Flying Fiji Airways with a Baby or Toddler: What’s It Like?
Curious how it is to fly Fiji Airways with a baby or toddler? Don’t worry, I got you.
We recently took a big trip around the Pacific Islands with our two little kids – ages 19 months and 4 years old. We flew on multiple flights and routes from Los Angeles to Fiji, Australia, Samoa and Vanuatu. Our flights ranged from 2h to 13h. We upgraded on one leg from economy to business class, so we also had experience in both classes.
Here’s everything to know about flying Cathay Fiji Airways with a baby or toddler, whether it’s airplane bassinets, food and booking seats.
Fiji Airways Flying with Infant
If you choose to fly with a baby on Fiji Airways you will be happy to know that they offer quite a lot of flexibility when it comes to seating. You don’t have to pay to be seated together, even on short routes.
Fiji Airways accepts newborns as young as 7 days old and allows you to choose between securing them in an approved car seat, bassinet, or on your lap up until age 2.
These three options are pretty standard amongst most major airlines however, if you bring an approved child restraint system (CRS), Fiji will also do their best to assign an extra seat at check-in for your infant, even if you didn’t pay for one in advance.
Something important to note is that the number of infants (under 2 years) allowed on each flight is limited by the number of available infant life jackets. While this isn’t generally a problem for those who book far in advance, if you are a last-minute flyer on a popular vacation route, you may want to consider this.
Another rule that Fiji Airlines is pretty strict, similar to Canadian airlines, that you can only fly with one infant per adult. This means you can fly alone with a baby and a toddler, but you cannot travel alone with two babies (whether twins or 2 under 2), even if you book one of them in their own seat. This is because they only allow each adult to be “responsible” for one baby in the case of an emergency.
Infant Food on Fiji Airways
Fiji Airways doesn’t provide any infant food or formula onboard their flights so you will need to come prepared for the whole duration of your trip.
Baby foods, formula, and milk are allowed through security at higher limits than regular liquids which means you should be able to bring ample supply for the flight, but bottle sterilization is another element that you may need to plan for ahead as the most that the airline can provide is boiling water.
Fiji Airways Lap Infant
If your baby is under 2 years old and you choose to have them sit on your lap for the flight, you will only be charged 10% of the adult ticket price for a Fiji Airways lap infant, which is pretty standard across many airlines.
However, as I mentioned before, if there is an available seat beside your own when you arrive at the airport for check-in, Fiji Airways will happily assign it to you as long as you have your own approved CRS. If you’re lucky enough, this is a pretty great money-saving hack provided you are happy to carry a car seat or CARES harness.
In our experience, long-haul flights between Los Angeles and Fiji were booked to the maximum, but shorter flights like Fiji to Brisbane or Apia, had plenty of seats available.
For those who aren’t so lucky and have an infant in arms on Fiji Airways, you’ll be relieved to know that your little one only has to be sat on your lap for take-off, landing, turbulence and anytime the seatbelt sign is turned on. They will give you a special extension seatbelt that will attach to your own to secure them in place but outside of this time they are free to play on the floor or share a seat with other family members.
Remember that since you need to pay for your infant, it’s vital that you book a ticket in advance. You can easily do this online when booking your own travel, but if you need to add them at a later date, just give the airline a call. We actually had to call them twice and their customer service over the phone is very responsive and helpful.
Baby Facilities on Fiji Airways
You’ll find baby change tables in the lavatories on all flights with Fiji Airways but on the newest planes, make sure to ask the air hostess which is the accessible bathroom. These bathrooms are twice the size of a regular airline lavatory and give you much more room to deal with your little one when flying with a baby.
The cabin crew is also happy to help by providing extra pillows or blankets and making the trip as comfortable as possible for you and your baby, but it’s best to come prepared on your own.
Luckily you are entitled to an additional 3kg of carry-on luggage when flying with an infant so you can bring plenty of diapers, toys, baby food, and all the other essentials without having to worry about being over the weight restrictions. In fact, not once we had our carry-on luggage weighted so you can surely stuff a bit more.
Fiji Airways Car Seat Policy
If you don’t want to be restricted to holding your baby for the entire flight, another option that is acceptable for babies under 2 years old under the Fiji Airways baby policy is to book them their own seat and provide an appropriate car seat.
Car seats can be used by any children under 3 years old and less than 18kg but there are some restrictions on what seats you can book. You cannot use car seats in the emergency exit row, nor the row in front or behind it, you also can’t install a car seat in an aisle seat.
In most rows, you can also only install one CRS per row. That means if you and your partner are traveling with two babies, you will need to split up. The exception to this is if there are enough oxygen masks for all adults and babies in the row but you would have to check directly with the airline before booking if this is an option for you.
Accepted Car Seats:
The Fiji Airways car seat policy allows you to use any car seat that is compliant with any one of the following safety regulations. This usually means that the seat has a 3-point attachment system with a top tether, in addition to the fastened lap belt.
- Australian/NZ, FAA (USA)
- CMVSS (Canada)
- UK CAA,
- EC ECE Regulation 44 standards
- CARES Child Safety Device for children 22-44 pounds, aircraft use only
If you choose to use a CARES harness, it must have a label that states “FAA Approved in Accordance with 14 CFR 21.8(d), Approved for Aircraft Use Only” or “FAA Approved in Accordance with 14 CFR 21.305(d), Amd 21.50 6-9-1980, Approved for Aircraft Use Only”.
Note, that if your car seat is not approved, it will be put into the checked baggage and your infant will have to sit on your lap, even if you booked them a seat.
Baggage Allowance for Babies and Kids on Fiji Airways
You are entitled to an additional 3kg (7 lbs) of cabin baggage per infant which allows you to bring baby essentials onboard such as food, diapers, and toys.
When it comes to flying with a car seat while it’s not clear on their website whether it can be checked free of charge, we brought ours as we were doing a road trip in Australia and were never charged for checking it in a car seat bag.
For kids over 2 years old or any infants traveling with their own seats, they are entitled to the same amount of luggage as an adult ticket for the same class.
Bassinet Policies
There are a limited number of bassinets available on Fiji Airways flights but if you can snag one, it’s certainly going to make your life easier with a small infant.
The bassinets on Fiji Airways are located in the bulkhead rows in economy as well as certain seats in business class, but only on long-haul flights. Your baby gets a bed and you can get extra legroom.
If you book business class seats, the bassinet on Fiji Airways is usually located at the front of the plane where there is only one seat per row. This is great if you want ease of access to the aisle, but something to consider if you want to share baby responsibilities with a partner.
How to Reserve a Bassinet/Carrycot on Fiji Airways
You cannot reserve bassinets in advance on Fiji Airways as they are generally assigned at check-in and are allocated on a first come first serve basis. Bulkhead seats aren’t blocked though (as they are on some other airlines).
Basically, if you pay extra to book the bulkhead row your chances are generally greatly increased as you won’t have to hope that others didn’t pay for the same privilege.
If you are flying business class, it’s best to call ahead of time to find out which seats are compatible with a bassinet before selecting your seats as this varies per specific aircraft.
Fiji Airways Stroller Policy
The stroller policy on Fiji Airways is pretty strict and does not allow you to bring strollers into the cabin unless it fits within the regular carry-on size restrictions and is stored in a bag. If you choose to bring a travel stroller onboard like this, it will also be counted in your carry-on limits.
You are able to use your stroller throughout the airport and check it in at the gate. Just check with the staff at the ticket counter to make sure your stroller fits within their rules. Nothing other than a stroller can be gate-checked.
Regardless of whether you choose to check your stroller at the ticket counter or the gate, you are entitled to bring one collapsible stroller per child under 2 years old as long as it fits within the 148cm of total linear dimensions (eg; Length 100cm+Width 25cm + Depth 23cm) in addition to your regular baggage allowance.
Flying with a Toddler on Fiji Airways (Over 2 Years Old)
Kids between 2 and 11 years old fly on a child fare which is 75% of the adult fare. When traveling with kids they are allocated their seats however, they must be able to sit upright without assistance, otherwise, they should use an approved car seat or harness.
Generally, Fiji Airways only allows kids under 18kg and less than 3 years old to use a car seat or CARES harness onboard and it must follow the same guidelines as mentioned earlier.
Another great option to consider when flying with kids is to book an “Island sleeper row” which allows you to book a whole row for you and your family. You’ll also be provided with a mattress topper and pillow to make it easier to sleep. Keep in mind that it’s not always available if the plane is fully booked. I was unsuccessful when trying to book it.
Onboard your kids won’t get bored as there is an entire channel dedicated to youngsters with fun TV shows and games on the inflight entertainment system. They’ll also be given a Lailai Kid’s activity pack that includes a book, stickers, a puzzle, and a finger puppet.
We were very impressed with the quality of the activity pack. My kids got waterproof bags that we still use for the beach and the books were extremely good quality, telling stories about marine animals.
Kid’s Meal Options on Fiji Airways
Free meals designed specifically for children are available on all Fiji Airways flights and most toddlers are super happy with the food, just make sure to book in advance.
You can request a children’s meal when booking tickets online through the special requests section.
Are Airplane Beds for Baby or Toddler Allowed?
Airplane beds are not officially allowed on Fiji Airways flights, although some people have reported taking them anyway and been lucky enough to use them uncontested, so it’s worth a try!
Nadi Airport Layover with Children
If you’re flying Fiji Airways, you have 99% chance that you’ll be connecting through Fiji, most likely Nadi International Airport. After flying through the airport many times, it’s not the best airport, but there are tricks to make your experience more enjoyable.
When you get off the plane you need to go through either immigration (if staying in Fiji), or security for connecting flights. There is no priority for customers with babies or toddlers and the lines are very long (often 30min or more). The only “skip the line” priority applies to business class customers (business class needs to apply to your flight leaving from Nadi airport, not arriving one).
The airport is very crowded and especially in the evenings when lots of international flights are leaving it can be hard to find a seat.
They are constructing a play area at the terminal, but it’s been in the works for a long time with no end in sight just yet.
Once you pass security and still have plenty of time I suggest Fiji Airways airport lounge. You automatically gain access when flying business class, but it works with Priority Pass.
They have a special lounge room just for kids complete with entertainment and activities, so you can have a little time to relax before the next flight.
