5 Reasons Fiji Airways Surprised Me as a Oneworld Elite [Review]

The author was a guest of Fiji Airways. All opinions are the author’s own, and Fiji Airways had no input in any part of this review.

In the summer of 2025, I qualified for Qatar Airways Privilege Club Gold status, which grants Oneworld Sapphire status. After many months, I was excited to finally have my first status-eligible flights booked with American Airlines and Fiji Airways, one of Oneworld’s newest full members as of 2025.

My first elite flight with American in March 2026 took me from Houston (IAH) to Dallas (DFW), with a connection onward to Nadi (NAN) in Fiji with Fiji Airways. I was facing around 18 hours of total travel, and the TSA shutdown at the time added a few wrinkles to my trip, but my new elite status helped.

Here’s what I learned about the useful benefits of my Oneworld elite status as a rookie user, and my reflections upon flying with Fiji Airways for the first time.

1. Reaching Fiji Is Easy via Several Direct U.S. Gateways.

I assumed flying to Fiji would be a haul, but Fiji Airways is the only carrier offering direct flights to Nadi (NAN) in Fiji from 4 U.S. gateways: 

• Dallas Fort Worth (DFW) at 13.5 hours (ends September 7, 2026)
• Honolulu (HNL) at 9 hours
• Los Angeles (LAX) at 11 hours
• San Francisco (SFO) at 11.5 hours

When you consider that reaching destinations like the Maldives and Seychelles requires multiple flights that can take 20 to 30 total hours, often connecting through the Middle East, Fiji is easily within reach for American travelers.

2. I Utilized Most of My Oneworld Sapphire Benefits.

Having my Privilege Club account number on the Fiji Airways reservation granted me the following Oneworld Sapphire benefits:

• Access to business class lounges (including American Airlines Admirals Club and Flagship Lounge)
• Business class priority check-in
• Additional checked baggage for free (additional weight or an additional piece in addition to the ticketed baggage allowance, depending on the itinerary)
• Priority baggage handling
• Preferred seats
• Priority on waitlists and when on standby
• Priority boarding

I had 2 separate itineraries and a short connection. Since my flights were scheduled at the height of the March 2026 TSA shutdown, I didn’t want to risk checking a bag in Houston and having to claim and recheck it in Dallas. That meant I started my trip without the elite priority check-in or baggage benefits (though I took advantage on my return flights).

The first elite benefit I utilized, without realizing it, was that I was able to book a Bula Space seat for free, essentially a preferred economy seat with extra legroom.

At the airport, I enjoyed my first trip to the Admirals Club at IAH and the Flagship Lounge at DFW.

It was in the Admirals Club that I used my next elite benefit: standby priority. Because I had arrived at the airport hours early, there were a handful of earlier flights I was eligible to stand by for. The Admirals Club check-in agent added me to the standby list for the next available flight. Apparently, I made it on that flight but missed the announcement, so after returning to the lounge, the agent assigned me to stand by on the following flight.

Due to my elite status, I was able to quickly get on an earlier flight, giving me more time to enjoy the lounges in Dallas. After visiting the Flagship Lounge DFW and the new Plaza Premium Lounge at DFW Terminal D (thanks to my Priority Pass), I was ready for my Fiji Airways flight. With my elite priority boarding, I was among the first to board.

3. Bula Space Was a Game-Changer.

Having returned from Fiji, if there was 1 word I heard more than any other on my adventure, it was “Bula!” While it translates to “life,” it is used as a greeting, a toast to good health, and a general embodiment of everything welcoming about Fiji.

Fiji Airways’ preferred economy, called Bula Space, occupies the first few rows of the main cabin.

Bula Space has a 34-inch seat pitch, compared to 31 to 32 inches in main economy. Both seat styles have a 6-degree recline, 12-inch inflight entertainment monitors, in-seat power, and USB ports.

The legroom was noticeably spacious, with a wide gap between the seats and the row in front. There was no chance of my knees getting knocked into, and I had an incredible amount of room to extend my legs or even cross them (I know this is generally discouraged to prevent deep vein thrombosis, but still!).

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Legroom for days.

The absolute best part of the flight was being lucky enough to have an entire row to myself, which meant I could move the armrests up, bunch the pillows together, and get a solid 6 hours of horizontal sleep. Since the flight departed around 11 p.m. CT and arrived around 6 a.m. Fiji time, I was rested enough from my travels and ready for a full day in Fiji.

How To Book Bula Space Seats

To select Bula Space when booking, under Add Extras, click Choose Seats, then Select seats. The Bula Space seats are designated with the XL label.

When reviewing future dates, for a sample $348 one-way economy flight from DFW to NAN, the Bula Seat upcharge ranged from $230 to $290. While this can be hefty compared to the base fare, it’s a bargain compared to a several-thousand-dollar business fare. Oneworld Emerald, Sapphire, and Ruby members can book these seats for free.

4. The Meal Service Left Me Hungry for More.

The food on Fiji Airways left me a little disappointed, as I was hoping for a more substantial offering, or at least something with a tropical, local touch. However, maybe the service was just right.

Before the flight took off at around 11 p.m., I had already had plenty to eat for dinner in the lounge. I did not need a fourth main meal of my day. But generally, I always have an appetite for airplane food, where time-zone math somehow makes eating at any time feel more rational. The in-air meal of a small personal cheese pizza and a molasses cookie served around midnight was more of a snack than dinner.

Breakfast was served around 9:30 a.m. CT. I was given a small fruit cup, a cup of yogurt with fruit sauce and chia seeds, and a ricotta omelet with spinach, zucchini, a sausage, and seasoned potatoes.

The galley offered whole fruit and packaged snacks for those peckish between meal services. I also liked that the amenity kits and dental kits were stored here instead of potentially being wasted at each seat.

5. The Wi-Fi Was Great for Texting but Not Surfing.

I was happy to see that Fiji Airways offered free Wi-Fi for text services on my flight, and it worked great on my phone.

I paid $9.95 for the standard web service so I could access the web on my laptop, but it never worked, even after several attempts. After requesting a refund from Viasat via email, I received it the same day.

Final Thoughts

Fiji Airways is the primary carrier for Americans traveling to Fiji. Through its Oneworld codeshare partnership with American Airlines, passengers can fly American to Dallas, Honolulu, LA, or San Francisco, then onward to Nadi with Fiji Airways.

Taking advantage of my new Oneworld Sapphire elite benefits en route to Fiji proved valuable, as I was able to fly standby on an earlier connecting flight, enjoy time across several lounges, board early, and stretch out in a seat with tons of legroom.

The meal may have been a touch light, and the Wi-Fi was never functional on my laptop, but for a long red-eye flight, I’ll take comfort first and anything else as a bonus. I’d happily fly Fiji Airways again and would definitely try to book a Bula Space seat!