BULA FIJI! Inside Fiji Airways and its Treasure Island
(upbeat music plays) - The rain is coming in Sydney, I need to go to a warmer place. Let's go to Fiji today. (upbeat music plays) - How long are you going to Fiji for? - Going two days only.
- Only two days, you should go there for longer. - Not enough? - No, not enough. Australia's got shocking weather. - I'm out of the shocking weather.
I can't wait to fly. - Out of the shocking weather. That's it, enjoy. - Yeah. (upbeat music plays) So I'm at the Qantas Lounge before the flight. I think this lounge has a lot of style, but not so much substance. The food need to be improved.
(upbeat music plays) This is very Australian I think. You pour your beer directly from the machine here in the kitchen. Cheers. (upbeat music plays) - Welcome aboard.
- Thank you. - Thank you. (upbeat music plays) - Thank you, how are you? - [Sam] Good. Welcome on board Mr.Chui,
so you got 19 kilos today. I need you to cross over for me. Turn left, your seat is the second one on the right. - [Sam] Thank you. - You're most welcome. - Hey, how are you? (both stewardesses' greet Sam) I love that hair.
(Stewardess reply muffled by mask) You look beautiful. Oh lovely. (upbeat music plays) This seat here.
Wow, pristine. It's still very new. It smell fresh in a cabin, right? One to one whole aisle individual. Very good for a holiday airline. (upbeat music plays) - Well good afternoon everyone, and welcome aboard Fiji Airways, Flight 910 Our service from Sydney to Nadi. Today I'll be the captain under training.
My training captain is Captain Pravim Aram and we've also got Captain Kush on board as our safety pilot today. We've got a flight time today of three hours and twenty nine minutes. We'll be cruising at flight over 390, 39,000 feet. - [Gate Attendee] Bye. (door bumps and locks into place) - Cabin crew check all doors closed. - [Stewardess] Care for a hot towel? - [Sam] Yeah, please.
- [Stewardess] Certainly. - [Sam] Thank you. - [Stewardess] Your welcome. They have a interesting, like a... I don't know, like flower scent on the towel, but it's actually quite refreshing. - This is your copy of your menu for lunch.
- Okay, thank you. - It's got options on it. When you're ready, someone will come get your order. - Thank you.
- Te naka. - I'm taking all the pictures to share on the true report on my blog. And I also collect these menu.
I take them away, and I... collections growing and growing and adding Fiji Airways into my collection. (plane engine hums) - Okay, I've got pin started and a thumbs up. Tarmac is just clearing stand by.
- [Other Captain] All right, very good. (upbeat music plays) (plane engine hums) - We're lining up for one six right Departure. If you look at the engine, that's also funny.
It looks like it has a tattoo on the engine. Which is very unconventional to all the others. add to the identity, right, of Fiji. - Clear for take off runway one six right to Fiji. (radio communication muffled by engine noise) (Plane engine revs over muffled radio chatter) - Check.
(Plane engine revs over muffled radio chatter) (plane engine muffles pilot chatter) - Rotate. (plane engine hums) Positive climb. Gear up.
Check. (upbeat music plays) I like, your apron. Everything Fiji Airways seems to have this pattern. - Yes. - Or do you have a name for this? - So this is, so these are different patterns, and so mainly so you'd see on the tail, that that's called the Teteva. - [Sam] Teteva.
- [Stewardess] Teteva, yes. So these are massive prints in general. - [Sam] Yeah.
- Yes. I dressed the wrong shirt, didn't I? It's not a Fiji shirt. I'll pretend this is. - That's actually a bula shirt. They call it a bula shirt in Fiji.
- [Sam] A bula shirt. - Yes. - [Sam] Bula! - Yes. - Wi naka.
(loudspeaker announcement muffled by engines) - Right after take off I came down to the economy. Surprised they kept the exit row. Maybe they charge more people to sit on exit row.
But I know one very good seat on the A350. It's this one here, you know you got extra leg room because there's one seat short here. Row 52. Checking out the economy class meal.
The main cabin service is about to start. So you have chicken curry. - Chicken and potato curry yeah. - Chicken and potato curry and cole slaw. Yeah.
And this is a pasta. Vegetarian, right? Yes it is. Vegetarian pasta. I think the size is a little bit small for me.
Yeah. (upbeat music plays) - See I will just plate the meal for the first our guests today. So we put the beef, vegetable ratatouille, and will also place our bijou right on the plate and then to garish today we have our dehydrated cassava.
It is a root crop in Fiji. There you go. - [Sam] This looks beautiful. Wow. - [Stewardess] Thank you. I'm hungry now.
(stewardess laughs) But what on earth is this cassava? You said this is cassava? - So, yes. - [Sam] Fijian thing. - [Stewardess] Yes it is a root crop. It's also known as tapioca.
- Oh, it's a tapioca. - [Stewardess] Yes. - The tapioca I know is like the bubble tea, you know? - Yeah. - Boba tea.
I keep chewing on my milk tea. - Yeah. - This is also interesting. What is this? - This is our banana plantain. - [Sam] Oh. - [Stewardess] Yes.
In Fiji we call it the vudi. - Enjoy. - Oh, thank you. What would you like to drink with your meal? - I think I'll try one of the Fiji beer. (upbeat music plays) So there's a little hiccup off the mill.
I first chose the beef. It was beautifully presented. I tried, the meat was so dry, I guess it's the oven. It was overly cooked.
And then I tried out the chicken The chicken dish really hit the spot. Beautifully presented chicken, where it's moist, very good dish. So the whole meal come on one tray. (upbeat music playing) You can see I'm tucking my little cocoon here. I think the pattern here, match well with my shirt, right? This is what I like.
It's actually quite trendy with this pattern. I like it. This is a short flight. Maybe I'll take a quick nap.
(upbeat music playing) (plane engines humming) - Can I offer you another bottle of water. - [Sam] Oh yes. You can't say no to Fiji water. Thank you. - You're most welcome.
- Getting dark now as we are approaching to Nadi, Fiji. I remember in 2010 I had flown on Air Pacific, Boeing 747 400. And that airline now has been rebranded as Fiji Airways. And now 12 years later I've flown on their state of the art A350. And I can tell you they came from a very long way.
And I can see that Fiji's also pushing themselves to go from the medium to top end premium travel market. Next two days I'm going to discover more about Fiji and to see if the country's worth the visit. (plane engine hums) - [Air Traffic Controller] 50, 40, 30, 20, retard, Ten, five...
(pilot chatter muffled by plane) (plane door unlatches and whines open) - For your patience ladies and gentlemen. We will now begin our disembarkation process. Beginning with our business class first.
Te naka. - Thank you, te naka, have fun, see you. - Have a lovely day. Thank you.
- How's this, open air deck. You can see the aeroplanes right out there. (men sing and play in Fijian) (upbeat music plays) Hey, good morning. You think I'm at a bus stop here, right? But this is the domestic airport at Fiji. Going on a domestic flight to Savusavu today. (upbeat music playing) Weighing myself here.
I think it's weight restricted. Very lovely hats. Beautiful. - Thank you. - This is Fijian hats. At the waiting room here.
I found some fans. This man knows me from YouTube. Oh my god. Are you serious? You're the president of Fiji. - [President] I was, not anymore.
- The retired President of Fiji. - Exactly. - Oh my god. I just met you in the waiting room here. Never.
I don't think I have ever met a president of or former president of a country. This is such an honour. - Not anymore. - Thank you so much. - Bye.
(plane engine humming) What a beautiful morning. All clear. And all these are very cute aeroplanes . ATR. We're flying the twin otter.
(plane personnel muffled over plane) Hello captain. - How are you? - Whoa, nice to meet you. - Oh, nice to meet you. - Wow.
It's like a little flying box here. How long is our flight to Savusavu? And how high, and the speed of this plane. - Our (indistinguishable) for this one is 145 knots. - [Sam] 145 knots. - [Captain] We've been cleared 9,000.
- [Sam] Okay. - [Captain] And it's about 123 miles and approximately one hour. (plane engines hum) (plane engines rev up) (upbeat music plays) - The landscapes really awesome from both sides.
We have the sea. Then we have the mountain. It just looks like the TV series Survivor on Fiji.
It looks exactly like that. (upbeat music plays) (plane engine hums) (upbeat music plays) (plane engine hums) (upbeat music plays) - [Pilot] Welcome to Savusavu airport. Savusavu is about 803 by 18 metres long.
And the width is 18 metres. Weather today was pretty good. You know we live in the tropics. So yeah, today we came in at 9,000 feet and we landed on a runway one. This is a restricted airport.
It's only captain's, only landing and takeoff. - [Sam] I think it's a pretty steep descent towards the end. It was very exciting. - [Captain] Yeah.
- [Sam] Yeah. - [Captain] Because of the trees. There's also under no terms here because of the trees there's only one floor approach here that's why. - [Sam] Right, right. - Bula - [Sam] Bula, Bula.
- Welcome, welcome to Savusavu. - [Sam] Thank you, thank. (indistinct background chattering) What a simple terminal, but I love it. You can feel the air. It's an open air terminal, and you can see the plane right next to the terminal. How many flights you have here every day.
- Today we got four flights. - [Sam] Four flights? - Yes. - Busy. - Yeah, and tomorrow we got five flights. - [Sam] Yeah and this is your office here? - Yes, Fiji Link.
- Yeah can I come have a look? - Sure, your most welcome. - [Sam] Thank you, thank you. Fiji Link. Your checking everything here? - Yes, this is our checking counter sir. - Like a bus stop.
Very cool. This is a hidden gem of Fiji. Hopefully next time I get to stay longer.
But now I'm turning back to Nadi on a twin otter again. (upbeat music plays over pane engine) And that was the morning run to Savusavu and back. The twin otter, strong, slow aeroplane. Short take off performance. More importantly, I see these planes are a vital link to the island communities. Provide them a life line, bringing tourists, and bringing all the supplies and all the communities together.
(upbeat music playing) I am going on a Fijian River safari. My tour guides Emily. Say hi.
- Bula. Today we are going up the river to Rarabahanga Village. We're going to have a awesome time with the villagers and also a very authentic village experience you will have today. (Emily speaking Fijian) So welcome on board everybody. So I'll be your captain here this morning. I just got my driving licence yesterday afternoon.
(boat occupants laugh) So I hope you guys enjoy my driving today, yeah? All right there families. So we'll be cruising up river. And I'll be stopping over some stops, and I'll be telling you some stories about these (indistinguishable). (boat engine revs) (upbeat music plays) (Sam and boat occupants shout excitedly) (upbeat music plays over boat engine) (Sam and boat occupants shout excitedly) (upbeat music plays) (Man speaks in Fijian) (People respond in Fijian) (Man chants in Fijian) - So I just visited this tribal house and they put baby powder, on me.
- Baby powder. - And what was the drink? We had a herbal drink. - We had kava. That's kava. - Kava.
- Yes. Kava is herbal. It's a root of a plant and it's a very traditional drink to us Fijians. Very important as well.
(people chanting in Fijian) (people lively chanting in Fijian and clapping) (upbeat music playing) - And now let's go for a tour of the aviation academy (upbeat music playing) - Bula! - Come this way, come this way. (mans voice is incoherent from echoing) Come this way. (mans voice is incoherent from echoing) - Well done, one minute.
Professional jumpers here. (Jumpers cheer) Are you guys actually the crew in Fiji Airways. (group confirms) Cause you all look so young.
- Yes we are. - You have a baby face. But I heard you look like you were from high school.
(crew laughs) - How long have you been a crew Casey? - Oh, I'm in training actually. - You're in training. - I'm in training. - And you're going to show us today the evacuation for the door. - Yes. - Okay, let's do it today.
(Casey mumbles confirmedly) All right, with the confidence. (Crew claps and cheers) - [Trainer] Second review. Let's go. - Emergency, emergency.
Grab your ankles. Heads down, stay down. Release seat belts, remain seated. (yelling echo makes speech indistinguishable) Stay calm. Fire on the ground.
Release seat belts remain seated. - Release seat belts, remain seated. (yelling echo makes speech indistinguishable) stay calm. Release seat belts. Stay calm. - You evacuate.
Come this way, come this way. Don't be scared, hurry hurry. Checking lavatory.
Lavatories all clear. (yelling echo makes speech indistinguishable) Flight decks clear. Grabbing (indistinguishable) survival card, first aid kit.
Grabbing (yelling echo makes speech indistinguishable). CC2 you are you all good? CC1 evacuating. (crowd cheers) - Well done. - That was a show. - Oh my gosh.
- That was amazing. (crowd cheers) The energy, the energy was amazing. - No.
- It's a very serious thing, you know? - It is yeah. - You take it very seriously. Which is fantastic. (upbeat music playing) So we are saving this the best to the last.
Today I'm going to join Captain Sydney together. I think you are the first female captain on the Y body. - Yes. - Right. So she's got a lot of things to show me and teach me how to fly an air bus. A330.
50, 40, 30, 20, retard, retard, retard. - All right, there you go. - [ Captain Sydney] Okay.
- [Air Traffic Controller] 100. (cockpit chatter muffled by aircraft noises) sink rate 40, 30,20, retard. (plane shudders) - Whoa that was even harder. - Yeah. I love harder. (captain laughs)
I can see that. You know what, it's the biggest difference you can possibly have from GA. Cause your hands have memory too. So your memory is big change. - Yeah.
- You really have to dumb down your hands when you get on this thing. - [Sam] I had a short but super sweet stay in Fiji. Aviation brought me there. But the friendliness of the people there really made me want to go back to Fiji for a longer stay. Thanks for watching.
2022-10-21 17:52
