A hot breakfast on a 5.5-hour domestic-ish hop across Australia is not something most travelers expect from a Pacific island carrier operating a decades-old narrowbody. But that is exactly what Noel Philips found on the third leg of his Boeing 737-only round-the-world challenge: Fiji Airways Economy Class from Sydney Kingsford Smith International Airport (SYD) to Perth Airport (PER), aboard a 737-800.
The Seat: Old Aircraft, Surprising Space
Philips boarded the Fiji Airways 737-800 at Sydney and immediately experienced the aircraft's age. The cabin, he noted, was "a bit old and tired", with worn finishes and dated trim, the kind of interior that tells you this airframe has been around the block. What he did not expect was the legroom:
“There is a ton of leg room on this flight, which is really nice.”
Philips had settled in and stretched out(7:38) and then noted the legroom, a reaction that reads as genuine surprise rather than faint praise. On a 737-800 in economy, generous pitch is not a given nowadays, especially with the low-cost carriers that many of them operate this very specific type of aircraft. So the contrast with the tired cabin around him made the legroom stand out more sharply.
Philips flew Fiji Airways about 3 years ago, praising the food and service while criticizing inflight entertainment issues on longer-haul flights. On that occasion he said "Fiji Airways are winning me over already". This very positive sentiment appears to have carried into this review, at least partially.
Fiji Airways Catering: Hot Breakfast Over the Outback
Meal service arrived during the cruise phase of the SYD–PER sector, and Philips noted it as a genuine highlight. A hot breakfast on a sub-six-hour economy flight is a detail worth noting: many carriers on comparable routes have cut hot catering entirely or reduced service to a snack box.
“They served a nice hot breakfast on the flight across Australia.”
The meal came alongside what Philips described as great views of other aircraft heading toward Perth Airport, a visual bonus that added to the overall mood of the leg. The flight tracked across the Australian interior, and the combination of a proper hot meal and clear skies made the 5.5 hours pass comfortably, by his account.
The B737 Challenge Across the Globe
This is part of a larger challenge Philips set for himself: circumnavigating the globe using only Boeing 737s. By the time he touched down in Australia, the scale of the project had clearly registered. Reflecting on the journey at, he said:
“I can't believe I'm here in Australia.”
Getting from the Northern Hemisphere to Australia on narrowbodies alone requires creative routing, and the Fiji Airways segment was a direct consequence of that constraint. The carrier operates 737s across the South Pacific, making it a logical, if unusual, connector for a challenge built around a single aircraft type.
Philips has form with long-haul economy endurance. Eight years ago he flew back-to-back ultra-long-haul economy sectors, arriving in Australia after 71 hours in economy and remarking, "It's crazy that we've left London and we're going to be landing in Australia". The SYD–PER leg, by comparison, was a relative sprint.
His overall verdict on the Fiji Airways 737-800 sector was positive: the legroom and hot breakfast outweighed the dated cabin. Whether the aircraft's age becomes a more significant factor on longer legs in the same challenge remains to be seen.
