RTW TP Run in Jan 2026: Day 6 – San Francisco (SFO) to Nadi, Fiji (NAN)

By Nige on January 23, 2026 at 11:00 pm
Type: Post
Story: Round the World Tier Point Run in Jan 2026 Category: Travel
Tags: Fiji | Fiji Airways | FJ | Nadi | NAN | San Francisco | SFO

My final flight of the day was a significant one in more ways than one. It was my first time flying with Fiji Airways, my first time crossing the International Date Line (IDL), and the first moment I would truly find myself on the other side of the world — at least in time-zone terms.

It also promised to be a comfortable journey. The aircraft was one of Fiji Airways’ newer A350-900s, fitted with modern, fully flat Business Class seats.

The flight was departing from Gate A9, which meant a good fifteen-minute walk from the American Airlines Flagship Lounge, so I headed down early.

That turned out to be a wise move, as Fiji Airways signage reminded passengers that a document check was required — particularly if the boarding pass had been issued by a different airline, as mine had.

The document check itself was quick, after which I joined the back of a reasonably long queue ready for boarding. There were no signs indicating which door boarding would take place from, nor any suggestion of separate priority and non-priority queues.

Perhaps that said something about the Fijian approach to life. Very chilled.

Before long, I was settled into seat 15A, and I immediately got good vibes from the cabin crew. They were friendly, genuinely interested in their passengers, and more than happy to laugh at life along the way.

I was offered a pre-departure drink, and a Buck’s Fizz felt entirely appropriate — a good match for the upbeat mood on board.

Despite it being a late departure, I felt surprisingly good and not particularly jaded. I decided to opt for a light dinner so that I could maximise sleep for the rest of the flight, and placed my order accordingly.

We pushed back on time. Taxiing and take-off were smooth, and the whole operation felt calm and well executed.

Drinks service began shortly after, and I enjoyed another Buck’s Fizz. The cabin crew referred to it as a mimosa — though I suspect there are some subtle differences.

Dinner service was, without exaggeration, the fastest I’ve ever experienced. It began with a beautiful bowl of tropical salsa and crisps. Barely two minutes later, my main course arrived: BBQ wagyu sliders, which were every bit as good as they sounded.

There was a short pause before dessert, which I suspect was due to some uncertainty about whether it had already been served. But it was worth the wait.

Wow. Officially, it was simply called raspberry sorbet, but that description barely scratched the surface. Pineapple curd, vanilla sorbet, broken meringue, and cream came together to produce one of the best desserts I’ve ever had on a flight.

I watched Ford v Ferrari while eating — a film I’d seen before, but one that’s always an easy and enjoyable watch, not least thanks to Christian Bale.

After dinner, I asked the cabin crew to make up my bed — something I’d previously only experienced in First Class. The mattress pad helped, the duvet was warm, and I managed to get around four hours’ solid sleep.

I spent some time afterwards playing games, though the Wi-Fi was a little sluggish. It worked, but only just.

During this quieter period, one of the cabin crew struck up a conversation with me about my trip to Fiji. He’d clearly looked at my itinerary and was curious to know more.

The chat gradually turned into something of an informal self-assessment of his own performance. I diplomatically avoided mentioning the constant throat-clearing — or the frequent references to King Charles!

Just as I lay back down for a second attempt at sleep, I was woken for breakfast, nearly four hours out from Fiji. It felt rather early, though perhaps it was simply a way of acknowledging the crossing of the IDL.

I was handed a hot towel — more flannel than towel — along with an orange juice. Around that time, we encountered some expected turbulence, which lasted for a good while.

Breakfast took a little time to arrive. When it did, it consisted of a cacao chia pudding followed by baked bread pudding. A very pudding-heavy start to the morning.

As it turned out, it wasn’t all pudding. The crew advised that they hadn’t loaded enough bread puddings, so I was offered waffles instead — along with an extra cacao chia pudding by way of compensation.

Unfortunately, my very friendly cabin crew member was rather better at being pally than precise. It wasn’t the first time he looked surprised when I reminded him what I’d ordered. Still, never mind.

The final four hours of the flight were marked by a fair amount of turbulence. None of it was severe, but it was persistent and uncomfortable.

Next up: A gallery of photos from Day 6 of my Round The World trip of a lifetime.

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Round the World Tier Point Run in Jan 2026