Fiji Airways Launches Unique Dining Experience to Tackle Flight Fatigue
Fiji Airways, yesterday announced the rollout of a new luxury dining experience called ‘Dine on the Ground’.
This offers passengers a pre-flight gourmet meal to maximise rest while traveling.
The initiative was launched following research from the national airline which found almost a third (31 per cent) of Aussie passengers regularly skip in-flight meals in favour of some extra shut-eye.
As a result, as much as 38 per cent of food was being discarded.
■As part of the new experience, Business Class and Premier guests taking either a morning or late evening flight out of Nadi will now be invited to a mouth-watering breakfast/dinner at the worldclass Fiji Airways Premier Lounge shortly before boarding.
Fiji Airways’ managing director and chief executive officer, Andre Viljoen said: “While the inflight experience has improved dramatically over the years across all airlines, the way in which food is served hasn’t changed too much.
“As an airline, Fiji Airways is all about delivering the best customer experience, so we started to analyse things like food consumption, sleep patterns, and of course feedback from passengers themselves. “By moving the dining experience pre-flight, we’re not only able to offer a premium experience but we’re also able to reduce food waste, while maintaining our excellent inflight catering,” added Mr Viljoen.
Health and wellness
Health and Wellness expert Mark Bunn believes the initiative has the potential to knock hours off jet-lag, especially for Aussie passengers traveling long-haul to places such as the US.
“Most of us find it hard enough to sleep on flights but eating large meals onboard will only make that worse due to bloating and indigestion,” said Mr Bunn.
“The movement and irregular nature of travel makes it much harder to digest food properly.
“Try to eat a decent meal a good 1-2 hours before travelling. Once on the flight, eat very lightly.
“By dining on the ground before take-off, you’re giving your body enough time to digest the food – meaning you’ll be more comfortable and more likely to sleep. “For medium-to long haul flights across time-zones, sleeping is the best way to reduce jet-lag. So any initiative that addresses that, is welcomed,” Mr Bunn added.
Meals:
■Breakfast guests can enjoy barista-made coffee, made-to-order breakfast items, a full bakery and a wide selection of fresh fruit juices. For dinner, signature dishes designed by Fiji Airways executive inhouse and guest chefs are on offer.
■Meals are complemented by signature cocktails, mocktails, a full service bar and the exclusive ‘Fiji Bean Cart’.
■Onboard, guests will still have access to a light brunch or supper, such as fruit bowls, gourmet panini, fresh salads, international style tapas and soups.
■However, by dining pre-flight, onboard meals better reflect the time of day and allow guests more time for rest and relaxation.