Fiji Airways plots big US expansion with a new longest route

13.07.2024 - 02:55 / thepointsguy.com / East Coast

If Fiji is on your bucket list, there may soon be a new way to get there.

Fiji Airways filed plans on Thursday to commence a new nonstop flight from Dallas Fort Worth International Airport (DFW) to Nadi International Airport (NAN) in Fiji. The carrier applied for permission from the U.S. Department of Transportation, which must first approve the new route before Fiji Airways can launch the service.

As part of the filing, the airline said it would deploy a 334-seat Airbus A350-900 jet to Dallas. Fiji's A350 features a competitive business-class product arranged across nine rows in a 1-2-1 reverse herringbone configuration.

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Each business-class traveler will enjoy direct aisle access, as well as 17-inch TV screens, power outlets and USB ports.

Fiji's A350s also feature 301 economy seats, 39 of which offer extra legroom.

The airline will "operate three weekly flights on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays, beginning as soon as all required government approvals are received," the filing reads.

If Fiji wins the approval to operate the new DFW route, it will become the carrier's longest flight yet. At 6,625 miles, the Dallas-to-Nadi route is 760 miles longer than the airline's current longest to Vancouver. (Flights will take around 13 hours, but Fiji hasn't yet shared the proposed departure and arrival times.) Furthermore, Dallas would become the airline's fourth U.S. destination, joining Honolulu, Los Angeles and San Francisco.

Fiji's planned expansion comes just a few days after the airline announced that it would adopt American's AAdvantage loyalty program as its own. Travelers will be able to earn and redeem AAdvantage miles from all Fiji flights and also enjoy reciprocal loyalty benefits for elite members. It's also possible that American might debut reciprocal systemwide upgrade redemption on Fiji flights.

In addition to the AAdvantage news, Fiji recently received approval to become the newest member of the Oneworld airline alliance by 2025, of which American is a founding member.

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As Fiji's flag carrier, Fiji Airways' core mission is to boost tourism to the archipelago in the South Pacific. With the new DFW route, travelers would be able to book hundreds of one-stop itineraries from points across the U.S. to Fiji, which would likely increase the appeal of a trip to Fiji for many U.S.-based travelers. This is especially true for flyers based on the East Coast, who currently need to take a transcon flight to connect to a nonstop route from the U.S. to Fiji.

Moreover, Fiji Airways has historically also used its strategic location in the South Pacific to offer attractive fares