadi flight which is the middle segment of the longer Vancouver to Sydney connection. Check-in on both ends was fine; flights on time; and personnel were cordial. The 737 three seat configuration is a bit tight but for a short flight not unbearable. Food and beverage service (including complimentary alcohol) were acceptable (after all many airlines serve nothing on a 5 hour flight). Those of us living in Hawaii are grateful that we now have a direct service between Honolulu and Nadi, something that was lacking for several years. What some may consider inefficient service, we consider more of a reflection of the laid back life style in the south Pacific. To avoid standing in long lines, it would be wise to allow more than the minimum time for check in. We would fly Air Pacific again on trips to the South Pacific.

Air Pacific review - by R Wilsey

26 January 2007

747-400 Economy Syd-Nadi return. Flew business MAN-SYD with Emirates. The check in lady in SYD was rather rude and unwelcoming. The plane was full, seemed rather old and dated compared to the A340-500 I had flown with Emirates. Air Pacific cabin crew were great - very welcoming throughout. My partner and I had been seated in a 2 seat arrangement at the back of the plane - seat was fine with lots of room between me and the window. The only downside was the entertainment system but it was a short 4 hour flight. On the return, check in was quick, friendly and we were not charged for excess baggage this time! Crew again really nice. The plane was nearly full, but we managed to get 3 seats for 2 of us. For a 4 hour journey Air Pacific were great. The mini magnums mid flight was a fun touch. In summary not bad at all. I would fly them again short haul.

Air Pacific review - by Lena Thompson

19 January 2007

We will never fly Air Pacific again. I have never seen poor service, poor food quality and late departures in my life. Their counter service in LAX was so slow that when we finished getting our boarding passes, they had already started boarding. Ten minutes into serving dinner, we were told that all that was left was the Curried Veggie dinner. It consisted our several dry carrots, zucchini with no curry over a dry bed of rice. Three grapes, one package of cheese with two crackers with your choice of beverage. All is can say is bring your own food! The breakfasts were no better as I have never seen an albino sausage before and orange eggs. Also who eats kernel corn in the morning with their eggs? People, when arriving in Nadi in transit to Australia or New Zealand, you will find that their are only two people working at the counter. One is for Australia and the other one is for New Zealand. I have never seen the line-ups so long. Come on Air Pacific, when you have a Boeing 747 jet coming in from the States, you think you would have at least four people or more working the counters. I could say lot's more but I will be calling them personally to complain. I would recommend others to take note not to fly this airline unless they improve.

Air Pacific review - by Ward Callens

9 January 2007

I'm a frequent flyer (Tabua Club) on Air Pacific. Over the past 7 months I have flown on all their aircraft (747-400, 767-300, 737-800 and 737-700) and many of their routes: Nadi to Brisbane, Auckland, Apia and Los Angeles and Suva to Auckland, a total of about 15 return flights. Overall I have been very happy with punctual flights and good service. Being a regular passenger on the early morning flight from Apia to Nadi in the past, I was always impressed to get a hot breakfast on a 90-minute flight. For a small-sized operation Air Pacific is quite impressive and I have been happy overall so far. Only caveats: terrible schedules (leaving from Samoa in the middle of the night!) and awful music over the PA on board which they sometimes even keep running during takeoff and landing.

Air Pacific review - by Hugh Govan

27 December 2006

SUV-AUK-NAN in Economy. Two major reschedules in one trip - you must be joking! Alas no, and a call would have been nice. Travelling from Suva to Auckland on 15 Dec on FJ431 for a weeks break with my 21 month son. The flight was rescheduled from 6.25PM to 11.05PM without notifying me although they hold contact details. Flight eventually departed past midnight. Very bad start to a "holiday" but on return flight was rescheduled again from 8.00AM on 23 Dec (FJ430) to an earlier 6.00AM departure. Again no notification but savvy to their incompetence I had rung in advance. Lo and behold after checking baggage and standing at check-in for an hour watching other passengers being checked we were informed that having had to switch to a smaller plane we had no seats. Air Pacific is a complete farce. They have no regard for quality of their service and shuffle flights, passengers and planes around at their whim, complaints procedures are tortuous and often ineffective.

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