Aircalin

My flight from MEL to NOU was a great experience. The check-in at Melbourne was very fast and efficient. Boarding was on time and the cabin crew were very welcoming and friendly. The plane is newest and safe.The economy class seat have not PTV's but the newest A320 equipped with new video on demand system connected by wifi on your smartphone tablet or computer. After Take off an aperitif followed by a hot lunch was served. however the cabin crew are not very far. My experience on Aircalin is not too bad.

Sydney - Noumea. Didn't know what to expect from this smaller airline. Was a full flight with school holidays over. Staff at the gate were a combination of Qantas and Air Calin crew. Aircraft was a modern A330. Helps to have a small understanding of French because the crew will address you in French first. Really impressed by meal service. A full tray with salad bread main and dessert. Landing in Noumea on second attempt due to a go-around but crew were very professional throughout the flight. Entertainment system only covered a limited selection in comparison to other carriers.

We travelled to Noumea on this airline-code share with Qantas on the outgoing leg and AirCailin on the return leg. The outgoing trip with Qantas was so sub-standard. With Qantas there was no entertainment we could see only two screens out of 5 visible in our section of the cabin and the meal served was inedible! However to my surprise the service was fantastic! The food was not only edible but enjoyable the service was swift polite and plentiful-the brandy at the end of the meal was a lovely touch. Individual screen for movies was also much appreciated. I would have no hesitation in flying this airline again or recommending it to friends.

Fantastic flight Very pleased with the very high standard of service provided! Flew from Tountouta to Sydney on AirCalin on the airline's only A320-232. Very friendly crew Very nice meal (supposed to be a breakfast but lasted well into the afternoon) comfortable seats and pleasant views of the Pacific. One of the best flights I've ever been on. Very highly recommended.

Flew NOU to SYD 23rd Oct SB140. Efficient check in at Noumea. On board A330 plenty of legroom in Economy. Great onboard service in in French and English very friendly. Pre lunch drinks offered as well as wine with lunch. Extra bread rolls offered with water runs and after lunch Cognac was also offered. Service not really expected for a 3 hour flight. Looking forward to my next Air Calin flight.

AKL-NOU on A320 business class. The check-in and lounge in Auckland is very nice. The cabin is very clean and the seat is old but is comfortable. The pitch is good we only had a shared TV. During boarding the purser welcomed us and offered champagne or cocktails. We had appetizers followed by lunch.

NRT-NOU on new A332s economy class. Check-in in Narita is very fast and friendly. Boarded on time and there were 2 queues one for the hibiscus class customers and one for economy class customers. On board the cabin crew were friendly and professional. On my seat I had a pillow a blanket and amenity kit. The new seat is very comfortable and ergonomic the pitch is ok and the cabin is clean and pleasant. Just 30 minutes after take off the meals services start and only refreshment was served. The new entertainment system has a wide choice and we could connect a usb port to the screen the headphones had good quality. 1.5 hrs before landing a breakfast was served and during landing candy was distributed.

Brisbane - New Caledonia - Tahiti. First leg was in a bright clean new A330. Business cabin only half full. My e-ticket had said “cold meal” but I was served a full hot dinner with quality French wines for just a 2 hour flight. IFE was adequate but surprisingly had no classical music. Flight was 50 min late departing because of late arrival of the aircraft which I suspect was due ongoing issues at Brisbane airport. The fairly new international airport for New Caledonia was bright and welcoming. The business lounge was small but modern. Excellent canapés and miniature cremes brulées. The flight for the second leg was operated by Air Tahiti Nui. This was not a codeshare as Air Tahiti Nui do not offer the flight themselves. A bright clean new A340. I was served a full hot lunch with quality French wines. IFE was satisfactory by modern standards. Overall a very high standard of comfort and service.

NOU-SYD. Lacklustre crew with very few smiles. Food of mediocre quality for Business Class cabin too hot and not adjusted despite request. Not an experience to remember.

SYD-NOU return. What a disappointment-after reading some of the good reviews I was looking forward to the trip. The check in at SYD was a disaster-4 economy desks with only one manned until they could find one more as the economy queue got longer and longer Also the outward journey was delayed by 45 minutes with little explanation . Once onboard the cabin crew were condescending if you spoke no French and the food was stale. The PTV was ok on the A330 but I returned on the A320 which only had limited audio. This flight was also late. There was hardly any legroom and to top it all off the bags didn't arrive at the carousel until at least 40 minutes later.